How to Record Valorant Clips on PC (2026 Guide)
The complete guide to recording Valorant gameplay and highlights. Learn the best tools, settings, and methods to capture your aces and clutches without losing FPS.
Every Valorant Player Should Be Recording
Whether you're grinding ranked, hitting clips for montages, or just want proof of that 1v5 ace — having a recorder running in the background is a no-brainer in 2026.
But Valorant is a game where every frame matters. If your recorder drops you from 240 FPS to 200, that's a competitive disadvantage. This guide covers how to record Valorant with zero compromise on performance.
Method 1: Ascent (Recommended)
Ascent is the simplest way to record Valorant. It auto-detects the game and starts recording the moment you load in.
Setup
- Download Ascent and install (takes about 60 seconds)
- Open Ascent
- Launch Valorant
- Play — Ascent handles the rest
That's it. No configuration, no scenes, no hotkeys to remember. When your game ends, the recording is saved locally and you can review it with built-in game analysis.
Why It Works for Valorant
- Under 1% FPS drop — Built natively in Rust (not Electron like Medal/Overwolf), so the app itself barely touches your CPU
- Hardware encoding — Uses NVENC/AMF/QuickSync for the actual video capture
- No background bloat — No ads, no social feed, no Chromium browser running behind your game
- No overlay — Nothing on screen to distract you during clutch rounds
- Automatic round detection — Ascent identifies key moments like aces, clutches, and multi-kills
- Free — No watermarks, no limits on recording time
Sharing Your Clips
After recording, you can trim highlights and upload them to Ascent Cloud. Your friends get a shareable link — no need to upload to YouTube or compress files.
Method 2: NVIDIA ShadowPlay
If you have an NVIDIA GPU and want Instant Replay (retroactively saving the last few minutes), ShadowPlay is solid.
Setup for Valorant
- Open GeForce Experience > Settings > enable In-Game Overlay
- Launch Valorant
- Press Alt+Z to open the overlay
- Turn on Instant Replay (set to 2-5 minutes)
- After a highlight, press Alt+F10 to save the clip
Optimal Settings
| Setting | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Quality | High |
| Resolution | In-game (1080p or 1440p) |
| Frame rate | 60 FPS |
| Bitrate | 20,000 Kbps |
Pros and Cons
ShadowPlay's Instant Replay is great for those "wait, did that just happen?" moments. But it only works on NVIDIA GPUs, and you can't get gameplay analysis or easy cloud sharing.
Method 3: OBS Studio
OBS gives you full control but requires setup.
Valorant-Optimized OBS Settings
- Source: Add a Game Capture source, set to capture "VALORANT"
- Encoder: NVENC (NVIDIA) or AMF (AMD) — never use x264 for Valorant
- Resolution: 1920x1080
- FPS: 60 (recording at 60 is fine even if you play at 240+)
- Bitrate: 10,000-20,000 Kbps
- Keyframe interval: 2
Important: Vanguard Compatibility
Valorant runs Vanguard anti-cheat, which can occasionally conflict with recording software. OBS's Game Capture mode works fine, but if you have issues:
- Run OBS as administrator
- Use "Display Capture" as a fallback (slightly higher overhead)
- Make sure your GPU drivers are up to date
Method 4: Valorant's Built-In Tools
Valorant itself doesn't have a built-in recording system, but you can use the in-game timeline to review rounds. This isn't a replacement for actual recording — you can't export clips or share them.
The Theater/Replay system (if available in your region) lets you re-watch games from different perspectives, but recordings are temporary and limited.
Best Recording Settings for Valorant
| Setting | Casual Recording | High Quality | Content Creation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080p | 1080p | 1440p or 4K |
| Recording FPS | 30 | 60 | 60 |
| Bitrate | 6,000 Kbps | 15,000 Kbps | 25,000+ Kbps |
| Encoder | Hardware | Hardware | Hardware |
| Format | MP4 | MP4 | MKV (then remux) |
Key insight: You don't need to record at the same FPS you play at. If you play at 240 FPS, recording at 60 FPS is perfectly fine — the recording will be smooth and your gameplay won't be affected.
How to Use Recordings to Improve at Valorant
Recording isn't just for clips. Here's how to use VOD review to rank up:
1. Review Your Deaths
Go through each death and ask: could I have positioned differently? Did I take an unnecessary peek? Was my crosshair placement off?
2. Watch Your Economy Decisions
Are you force-buying too often? Are you saving at the right times? Economy mistakes are easier to spot in replay than in the moment.
3. Analyze Your Utility Usage
Are you using your utility effectively? Smoking off the right angles? Flashing for your team? Recordings let you see the full picture.
4. Use Game Analysis
Tools like Ascent can automatically identify patterns in your gameplay — common death positions, round-by-round performance trends, and areas where you consistently underperform.
The Bottom Line
For Valorant specifically, low FPS impact is non-negotiable. In a game where the difference between hitting and missing a headshot can come down to a few frames, you can't afford a recorder that eats your performance.
Ascent gives you the lowest impact (under 1%), automatic recording, and game analysis to help you improve — all without configuring anything.
Download Ascent and start recording your Valorant games today.