How to Record Gameplay Footage On Your Xbox

If you’re interested in sharing your gameplay footage with others, you’ll have to know how to record it using your Xbox One.

In the year 2020, game streaming is a main-stay in video game culture. Microsoft, Sony, and other manufacturers have started to offer more features and functionality out of the box to help gamers record and stream gameplay.

But with so many different options available, what’s the best method to record gameplay footage on your Xbox One? And what’s best for your specific needs?

Whether you’re a casual or someone looking to get into serious online streaming, XboxDIY takes a look at 2 different methods for capturing, editing, and publishing gameplay footage using your Xbox One or Xbox Series S|X consoles.

What plans do you have for your game footage?

Recording gameplay on your Xbox is easier than ever, but before diving into a potentially large purchase, a little planning goes a long way.

Think about what you’re trying to do—are you just sharing a quick clip with friends, or are you aiming to create professional-quality content for YouTube or Twitch? Knowing your goals will make it much easier to choose the method that works best for you.

As you go through this guide, keep your workflow in mind. Planning where and how you’ll edit and share your videos can save time and effort.

Whether you’re using the Xbox’s built-in features or stepping up your game with a capture card, this guide will walk you through everything you need to record, edit, and share your gameplay footage. Let’s dive in!

Method 1: Record Gameplay Using Built-In Feature with Your Xbox One

One of the easiest methods for recording gameplay footage with your Xbox One is utilizing the out-of-the-box features that Microsoft has made available via recent operating system updates, most notably the Windows 10 Anniversary update.

The Xbox DVR and Microsoft Upload application allows gamers to record gameplay footage directly to the Xbox hard drive, along with editing (including trimming, voice-overs, and titles), and sharing (Upload or One Drive) all from one interface.

Capturing gameplay footage on your Xbox used to be a hassle, but now Microsoft has built these features into the newer Xbox One, Xbox One X, and Xbox Series S and Series X so you can enjoy the ability to capture, edit, and share gameplay right out of the box.

The only downside to this approach is that you cannot do this on the older Xbox 360 or Xbox (Original) console.

Record Gameplay Footage Using the Built-In Features

Capturing gameplay footage on your Xbox using this method is pretty straightforward. There are three different ways you capture:

• Say “Xbox Record That” – If you have a Kinect, your Xbox will record and save a 30-second gameplay clip.
• Double Tap the Menu Button, and Press Y to Record 30 seconds of Gameplay. Press X to record a screenshot. There are also options to record longer gameplay clips with more recent updates.
• Navigate to Upload Studio and select ‘End Game Clip’ – You can select various lengths of gameplay footage to record (up to 5 minutes).

Editing and Publishing Gameplay Footage Using Built-In Features:

Once you have recorded gameplay on your Xbox using one of the methods above, there are a few different options you have for editing, and publishing:

• Microsoft Upload Studio – In Upload Studio you can perform various basic editing techniques such as trimming your clip, adding effects to the video, or add voice overs using your Xbox One headset or Kinect. You also then have the ability to upload and share your content either via Upload Studio, or on Microsoft One Drive if you would like to download and manipulate the files at a later time.
• Microsoft One Drive – One Drive offers the ability for you to download, share, or store your files for use at another time. Once your files are on One Drive, you can download these files and manipulate them with any type of 3rd party editing software such as Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, Sony Vegas, or Adobe Premier Pro.

As you can see, using the Xbox One, One X, Series X, and S out-of-the-box features to record gameplay footage is useful, but also very limited.

Next, we will explore another method for recording Xbox gameplay footage that will work on almost any type of Xbox or generation of gaming console.

Method 2: Use a Capture Card or Device to Record Gameplay with your Xbox One

If you’re serious about recording, editing, and publishing gameplay footage with your Xbox One (or any console for that matter), there is a much more tried and trued method for capturing gameplay footage that most professional gamers, YouTubers, or video producer use to get their content out to the masses. This method is using a capture card.

A capture card is an external device that operates by sitting in between your Xbox and TV. A capture card captures the video output of your Xbox and records it to your laptop’s hard drive. or internal hard drive, depending on the model). There are quite a few reasons why professionals and amateurs alike decide to buy a capture card to showcase their work:

• Record Longer – Capture cards allow you to record as much video as your hard drive can handle
• Quality – Capture cards capture video in full resolution, without quality loss (you can adjust this if necessary)
• Ease of Use – Capture cards give you raw video files as an output which makes post-production editing via a movie editor simple, and hassle-free.

These are just a few reasons why a capture card is better than using any out-of-the-box option for recording gameplay footage on your Xbox One.

Most capture cards also come with third-party software that enables additional functionality such as streaming/publishing directly to YouTube, scheduling captures (recording a TV show, for example), or changing the output settings of your captures. The benefits far outweigh the $150-$350 price tag that you will pay for a capture card.

Most of my own experience has been with the Hauppauge HDPVR 2 (YouTube Review)

There are numerous versions of game capture cards and a majority of them are high quality and will deliver a lot of the same features and functionality.

Start Your Streaming or YouTube Creator Adventures

Capturing game footage on your Xbox gaming console using out-of-the-box features, or a 3rd party capture card is one way to break into the world of game recording and sharing.

With a growth rate of 51% and revenues in the year 2016 topping $493 million, getting involved in the E-Sports circuit in any way shape or form can be a worthwhile adventure.

Not to mention, screen capture software both on-device and via 3rd party methods isn’t just for streamers. As you can see here, I use the software and hardware mentioned throughout the site quite a bit for creating tutorial and how-to guides for gamers around the globe.

The uses for capture software are just beginning.

Whether your goal is to become a video game professional or a YouTube streamer, you’ll need to know the ins and out’s of how to record video games for your Xbox and other gaming consoles, and what software/hardware is needed alongside it.

Have any tips on better ways to capture footage or stream to Twitch and other services? Drop us a comment or send us a message on our Contact page. You can also visit our YouTube channel for more Xbox Repair guides, troubleshooting, how-tos, and tutorials. Game on!