NVIDIA ShadowPlay is the best way to record gameplay on an NVIDIA GPU, using the dedicated NVENC hardware encoder for 1-5% FPS impact – lower than any other recording method. It supports recording up to 4K 60FPS, instant replay for retroactive clips, and automatic highlights detection. This guide covers setup, optimal settings for every use case, and all essential hotkeys.
Initial Setup (5 Minutes)
Step 1: Install GeForce Experience
Download GeForce Experience from nvidia.com and install it. Log in with an NVIDIA account (required for overlay features). ShadowPlay is built into GeForce Experience – there is no separate download.
Step 2: Enable the In-Game Overlay
Open GeForce Experience > click the gear icon (Settings) > toggle In-Game Overlay to On. This enables the Alt+Z overlay and all recording hotkeys.
Step 3: Enable Desktop Capture
Press Alt+Z to open the overlay > click Settings (gear icon) > Privacy Control > toggle Desktop Capture to On. Without this, ShadowPlay only works in recognized games, not on the desktop or in some non-standard applications.
Best Recording Settings
Press Alt+Z > Settings > Video Capture to configure recording quality. Here are optimized settings for different use cases:
| Use Case | Resolution | FPS | Bitrate | File Size/Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube upload (1080p) | 1920×1080 | 60 | 50 Mbps | ~375 MB |
| YouTube upload (1440p) | 2560×1440 | 60 | 80 Mbps | ~600 MB |
| YouTube upload (4K) | 3840×2160 | 60 | 100 Mbps | ~750 MB |
| Discord/social sharing | 1920×1080 | 30 | 20 Mbps | ~150 MB |
| Editing/archiving | Native | 60 | 100-130 Mbps | ~750-975 MB |
| Instant Replay clips | Native | 60 | 35-50 Mbps | ~260-375 MB |
Recommended default: 1080p 60FPS at 50 Mbps. This produces YouTube-ready footage with reasonable file sizes. Increase bitrate to 80+ Mbps for 1440p or if you plan to edit the footage (editing re-compresses, so starting with higher quality preserves details).
Three Recording Modes
1. Manual Recording (Alt+F9)
Press Alt+F9 to start recording. A green indicator appears in the corner of your screen. Press Alt+F9 again to stop. The full recording saves to your Videos folder.
Best for: Recording entire gameplay sessions, Let’s Play videos, tutorials, or any content where you know you want to record in advance.
2. Instant Replay (Alt+F10)
Instant Replay continuously buffers the last X seconds/minutes of gameplay in RAM. Press Alt+F10 after any noteworthy moment to save the buffer to disk.
Configure in Alt+Z overlay > Instant Replay > Settings:
- Replay length: 30 seconds to 20 minutes (1-2 minutes recommended)
- Quality/bitrate: Same options as manual recording
- Toggle on: Click the Instant Replay toggle or press Alt+Shift+F10
Best for: Capturing clutch plays, funny moments, bugs, and anything unexpected that you did not know would happen.
3. Highlights (Automatic)
In supported games (Fortnite, PUBG, several others), ShadowPlay automatically detects and saves key moments like kills, deaths, and wins. Enable in Alt+Z > Settings > Highlights.
Best for: Hands-free clip collection. Game support is limited, but when it works, it captures everything noteworthy without pressing any buttons.
Optimizing for Minimum FPS Impact
ShadowPlay already has the lowest performance impact of any recording solution, but you can minimize it further:
- Record at 1080p even if gaming at 1440p/4K: ShadowPlay downscales to your recording resolution, reducing encoder load. The visual difference on YouTube is minimal between upscaled 1080p and native 1440p
- Use 30 FPS for Instant Replay: Half the encoding work of 60 FPS. Most clip-worthy moments look fine at 30 FPS
- Save to a different drive than your game drive: Prevents disk I/O contention between the game reading assets and ShadowPlay writing video
- Keep bitrate at 50 Mbps or below: Higher bitrates increase encoder and disk write load. 50 Mbps is the quality-to-performance sweet spot
ShadowPlay vs OBS for Recording
| Feature | ShadowPlay | OBS Studio |
|---|---|---|
| FPS impact | 1-5% (NVENC only) | 1-5% with NVENC, 10-30% with x264 |
| Setup difficulty | Easy (2 minutes) | Moderate (15-30 minutes) |
| Max recording quality | 8K 30FPS / 4K 60FPS HDR | Any resolution, any FPS |
| Instant Replay | Built-in | Replay Buffer (manual setup) |
| Highlights detection | Yes (limited games) | No |
| Multi-track audio | No (single track) | Yes (separate game/mic/discord tracks) |
| Streaming | Basic (Twitch/YouTube direct) | Full featured with plugins |
| Custom overlays | No | Yes (unlimited customization) |
| File format | MP4 | MKV, MP4, FLV, MOV |
Use ShadowPlay for: Quick recordings, instant replay clips, casual capture where convenience matters most. ShadowPlay is set-and-forget – enable Instant Replay once, then Alt+F10 whenever something cool happens.
Use OBS for: Streaming, multi-track audio recording (separate game/voice/music tracks for editing), custom overlays, and advanced scene management. OBS requires more setup but provides complete control.
Use both: Many gamers run ShadowPlay for instant replay clips alongside OBS for streaming. They do not conflict and can use NVENC simultaneously on RTX 2000+ GPUs.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
ShadowPlay Not Recording
- Overlay not appearing: Enable In-Game Overlay in GeForce Experience settings. Some games block the overlay in fullscreen exclusive – try borderless windowed mode
- Alt+F9 does nothing: Check that Desktop Capture is enabled in Privacy settings (Alt+Z > Settings > Privacy)
- Recording is black screen: Update GPU drivers. Some DRM-protected content or specific DirectX modes cause black recordings. Try a different capture mode
- Low FPS while recording: Lower bitrate to 30-50 Mbps. Save recordings to a different drive than the game drive. Ensure NVENC is selected, not software encoding
Audio Issues
- No game audio in recording: Check that audio recording is enabled in ShadowPlay settings and that your game audio plays through the correct output device
- No microphone in recording: Enable microphone in the overlay (Alt+Z > microphone icon). Select the correct mic input device
- Want to record Discord separately: ShadowPlay records all audio on a single track. For separate audio tracks, use OBS instead
2026 update: NVIDIA driver 570+ includes significant latency improvements and Reflex 2 support. Always run the latest Game Ready driver.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does NVIDIA ShadowPlay affect FPS?
1-5% FPS impact using the dedicated NVENC hardware encoder. A game at 144 FPS runs at 140-143 FPS with ShadowPlay. This is the lowest impact of any recording method, making it suitable for competitive gaming.
What is the best bitrate for ShadowPlay?
50 Mbps for YouTube at 1080p60. 80-100 Mbps for 1440p. 20-30 Mbps for Discord sharing. 100-130 Mbps for editing/archiving. The default 50 Mbps is a good starting point for most use cases.
Can ShadowPlay record at 4K 60FPS?
Yes. Up to 8K at 30 FPS or 4K at 60 FPS with HDR. 4K recording has slightly higher impact (3-5% FPS loss) and produces ~750MB per minute at 100 Mbps. Recording at 1080p is more practical for most gamers.
Where does ShadowPlay save recordings?
Default: C:Users[Name]Videos. Change in Alt+Z > Settings > Recordings. Save to a different drive than your game drive for best performance. Use an SSD for reliable high-bitrate recording.
How do I fix ShadowPlay not recording?
Enable In-Game Overlay in GeForce Experience. Enable Desktop Capture in Privacy settings. Update drivers. Run the game as administrator. Check that your GPU is GTX 900 series or newer for NVENC support. Reinstall GeForce Experience as a last resort.
Sources:
Related Guides
- How to Record the Last 30 Seconds of Gameplay on PC
- OBS vs Streamlabs: Which Streaming Software Should You Use?
- Budget Streaming Setup Guide: Everything You Need to Start on Twitch or YouTube
- OBS Encoder: x264 vs NVENC Compared
- Best Capture Cards for Streaming
- Fix OBS Black Screen Game Capture
