How to Record PS4 Screen [3 Ways]

Play Station 4 is one of the most popular gaming consoles in the world that provides players with a completely immersive audiovisual experience. While it’s impossible to capture the atmosphere of the best PS4 games completely in a video, most players record at least some of their gaming adventures. It’s not rare for players to steam their gaming sessions online or post videos to YouTube, so PS4 games can be a valuable source of great-looking content.

Since PS4 is a standalone hardware platform that doesn’t need a computer to function, recording PS4 games is different than just capturing the screen while playing on a PC or Mac. There are different tools that are suitable for this task, and new PS4 players may not be aware of all the options at their disposal. This article will present some of the possible courses of action and outline the most sensible approach for each user.

How to Record PS4 Screen – 3 Different Methods

The choice of the best method to record your PS4 screen depends on several factors, including the type of games you most commonly play, the hardware configuration you own, and the purpose of the videos. Since each method has its advantages and drawbacks, it’s recommended to think about this carefully before settling on a tool that suits you. Here are the possibilities that you need to consider before settling on a tool to use on an everyday basis.

Built-in Tool on Play Station

The most obvious way to record your screen activity on a PS4 device is to use the native sharing function, which works pretty well in most cases. It’s very intuitive to use and can support video clip creation or live streaming, depending on the settings and intentions of the player.

On the negative side, the built-in recording feature only allows videos to be up to 15 minutes long (60 minutes if you adjust the settings), which is simply too short for some games. The recording can also include your voice captured with the microphone, but this also needs to be configured before you start recording. Here is how you can complete all the preparatory activities and capture the game action:

Step 1. Turn on your PS4, press the Share button, and choose the Sharing and Broadcasts option

Step 2. Click on the Length of Video Clip feature and then select your preferred duration

Step 3. Go to Audio sharing settings, and check the box next to Include microphone audio in video clips

Step 4. Start your game and press the Share button twice to start recording, and twice more to stop

Screen Recorder on a PC

There are plenty of great screen recorders that don’t have any limits regarding the maximum length of videos, but they can’t be installed on a PS4. Instead, you can install a PS4 emulator on your PC and use a free screen-grabbing app like Gemoo Recorder to capture your game action from the computer monitor. Gemoo Recorder supports high-resolution audio and video, and it requires virtually no training to use expertly.

Here is the list of necessary steps you need to take if you want to record your PS4 screen on a PC.

Step 2. Start Gemoo Recorder, and choose either Screen only or Screen + Camera from the main menu

Step 3. Press the Start Recording button on the toolbar that floats on the screen when you are ready

Step 5. Use the Stop button in the sidebar to complete the recording, you can beautify your recorded video with the tool bar.

Record PS4 Screen with a Capture Card

Dedicated players who frequently record themselves while playing PS4 games could benefit from purchasing a specialized piece of hardware that opens additional recording possibilities. A capture card lets you connect the gaming console to a computer and project the game visuals onto the monitor. This maneuver can enable you to use your preferred screen recording software as if you were capturing a PC game. Here is how you can record game clips from PS4 using a capture card:

Step 1. Plug the capture card into the PS4 and connect it to your PC via HDMI slot

Step 2. Turn on the console and go to the Settings menu to check whether the software is up to date

Step 3. Run a screen recorder of your choice (Gemoo or a similar app) on the computer

Step 4. Start a game on your PS4 and press record as soon as the visuals appear on the PC screen

Step 5. Use the recorder commands to pause or stop recording, or to edit the video

FAQs about Screen Recording on PS 4

Yes, it’s possible to stream your gaming activity on the internet in real-time. PS4 has a built-in Broadcast gameplay feature that allows players to share their screen with online viewers in real-time. You can activate this feature by pressing the Share button while playing a game and selecting the streaming platform where your broadcast will be hosted.

There are literally dozens of great screen recording apps to choose from, ranging from free browser extensions to fully featured screen recorders and video editors. Thanks to its ability to support 4K resolution, Gemoo Recorder is widely considered to be one of the best options for gaming capture, along with apps such as OBS Studio, Camtasia, and Snagit, to name a few well-known products.

Depending on the complexity level of the intended changes, you could either use the built-in video tool on PS4 or a more advanced editing software. The former option is fine if you just need to trim and cut the video, but if you would like to add transitions and effects or combine multiple recordings into one clip, you need a serious video editor.

Conclusion

Showcasing your gaming skills in the form of video recordings or live streams is a part of the competition, which is why dedicated PS4 gamers need to know how to record their screen and capture system audio as well as their voice. We discussed three different ways to accomplish this – with the existing tools only, with an alternative software, or with a hardware upgrade. Each method has its set of advantages, so it makes sense to learn more about it just in case. What is your default method for capturing PS4 game action, which settings do you use, and where do you share your videos? Tell us all the juicy details in the comments.