For game lovers, one of their pleasures would be recording the best moments of their gaming life and upload them on social media to share with their friends. Thus it’s important and necessary to own a professional game recording tool that can easily capture the gameplay with no lags.
Since there are various game recording software available in the market, which will make people dazzling and lost about which to choose, here we have collected the top 6 free game recording software for Windows and Mac after our test. Just keep reading to get the best one for yourself.
- Part 1. Top 6 Free Game Recording Software for Windows and Mac
- Part 2. FAQ about Game Screen Recording
Part 1. Top 6 Free Game Recording Software for Windows and Mac
1. Apeaksoft Free Online Screen Recorder
OS: Windows, Mac
Apeaksoft Free Online Screen Recorder enables you to record games online for free. There is no need to install any software and it’s compatible with both Windows and Mac OS.
- PROS
- Totally free and no need to install desktop program.
- Record the gameplay skills and game video trailers to gain more likes on Twitch, Facebook and more.
- Grasp any computer activity like movies, music, business conference, presentations, etc. for free.
- Grasp all the sound in your computer like built-in system audio and microphone voice.
- CONS
- Lacks video editing feature.
- Not able to record 4K gameplay, only 1080p supported.
2. Apeaksoft Screen Recorder
OS: Windows, Mac
If you think Apeaksoft Free Online Screen Recorder lacks the feature you want in a free game recorder program, we recommend you to use its pro version, the desktop program Apeaksoft Screen Recorder. It’s available in both Windows and Mac platform and provides you with professional way to record gameplay, any local or online video/audio in various popular formats and take snapshot of game and screen with high quality.
- Record games with up to 60fps frame rate and share with friends on Twitch, or Facebook.
- Record game screen and your camera screen as well as your sound simultaneously.
- Mirror the gameplay on your phone screen to PC for better display and recording.
- Customize recording area and preview the recording before you save it.
- The built-in video editing tools enable you to edit video/snapshot and draw new labels to the recorded file.
How to record a game with Apeaksoft Screen recorder?
Step 1Free download and install this game recorder on your computer according to your computer OS.
Step 2After launching the game recording software, select the Game Recorder option and select the gameplay window by clicking Select the game according to your need.
Step 3If you want to record yourself playing the game, you also need to select the Webcam option to open the camera in your computer. Then you will get a picture-in-picture recorded video. And turn on System Sound and Microphone to record the game sound and your voice at the same time.
Step 4Then click “REC” button to start recording your gameplay. During the gameplay recording, you are able to make drawing or add annotations based on your need by clicking the writing button.
Step 5If you want to finish recording when the game is finished, just click the red square on the top left corner and it will show you the recorded video.
You can preview the recording to clip the video length or take screenshot. If you are satisfied with the game recording, you can save the video to the location as you like. And you can record on Steam with this tool.
In addition, after recording the gameplay, you can go to the Recording history window to edit your recorded files in this software. Here, you can edit the metadata of your recorded files, trim, compress, merge, and convert your recorded files based on your needs.
3. Bandicam
OS: Windows
Bandicam Game Recorder can be one of the top choices for gamers to record 4K UHD video and capture up to 480 FPS video. It enables you to record your gameplay and upload the recorded file to socia media platforms without converting (720p/1080p full HD video can be made).
- PROS
- Record various 2D/3D games such as Minecraft, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, Roblox, World of Warcraft, and League of Legends that use the DirectX/OpenGL/Vulkan graphics technologies.
- Compress the video while recording, so you can get a smaller recorded file compared to other game recording software.
- Record 4K Ultra HD video at resolutions up to 3840 x 2160 in size and HD video with max. 480fps.
- Gamers can experience much less lag than with other free game recorders as Bandicam uses much lower CPU/GPU/HDD.
- Support for simultaneous Webcam and Screen recording.
- CONS
- Bandicam is not totally free gaming screen recorder, it only offers limited trial version.
- It’s not armed with video editing tools to edit the recorded gameplay.
4. OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software)
OS: Windows, Mac, Linux
OBS is also a free game recorder loved by many gamers, it’s mainly used for live game on Twitch and gameplay recording for social media platforms.
- PROS
- Free and open source game recording software for video recording online sharing.
- Compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux.
- High performance in real time video/audio capturing and mixing from multiple sources.
- Enable gamers to record screen and webcam simultaneously.
- Compatible with Twitch, Facebook Live, Rstream.io, etc.
- CONS
- The software interface is not so user-friendly.
- OBS is only able to record gameplay at up to 30fps.
- There is no video editing tool built-in this free game recorder.
5. Camtasia
OS: Windows, Mac
Camtasia is an all-in-one screen recorder and video editor that is able to record and create professional-looking gameplay videos on Windows and Mac.
- PROS
- Record webcam to add a personal touch to your gameplay.
- The pre-made animations allows you to customize your recording by adding effects, music and sound effects.
- Support 4K Resolution Video recording and Editing.
- Provide tutorials to help you start easily.
- CONS
- Limited trial version.
- Does not support for live streaming.
6. Dxtory
OS: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista and XP
Dxtory is another game recorder for DirectX and OpenGL Applications. Since data is directly acquired from a surface memory buffer, it is very high-speed and works with small load.
- PROS
- Dxtory is light but quite robust game recording software with extremely simple interface.
- It can record game sound and your microphone’s sound simultaneously.
- Record the highest quality by lossless video source.
- Support third party VFW codecs, you can specify the video codec you like and set FPS from 10-120.
- CONS
- Annoying trial notification, you need to pay for full version.
- Lack video editing tools.
Maybe you are also interested in recording VR gameplay.
Part 2. FAQ about Game Screen Recording
How to record games with no lag?
To record games smoothly with no lag, it’d be better to reduce the video resolution and record the game in windowed mode instead of full screen. What’s more, the performance of your computer will also affect the game recording.
How do I record myself playing games?
To record yourself playing games, you need to turn webcam on and record the gameplay screen and your face simultaneously. You can use Apeaksoft Screen Recorder or OBS Studio to record yourself playing games.
Can I edit the gameplay or take a snapshot when recording the game?
Most game recorders do not have the built-in editing function to let gamers edit their recording. If you need to edit the gameplay or take a screenshot during recording, among the top 6 free game recording software, Apeaksoft Screen Recorder and Camtasia can do you a favor.
Conclusion
In this article we have recommended top 6 free gaming screen recorders, whether you want to record games online for free, or record gameplay on PC/Mac with no lag, hope you can find the best free game recording software for your demand here.
