NVIDIA ShadowPlay vs RePlays
NVIDIA ShadowPlay
nvidia.comRePlays
github.comSide by side
| Figure | NVIDIA ShadowPlay | RePlays |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Game recording software | 8.2 (#10) | 8.4 (#8) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Instant Replay | ShadowPlay Instant Replay can save the last 30 seconds of gameplay. | Yes |
| Supported platforms | Windows | Windows; Linux support is work-in-progress and generally requires building from source |
| What it does | NVIDIA describes the app as a companion for PC gamers and creators that updates drivers, optimizes games and applications, and provides recording tools through an in-game overlay. | RePlays automatically records detected games and includes an editor for quickly sharing clips. |
Plans
In their own words
NVIDIA ShadowPlay
NVIDIA ShadowPlay is a free Windows companion app for PC gamers and creators, combining driver updates, game and application optimization, and recording tools in an in-game overlay. Manual recording supports up to 8K HDR at 30 fps or 4K HDR at 120 fps; NVIDIA describes the performance impact as minimal. Automatic Highlights captures key moments, and overlay metrics include FPS, GPU and CPU utilization, FPS 1% Low, and system latency. GeForce RTX 40-series GPU owners can record with AV1 encoding. The app also includes a GPU control center for graphics settings and tuning, Freestyle filters for supported games, and ways to discover and launch selected NVIDIA apps. Requirements include Windows 10 or 11, a GeForce RTX 20, 30, 40, or 50 Series GPU, driver 551.52 or later, 2 GB of system memory, and 600 MB of disk space. Signing in is optional; NVIDIA says login enables users to redeem GPU bundles and rewards.
RePlays
RePlays is a free tool for recording, clipping and sharing gameplay. It automatically manages recordings of detected running games and includes a clip editor for preparing videos to share. Its recording functionality uses libobs from the OBS Project, and it supports instant replay. Integrations for Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege can bookmark gameplay moments such as kills, assists and deaths. Windows users can download an installer from the latest release. Linux support remains a work in progress and is generally available for normal use only if users build the software from source. The project is licensed under GPL-3.0. Its backend uses C# (.NET 8), while its interface uses TypeScript with React; display technology is Microsoft Edge WebView2 on Windows and WebKit2GTK on Linux. The nightly release may contain breaking changes and is offered at the user's risk. RePlays' website says uploaded videos and other data are stored on its servers within the EU. The site says it uses only cookies needed for service functionality, without tracking or marketing browser cookies. RePlays.app accepts videos made with RePlays recording software, not recordings made directly from mobile devices.