On PS5 Pro, press the Create button on the DualSense to capture the current screen, record what happens next, or save gameplay that just happened. Share short clips and screenshots from Recently created, Media Gallery, or PlayStation App; copy important files to optional USB storage for longer-term preservation. An 8K screenshot is possible only with an 8K game, compatible 8K display, and the PS5 Pro 8K Resolution Screenshot setting enabled.
Choose the right capture method first
The fastest choice depends on whether the moment is still happening, already happened, or needs to be kept outside the console.
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| What you want | Use this option | Important limit or requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Capture the exact frame currently on screen | Take Screenshot from the Create menu or a configured shortcut | HDR screenshots require a compatible display; 8K stills require the separate PS5 Pro conditions described below. |
| Record from now onward | Start New Recording | A new recording can run for up to one hour, unless storage or a capture-blocked scene stops it. |
| Save something that just happened | Save Recent Gameplay | Choose a period from the last 15 seconds up to one hour. |
| Send a short clip or screenshots to friends immediately | Recently created or Media Gallery on the console | Group sharing allows one video clip at a time, with a three-minute maximum, or up to four screenshots. |
| Get a capture onto a phone | PlayStation App | Auto-uploaded videos must be under three minutes and non-4K; app availability lasts 14 days. |
| Keep an original copy or move it to another device | Media Gallery > More > Copy to USB storage device | Sony’s instructions do not specify a required drive capacity, speed, format, or model. |
Capture a screenshot or video on PS5 Pro
Open the Create menu
- While playing, press the Create button on the DualSense wireless controller.
- Choose the capture action you need: Take Screenshot, Start New Recording, or Save Recent Gameplay.
The Create menu is also where you can review the most recent captures and reach sharing controls. If you prefer fewer button presses, configure Create-button shortcuts in Settings > Captures and Broadcasts > Captures.
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Select Take Screenshot to save the current game image. You can also use a Create-button shortcut after setting it in the Captures menu. Screenshot format and related options are controlled under Settings > Captures and Broadcasts > Captures. HDR screenshots depend on a compatible display, so a television or monitor that cannot handle HDR will not provide an HDR screenshot result simply because the game supports HDR.
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Record from this point forward
- Press Create.
- Select Start New Recording.
- Play normally. The console can record for up to one hour.
- When you have the moment, press Create again and select Stop Recording.
The one-hour figure is the console’s documented maximum for a new recording, not a guarantee that every game or storage situation will permit a full hour. A scene that the game marks as restricted can be omitted or blocked from capture.
Save gameplay that already happened
PS5 Pro continuously retains a rolling recent-gameplay buffer. Press Create, choose Save Recent Gameplay, and select how much of that buffer to preserve—from the last 15 seconds up to one hour. This is the correct option when a boss defeat, trick, bug, or surprise has already occurred and you did not start a new recording first.
The saved interval is measured backward from the moment you choose the command. If you wait too long, the earliest part of the event can fall outside the selected buffer. Restricted scenes can still be omitted.
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Open Settings > Captures and Broadcasts > Captures to review the settings that affect new screenshots and videos. The available controls include:
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- Create-button shortcuts
- Screenshot format
- Video format and resolution
- Whether microphone audio is included
- Whether voice-chat audio is included
Compatible displays enable 4K recording, but 4K recording and app upload eligibility are different matters. A clip can be recorded at a supported console resolution and still be ineligible for automatic PlayStation App upload if it is 4K or reaches three minutes.
Include your microphone or party audio carefully
If microphone or voice-chat inclusion is enabled, a clip may contain your commentary and the voices of people in the party. Sony’s PS5 capture-settings guidance says: “When including voice chat audio, make sure to ask the voice chat members if it’s alright to include their voice in your video clips.” Get that permission before sharing a clip outside the party, especially when posting it publicly.
Capture an 8K screenshot on PS5 Pro
PS5 Pro’s 8K capture feature applies to screenshots, not automatically to gameplay video. Sony lists three conditions:
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- Play an 8K game on a PS5 Pro.
- Connect a compatible 8K screen.
- Enable Settings > Captures and Broadcasts > Captures > 8K Resolution Screenshot.
If any condition is missing, the 8K screenshot option will not produce the claimed 8K result. The game itself must provide an 8K output mode; owning an 8K television alone is not enough.
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There is also an important delivery limitation: Sony says screenshots uploaded to Cloud Media Gallery are uploaded at a lower resolution. Keep the local capture or copy it to USB storage when retaining the highest-resolution still matters. Do not assume that ordinary clips are recorded in 8K; the documented 8K setting is specifically for screenshots.
Share directly from the PS5 Pro
Use Recently created
- Open the control center and select the Recently created card.
- Choose the screenshot or video clip.
- Select Share.
- Choose the destination or recipient.
- Select Send.
This route is convenient immediately after a capture because the latest files are surfaced without opening the full gallery.
Use Media Gallery
- Open Media Gallery.
- Select a capture.
- Choose Share, select the destination or recipient, and choose Send.
Media Gallery also lets you select multiple captures. For group sharing, Sony documents a maximum of one video clip at a time, a three-minute cap for that clip, or up to four screenshots at once. If a longer recording is needed, trim it first or use another transfer route instead of trying to send the entire file to a group.
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Edit before sending
Media Gallery’s basic tools let you crop, rotate, or add text to screenshots. For videos, you can trim the clip and set a cover image. If you need effects or music, Sony directs users to Share Factory Studio. It can add effects and music, then save the exported result to console storage and Media Gallery for sharing.
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Editing creates a practical distinction between the original and the version you send. Keep the unedited file when it may be useful later, and share the trimmed or annotated copy when the recipient only needs the key moment.
Use PlayStation App to send a capture to your phone
Enable the feature
In PlayStation App, open Library > Captures and enable captures. You can also enable Auto-Upload on the console under Settings > Captures and Broadcasts > Captures.
For automatic uploads, the PS5 must be linked with the app and left in Rest Mode with Stay Connected to the Internet enabled. Without that Rest Mode network setting, the console cannot complete the documented automatic-upload path while it is resting.
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Automatic app uploads are narrower than local console capture. Eligible gameplay videos are shorter than three minutes and are not 4K. Eligible screenshots are those taken through the Create Menu or Create-button shortcuts. A long recording, a 4K video, or a screenshot made through a route outside those documented shortcuts should not be expected to appear automatically.
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Captures remain available in the app for 14 days. Download wanted files to the phone or share them through a supported app before that window ends. App availability is temporary storage, not a permanent archive.
Download or forward a capture
- Open PlayStation App and select Library > Captures.
- Open the uploaded screenshot or video.
- Download it to the mobile device, share it to a party through Game Base, or send it through another supported app.
Manual upload is also available from Media Gallery by opening a capture’s Options menu and choosing the upload command. This is useful when a file did not meet the automatic-upload path but you still want to try sending it through the app.
Important app behavior
- PlayStation Plus is not required for PlayStation App capture sharing.
- Captures made before the feature was enabled do not appear retroactively.
- Deleting a capture from the console does not remove its already-uploaded app copy during the 14-day availability window, provided the capture is enabled.
- Downloading or sharing video over mobile data can consume substantial data; use Wi-Fi when your mobile plan is limited.
Copy captures to USB storage
USB export is the most direct local-preservation route when you want a file outside the console or need to move it to another device without relying on the app’s 14-day window.
- Connect optional USB storage to the PS5 Pro.
- Open Media Gallery.
- Select the screenshot or video.
- Choose More > Copy to USB storage device.
A connected USB device appears as a tab in Media Gallery, where compatible images and videos on that device can be viewed. Sony’s cited instructions do not name a required capacity, speed, format, or model, so choose USB storage appropriate to the size of your files without treating any particular specification as a guaranteed requirement.
USB export is especially useful for long recordings, 4K videos that cannot auto-upload to the app, and 8K screenshots whose local resolution you want to retain. It also gives you a separate copy before deleting files from the console.
Which sharing route fits your goal?
| Route | Best for | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Recently created or Media Gallery | Fast console-to-party sharing | One clip at a time, clips capped at three minutes for group sharing, or up to four screenshots. |
| PlayStation App | Getting eligible files onto a phone or supported social app | Enable the feature first; automatic videos must be under three minutes and non-4K; captures remain available for 14 days. |
| USB storage | Local backup, long clips, or transfer to another device | Sony does not state a specific drive model, capacity, speed, or format in the cited instructions. |
| Local 8K screenshot | Highest-resolution still from a supported 8K game | Requires PS5 Pro, an 8K game, compatible 8K display, and the 8K Resolution Screenshot setting; Cloud Media Gallery lowers resolution. |
Troubleshoot missing or unusable captures
The moment is not in the gallery
- Check whether you selected Save Recent Gameplay soon enough; the buffer only covers the interval you choose, from 15 seconds to one hour.
- Confirm that the game scene was not capture-blocked. Some scenes cannot be captured and are omitted.
- For automatic app uploads, verify that captures were enabled before the file was created; older captures do not appear retroactively.
The PlayStation App does not show a video
- Check that the clip is under three minutes and not 4K.
- Confirm the PS5 is linked to the app.
- For auto-upload, leave the console in Rest Mode and enable Stay Connected to the Internet.
- Remember that the app keeps captures for 14 days, so download anything you need to retain.
The screenshot is not 8K
- Verify that the game has an 8K mode and is running on PS5 Pro.
- Confirm that a compatible 8K screen is connected.
- Check Settings > Captures and Broadcasts > Captures > 8K Resolution Screenshot.
- Check whether you are viewing a Cloud Media Gallery copy; Sony says those uploads are lower resolution than the local screenshot.
A party member’s voice is in the clip
Review the audio-inclusion settings before recording or sharing. If voice-chat audio was captured, ask the affected party members for permission before distributing the video, following Sony’s guidance. If consent is not available, make a new capture with voice-chat audio disabled or edit the clip to remove the section where the voice appears.
A reliable workflow for important moments
- Prepare once: open Settings > Captures and Broadcasts > Captures and set your preferred video resolution, screenshot format, shortcuts, and audio options.
- Capture immediately: use Take Screenshot for a frame, Start New Recording when you know an event is about to happen, or Save Recent Gameplay when it has already happened.
- Review locally: open Recently created or Media Gallery and check that the file contains the intended moment and audio.
- Edit only if useful: trim dead time, set a cover image, or add text; use Share Factory Studio for effects or music.
- Choose delivery: use console sharing for a quick party message, PlayStation App for an eligible phone copy, or USB for a local archive.
- Preserve high-value files: download app uploads before 14 days expire and copy valuable originals to USB storage.
This workflow keeps the console’s one-hour recording capability separate from the PlayStation App’s shorter, non-4K upload rules and prevents an important clip from disappearing when the app retention period ends.
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