In this guide, we’ll explain how you can record high-quality PS4 gameplay, download it to your computer in the highest quality possible, and then edit it for free, preparing it for YouTube, Instagram or wherever.
To get started, we’ll take a look at the software and hardware you’ll need to make this all work. If you already own a PS4, the investment will be very small and the software will be completely free.
After we explain what you need, we will guide you through each process step by step.
What you need to get started
To complete this tutorial, you will need the following items:
- PS4 and controller;
- USB stick;
- PC, preferably modern – you must use video editing software
- Hitfilm Express
You can download Hitfilm Express for free. All you have to do is visit the Hitfilm website, share it on Facebook or Twitter, then create a new account and download the software. Since it’s free, Hitfilm asks to simply share on social media before allowing you to download.
You can only have one license, but if you log into Hitfilm on a different computer, you can transfer your license, so there is really no limit. The next step is to record your PS4 gameplay.
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How to record HD gameplay on PS4
Recording gameplay on PS4 is easy. First, press the Share button once to open the sharing menu, and then press the X for the Sharing and Streaming Settings option.
Then press the X on the Video Clip Settings option. Make sure Video Clip Length is set to 60 minutes and Dimensions is set to 1920 × 1080. Then you can go back and load the game you want to play.
When you start playing, you can start recording at any time by double-clicking the Share button. When you want to finish recording, just double-click the Share button again.
When you’re ready to transfer your recordings to your computer, plug your USB drive into one of the front USB ports on your PS4. After that, return to the main screen and select the “Capture Gallery” option. The recordings will be sorted into different folders, so you can choose the folder for the game you played, or just choose “allâ€.
When you find the entry you want to save, press the Options button when the entry is highlighted. In the new window that appears, scroll up and select the Copy to USB Mass Storage Device option. The previously highlighted video file will be marked with a check mark.
If you have other video files, you can also select them now. After that go to the “copy” button in the lower right corner and press “X” when it is highlighted.
Finally, click “OK” and the file or files will be copied to the USB drive. After copying is complete, you can unplug the USB drive and connect it to your computer.
How to Edit PS4 Recordings on Your Computer
We’ll show you how to take your PS4 recording, place it on Hitfilm, add overlays, intros and music, and then export it. First, you need to move the PS4 recording from your USB stick to your computer.
- Open Windows Explorer.
- Go to your PC, then double-click the USB drive.
- Open PS4 folder SHARE Videos Game name.
- Click and drag the video file to your desktop.
At this point, you should have already downloaded Hitfilm After downloading and installing Hitfilm, open it. In the window that opens, click “File” and then “New”.
In the pop-up that appears, click the dropdown and select 1080p Full HD @ 60fps. Once loaded into Hitfilm, quickly minimize to the desktop, click and drag the video clip into Hitfilm. Drag it to the small media box in the lower left corner.
Then drag this clip from the mediabox to the timeline slightly to the right of it.
To add music, just right click on “Audio 1” and click on “Add New Track”.
Then drag the audio file to the media block, and then drag it to the timeline as you did with the PS4 video clip. Be sure to drag it to the newly created “audio 2” track.
If you want to add overlays such as watermarks or text, just follow the same steps as above but right-click Video 1, add a new track and drag the image to the new video track 2.
If you want to cut off a portion of a clip, use the cut tool. Press the “C” button on your keyboard to select it.
If you want to cut a specific part, you can crop it on both sides, then press the V key to make the selection tool select it and then click the delete button to delete it. After that, you can click and drag one clip to place it next to another.
You can click and drag any item, including footage, music, or overlays, anywhere, and this will change when they play. Click and drag the edge of the still images to extend the playback time.
When you’re done, you can click the Export button and then Contents. The export process starts. It can take some time. If you just save the file, it will only be the project file.
You have to export it to turn your project into an MP4 file that you can download and share online. When prompted, click Go to Export.
Finally, click the “Start Export” button at the very bottom. Hitfilm flashes orange when finished. You can open Hitfilm again and click the link to navigate to the exported file.
Summary
This concludes our guide on how to record PS4 gameplay, download it to your computer, and edit it for free. Hope this guide was helpful. If you have any questions about the steps in this guide, please leave a comment and I’ll try to answer as soon as I can.
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