Skip to main content

How to record gameplay on a PS5

The PS5 is here, and assuming you were able to get your hands on one, you’ve likely been tinkering with its features and settings to give it a personal touch. One of the features that has carried over from the PS4 is the ability to record gameplay on PS5. It works in a similar fashion, but there are some slight differences you should be aware of. There are a couple of ways to record your gameplay on PS5, and in this handy guide, we’ll walk you through how to use them — while providing tips and tricks to make sure you know all the ins and outs of capturing video on your new machine.

Here’s how to record gameplay on PS5.

Recommended reading:

Recommended Videos

Adjust your settings first

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Before you actually start recording gameplay, we advise you to go into the system settings to adjust the shortcut for the DualSense’s Create button. This will make capturing gameplay as easy as possible. From the main screen, head to Settings in the top right, then Captures and Broadcasts all the way at the bottom. From here, select Shortcuts for Create Button and change it to Easy Video Clips. This allows you to simply double-tap the Create button on your DualSense to begin recording gameplay.  You can also adjust the length of the recent gameplay video clip you’ve captured here.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Back out to the Captures and Broadcasts menu and head down to Video Clip Format. Although it might be tempting to utilize 3840 x 2160, this will make the file type WebM, which isn’t natively compatible with various sites like Twitter or other places you might want to upload your video. Plus the files are larger, so instead, we recommend using MP4, which will scale the resolution down to 1920 x 1080. MP4 works with most video editing software and social media sites. We also recommend adjusting the settings for your mic’s audio and your party’s audio here.

Capturing gameplay on Ps5

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The easiest way to capture gameplay is to use your DualSense’s Create button shortcut. If you adjusted the settings to only require a double-tap, then all you’ll need to do is quickly press the Create button twice in rapid succession. If done correctly, you’ll see a red record icon and a timer appear at the top of the screen, indicating that your gameplay is being recorded. This will also pause your game (assuming the game you’re playing is pause-able).

The PS5 will record up to an hour of gameplay. To stop it, hold down the Create button on your DualSense. If done correctly, a black bar will appear at the bottom with a few options. From left to right, you’ll see Save Recent Gameplay, Take Screenshot, and Start New Recording. You’ll also see Broadcast and Capture Options on the far right. You don’t actually need to press Save Recent Gameplay to save the footage you just captured. If you just back out of this menu by pressing Circle, the gameplay you just captured will still save to your Media Gallery.

Save recent gameplay

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The previous method of recording gameplay is only useful if you actually hit record beforehand. But what if you forgot to press record before doing something noteworthy in your game? Luckily, the PS5 has you covered with the ability to save your recent gameplay — of up to an hour of footage. To use this feature, press and hold down on the Create button on your DualSense. This will bring up the black bar mentioned in the previous step.

Here, you’ll find the option to Save Recent Gameplay on the left. Select this, and you’ll either be able to Save Short Clip or Save Full Video (up to an hour). If you just want to save a short clip, press that option and you’ll see various increments of time depending on the length of the overall clip. Select whichever one you’d like and it’ll save. Keep in mind, the PS5 will only begin recording gameplay after the previous clip you’ve recorded.

Media Gallery

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Once you’ve captured the gameplay you want to share, head into the Media Gallery from the PS5’s main screen. Here, you’ll see all the screenshots and videos you’ve recorded. There are many options you can play around with, like sharing the captures to social media, editing them, or uploading them to a USB drive. You can also select multiple items by pressing the Options button on your DualSense. By doing this, you can share, delete, or copy to a USB drive in bulk. Make sure you manage your media wisely, as the PS5’s onboard memory of 825GB isn’t much to work with, even at launch.

Joseph Yaden
Joseph Yaden is a freelance journalist who covers Nintendo, shooters, and horror games. He mostly covers game guides for…
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds introduces dimension-hopping races
A screenshot of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds - Announce Trailer

The only time Sonic is faster than when he wears his trusty sneakers is when he's behind the wheel of a vehicle built for speed, and that's the case with Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. Sony's State of Play gave a brand-new entry into the Sonic Racing franchise, and though we didn't get a long look, Geoff Keighley has just confirmed there will be a closed network test on February 21.

Read more
Everything announced at PlayStation State of Play February 2025
Snake holding a gun and knife.

After a strange but ultimately successful 2024, Sony unveiled its plans for 2025 with a State of Play -- or at least, partially. Rather than focusing on big first-party games like Ghost of Yotei and Marvel's Wolverine, the 45 minute showcase almost exclusively focused on upcoming third-party games. We got release dates for Borderlands 4 and Metal Gear Solid Delta, filling us in on what's coming in the second half of 2025. We even got a surprise release in Warriors: Abyss, a new Musou roguelike from Koei Tecmo available today.

There was just a smidge of first-party news. Sony ended strong with a teaser for Saros, a new game from the studio behind Returnal. We also saw Days Gone Remastered, which will give Sony's zombie game a similar treatment to The Last of Us Part 2. Unfortunately, we didn't get any Bloodborne news at this as fans had hoped, but it was still an intriguing showcase. Here's everything that Sony announced at the February 2025 State of Play.
Saros is Housemarque's Returnal follow up
Saros - Cinematic Announce Trailer | PS5 Games

Read more
PlayStation State of Play February 2025: How to watch and what to expect
PlayStation State of Play

This year started off somewhat slow for PlayStation, with little to no major releases in January. February was marked by a PlayStation Network outage that left thousands of gamers unable to log in over the weekend, but 2025 still holds a lot of promise with some highly-anticipated releases on the horizon.

Sony hasn't specifically stated how many games will be shown at February's State of Play, but the company did say the show "celebrates a creative and unique selection of exciting games from studios around the world."
When is the February 2025 State of Play?
The upcoming State of Play begins at 5 PM ET, 2 PM PT on February 12. Sony says the show will run for roughly 40 minutes, so make sure you have a few snacks handy (especially if you're on the East Coast and plan to watch before dinner.)
How to watch the February 2025 State of Play
The February State of Play will be broadcast simultaneously in both English and Japanese on YouTube and Twitch. The YouTube link is displayed just under the header, so you can watch the entire show from this story.
What to expect from the February 2025 State of Play
The year might have started slow, but there are a ton of fantastic games slated to release this year. We expect to see more of Ghost of Yotei, the follow-up to Sucker Punch's 2020 Ghost of Tsushima, as well as more information on Death Stranding 2.

Read more