Recording & Streaming Setup

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:

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.

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

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.

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.