Recording your computer screen has several applications: it can be useful if, for example, you want to show other people a specific procedure, if you want to make a video tutorial, if you want to capture a gaming session to share online and on many other occasions. However, you already know this well: if you are here and you are reading this tutorial it is because you have recently switched to Windows 11 and you still don’t know how to do the aforementioned operation on this operating system, right?
Don’t worry: if that’s the case and you need help figuring out how to screen record Windows 11 , that’s why I’m here. In the next few lines, in fact, I will explain how to achieve this by using some “standard” Windows applications and some third-party applications, which offer some more functions.
Not sure which one to choose? Don’t be afraid, I’ll walk you through all your options to help you figure out which one is best for you. All you have to do is take a few minutes of free time and keep reading. Find everything explained below.
Index
- How to record screen with Windows 11
- Xbox Game Bar
- OBS
- Other solutions to record screen Windows 11
- How to make screen capture Windows 11
How to record screen with Windows 11
Windows 11 has several new features compared to its predecessors, but shares some functions and utilities with Windows 10 , including the one that allows you to record the screen. Likewise, it is compatible with the same third-party applications that allow you to capture the screen of your computer. For all the details of the case, read on.
Xbox Game Bar
As the name suggests, Xbox Game Bar is a tool designed primarily for the needs of gamers who want to record their gaming sessions and then share them with other users. This does not, however, take away from the possibility of using it to record Windows 11 screen with audio , capturing what happens on the screen.
Note, however, that the application has some limitations: if you are not playing a video game, the Xbox Game Bar can be used to record individual running applications and web pages visited – it does not work for the desktop or for File Explorer.
That said, before proceeding you need to verify that the Xbox Game Bar is actually activated on your computer: to do this, right-click on the taskbar at the bottom and choose Taskbar Settings from the menu that opens. On the next screen, search for “Xbox Game Bar” in the search field in the sidebar, select the search result called Enable Xbox Game Bar and, in the new screen that opens, check that the button for the option Open Xbox Game Bar using this button on a controller is moved to Enabled (otherwise you do).
Now, to start using the Xbox Game Bar recording feature right away, press the key combination Win + G on your keyboard. Alternatively, you can click on the magnifying glass on the taskbar and type in the search “Xbox Game Bar” , then choosing the first result.
With the software open, at the top left you can see the capture options in the widget called Acquire : clicking on the dot you will immediately start recording the screen. If you don’t see the capture panel even though you have the Xbox Game Bar application open, it probably hasn’t been activated. You can do this by clicking on the stylized webcam icon that you find in the bar at the top center of the screen.
Before recording, if you want to capture the screen with audio, check that in the Audio section (under the capture section) there is the default Windows output you intend to use. Then swipe the bar next to the speaker to turn the volume up or down as you please.
After starting the recording, by clicking on the dot icon , you can click anywhere on the screen to make the Xbox Game Bar screen disappear and you will see a small black rectangle with the progress of the recording minutes in the top right.
When you want to stop the video, just click on the square icon : this will stop the video and will be saved in the Videos folder on your computer.
If you do not find the Video folder , you can always access it via the Xbox Game Bar: in the Acquire section , under the four main buttons, you will find the words View my acquisitions : clicking on it you will open the collection of videos created.
OBS
Xbox Game Bar is certainly a convenient and affordable application for everyone, but what if you want something more versatile and complex, which also allows you to manage different output formats? The answer in this case is OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) , free and open source software (also available for macOS and Linux) that allows not only to record the screen with audio and video from various sources, but also to stream on platforms like Twitch and YouTube .
You can download it by going to the official page of the program and install it on your PC following the instructions you find in my specific tutorial on how to download OBS .
When the program is started, an initial procedure will start to automatically configure the software according to your needs: choose Optimize only for recordings, I don’t do direct if you just want to record the computer screen, or Optimize for live, the recordings are less important if are you going to do some live shows . Then click on the Next buttons twice and Apply settings to access the main screen.
In the lower part of the OBS window you can find various panes: in the one called Sources , then click on the + button and choose the Screen capture item from the list , in order to activate the capture of the entire desktop. Then give the source a name and click OK . If you do this correctly, you will see a preview of the computer screen at the top of the program.
Want to add webcam footage to your capture to create a more professional video? Still in the Sources section , click again on the + button and choose the Video capture device option from the list ; then assign a name to the source and click OK .
On the next screen, under the Device item , select your webcam (you will understand if it is active since you will immediately see a preview) and at the end of the operation click OK , at the bottom, and the source will be added to the capture. You can move and resize the webcam panel at will by acting directly on the preview at the top.
Then move to the Audio Mixer section , where you can add and manage the audio sources, including the internal audio of the computer , the microphone and all the audio capture devices that you have currently connected to the computer (e.g. the webcam ): to edit them, do click on the three vertical dots corresponding to each source and choose Properties from the menu.
In the following screen, under Device , click on the drop-down menu and choose the audio source you prefer. Remember that you can change the audio levels at will by intervening on the bar with the speaker (for example, if you intend to speak during the screen capture, it is preferable to raise the volume of the microphone source and lower that of the desktop audio).
To start recording, now move to the Controls widget and select Start Recording , you will immediately start capturing your computer screen. To stop the operation, click on Stop recording : the video will be automatically saved in the Windows 11 Videos folder .
Videos recorded with OBS are automatically saved in MKV format , however you can also change this aspect by changing the output video format : go to the File> Settings menu and, on the next screen, choose Output . Then scroll down to the Recording Format item and choose the video format you prefer from the drop-down menu (eg FLV , MP4 , MOV ).
With OBS you can also create capture Scenes , or setups based on what you want to capture, without having to add the various sources and adjust the various preferences from time to time. If you want to create a preset, in the Scenes section , click the + button , type the name you want to assign it and click OK . You can then configure it to your liking with the sources and settings you prefer.
Other solutions to record screen Windows 11
If the solutions that I have presented to you are not for you and you prefer other programs, know that it is possible to get free and paid ones, I list some of them below.
- Camtasia– program with free trial period that allows you to record and create professional looking videos (with additional music and effects) on Windows and Mac. The trial version lasts for 30 days, after which you need to purchase a license fromcost of € 279.88 .
- Screenpresso– another free program for computer desktop recording. Among its functions is the possibility to select only a part of the screen, to make specific videos without shooting everything on the display. In its free version it has a limited image editor and the videos have a watermark, while the paid version, which costs99 euros one-time , offers additional options and the removal of the watermark.
How to make screen capture Windows 11
Now that you have full control over the video recording process on Windows 11 and are able to get footage of your operations, you are wondering how to capture a simple screen frame, is that it?
The operation is very simple and can be done thanks to several series options, including the same Xbox Game Bar that I previously told you about . If you want to know more about this procedure, however, I suggest you read my specific tutorial on how to take screenshots on PC with Windows 11 .
