When the Nintendo Switch first launched, many users were disappointed to learn that recording and streaming games wasn’t easy with just the push of a button. Nintendo has improved the technology to support quick catches, but more elaborate techniques will cost you money. There are several methods for Nintendo Switch game capture.
How to Screen Record Switch
The built-in capture button on controllers can currently only be used to take screenshots or record the previous 30 seconds of video. If you think that’s sufficient, all you have to do is keep holding down the capture button (depicted by a square) while you wait for the capturing message to show up at the top of your screen. Don’t worry about pressing the button before the 30 seconds are up because it records everything that occurred in that time. It’s very easy to do and will let you upload clips to Twitter or store them to an SD card after a quick bit of editing.
The Nintendo Switch does support HDMI, so you may use an HD capture card to record gameplay and stream it in TV mode. We’ll go over how to connect your console to an external device, like the Elgato HD60, for those new to this technique.
Despite being somewhat expensive, buying this clever piece of technology will be well worth your cash because you can use it to stream from any console using your PC. Additionally, it gives you more customization possibilities than any built-in streaming tools offered by consoles like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
Locate and launch the Game Capture HD program from your desktop. The software should immediately render the display on your monitor. Congratulations! To record gameplay on the Nintendo Switch, simply press the record button.
How To Screen Record on Nintendo Switch without Capture Card
Nintendo Switch comes with a built-in record button to capture 30 seconds of snap of the game. For this purpose, long-press the Capture Button on the left side of your gameplay handle, tape up to 30 seconds of Gameplay, and view the captured videos in the Albums on your Nintendo Switch.
If it is enough for you, then it is good. However, if you want to record more than 30 seconds, what you should do. What is the solution? Don’t worry! There are many ways to do this. Keep reading because we are going to tell you the best way to record Nintendo on mobile without spending a heavy budget on a capture card now. Just follow the steps below!
Step 1: Stack two boxes on top of each other as shown in the figure below and place two stands on each box to rest the mobile and Nintendo switch screen in front of each other. You can also use a case box to level up the phone.
Step 2: Make a hole at the back of the box to charge the Nintendo switch. This internal switch box will help you play continuously for a long time without any interruption.
Step 3: Balance your phone on the case box, or any other support you used. Open camera and Zoom in to focus on the Nintendo Switch display.
Step 4: You should keep the room dark as it improves the crisp of video.
Step 5: Press the recording button on your mobile phone, and boom! You are ready to capture videos.
Many people believe that recording on the phone reduces the streaming quality. It is not the case in actuality. Once you use this method, you will admire that this formula is the best way to record high-quality gameplay videos for your family and friends.
Many people use different screen recording software to footage the Gameplay, but these provide backlashes and chop the crisp of the play.
How to Record Nintendo Switch Gameplay on PC with Capture Card
If you want to record a very long video, buying a capture card is the best option. This will also help you to record the restricted gameplays. First, we will see the tools required for this method, and then we will provide you a systematic guide to start recording now!
Capture Card:
Nintendo Switch is incapable of streaming gameplays directly from consoles. Therefore, you need a capture card to broadcast popular Nintendo games like Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, etc. It assists you in video casting on a device like TV that can also record it. Later on, you can transfer this footage into Filme Video Editor and other similar software to fine-tune the video before putting it on platforms like YouTube and Twitch.
Nintendo Switch Dock:
You also need a Nintendo Switch Dock to record your games. It is a small board that helps Nintendo connect with different accessories such as LAN, charging controller, etc., via HDMI and USB ports. The primary function of this Dock for gamers is to provide the output of Nintendo on the TV. Furthermore, it also assists in charging and providing power to the system.
A part from the capture card, you also require several other add-ons to record your Switch Gameplay given below.
- A Desktop Computer
- HDMI Cables
- Filme Recording Software
Not all the time you will be satisfied with a 30 seconds Switch gameplay in 720p. What if you’d like to record the entire game with high resolution? In this case, you’ll be in need of a capture card. All you need to do is to connect Nintendo Switch to a capture card to acquire the Switch game footage on your computer. There are all kinds of capture cards you can find on the net, and here we choose Elgato HD60, you can also pick other kinds of capture cards as you like.
And of course, you’ll also need a reliable recording program that is capable of recording Switch gameplay on your PC. And here we will take TunesKit Screen Recorder as an example to teach you how to record Nintendo Switch gameplay with ease. This software is available to record Switch gameplay in a high-quality resolution that is up to 4K at 30 fps, and export the recorded gameplay to the most popular video formats, such as MP4, M4V, MKV, MOV, etc. Now please read the tutorial on how to record gameplay on Switch with a capture card.
Key Features of TunesKit Screen Recorder
- Record Switch gameplay with high quality
- Save your Switch video in other formats like MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, etc
- Flexible options for settings adjustments
- Record Switch gameplay and audio simultaneously and separately
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How to Record Switch Gameplay on PC with Capture Card
Step 1: First, use an HDMI cable to connect “HDMI OUT” of the Nintendo Switch’dork, and connect it to “HDMI IN” of the Elgato. Next, use a mini USB cord to connect “USB Out” of the Elgato to your computer. Last, use another HDMI cable to connect “HDMI OUT” of the Elgato to your monitor.
Step 2: After that, you should download the Elgato Game Capture HD software on the Elgato official website. Pick the right version such as 4K Capture Utility and install it. Launch it and then you will see the Nintendo Switch game screen on the interface. You can play the game first and check the game footage on this screen. If all is well, you can start recording now.
Step 3: Launch TuneKit Screen Recorder, before you start recording Switch gameplay, you can customize the recording parameters. Click the Options button, first, you can select the output format, such as MP4, 4K video, HD MP4, etc., and you can click the setting icon to adjust the codec, resolution, frame rate, bit rate, and quality. Then you can change the destination folder and watermark.
Step 4: Once done, hit the “+” icon to create a recording area, or you can just select the configured size by clicking on the drop-down menu next to the “+” icon. Now, tap the REC button and back to Switch to continue your game.
Step 5: TunesKit Screen Recorder is on the recording now, and you’ll see a recording toolbar as well. When you finish, click on the Stop button on the recording toolbar, then the recorded Switch gameplay will be displayed on the History list.
Step 7: You can double-click to check the Switch gameplay recording, or hit the Edit button to cut it. After that, you can open the target folder by hitting the Search button.
How to Screen Record Nintendo Switch with Filme on PC:
Step 1: Launch the software of your desktop.Then click on the screen record button below to start capturing your screen.
Step 2: After clicking on the Movie button, it will show you a dotted rectangular box. Drag and drop this box with the help of the cursor to adjust the size and position of the screen you want to record.
Step 3: Press the record button on the lower left part of the screen. After clicking on this, your computer will automatically start capturing all the activities on display. Play games on Nintendo Switch as long as you want. Filme will record every scene for your viewers without any time limitation.
Step 4: You can also record audio along with video using the microphone button on the screen. Further, it will also show you an option to integrate a webcam to show your face.
Step 5: Once you want to stop recording, click on the STOP button on the lower-left corner of the screen.
Step 6: After the screen capture is finished, the video will automatically show up in the media import section.
Step 7: Drag the video to the timeline for editing tasks like trimming, scaling, splitting, etc. You can also add various effects and background effects to make your video enjoyable.
Step 8: Boom! Your video is ready. Export it to your PC and stream it on YouTube or display it on TV using USB.
How to Edit Recorded Video
Whether you are recording your gameplay or any other thing, you always need editing to fine-tune your videos before presenting them to the viewers. Of course, you are not a professional video editor, and we know that well. You actually need some user-friendly software with advanced editing features. Don’t you? The good news is that Filme also provides multiple video editing features that are very easy to use and can help you change the overall look of the video.
Let us review some of these features!
- It provides you thousands of free graceful templates and allows you to add quality filters, animations, text, and background music at different timelines to refine your digital stories.
- You can easily do various basic editing tasks like trim, rotate, speed adjustment, picture-in-picture effects, and much more.
- It allows you to add and mix eight audio tracks simultaneously.
- You can quickly create cinematic titles and texts with all types of fonts and colors here.
- It lets you add various transitions and help in the multi-layering of videos, audio, text, transitions, overlays, text, etc.
Conclusion
The hub console for gamers is the Nintendo Switch, and every player wants to share this console recording with other gamers. However, the Nintendo Switch has the limitation that you can only record for a maximum of 30 seconds. However, you can aid in this cause by using a variety of different programs and methods. Check out the detailed instructions above to see how simple it is to record Switch gameplays using or without a capture card. Additionally, you can see the user-friendly editing tool above to give your recorded video a beautiful appearance.