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Valve made Steam Game Recording available to all users on November 5, 2024, after introducing it in beta on June 26, 2024. Built into Steam Client, it can record gameplay in the background or on demand, then let you review footage, make clips, and save or share them.
What changed when Steam Game Recording left beta?
Valve announced Steam Game Recording as a beta feature on June 26, 2024, describing it as a built-in system for creating and sharing gameplay footage. On November 5, 2024, Steam Client release notes said, “Steam Game Recording is now available to all users!” That is the milestone behind the feature’s move out of beta: it became generally available through Steam Client.
At launch, Valve described the feature as working “on any game on Steam.” That is Valve’s launch description, not a guarantee that every game, system configuration, or capture path behaves identically. The cited release notes do not provide a complete compatibility matrix.
What does Steam Game Recording capture?
Video capture covers gameplay from games played through Steam Client; it is not a general-purpose desktop recorder for the desktop or other programs. You can choose to include audio from other programs, such as voice chat. Steam distinguishes the raw recording and its timeline from a clip exported as an MP4: to make an MP4, select a segment and export it as a clip.
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- 1TB NVMe SSD
- 1280 x 800 HDR OLED display with premium anti-glare etched glass, 7.4" Diagonal display size up to 90Hz refresh rate
- Wi-Fi 6E
- 50Whr battery; 3-12 hours of gameplay (content-dependent)
- Carrying case with removable liner
How do background and on-demand recording differ?
Steam offers three recording choices: Off/Don’t record, Record in Background, and Record on Demand.
- Off/Don’t record: Steam does not record gameplay.
- Record in Background: Steam records while you play, subject to your configured storage limit.
- Record on Demand: Start recording when you want to capture something.
Choose background recording if you want footage available to review after an unexpected moment; choose on-demand recording when you prefer to start capture only for particular sessions or moments. Steam also lets you set the storage location and maximum disk space, configure audio, and assign shortcut keys.
Rank #2
- International (UK) Version
- 7.4” diagonal, HDR OLED, 1280 x 800 x RGB, up to 90Hz Refresh rate, High performance touch, <0.1 ms Response time, 1,000 nits peak brightness (HDR), 600 nits (SDR)
- SteamOS 3.0 (Arch-based)
- 512GB NVMe SSD, 16GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM (5500 MT/s quad 32-bit channels), microSD UHS-I supports SD, SDXC and SDHC
- 6 nm AMD APU, CPU: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32
How do you access recordings and make a clip?
- Open Steam’s in-game overlay or the desktop client’s Recordings & Screenshots viewer to find your recordings.
- Review the recording timeline and select the segment you want to keep.
- Make a clip from that segment. In supported games, the timeline may show game-defined markers; you can also add your own markers.
- Choose what to do with the clip: save it in Steam, export it as an MP4, copy it, transfer it to another signed-in device, or create a share link.
Valve’s Steam usage guide says a share link expires after two days.
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The November 5, 2024 Steam Client release notes also said that the client version no longer ran on Windows 7 or Windows 8, or on macOS 10.13 or 10.14. Those are dated Steam Client support cutoffs from that release, not a complete or current list of Game Recording hardware or operating-system requirements.
Rank #3
- 【Upgraded】We sells product with professionally upgraded to 2TB SSD. Original Seal is opened for upgrade ONLY.
- 【Stunning 7.4" HDR OLED & 90Hz Motion】 Experience striking contrast and brilliant clarity with the all-new 7.4-inch HDR OLED display. Designed from the ground up for gaming, it features a 90Hz refresh rate for smooth motion and pure blacks. This handheld is capable of delivering an immersive visual experience, ensuring your Steam library looks better than ever with vibrant colors and amazing motion rendition.
- 【30-50% More Battery & Efficient Performance】 Play your favorites longer with up to 50% more battery life. By fitting a larger battery and a power-efficient OLED panel, this device provides extended gameplay sessions. It’s the perfect travel companion for long flights or commutes. The updated AMD APU ensures high-speed performance for AAA titles while maintaining incredible energy efficiency.
- 【3X Faster Downloads with Wi-Fi 6E】 Never wait for a game again. Equipped with Wi-Fi 6E, this Steam Deck OLED offers increased bandwidth and lower latency, delivering downloads up to 3 times faster than previous models. This ensures stable online play and rapid updates, making it the most reliable wireless gaming handheld for modern high-speed home networks.
- 【Responsive Touch & Enhanced Connectivity】 Enjoy a vastly improved touchscreen with higher fidelity and faster haptics. We’ve added a dedicated Bluetooth antenna to improve connections for multiple controllers. Whether using the built-in trackpads or the included external controller, this allows for precision play in everything from FPS to complex strategy games.
Recording uses local disk space, and Steam provides controls for the storage location and reserved space. The available official instructions do not establish a particular drive or other hardware as a requirement.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Valve is entering the gaming console marketplace with the new Steam Deck, a console geared towards PC gamers. The Steam Deck can be docked to a monitor, and used as a PC, or docked to a TV.
- Players can play a huge variety of games at any time with the comfort of a console and the freedom of a PC. Not anti-glare screen.
- Like the name suggests, the Steam Deck will include upgraded 1TB storage, and will include a carrying case. A micro SD slot will also enable expanded storage.
- Valve partnered with AMD to create a specialized APU optimized for handheld gaming, and Valve says the chip will deliver performance to run AAA gaming titles.
- The Steam Deck is outfitted with a 7-inch touchscreen, and two trackpads under the control sticks that allow gamers to operate games never designed outside of mouse and keyboard capabilities.
Official sources
- Valve’s June 26, 2024 Steam Game Recording beta announcement
- Steam Client release notes for November 5, 2024
- Steam’s usage instructions for Game Recording, published March 4, 2025
- Valve’s Dota 2 announcement describing game-defined timeline markers
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