Record the last 30 seconds of gameplay on PC

Updated 5 November 2026

You cannot start recording a moment that already happened, unless something was recording the whole time. A replay buffer does that quietly in the background and keeps only the latest stretch, so one key press saves the last 30 seconds, or the last minute, as a video. This guide shows how it works and how to set it up in Clippy so the key saves exactly as much as you want.

How you record something after it happened

A replay buffer encodes your game continuously, but instead of writing it all to disk it keeps a rolling window in memory. New footage goes in at one end and the oldest drops out of the other. When you press the save key, the recorder writes what is in the window to a file. Nothing before the window exists any more, and nothing is written to disk until you ask for it.

That is why it suits clips so well. You play normally, something good happens, and a second later you press a key. The moment is already there. The longer guide on instant replay on PC goes through the idea in more detail.

Save only the last 30 seconds with Clippy

Clippy keeps the replay buffer running whenever a game is open and saves one minute by default. If you would rather have a tighter clip with less to cut away, give it a second, shorter key.

Install Clippy from the download page. It runs on Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit.
Start a game. Clippy notices it and starts the replay buffer by itself.
Press F8 to save the last minute as an MP4. You can rebind it to any key, a mouse side button or a controller button.
Open Settings and add a second save key. It keeps only the last 15, 30 or 60 seconds, so choose 30.
Press the second key after a play and the last 30 seconds is saved, ready to trim.

Choose a buffer length that fits how you play

The main key saves as much as the buffer holds. One minute is the default, and the buffer can be set from 20 seconds up to ten minutes. A short buffer uses little memory and suits games where a moment is over in seconds. A long one is worth it when a play takes a while to build, such as a raid or a long rotation.

The buffer lives in RAM, so its length and the video quality both decide how much it takes. Settings shows the memory a choice will use before you commit, and Clippy keeps the buffer within about 2 GB by shortening very long buffers at very high quality.

What if you press the key too late

If the moment has already fallen out of the buffer, it is gone: there is nothing earlier to save. Two things help. A longer buffer gives you more time to remember, and the shorter second key means you can press it often without ending up with a minute of footage to trim every time.

Alt-tabbing out of a fullscreen game and back does not empty the buffer, so a quick glance at another window will not cost you the clip.

Other ways to get the last 30 seconds

Several tools can keep a replay in the background. The NVIDIA app has Instant Replay, which needs an NVIDIA card, and AMD has its own recorder in its driver software. Xbox Game Bar can record the previous stretch too if you turn on background recording in its capture settings. OBS Studio has a replay buffer as well, which you set up yourself.

Clippy works on NVIDIA, AMD and Intel graphics and needs no setup beyond installing it. See how it compares with Xbox Game Bar, ShadowPlay and OBS.

Questions

Can I record the last 30 seconds after something happens?

Yes, with a replay buffer. The recorder keeps the latest stretch of your game in memory, and one key press saves it as a video. In Clippy a second, shorter save key can keep only the last 15, 30 or 60 seconds.

Does a replay buffer record to my disk all the time?

No. It keeps a rolling window in memory and writes a file only when you press the save key, so it does not fill your drive.

How much memory does the buffer use?

It depends on the length and the video quality. Clippy's Settings shows the memory a choice will use, and it keeps the buffer within about 2 GB.

Can I change how much the save key keeps?

Yes. The main key saves what the buffer holds, one minute by default and up to ten minutes. A second key can save the last 15, 30 or 60 seconds.