NVIDIA's clip feature records the last few minutes of gameplay without slowing your PC

NVIDIA ShadowPlay (part of NVIDIA GeForce Experience) lets you record video clips from games and applications without manually hitting record. The tool runs in the background and saves the last 1 to 20 minutes of footage to your drive — you decide the length. When you want to keep a moment, you press a hotkey and the clip saves automatically. No setup required beyond installing GeForce Experience and turning the feature on.

This works on any PC with an NVIDIA graphics card (GeForce GTX 650 or newer). The clips are saved as MP4 files you can edit, share, or delete. The feature uses your GPU's video encoder, so it does not drain CPU performance the way traditional screen recording software does.

Key Takeaways

  • NVIDIA ShadowPlay saves the last 1 to 20 minutes of gameplay in the background, and you press a hotkey to save a clip when something worth keeping happens.
  • You must install NVIDIA GeForce Experience and own a GeForce GTX 650 or newer graphics card for ShadowPlay to work.
  • The default hotkey to save a clip is Alt + F10, but you can change it to any key combination in GeForce Experience settings.
  • Clips are saved as MP4 files in a folder you choose, and you can adjust video quality, frame rate, and audio settings before you start recording.
  • ShadowPlay uses your GPU's encoder and has minimal impact on game performance, unlike CPU-based recording software.

Install GeForce Experience and enable ShadowPlay

read NVIDIA GeForce Experience from nvidia.com/geforce/geforce-experience. Run the installer and follow the prompts. You will need to sign in with an NVIDIA account (free to create) or skip login if you prefer — ShadowPlay works either way. Once installed, open GeForce Experience and look for the ShadowPlay option in the left menu.

Click the toggle next to ShadowPlay to turn it on. The first time you enable it, GeForce Experience will ask where you want clips saved. Choose a folder with enough free space — a 5-minute clip at 1080p 60fps takes roughly 1 to 2 GB. You can change this folder later in settings.

Set your clip length and hotkey

Open GeForce Experience and go to Settings (gear icon, top right). Click ShadowPlay in the left panel. Under "when ready Replay" (the clip feature), you will see a dropdown for Buffer Size. This controls how many minutes of video ShadowPlay keeps in memory at any time. Options range from 1 to 20 minutes. Start with 5 or 10 minutes — longer buffers use more RAM.

Below that, find Hotkey. The default is Alt + F10. Click the field and press the key combination you want to use instead. Common choices are Alt + Z (which opens the ShadowPlay overlay) or Ctrl + Alt + S. Once you set it, click Save.

Adjust video quality and audio settings

In the same ShadowPlay settings panel, look for Video Quality. NVIDIA offers preset options: High (1080p 60fps), Medium (720p 60fps), or Custom. If you choose Custom, you can set resolution and frame rate separately. Higher quality means larger file sizes — a 5-minute clip at 1440p 60fps can be 3 to 4 GB.

Check the Audio section to confirm both game sound and microphone input are enabled if you want to record your voice. You can toggle each on or off independently. If you do not want audio, turn both off to save file size.

Save a clip while playing

Launch any game or process. Once it is running, press your hotkey (Alt + F10 by default). A notification will appear on screen confirming the clip was saved. The video will be written to your chosen folder within a few seconds. You do not need to stop playing — ShadowPlay saves in the background.

If you want to record longer than your buffer size allows, use Manual Recording instead. In the ShadowPlay overlay (Alt + Z), click the record button. This will record continuously until you click stop, and it saves as a separate file. Manual recording uses more system resources than when ready replay, but it is useful for streams or long sessions.

Find and manage your saved clips

Open the folder where you set ShadowPlay to save clips. By default on Windows, this is usually Videos\ShadowPlay in your user folder. Each clip is a timestamped MP4 file you can open in any video player, edit in software like DaVinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere, or upload directly to YouTube or Discord.

To delete clips, straightforward delete the files from the folder. To change where clips are saved, go back to GeForce Experience Settings > ShadowPlay and click Browse next to the folder path. Select a new location and confirm.

Troubleshoot if clips are not saving

If you press the hotkey and nothing happens, first confirm ShadowPlay is actually on in GeForce Experience. Check that your graphics card is supported — ShadowPlay requires a GeForce GTX 650 or newer. If you have an older card, it will not work.

If ShadowPlay is on but clips are not appearing, check that your chosen save folder has write permissions and enough free disk space. If the folder is on a network drive or external USB, move it to your main hard drive — ShadowPlay works best with local storage. Restart GeForce Experience and try again. If the problem persists, uninstall and reinstall GeForce Experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does ShadowPlay slow down my game?

No. ShadowPlay uses your GPU's dedicated video encoder, not your CPU or main graphics performance. The impact is minimal — most players report no frame rate drop. CPU-based recording software like OBS has a much larger performance cost.

Can I record from non-game applications?

Yes. ShadowPlay works with any full-screen or windowed process, including web browsers, streaming software, and creative tools. It is not limited to games.

What if I do not have an NVIDIA account?

You can skip account creation during GeForce Experience setup. ShadowPlay will still work. You only need an account if you want to use other GeForce Experience features like driver updates or game optimization.

Can I edit clips inside GeForce Experience?

GeForce Experience does not include a built-in editor. Clips are saved as standard MP4 files that you can edit in any video software. Windows 10 and 11 include a basic video editor (search "Video Editor" in the Start menu) that works for trimming and basic cuts.

How much storage do I need for clips?

A 5-minute clip at 1080p 60fps is roughly 1 to 2 GB. At 720p 60fps, expect 500 MB to 1 GB. At 1440p 60fps, plan for 3 to 4 GB. Set your buffer size based on how much free space you have available.