Valve has added a new game recording feature to Steam. The feature, currently in beta, does what it says; allowing players to capture and share gameplay footage through the Steam launcher without any external software.
The game recording feature is detailed on its dedicated home page, where it explains that players can use it to capture individual highlights or even record “entire campaigns”, hinting that there is no limit to the length of recorded footage beyond than your PC storage allows.
The website details the four basic pillars of the game recording feature. First, the background recording mode captures gameplay during the session without exceeding user-set storage or duration limits. A “record on demand” mode is also available, allowing players to stop and start recording with the press of a button. They can then enter the footage and access its timeline to select key moments or make basic edits.
The second option is Replay, which appears to act similarly to how the PS5 and Xbox consoles record and save gameplay events that have just happened. As Steam itself says, this will be a useful feature for figuring out how you just died or if you want to remember crucial dialogue spoken by an NPC.
Next is the Clip function. This one is self explanatory. It practically allows you to trim the footage to a select segment of the game; It's certainly useful for sharing specific clips with friends or even creating YouTube shorts.
Lastly, and perhaps most obvious, is the Share feature. Steam's game recording feature allows players to efficiently convert clips to MP4 format for sharing online and on social media. You can even send clips between devices, such as from Steam Deck to PC or vice versa, for example.
Valve also confirms that game recording is Steam Deck verified, meaning you'll be able to record video footage while on the move. It seems like a very promising feature and I'm sure many players will appreciate being able to do all of this through Steam for ease of use rather than relying on third-party software.
