How to Record Gameplay With Steam Game Recording

Record in Background is for events you cannot schedule. Steam records while you play and manages the background allocation as a rolling buffer, overwriting older unsaved material when space is needed. A clip you deliberately save is kept as a permanent recording rather than being treated as disposable buffer history.

Record on Demand is a clearer choice when you know when the session begins and ends. Start it for a test run, tutorial, or planned match, then stop it afterward. Background mode reduces the chance of missing a surprise, while on-demand mode avoids collecting time you never intended to review.

Open the recording timeline after the session and find the event while the surrounding context is still familiar. Use markers when they help you return to an important point. Select enough time to show the setup and outcome, then save that range as a clip so it is not left only in background history.

Steam's desktop interface lists recordings under View > Recordings & Screenshots. On Steam Deck, the Media tab is the corresponding library. Menu wording and available options can move with client updates, so use the current Game Recording settings page when the shortcut or storage screen differs from an older tutorial.

A clip inside Steam remains part of Steam's recording library. Export it as a video file when you want to use a browser uploader or keep an independent copy. Play the exported file and check audio, frame timing, overlays, and the chosen boundaries before deleting any source recording.

If the exported video still contains extra lead-in or aftermath, open it in Save Replay and refine the range locally. Upload the prepared selection and share its watch URL. Steam records and organizes the gameplay; Save Replay creates the browser link after a local file exists.