Skip to content

Auto captions for gaming clips

Updated 5 November 2026

Clippy can caption a gaming clip automatically, on your own PC. Open the clip in the editor, generate captions, read them through and fix any word that came out wrong, then export with the captions in the video. The word being spoken can be highlighted as it is said, the style you see on a lot of short gaming videos.

Why captions matter on gaming clips

A lot of clips are watched on a phone, in a feed, with the sound off. Your reaction is often the best part of a clip, and without captions those viewers miss it. Captions also help anyone who is hard of hearing, and anyone watching where they cannot turn the volume up.

They help with game audio too. Gunfire, music and a teammate shouting can bury what you said. Text on screen makes the joke or the callout land even when the mix is busy.

How Clippy makes captions

Clippy generates captions on your own PC. Nothing is uploaded to make them, which matters if your clips have your voice, your friends' voices or anything you would rather keep to yourself until you decide to post.

The caption tool is downloaded once, the first time you use it. After that it runs locally. Your clips are plain MP4 files on your disk, and captions are made from the clip you already have, so there is no separate recording to manage.

  1. Save a clip with your save key (F8 by default).
  2. Open it in Clippy's editor and trim it to the part you want to post.
  3. Generate captions. The first time, Clippy downloads what it needs.
  4. Read the captions and correct any word that is wrong.
  5. Turn word highlighting on or off, then export.

Highlight the word being spoken

With highlighting on, the word you are saying stands out from the rest of the line as the clip plays. It pulls the eye along with your voice, which keeps people reading and watching. It works best on clips where you talk at a normal pace. On a clip that is mostly shouting a single word, plain captions read just as well.

Edit captions before you export

Automatic captions get most words right on clear speech and trip on the rest. Game names, player names, slang and callouts are where mistakes usually show up. Clippy lets you edit the captions before export, so read every line once with the clip playing.

Keep edits short. If you rewrite a line into something much longer, it stays on screen for the same time and becomes harder to read. Fix the wrong word, cut filler if you like, and leave the rest.

Get cleaner captions from the start

Captions can only be as good as the audio they hear. A few habits help any captioning tool, Clippy's included.

  • Check your microphone level. Clippy lets you pick the mic and see its level, so you can spot a mic that is too quiet before you play.
  • Keep the mic on its own track. Clippy records the microphone as a separate track, and in the editor you can set each track from 0 to 200% or mute it while you listen.
  • Use push to talk if your room is noisy. The mic records only while the key is held, and the key still reaches Discord.
  • Speak a little clearer on moments you expect to clip. It sounds obvious, and it is the single biggest difference.

Captions with vertical exports and text

Captions pair well with the vertical 9:16 export for TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. You can also add up to three text items on top, for a title line or a short explanation. Keep the title away from where the captions sit so the two do not fight for the same space. The TikTok clips guide covers the vertical layouts.

Questions

Are my clips uploaded to make captions?

No. Clippy generates captions on your own PC and nothing is uploaded. The caption tool itself is downloaded once on first use.

Can I fix words the captions got wrong?

Yes. You can edit the captions in Clippy's editor before you export, so names and slang come out the way you meant them.

Can I turn off the highlighted word?

Highlighting the word being spoken is an option, so you can export plain captions instead if they suit the clip better.

Does Clippy charge for captions?

The recorder is free with nothing held back, and captions are part of it. You can download Clippy and try them on your own clips.

Read next

Clippy is free for Windows 10 and 11

Press one key and the last minute of your game is saved, ready to trim and share with a link.

Download Clippy

Already using it? Invite a friend and you both get Supporter for free.