How to record a gameplay video on Xbox One

Knowing how to record gameplay video on Xbox One is a skill everyone should know, especially since sharing gameplay highlights has become an integral part of the landscape in modern video gaming. Luckily, the latest generation of consoles makes it easier than ever to capture and broadcast footage, even without any dedicated equipment like expensive capture cards. Preparing for a one on one with a friend in Street Fighter V? Or maybe you’re gearing up to face a difficult boss in your latest RPG? Either way, you’re going to want to know how to capture the moment and we’re here to show you.

You won’t always know when your best gaming moments are going to happen but the Xbox One uses a handy buffer that records the last five minutes of gameplay, giving you plenty of opportunities to capture some awesome in-game moments.

Press the Xbox button

If you want to share a cool moment you just experienced while playing a game, simply press the Xbox button at the top-center of your controller. This will open up a menu or “guide” as Microsoft likes to call it. Along the bottom of the screen to the right of the guide, you’ll find a few choices that include taking a screenshot, recording footage, and adjusting capture options.

Press Y to take a screenshot

If you would like to take a screenshot, most of the work is already done. The moment you press the Xbox button on your controller, a screenshot of the image on your screen is already taken and all you have to do to save it is press Y.

Press X to share recent gameplay

If you would like to share recent gameplay, simply press X and your Xbox One will automatically grab the last 30 seconds of footage it has saved in its buffer. This is the default amount of time for a clip, which is plenty for most gaming highlights, especially moments like the dramatic comeback combo finisher in your last Street Fighter match.

Press the View button to capture gameplay

The small circular key located above the D-pad of your Xbox controller is called the View button. Pressing it while in the guide screen will provide you with more options for capturing footage and taking screenshots. These options include recording upcoming gameplay and saving a clip of a different length from the buffer.

Selecting “Record from now” will start a capture that you can manually end by first pressing the Xbox button and then X.

Record longer gameplay clips

According to Xbox support, you can record up to 10 minutes of gameplay at a time on the Xbox One’s internal storage depending on the resolution of the footage and the amount of space available on your hard drive. By connecting an external hard drive, you can extend the amount of time you can continuously record up to an hour.

To change the location of where your clips are saved or change the resolution it’s recorded at, go the guide and select Settings then Broadcast & Capture, or simply navigate to the tab with the Satellite symbol.

HOW TO VIEW AND EXPORT YOUR GAMEPLAY CLIPS

To view your capture immediately after saving, hold down the Xbox button when the blue notification confirms your recording has saved. From this overlay, you can view your new clip, upload it to Xbox Live or Microsoft OneDrive (if either is set up and linked to your Xbox account), delete the clip, or go to manage all of your saved gameplay. Selecting Edit will send you over to Microsoft’s free Upload Studio app or to its entry in the store if you don’t have it downloaded.

To view your gameplay clips at any time, press the Xbox button to bring up the guide, select Settings, and Broadcast & Capture (or navigate to the tab with the Satellite symbol) then select “Recent captures.” On this screen, you’ll see a chronological list of all recently captured gameplay.

You can also manage all your clips by selecting “See All” at the bottom. Here, you can delete, sort, or share clips to your Activity Feed, Xbox Clubs, a linked Twitter account, or your OneDrive.