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To save a recent gameplay moment, enable NVIDIA Overlay, turn on Instant Replay, then press Alt+F10 after it happens. Instant Replay saves only the footage in its rolling buffer, so it must be on before the moment you want to keep. NVIDIA’s current app is called NVIDIA App; ShadowPlay is the name commonly used for its capture technology.
What you need before clipping
This guide is for Windows PCs and laptops with a supported NVIDIA GeForce GPU. Install and update NVIDIA App and your graphics driver, enable NVIDIA Overlay, and check that the drive used for captures has free space. Capture support can vary by GPU, driver, game, codec, and recording settings; an NVIDIA-branded GPU does not guarantee every feature or format.
NVIDIA is directing users of GeForce Experience to NVIDIA App. Older guides may call the overlay Share or ShadowPlay, but the current controls are in NVIDIA App. See NVIDIA’s upgrade information.
Save a recent gameplay clip
- Install and open NVIDIA App.
- Open Settings and enable NVIDIA Overlay.
- Launch the game you want to capture.
- Press Alt+Z to open the overlay.
- Choose Instant Replay and turn it on. You can also toggle it with Alt+Shift+F10.
- Play normally. When the moment you want occurs, press Alt+F10 to save the configured recent footage.
- Open Gallery in the overlay to review the clip.
NVIDIA currently describes 30 seconds as the default Instant Replay duration on its product page, but the duration is configurable and can vary with app version and settings. The rolling buffer cannot recover footage from before you enabled Instant Replay.
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Choose Instant Replay, Record, or Highlights
| Mode | Best for | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Instant Replay | Unplanned moments such as a goal, win, or funny bug | Keeps a rolling buffer; the save shortcut writes the configured recent footage. |
| Record | A full match, tutorial, or planned session | Starts recording when you press Alt+F9; press it again to stop. |
| Highlights | Automatic capture of selected in-game events | Works only in compatible games and depends on game support and configuration. NVIDIA describes the feature on its NVIDIA App page. |
Change clip length and capture quality
- Press Alt+Z, then open the settings gear.
- Choose Video Capture or the relevant Instant Replay setting.
- Adjust replay duration and, as needed, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, codec, and HDR options.
- Save a test clip and check its length, playback, and file size before relying on the settings for an important session.
Available replay durations and capture options depend on NVIDIA App version and system configuration. Older ShadowPlay documentation describes longer replay windows, but there is no single maximum that applies to every current setup.
H.264 or AV1?
- H.264: Choose it when broad compatibility with editors, players, and upload services matters most.
- AV1: Consider it if your GPU supports it and your editing or sharing workflow can handle it. NVIDIA highlights AV1 recording support on RTX 40-series GPUs and newer relevant hardware; its release material says AV1 can offer up to 40% compression efficiency relative to H.264. That is a format capability claim, not a guaranteed file-size reduction for every clip. See NVIDIA App release highlights.
- HDR: Use it when you want high-dynamic-range footage and your playback and editing tools support HDR. Otherwise, colors may look wrong in software or on displays that do not handle HDR correctly.
Higher resolution and frame rate can preserve more detail or motion, but they also increase storage needs and may demand more from the GPU, encoder, drive, and editing software. NVIDIA’s current product page advertises manual capture up to 8K HDR at 30 fps or 4K HDR at 120 fps; these are maximum capability claims, not settings every PC can use in every game. NVIDIA release highlights also list ShadowPlay recording up to 240 FPS for GeForce RTX 50- and 40-series GPUs through Alt+Z → Settings → Video Capture, subject to app, driver, resolution, and codec limits.
Record a full match or session
- Press Alt+F9 to start recording.
- Play or work through the section you want to capture.
- Press Alt+F9 again to stop.
- Find the file in Gallery or in the configured capture folder.
Manual recording is the better fit when you need the whole match or tutorial rather than a short moment from the recent past.
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Include microphone audio
Open the overlay’s audio or microphone controls, enable microphone capture, and select the intended input device. If you want commentary only while a key is held, configure push-to-talk and verify its assigned key. NVIDIA App also offers sound-source and multitrack options where available, which can put microphone audio on a separate track for editing.
- Check that Windows allows microphone access and that the correct input device is selected.
- Confirm the microphone is not muted and that push-to-talk is not preventing capture.
- If an editor appears to have no commentary, inspect its audio-track controls; multitrack recordings may keep microphone and game sound separate.
Find your saved clips
Open Alt+Z → Gallery and select a capture; use its folder or open-location control if available. To change where future files go, open the overlay settings and find the capture or save-location controls. NVIDIA App can also manage recording quality and disk usage. Do not assume a fixed Windows folder: the destination is configurable and can vary by game or user settings. NVIDIA has documented fixes for recordings not saving to the selected directory in its release highlights.
Clip the desktop or another application
NVIDIA capture can work with applications and, when desktop capture is enabled and available, the Windows desktop. Older NVIDIA instructions call the setting Desktop capture and place it in privacy or capture controls. Availability depends on the situation and app; protected content may block recording, and some games or applications may not be detected correctly. NVIDIA App can notify users when protected content restricts ShadowPlay capture.
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Desktop capture can also record notifications, browser tabs, or other private material. Close sensitive windows and silence notifications before recording your desktop.
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| Action | Default shortcut |
|---|---|
| Open NVIDIA Overlay | Alt+Z |
| Save recent Instant Replay footage | Alt+F10 |
| Toggle Instant Replay | Alt+Shift+F10 |
| Start or stop manual recording | Alt+F9 |
| Take a screenshot | Alt+F1 |
| Open Photo Mode in a compatible game | Alt+F2 |
Hotkeys can be changed, and names or defaults may differ between older GeForce Experience instructions and NVIDIA App. Check the overlay’s keyboard-shortcut settings if a shortcut does not work. NVIDIA lists capture controls in its NVIDIA App feature update.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot NVIDIA clips
Alt+Z does nothing
- Confirm NVIDIA App is installed and running.
- In NVIDIA App settings, enable NVIDIA Overlay.
- Update NVIDIA App and your graphics driver.
- Try the shortcut outside the game; check whether another app has claimed it and change the shortcut in overlay settings if needed.
- Restart NVIDIA App or Windows if the overlay still does not appear.
Instant Replay will not turn on or Alt+F10 saves nothing
- Make sure Instant Replay was enabled before the moment you wanted to save.
- Confirm the game is being captured and that the capture is not blocked by protected content.
- Check that the selected save folder exists and has free space.
- Try a supported codec or a lower-demand capture configuration if the current setting fails.
- Check whether OneDrive or another sync tool is interfering, then update NVIDIA App. NVIDIA release notes include fixes involving Instant Replay directories and video synchronization through OneDrive.
The clip has no microphone audio
Verify microphone capture is on, the intended device is selected, Windows microphone access is allowed, and the mic is not muted. Check push-to-talk and inspect separate audio tracks in your editor if multitrack capture is enabled.
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The video is black or the game is missing
The game may not be detected, protected content may block capture, desktop capture may be off, or another overlay or display mode may conflict. Test windowed or borderless mode, update the app and driver, and temporarily disable other overlays to isolate a conflict.
The recording stutters or slows the game
ShadowPlay uses hardware encoding and is designed to limit performance impact, but it is not impact-free in every configuration. Lower the resolution, frame rate, or bitrate; avoid unnecessarily demanding HDR or 8K settings; and test whether saving to a separate fast drive helps your setup. NVIDIA notes that writing captures to the same drive as a game can affect I/O in some workloads. Actual results depend on the GPU, game, settings, storage, and system load.
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Shorten the replay duration, lower bitrate or resolution, or move old clips off the capture drive. AV1 may improve quality per byte on supported hardware, but some players and editors may not accept it; use H.264 for wider compatibility or convert a copy with software that supports the source file.
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NVIDIA App or OBS Studio?
Use NVIDIA App when the main goal is quickly saving a recent gameplay moment with a hotkey and replay buffer. OBS Studio is a better fit for production-oriented recording or streaming that needs scenes, multiple sources, custom layouts, and more deliberate audio control. OBS requires more setup and is not a one-for-one substitute for Instant Replay’s simple save-the-last-moment workflow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I clip the last minute with NVIDIA?
Usually, if the current NVIDIA App settings allow a replay buffer of at least one minute. Set the Instant Replay duration under the overlay’s Video Capture settings and test it; available durations vary by app version and configuration.
Does NVIDIA clip gameplay automatically?
Instant Replay continuously buffers gameplay only after you turn it on, but it does not save each moment automatically. Automatic Highlights require a compatible game and configuration.
Does ShadowPlay work with RTX and GTX cards?
Capture support depends on the specific GPU, driver, app version, and feature. Codec and advanced recording options such as AV1 or high frame rates have additional hardware requirements.
Can I clip without recording the whole game?
Yes. Enable Instant Replay and use its save shortcut when the moment occurs; manual recording is not required.
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