How to record gameplay with a webcam

How webcam recording works in Clippy

Clippy is an instant replay recorder. It keeps the last stretch of your game in memory, and when you press the save key (F8 by default) that stretch becomes an MP4. With the webcam turned on, your camera is recorded alongside the game in the same way, so a saved clip comes with your reaction to it.

The camera is stored as a separate file beside the clip, not baked into the video. That is the useful part: you decide later, per clip, whether the camera appears and where it goes. A clip where your face adds nothing can go out without it.

1. Download Clippy and install it on Windows 10 or 11.
2. Turn on webcam recording in Clippy.
3. Start your game. Recording starts by itself.
4. Press F8 after a moment worth keeping.
5. Open the clip in the editor and place your camera.

Picture-in-picture: place, size, round and mirror

In the editor the camera shows as picture-in-picture over the game. Drag it where it covers the least: usually a corner that holds nothing important in that game. Size it so your face reads clearly without hiding the action.

You can round the camera's corners for a softer look, and mirror it if the unmirrored image feels wrong to you. Pick a spot per game and stick with it, so your clips look consistent.

Webcam layouts for vertical clips

For TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, the vertical 9:16 export has layouts that put the camera in a panel above or below the game. That is often better than picture-in-picture on a phone, because the camera gets its own space and the gameplay is not covered. The TikTok clips guide explains the other vertical choices.

Your camera stays private by default

The webcam file is never uploaded unless you export it into a video and share that video. Clips stay on your disk until you press Share on one, and sharing uploads the clip itself, not the camera file next to it. If you only want the camera on some clips, that is how it works out of the box.

Tips for a better-looking webcam

Most webcam footage looks worse than it needs to because of light, not the camera. These habits help with any recorder.

• Put a light in front of you, not behind. A window or monitor behind your head turns your face into a silhouette.
• Raise the camera to about eye level so viewers are not looking up your nose.
• Frame head and shoulders. A small panel or overlay shows very little, so fill it with your face.
• Tidy what is visible behind you, or frame it out.
• Keep your microphone on its own track. Clippy records the mic separately, so you can turn it up or down in the editor without touching the game sound.

Sound that matches the picture

A webcam reaction only lands if the audio is clear. On Windows 11 Clippy records the game, everything else (Discord, music) and the microphone as separate tracks, plus a mixed track. On Windows 10 the game and other sound share one track, and the mic is still separate. In the editor you can set each track from 0 to 200% or mute it, heard live. See separate audio tracks for more.

Questions

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