Quick Answer:
Press Windows-Alt-R to start recording screen on Windows 10 or 11 with Xbox Game Bar immediately.
Table of contents
Overview of Xbox Screen Recorder
The Xbox screen recorder, known as Xbox Game Bar, is a built-in screen recorder available on Windows 10 and Windows 11 that allows you to record screen on Windows for free without the need for any third-party screen recording software. It was first released in Windows 8, but at that time, it did not have a screen recording feature. Therefore, you can only use it to record screen on Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Xbox Game Bar Recording: Pros and Cons
Although the Xbox screen recorder enables you to record your screen on Windows with audio for free and offers many customization options to set up your recording preferences, it does have some limitations that may not fully meet your needs for Windows screen recording. Therefore, before using it to record screen on Windows 10 or 11, it’s better to check its advantages and disadvantages below.
Advantages of Xbox Game Bar recording:
- Built-in on Windows 10 & 11
- Completely free to use
- Records games & apps (except for File Explorer) with various audio inputs, including system sound, microphone sound, app sound, and game sound
- Customizable video & audio quality settings, frame rate settings, and more
Disadvantages of Xbox screen recorder:
- Can’t record the desktop or a selected portion of the screen
- Has a maximum recording length of four hours
- Only supports a single video output format option (MP4)
If Xbox Game Bar meets your needs well, follow the next part to learn how to record on Xbox Game Bar in detail.
How to Record with Xbox Game Bar
Before you start the screen recording using Xbox Game Bar, it’s advisable to go to Settings > Gaming > Captures and Xbox Game Bar > Settings > Capturing to set up your screen recording preferences. Afterward, follow the steps below to record screen with Xbox Game Bar.
To record with Xbox Game Bar:
Step 1. Press Windows + Alt + R to start recording the current game or app directly. You can also press Windows + G and click Start recording in the Capture panel to start.
Step 2. To end the Xbox Game Bar recording, click the Stop Recording button in the control panel or press Windows + Alt + R again.
Step 3. To preview the recording, click the Game clip recorded message and play it directly. Or you can Press Windows + G, click the Widget Menu, choose Gallery, and check all the recordings in the Gallery panel.
By default, the recordings are saved in C:\Users\admin\Videos\Captures. You can follow this path to check the recorded videos using File Explorer as well.
As mentioned above, Xbox Game Bar can’t help to capture screen on your computer in Windows 7 and Windows 8. If that’s what you need, go to the guide on how to screen record on Windows 8 and how to record screen on Windows 7 for feasible tips.
Xbox Screen Recorder Alternative
As you can see, Xbox Game Bar recording doesn’t allow you to record your desktop or a selected portion of your screen, and can only record one app at a time. Therefore, it may not be the ideal solution for all your screen recording needs. As an alternative, I would like to recommend SurFlex Screen Recorder, a screen recording software that offers multiple recording modes, including full screen, a selected region, window, app, game, webcam, and more, allowing you to capture everything you need. If Xbox Game Bar recording doesn’t meet your requirements, using SurFlex Screen Recorder is a great alternative.
How to Screen Record with Xbox Game Bar: FAQs
When you use the Xbox screen recorder, you may also want to know:
The shortcut to launch Xbox Game Bar: Windows + G; the shortcut to start recording on Windows: Windows + Alt + R.
Xbox Game Bar supports a maximum recording length of four hours. Thus, you can record more than 30 minutes on Xbox Game Bar. But you need to set it up by going to Settings – Gaming – Captures and setting the Maximum recording length as 1 hour, 2 hours, or 4 hours.
By default, Xbox Game Bar recordings are saved in C:\Users\admin\Videos\Captures.
Press Windows + Alt + G to record the last few moments of your gameplay.
Wrapping Up
Using Xbox Game Bar to record your screen on Windows is a free and convenient option, but it’s best suited for recording gameplay. In other situations where you need to capture your Windows desktop or a selected portion of your screen, you may still need a third-party screen recorder for Windows. In such cases, using SurFlex Screen Recorder is a good choice.