How to Clip on PC — Every Method Compared (2026)

You can stretch that window to 10 minutes. NVIDIA, AMD, Steam, OBS and Insights Capture, a free game recorder for PC, add longer windows or hands-free recording.

How to Clip the Last 30 Seconds on PC

Game Bar is built into Windows 10 and 11. It needs one setting turned on before the moment happens.

1. Press Win + I, then open Gaming > Captures.
2. Turn on Record what happened.
3. Open your game and click inside its window.
4. Press Win + Alt + G to save the last 30 seconds.

Clips save to Videos > Captures. Game Bar only records a game or app in focus, so it won't work on the desktop or in File Explorer.

How to Clip the Last 5 or 10 Minutes on PC

Set the length before you need it. Longer windows use more disk space.

• Xbox Game Bar: in Settings > Gaming > Captures, set the length to 5 or 10 minutes. Win + Alt + G then saves that window.
• NVIDIA App: press Alt + Z, open Settings > Video capture, and set Instant Replay length.
• AMD Software: set the Instant Replay slider, up to 20 minutes.
• Steam: choose Record in background. The disk space you reserve sets how far back it goes.
• OBS Studio: set the Replay Buffer's maximum time in Settings > Output.
• Insights Capture: use Auto Record Matches or Auto Record Session to keep the whole match or session, then clip any moment afterward.

Every Free Way to Clip on PC, Compared

1. Xbox Game Bar (built in)

Best for: occasional clips with nothing to install. Hotkey: Win + Alt + G. Limits: background recording must already be on, there are no game-event markers, and editing and sharing are basic. On console instead? See our guide to Gamer DVR and Xbox clips and our PS5 clipping guide.

2. NVIDIA App (ShadowPlay)

Best for: GeForce owners. Press Alt + Z, turn on Instant Replay, and save with the hotkey shown in the overlay. NVIDIA Highlights also saves key moments automatically in compatible games. Limit: NVIDIA graphics cards only.

3. AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition

Best for: Radeon owners. Instant Replay keeps up to the last 20 minutes and saves to Videos > Radeon ReLive. Set your save key in Hotkey Settings. Limit: AMD graphics cards only.

4. Steam Game Recording

Best for: games you launch through Steam. Record in background keeps recent footage with no hotkey, and Ctrl + F12 drops a marker. Some games add their own timeline markers. Limits: it only covers games played through the Steam client, and old footage is overwritten when your reserved space fills. Our Steam setup guide walks through it.

5. OBS Studio Replay Buffer

Best for: full control over quality and format. Set a replay buffer and a save hotkey, and it saves the last stretch of gameplay you chose. You can also record full sessions. Limits: more setup than the others, and you still press the hotkey yourself.

6. Snipping Tool

Best for: a quick recording of part of your screen, in or out of a game. Press Win + Shift + R, select an area, then select Start. Limit: it only records from that point on, so it can't save what already happened.

7. Insights Capture

Best for: recording whole matches so you can review them and clip later. It auto-records each match in supported games and the full session in others, so there's no hotkey to remember. In 45 or more games, it bookmarks kills, deaths and assists so you can jump straight to them. Clip with Hotkey also saves a clip in any game. Highlights Only mode builds a montage automatically, and it deletes the original recording by default unless you change that setting. Limits: Windows only, and the Free plan shows ads.

{{button}}

Which Method Should You Use?

• You clip once in a while: Game Bar. There's nothing to install.
• You want a longer window on a GeForce or Radeon card: the NVIDIA App or AMD Software.
• You launch most games from Steam: Steam Game Recording.
• You already use OBS: Replay Buffer.
• You want to review matches, or you forget hotkeys mid-fight: Insights Capture.

Hotkeys stay the same from game to game, including Dota 2 clipping and PUBG clipping. If you've been using Medal, our breakdown of Medal clips covers where its files land and the free-plan limits. Our Insights vs Medal comparison covers the differences before you switch.

Settings That Make Game Clips Look Good (Any Method)

• Record at the frame rate you play at — 60 FPS for most players, 120 for competitive shooters. Full breakdown: what FPS to record at.
• 1080p resolution is the sweet spot for sharing — platforms compress anything bigger anyway, whichever screen recorder you use.
• Clip length: 15–30 seconds for social, up to a few minutes for review clips.
• Turn your microphone on or off deliberately — comms make funny clips better and ranked-rage clips worse. Every tool here has a mic toggle in its settings.
• Keep 20–50 GB free on an SSD so long sessions have room.

Clipping Gameplay vs. Clipping Your Screen

“How to clip on computer” can mean two things. For a still image of part of your screen, press Win + Shift + S in Snipping Tool. For a video of your desktop, a browser or an app, press Win + Shift + R or use OBS. Game Bar won't record the desktop or File Explorer. The rest of this guide covers gameplay clips.

FAQs: How to Clip on PC

1. How do you take a clip on a PC?

Turn on background recording in Settings > Gaming > Captures, then press Win + Alt + G in your game. Game Bar saves the clip to Videos > Captures. The NVIDIA App, AMD Software, Steam and OBS each have their own settings and hotkeys.

2. How do you clip the last 30 seconds on a PC?

Press Win + Alt + G with Game Bar's background recording on, or use Instant Replay in the NVIDIA App or AMD Software, or the OBS Replay Buffer. Each one only works if it was already running before the moment happened.

3. How do you clip the last 5 minutes on PC?

Set the length first. In Settings > Gaming > Captures, choose 5 minutes for Game Bar. The NVIDIA App, AMD Software and OBS let you set their own lengths. Insights Capture can record the whole match so you clip it afterward.

4. Does clipping software lower FPS?

Recording always uses some system resources. Tools that use your graphics card's hardware encoder usually have a small impact, but it varies by PC, game and settings, so test it on your own setup.

5. Is there software that clips automatically?

Yes. NVIDIA Highlights saves key moments in compatible games. Steam shows game-specific markers in games that support its Timeline. Insights Capture bookmarks kills, deaths and assists in 45 or more games, and its Highlights Only mode builds a montage for you.

Final Thoughts

Start with what's already on your PC: Game Bar, or your graphics card's app. If you want whole matches recorded without thinking about hotkeys, Insights Capture is a free download.