Introduction
Recording your gameplay is essential for improvement, content creation, and sharing highlights. With proper settings, you can record high-quality footage with minimal performance impact.
Why Record Your Gameplay:
Software Options:
Why Record Your Gameplay:
•Review mistakes and improve
•Create content for YouTube/TikTok
•Share highlights with friends
•Analyze positioning and decision-making
•Build a highlight reel
Software Options:
•OBS Studio (Free, Best) ⭐
•ShadowPlay (NVIDIA GPUs)
•Relive (AMD GPUs)
•Medal.tv (Automatic highlights)
OBS Studio Settings for CS2
Installation:
1. Download OBS Studio (free)
2. Run Auto-Configuration Wizard
3. Select "Optimize for Recording"
Output Settings (Recording):
Output Mode: Advanced
Encoder:
Rate Control: CRF
CRF: 18-20 (lower = better quality, bigger files)
Preset:
Recording Format: mp4 or mkv
Audio Bitrate: 192 kbps
Video Settings:
Base Resolution: Your native resolution (1920×1080)
Output Resolution: 1920×1080 (can downscale to 1280×720 if needed)
FPS: 60 (or 120/144 if your PC can handle it)
Advanced Settings:
Process Priority: High
Color Format: NV12
Color Space: 709
Color Range: Limited
Pro Tip: Use NVENC encoder if you have NVIDIA GPU. It uses dedicated hardware and has minimal FPS impact.
1. Download OBS Studio (free)
2. Run Auto-Configuration Wizard
3. Select "Optimize for Recording"
Output Settings (Recording):
Output Mode: Advanced
Encoder:
•NVIDIA: NVENC H.264 (best)
•AMD: AMD HW H.264
•CPU: x264 (if GPU busy)
Rate Control: CRF
CRF: 18-20 (lower = better quality, bigger files)
Preset:
•NVIDIA: Quality or High Quality
•x264: veryfast or faster
Recording Format: mp4 or mkv
Audio Bitrate: 192 kbps
Video Settings:
Base Resolution: Your native resolution (1920×1080)
Output Resolution: 1920×1080 (can downscale to 1280×720 if needed)
FPS: 60 (or 120/144 if your PC can handle it)
Advanced Settings:
Process Priority: High
Color Format: NV12
Color Space: 709
Color Range: Limited
Pro Tip: Use NVENC encoder if you have NVIDIA GPU. It uses dedicated hardware and has minimal FPS impact.
Best Recording Quality Settings
For Editing/YouTube:
For Quick Highlights:
For Storage-Limited:
Performance Impact:
NVENC (NVIDIA): 5-10 FPS loss
AMD HW: 5-10 FPS loss
x264 (CPU): 20-50 FPS loss
Always use hardware encoding (NVENC/AMD) for gaming!
Testing Your Settings:
1. Record 5 minutes of gameplay
2. Check file size
3. Check playback quality
4. Monitor in-game FPS
5. Adjust if needed
•Resolution: 1920×1080
•FPS: 60
•Encoder: NVENC
•CRF: 18
•Audio: 192 kbps
•Result: ~5-10 GB per hour
For Quick Highlights:
•Resolution: 1280×720
•FPS: 60
•Encoder: NVENC
•CRF: 23
•Audio: 128 kbps
•Result: ~2-4 GB per hour
For Storage-Limited:
•Resolution: 1280×720
•FPS: 30-60
•Encoder: NVENC
•CRF: 25-28
•Audio: 96 kbps
•Result: ~1-2 GB per hour
Performance Impact:
NVENC (NVIDIA): 5-10 FPS loss
AMD HW: 5-10 FPS loss
x264 (CPU): 20-50 FPS loss
Always use hardware encoding (NVENC/AMD) for gaming!
Testing Your Settings:
1. Record 5 minutes of gameplay
2. Check file size
3. Check playback quality
4. Monitor in-game FPS
5. Adjust if needed
Streaming Optimization
Twitch Streaming Settings:
Encoder: NVENC H.264
Bitrate:
Keyframe Interval: 2
Preset: Quality
Profile: High
Look-ahead: Off (for lowest latency)
Psycho Visual Tuning: On
Max B-frames: 2
YouTube Streaming Settings:
Encoder: NVENC H.264
Bitrate:
Keyframe Interval: 2
Rest same as Twitch
Upload Speed Requirements:
Test your upload speed at speedtest.net
Performance Tips:
Pro Tip: Start with 720p60 4500 kbps. It looks great and is easier to maintain.
Encoder: NVENC H.264
Bitrate:
•1080p60: 6000 kbps (Twitch max)
•720p60: 4500 kbps
•720p30: 3000 kbps
Keyframe Interval: 2
Preset: Quality
Profile: High
Look-ahead: Off (for lowest latency)
Psycho Visual Tuning: On
Max B-frames: 2
YouTube Streaming Settings:
Encoder: NVENC H.264
Bitrate:
•1080p60: 6000-9000 kbps
•1440p60: 9000-12000 kbps
•720p60: 4500-6000 kbps
Keyframe Interval: 2
Rest same as Twitch
Upload Speed Requirements:
•1080p60: 8+ Mbps upload
•720p60: 6+ Mbps upload
•720p30: 4+ Mbps upload
Test your upload speed at speedtest.net
Performance Tips:
•Use 720p60 instead of 1080p60 if struggling
•Lower in-game settings to maintain FPS
•Close background apps
•Use wired ethernet
•Enable Game Mode in Windows
Pro Tip: Start with 720p60 4500 kbps. It looks great and is easier to maintain.
Creating Highlights
Method 1: Manual Review (Best Quality)
1. Record full session with OBS
2. Watch gameplay afterward
3. Note timestamp of good plays
4. Cut highlights in editing software
5. Export and share
Method 2: ShadowPlay Instant Replay
1. Enable Instant Replay
2. Set buffer (1-5 minutes)
3. Press hotkey after good play
4. Automatically saves last X minutes
5. No need to record everything
Method 3: Medal.tv (Automatic)
1. Install Medal
2. Records automatically
3. Detects kills/multikills
4. Creates clips automatically
5. Easy sharing to social media
Editing Software:
Free:
Paid:
Quick Highlight Tips:
Where to Share:
Pro Tip: Quality > quantity. One great highlight is better than 10 average ones.
1. Record full session with OBS
2. Watch gameplay afterward
3. Note timestamp of good plays
4. Cut highlights in editing software
5. Export and share
Method 2: ShadowPlay Instant Replay
1. Enable Instant Replay
2. Set buffer (1-5 minutes)
3. Press hotkey after good play
4. Automatically saves last X minutes
5. No need to record everything
Method 3: Medal.tv (Automatic)
1. Install Medal
2. Records automatically
3. Detects kills/multikills
4. Creates clips automatically
5. Easy sharing to social media
Editing Software:
Free:
•DaVinci Resolve (Best free option)
•Shotcut
•Windows Video Editor (basic)
Paid:
•Adobe Premiere Pro (Professional)
•Vegas Pro
•Final Cut Pro (Mac)
Quick Highlight Tips:
•Keep clips short (15-60 seconds)
•Add text for context
•Use music (royalty-free)
•Add slowmo for impact
•Add crosshair overlay if needed
Where to Share:
•YouTube (long-form)
•TikTok (short vertical clips)
•Instagram Reels
•Twitter/X
•Reddit CS2 communities
Pro Tip: Quality > quantity. One great highlight is better than 10 average ones.
Pro Tips
- •Use NVENC encoder if you have an NVIDIA GPU for best performance
- •Record at same resolution you play at to avoid quality loss
- •60 FPS recording is the sweet spot for most players
- •Enable ShadowPlay Instant Replay to catch unexpected moments
- •Review your gameplay recordings to identify mistakes
- •Keep 15-20% of your SSD free for smooth recording
Put Your Knowledge to Practice
Use our interactive tools to apply what you've learned