This type of video has made famous, on YouTube, many good “broadcasters” who with video reviews, live games of the moment, and comments on video chat, have conquered millions of fans by becoming true celebrities.
Even without setting yourself the goal of becoming famous, in the guide that follows we will show you how to broadcast live gameplay videos from your PC using only free and affordable programs for every one record his games and broadcast them live (or save them locally to upload them later).
READ ALSO: Stream Video and create a live Web-TV
1) Xbox Game Bar
On Windows 11 and Windows 10, we can record the gameplay of our favorite game by activating the Xbox Game Bara feature built into the system that you can use without having to download anything to your computer.
To activate it, all we have to do is start the game, press the keys WIN+G on the keyboard and, in the overlay commands that appear, press the key Start recording to start recording a video of what happens on the screen; alternatively, we can immediately press the keyboard shortcut WIN+Alt+R to start screen recording immediately.
To learn more, we can read our guide on how to use the Game Bar in Windows to record the screen.
2) NVIDIA ShadowPlay
Anyone who owns an NVIDIA video card can take advantage of NVIDIA ShadowPlay to record the screen and immediately broadcast it live, without having to download too many programs; this interesting function is integrated into the program NVIDIA Geforce Experience designed to optimize games and automatically download video card drivers but also great for streaming games to video games.
NVIDIA ShadowPlay encodes videos using the GPU, unlike other software that encodes in the CPU – this choice helps to stream games without the slightest lag in performance. NVIDIA ShadowPlay is perfect for recording the video (to be uploaded later) or for going live since it supports uploading and live streaming of all the main streaming services dedicated to games (Twitch and YouTube on all).
To start recording, simply press ALT + Z on the keyboard after opening NVIDIA Geforce Experience and making all necessary adjustments, logging in to the streaming services used, and choosing whether to start manual or automatic recording.
3) XSplit Broadcaster
One of the most comprehensive programs to use, designed just for the purpose is XSplit Broadcaster which interfaces with Twitch and YouTube directly; we can in fact add a Twitch account or a YouTube account to the program to then be able to choose to upload the videos directly or even to broadcast the gameplay live on your streaming channel.
The power of XSplit lies in the ability to record or stream (broadcast) a video made up of two or more sources which can be the video game window, an external video reception card (in case you want to record from a console video game), the webcam or other external devices.
The program isn’t just specific to video games and it also works well for recording from the webcam, the desktop, the use of a program, or for making a tutorial or presentation. Although there are many configuration options, the program is easy to use to start recording video game games right away and simultaneously record the webcam with our faces.
Xsplit is free but in a limited version but we can still use it to share games and basic gameplay, without too many pretensions. We remind you that in order to use the program correctly you need to register for the service: without login, the program will not start, so it is better to set aside an email address or a ready-to-use account (such as the Google account).
4) NOTE Studio
Another valid program for gameplay and for broadcasting games to video games is Note Studio also cited among better programs to record the screen.
Open Broadcaster Software it is open source and can be used for free without limitations (and without registration) on any platform (Windows, Mac, and Linux). This program is very similar to XSplit and allows you to record video games, broadcast live on YouTube or Twitch in real time and to combine gameplay videos with webcam shooting, so as to make professional videos.
OBS Studio is probably the most powerful software for streaming games to video games, is very stable, and gets continuous updates. Setup can be a bit tricky on the first launch but, after a few tries, we’ll be able to stream from multiple sources directly to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and various other platforms, even simultaneously.
5) Streamlabs
Also from the open source world, it is possible to try Streamlabs OBS for gameplay and broadcast matches to video games.
The program is very similar to OBS Studio, presenting itself as a simpler-to-use and more flexible variant, with automatic optimization and a smoother interface. With Streamlabs we can live stream on multiple different platforms, add webcam or camera footage to the gameplay, add an integrated chat and also provide a payment system for the most loyal followers, so as to grow your channel and your own business.
Streamlabs is a great choice for anyone looking for an excellent program ready to record gameplay without having to use free accounts and without having to go crazy with configurations given the simplicity with which the program can be configured.
6) Movavi Screen Recorder
Among the simple and free programs that you can use for video game gameplay, we find Movavi Screen Recorder an excellent program for scheduling the recording of the screen or a part of it.
Movavi Screen Recorder offers a simple interface to record the whole screen or just the running window, offers tools to add audio (such as comments via microphone), and allows you to save the recording to a video file that is easy to share on social networks or on most popular platforms for sharing gameplay.
Those who want to have more control over the recordings can use this program, alongside a good program free video editing edit the video (by cutting or adding new parts), and finally, save the video ready for sharing.
7) Mirillis Action!
The most complete and professional program that we can use for gameplay and broadcast matches to video games is Mirillis Action!
This program allows you to quickly record the video game screen (also thanks to the ready-to-use Game mode), provides a screen for making live streaming on your favorite platform, offers a screen dedicated to capturing screenshots, and also allows you to perform benchmarks to evaluate PC performance.
Mirillis Action! it is available as a free trial for 30 days, after which it is necessary to purchase a license to continue using the program.
Conclusions
I broadcasting programs allow you to create Live videos perfect for gameplay creating a video where the game screen or window is in the foreground while, in a smaller window, we can comment on the on-screen actions and answer questions from fans.
Old-fashioned users will also appreciate the use of screencast programs great for saving the gameplay recording to a simple video file, for later editing in a video editing program.
To learn more we can read our guides to the best programs to edit MP4, MKV, and AVI videos and how to use YouTube Studio to create videos and add effects, photos, and writings.