Action! vs GameHQ

Action! records Windows gameplay, console video, and live broadcasts. It offers instant replay, multi-mode recording, GPU encoding, and webcam overlays. Windows gameplay recording is described as Full HD with low CPU use and no FPS loss; maximum listed video quality is 4K Ultra HD up to 3840x2160. Device recording supports Xbox and PlayStation, with capture cards from Elgato, Avermedia, and Hauppauge. Action! can stream to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, Smashcast, and Ustream, among other services, and supports Streamlabs plus up to six modular URL overlay graphics. Microphone and system sound can be recorded separately, mixed, or saved with another audio device. Webcam overlays can be cropped, resized, repositioned, and used with a green screen. Screenshots can be saved in BMP, JPG, or PNG formats. Home use costs $19.77, paid once and commercial use costs $32.95, paid once; both include a lifetime license and free updates. A 30-day trial is available without a credit card, but trial recordings have a watermark.

GameHQ is a free Windows game-capture app built around controller navigation. It takes instant screenshots and keeps a configurable rolling buffer of recent gameplay, saving replay clips as MP4 files with system audio. Capture resolution reaches 4K. Screenshots can be PNG or JPEG, and a displayed frame from a recorded clip can also be saved. The in-game overlay lets users browse, play, favorite, reveal, and delete captures while a borderless game remains visible. Controller support includes DualSense over USB or Bluetooth, XInput, and app-local GameInput. The library can watch Steam, Game Bar, NVIDIA, and OBS folders, with a separate Playnite integration. Sharing works through Telegram Desktop, Discord, Discord channel webhooks, or the clipboard, without signing into Telegram or Discord through the app. GameHQ has no account, telemetry, background service, or game-process injection, according to its maker. It supports 16 interface languages and thirteen themes. It requires 64-bit Windows 10 version 1903 or newer plus compatible graphics capture and H.264 encoding support.