While consoles might be on the rise, a large number of gamers still rely on PCs for their gaming needs. There are all sorts of games available for you to try out, ranging from some of the best online games for PC to FPS games, strategy games, and more. And the fun is doubled when you share your gameplay with your friends and other players worldwide. While streaming games on Twitch is one way to go about it, it usually takes a toll on your internet and depends heavily on your bandwidth. That’s why I prefer recording my gameplay and then sharing it video sharing services like YouTube. If you also want to do the same, here are the 15 best game recording software for Windows to help you out.

Most of these tools will record raw videos without any kind of compression. This leads to huge video size. So, it is recommended that you only record videos to the drive that has enough space. When you get the video, make sure you compress it before sharing anywhere.

  • Open Broadcaster Software
  • Streamlabs OBS
  • Nvidia GeForce Experience
  • Radeon ReLive
  • Bandicam
  • Gamecaster
  • Fraps
  • Movavi Screen Recorder
  • Dxtory
  • Action!
  • D3DGear
  • Xbox Game Bar (Replaces Windows Game DVR)
  • ManyCam
  • Icecream Screen Recorder
  • Wondershare Demo Creator
  • Bonus: Screencast-O-Matic

1. Open Broadcaster Software

Probably the best tool of the lot, simply because of its open-source nature and flexibility, Open Broadcaster Software or OBS is the preferred tool for a lot of gamers out there. Be it simply recording your gameplay or even streaming it side by side, OBS is the tool for you. You are not required to change any special settings, just select the source which you would like to record and start recording.

Pros:

Cons:

Compatibility: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8 and 7, macOS (10.15 and newer), Linux (Ubuntu 20.04 and newer)

2. Streamlabs OBS

If you’re just starting out and you find OBS’s interface a bit too complicated then you should definitely check out Streamlabs OBS. Streamlabs OBS is a video recording and streaming platform which aims to simplify OBS’s interface for beginners. The software is quite easy to use and is chock full of integrated features that will help you record and stream your games.

Compatibility: Windows 10, 8.1, 8 and 7

Price: Free, $19/month

If you have an Nvidia GPU, you must have already received prompts to install GeForce Experience on your device. Well, apart from just updating your Nvidia drivers, the software includes Nvidia’s Shadowplay tool as well, allowing you to record games easily. One of the best features of ShadowPlay is that it uses the GPU (Nvenc) to handle the video encoding, which means it doesn’t require much in the way of CPU power.

  • Free to useSimple and straightforwardUses GPU to handle encoding

Compatibility: Windows 10, 8.1, 8 and 7

So Nvidia has its own recording software, don’t you think AMD would have one too? Enter Radeon ReLive (earlier called AMD ReLive), which is the company’s proprietary software for recording gameplay on an AMD card. Like the Nvidia solution, AMD’s ReLive utilizes the GPU for most of the encoding, saving your CPU cycles for other stuff. The impact on framerates is pretty small (5-10 percent in most cases), but for more complex streaming setups it can fall short. What’s more, is that the software comes with support for upscaling as well. As such, if you’re playing at 1080p, you can still record at 4K UHD. If you have an AMD GPU, then you should definitely give Radeon ReLive a shot.

Compatibility: RX Vega, 500 Series Graphics products; Radeon RX 400 Series; Radeon R9 Fury, R9 300, R7 300 Series; Radeon Pro Duo; AMD Radeon R9 200, R7 200, R5 300, R5 240 Series; AMD Radeon™ HD 8500 – HD 8900 Series; AMD Radeon™ HD 7700 – HD 7900 Series

5. Bandicam

Bandicam screen recorder it is one of the most known software in terms of screen recording. While positioned as a screen recorder for Windows, the software with its great ability of recording at high bitrates and frames, doubles up as a great recording software for games as well. You can record videos at customizable frame rates and 4K Ultra HD resolution. Even at such high quality, it offers small size video recordings due to its built-in compression feature that makes sure there is no sacrifice on quality and you get the smallest file size. The recordings can be adjusted for gaming or other PC activities and the size of the window can be decreased on increased.

Compatibility: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 and Vista

Download Bandicam

Gamecaster is one of the easiest yet power-packed recording tool out there. Apart from streaming, the software can be easily used for recording your gameplay in high quality. You can start recording with a single press of a button, and Gamecaster will configure the settings for you according to your PC.

Cons:

  • Highlight feature not availableNot for advanced users

Compatibility: Windows 10

Fraps is another highly popular game recording software for Windows and it’s very simple to use. Unlike other recording programs that come with overwhelming settings and configurations page, Fraps is all about ease of use. You just go to the “Movies” section and start recording, that’s it.

And best of all, you can show your cursor, just like OBS Studio while recording games on your Windows PC. Not to mention, you can also get a live frame rate counter in the corner of the screen which is very helpful for heavy gamers. So to put it straight, Fraps is a lightweight screen recording tool and it can be a great utility for users who want a seamless experience while recording their gameplay on PCs.

Compatibility: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista and XP

Download Fraps

Movavi’s Gecata is an outstanding game recorder for Windows that bundles some really useful features for casual gamers as well as for streamers. With a well labeled user interface, using Gecata is really simple and you can start recording gameplays without much technical know-how. The software brings a dedicated Game Mode that allows you to record 4K videos with up to 120fps as soon as you start a game. You can customize overlays to display frame rate

  • A bit expensiveLimited free trial

Compatibility: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7

Dxtory is yet another simple tool in this list that offers tons of features while being very light on the system. In fact, it is one of the lightest software, yet quite robust. The interface is extremely simple and makes it very easy to understand all settings and tweak them. It captures lossless videos at Highest quality to ensure you get the best video (huge size, though).

Pros: 

Compatibility: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista and XP

10. Action!

Compatibility: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 and Vista

Pricing: Free Trial, $29.95 per user

D3DGear might look like a simple and basic tool, but it is extremely useful. The game recording software doesn’t require any special set up. In fact, you just install it, and you’re a click away from recording your gameplay footage. Along with a lightweight design, it also has a built-in compression system that will compress all videos recorded with it.

  • Basic UIEasy to useReal-time compressionAlso great for streaming on popular live-stream websites

Chances are you’re running Windows 10 while reading this review. If that’s the case, and you just need a simple tool for recording your gameplay and nothing else, Xbox Game Bar should do the trick. Video recording (default shortcut of Win + Alt + R) allows you to specify 30 fps or 60 fps recording, as well as standard (720p) or high (1080p) quality and an audio bitrate, and that’s it.

Alternatively, you launch the Game Bar by pressing the keyboard shortcut (Win + G). The fact that it is so easy to use and is completely free makes it an easy recommendation for anyone. However, it is only suitable for beginners, and if you’re looking for something more advanced you can select one of the other aforementioned options.

Compatibility: Windows 10

13. ManyCam

ManyCam is, at its core, a live streaming app for Windows and Mac. However, you can also use it to simply record your gameplay. It’s a great tool to have on your gaming PC because you can record your games, and if you want to stream, you don’t need a different software for it. That said, bear in mind that ManyCam supports streaming to Facebook and YouTube Live. Other than that, you get features like automatic bitrate setting, 3D masks and filters, green screen and more.

Compatibility: Windows 11 (likely), Windows 10, Windows 8

Pricing: subscription starts at $49/year; lifetime license starts at $59

Icecream Screen Recorder is another feature rich game recording software that you can use to capture your gameplay to share with friends. The software comes with useful features including the ability to record webcam along with the screen recording. There’s obviously support for capturing audio along with annotation features for both screenshots and screen recordings. These tools can definitely come in handy while you’re editing your game recording before sharing it on YouTube. Icecream Screen Recorder also allows you to put a custom logo on your recordings, and easily share your videos to YouTube, Google Drive, and Dropbox.

For editing, the software comes with all the basics that you’ll need. You can trim recordings, change the speed, and more. You can also set up Icecream Screen Recorder to automatically start screen recordings at a scheduled time and convert videos.

  • Allows webcam recording as overlayBuilt-in video editorSupports custom logo watermarks

Compatibility: Windows (including Windows 10 and Windows 11), macOS

Wondershare makes a lot of useful tools, and Demo Creator is a solid screen recording software for recording PC games easily. The software records your screen and system audio separately so you can edit them individually. That means you get extra flexibility in post production. The software also supports effects such as green screen, transitions, zoom and pan, and more. While you’re recording your game with Demo Creator, you can add narrations to your clips as well.

Wondershare Demo Creator comes with AI face recognition which can recognise your face and blend it seamlessly into the recording. You can add annotations, and make all the edits you need within the software itself without having to switch over to a video editing app for Windows.

Compatibility: Windows, macOS

Download Wondershare Demo Creator

Screencast-O-Matic is also a good choice for you if you want an easy to use game recording software for your PC. The interface here is simple, but you get quite a lot of features baked in. You can select the resolution of your screen recording, set a time limit, etc. The software also supports recording both mic and system audio at the same time so you can record gameplay with sound as well as your narration together.

Further, Screencast-O-Matic comes with a video editor. This can come in handy when you’re trying to apply some finishing touches to your gameplay footage before publishing it on YouTube or sharing it with your friends. Overall, Screencast-O-Matic brings all the necessary features you’d want in a game recording software and you should definitely give it a shot.

  • You will need to purchase the paid version to take advantage of all the features

Compatibility: Windows, macOS, Android, iPhone, Chrome OS

The above-mentioned game recording software provide complete control over recording your game while playing. All of them record at high quality but might differ in features and ease of use. Some may lack a few features but are very simple to use making them perfect for beginners. Others may be left best for professionals who want to make a career out of streaming and video game tutorials.