Sharing game sessions through the Web is an activity whose popularity has multiplied exponentially. Entire services revolve around this content, and many “YouTubers” jumped to fame with one recording after another. If you find yourself absorbed by a game and want to make a recording of your matches, you should consider some of the six applications we are presenting today.
The idea of recording a video game session has become very tempting lately. If we take into account the success of some YouTubers and the enormous amount of money that changes hands, it is not surprising to see more and more users buying a microphone and a decent camera to start preparing their own clips. But one of the biggest doubts is what can be used on the software side. First warning: recording the desktop is not the same as recording a game. The desktop needs nothing more than an overlay, but when it comes to playing, elements like OpenGL or Direct3D come into play. What are our suggestions? Let’s see…
Dxtory
Of Japanese origin, Dxtory presents itself as a program capable of performing “lossless” recordings, obtaining pixel-by-pixel copies of what the screen displays. It also has advanced functions such as distributing writing across multiple drives (improves performance), and simultaneous recording of multiple audio sources. Its license costs 31 dollars.
XSplit Gamecaster
Some recording applications preferred to follow the path of complexity, and XSplit Gamecaster is one of them. It has broad compatibility with capture cards, allows adding custom logos or annotations during a game, and gets along very well with social networks. By far, it is the heaviest on our list, but also one of the most complete. It offers a limited free account and monthly subscriptions.
D3DGear
What it lacks in interface, it delivers in speed. That seems to be the rule of D3DGear, whose most recent version works wonderfully with the latest technologies, including DirectX 12 and games in development like Ashes of the Singularity. Its recording options are up to par, although it won’t hurt to go through a couple of tutorials to master it completely. Its trial lasts 15 days, with a final cost of 35 dollars.
Open Broadcaster Software
It would be truly crazy not to include a free and open source option, so let’s go with one of the most recommended: Open Broadcaster Software. H.264 encoding, Quick Sync support, direct streaming to various online services, GPU and DirectShow captures, and the possibility of resampling are part of OBS’s repertoire. Its learning curve might be a bit more demanding … but you won’t pay a cent for this excellent software.
Bandicam
One of the most popular options among YouTubers, Bandicam does not disappoint either the professional or the recording enthusiast. Its tutorials are very easy to follow, almost unnecessary to be honest. Hardware support is solid, with optimizations aimed at AMD, Nvidia and Intel Quick Sync, it offers good video compression levels without sacrificing (too much) quality, and it is compatible with 4K recording. 39 dollars for a license.
Fraps
A classic among classics, Fraps is the “reference program” for the rest of the market. Its ease of use is practically unbeatable, and although its stable build has not received an update in over two years, its compatibility remains intact. It is possible to record with the free version of Fraps, but you have to tolerate certain limitations, or otherwise, the price of its license remains fixed at 37 dollars.
I think with this list you have a good amount of material to start recording your games. Don’t forget to try them all. Good luck!
