Valve is expanding Steam’s already teetering tower of built-in features with a new background gameplay recording and sharing system that’s available in beta now.
As detailed on Valve’s Game Recording beta page, Steam’s new suite of console-like video features begin with two distinct recording modes. A Background Recording mode continuously saves gameplay to a preferred drive – users can set duration and storage limits – while an On Demand Recording mode enables users to start and stop recording as they choose.
A new timeline feature and player-added event markers are intended to make it easier to find key moments (achievements, screenshots, and in-game events in supported games can also auto-generate markers if desired) and recordings can be clipped using new “lightweight” tools.
There’s also a redesigned Recordings & Screenshots interface where users can edit and share footage, and a one-click sharing option for posting video into a chat session with a friend or to the world at large. Valve says recordings can easily be transferred to another device – Steam Deck to PC, for instance – and temporary links to MP4s can be sent via the Steam Mobile App or a QR code.