Recording multiple screens on Windows 10 efficiently requires the right tools, as built-in options often have limitations for multi-monitor setups. Dedicated third-party software provides the most robust solutions for capturing all your displays simultaneously.
Understanding Multi-Screen Recording on Windows 10
While Windows 10 offers some basic screen recording features, they are typically designed for single-screen capture or specific application windows. For comprehensive multi-screen recording, you'll need tools that can handle multiple independent video feeds or a single large capture area spanning across monitors.
Why Record Multiple Screens?
Recording multiple screens is invaluable for various purposes, including:
- Tutorials and Demonstrations: Showing workflows that span across several applications or monitors.
- Gaming: Capturing gameplay on one screen while monitoring chat or system performance on another.
- Productivity: Documenting complex tasks, troubleshooting, or creating instructional content for multi-monitor workstations.
- Virtual Meetings: Recording presentations on one screen and participant reactions or notes on another.
Built-in & Application-Specific Recording Options (with Limitations)
Windows 10 includes a few native ways to record, but they generally fall short for true multi-monitor recording:
- Xbox Game Bar: Press
Win + Gto open the Game Bar. This tool is primarily designed for recording gameplay of a single active application or the primary display. It cannot independently record multiple monitors simultaneously. It captures a single window or the primary screen, sometimes failing to capture other screens even if they are part of the "game." - Microsoft Office Screen Recorder: For specific tasks, such as recording content within an application like Microsoft PowerPoint, you can utilize its built-in screen recorder. To access it, click on the "Insert" tab in the menu bar, then locate the "Screen Recording" button all the way to the right. When you click this button, a recording interface will open, allowing you to select an area to record. This feature is particularly useful for capturing presentations or specific application windows, and it's designed to record all tabs within the selected application or area, though it's not optimized for capturing separate, distinct monitors as independent video streams for a system-wide multi-screen capture.
For dedicated multi-monitor recording, you need more powerful software.
Top Tools for Recording Multiple Screens
The most effective way to record multiple screens on Windows 10 is by using specialized third-party software. Here are the leading options:
1. OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software)
OBS Studio is a free, open-source, and highly powerful tool widely used for live streaming and video recording. It offers extensive control over your recording sources, making it ideal for multi-monitor setups.
Key Features for Multi-Screen Recording:
- Multiple Sources: Add each monitor as a separate "Display Capture" source.
- Custom Layouts: Arrange your multiple monitor feeds within a single recording canvas.
- Scene Management: Create different "scenes" for various recording setups (e.g., one scene for all monitors, another for a single monitor).
- High Customization: Advanced audio mixing, video encoding settings, and hotkey controls.
How to Record Multiple Screens with OBS Studio:
- Download and Install: Get OBS Studio from the official OBS Project website.
- Initial Setup: Launch OBS. If prompted, run the Auto-Configuration Wizard. You can optimize for recording only.
- Create a Scene: In the "Scenes" panel (bottom left), click the
+button to add a new scene, or use the default one. Name it "Multi-Monitor Recording." - Add Display Sources:
- In the "Sources" panel (next to "Scenes"), click the
+button. - Select "Display Capture."
- Give it a name (e.g., "Monitor 1").
- In the properties window, use the "Display" dropdown to select your first monitor. Click "OK."
- Repeat this step for each additional monitor you want to record, giving each a unique name (e.g., "Monitor 2", "Monitor 3") and selecting the correct display from the dropdown.
- In the "Sources" panel (next to "Scenes"), click the
- Arrange and Scale:
- In the "Preview" window, you will now see all your monitor captures stacked.
- Click and drag each source to arrange them as desired on the canvas.
- You can resize them by dragging the corners of their bounding boxes. For example, you might place them side-by-side or create a picture-in-picture effect.
- Tip: If you want to record all monitors side-by-side as one large video, adjust the "Output (Scaled) Resolution" in Settings > Video to match the combined resolution of your monitors (e.g., 3840x1080 for two 1080p monitors side-by-side). Then, carefully arrange the display capture sources to fill this canvas.
- Configure Audio: In the "Audio Mixer" panel, ensure the correct audio inputs (desktop audio, microphone) are selected and their levels are adjusted.
- Set Recording Path and Format: Go to File > Settings > Output.
- Under the "Recording" tab, choose your "Recording Path" (where videos save).
- Select a "Recording Format" (e.g., MKV for stability, or MP4 if you prefer, but be aware of potential file corruption on crash).
- Start Recording: Click "Start Recording" in the "Controls" panel.
- Stop Recording: Click "Stop Recording" when finished. Your video will be saved to the specified path.
2. ShareX
ShareX is a free, open-source program that offers a wide array of screenshot and screen recording features, making it a powerful alternative to OBS for some users. While it's excellent for quick captures and GIFs, its video recording capabilities are also robust.
Key Features for Multi-Screen Recording:
- Region Capture: Easily define a custom recording region that spans across multiple monitors.
- Lightweight: Less resource-intensive than OBS for simpler recording tasks.
- Annotation Tools: Built-in image editor for quick annotations after recording.
- Upload Options: Direct upload to various cloud services and social media.
How to Record Multiple Screens with ShareX:
- Download and Install: Get ShareX from the official ShareX website.
- Configure Recording Settings:
- Launch ShareX.
- Go to Task Settings > Screen Recorder.
- Ensure "FFmpeg" is selected as the screen recorder. If not, click "Download" to install it.
- Adjust video and audio codecs (e.g., MP4, H.264, AAC).
- Define Recording Region:
- From the main window, click "Capture" > "Screen recording (GIF)" or "Screen recording (MP4)" (depending on your desired output).
- Your cursor will change to a crosshair. Click and drag across all the monitors you wish to record to define a custom recording area that spans them.
- Tip: If you want to record the entire desktop across all monitors, drag from the top-left corner of your leftmost monitor to the bottom-right corner of your rightmost monitor.
- Start/Stop Recording:
- Once the region is defined, the recording will typically start automatically.
- To stop, right-click the ShareX icon in the system tray and select "Stop screen recording."
- Access Recordings: Your recordings will appear in the main ShareX window and are usually saved to your default "Screenshots" folder (configurable in Task Settings).
Comparison of Multi-Screen Recording Tools
| Feature | OBS Studio | ShareX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free & Open Source | Free & Open Source |
| Multi-Monitor | Excellent, flexible scene composition | Good, custom region spanning multiple monitors |
| Complexity | Moderate to High (due to extensive features) | Low to Moderate (simpler for basic tasks) |
| Resource Usage | Moderate to High | Low |
| Customization | Very High (plugins, filters, settings) | Moderate (good for basic settings) |
| Target Use | Streaming, professional recording, complex setups | Quick captures, GIFs, simple recordings |
| Output Formats | MP4, MKV, FLV, MOV, TS | MP4, GIF, WebM, AVI |
Best Practices for Multi-Screen Recording
To ensure smooth and high-quality multi-screen recordings, consider these tips:
- Hardware: A powerful CPU, ample RAM (16GB+ recommended), and a dedicated GPU will significantly improve recording performance, especially with multiple high-resolution monitors.
- Storage: Record to a fast SSD to avoid dropped frames, and ensure you have plenty of free space, as multi-screen recordings can generate very large files.
- Resolution and Frame Rate: Balance quality with file size. Recording at native resolutions (e.g., 1920x1080 per monitor) at 30 or 60 FPS is common. Lowering the frame rate or resolution can reduce file size and CPU load.
- Audio Setup: Test your microphone and desktop audio levels before recording. Use push-to-talk for your microphone if you don't want continuous background noise.
- Test Recordings: Always do a short test recording to check video and audio quality, performance, and ensure all desired screens are captured correctly before starting a long session.
- Close Unnecessary Applications: Free up system resources by closing any applications not needed during the recording process.
By utilizing dedicated software like OBS Studio or ShareX and following these best practices, you can effectively record multiple screens on your Windows 10 PC, creating comprehensive and high-quality video content.
