There could be several reasons why your ShadowPlay is not recording. Let’s go through some potential causes and solutions:
1. Outdated Graphics Drivers: One common issue is outdated graphics drivers. ShadowPlay relies on the GPU’s hardware encoder, so if your drivers are not up-to-date, it may cause problems. To resolve this, visit the website of your GPU manufacturer (e.g., Nvidia or AMD) and download the latest drivers for your specific graphics card model. Install them and restart your computer.
2. Conflicting Software: Sometimes, other software on your computer can interfere with ShadowPlay’s recording functionality. Check if you have any screen recording or game capture software running in the background. If so, try closing or disabling them temporarily to see if it resolves the issue.
3. Insufficient Disk Space: ShadowPlay requires enough free disk space to save the recorded gameplay footage. If your hard drive is running low on space, it may prevent ShadowPlay from recording. Make sure you have enough free space on the drive where you have set ShadowPlay to save your recordings.
4. Incorrect ShadowPlay Settings: It’s possible that your ShadowPlay settings are not properly configured. Open the ShadowPlay overlay by pressing Alt+Z while in-game, then click on the gear icon to access the settings. Ensure that the recording settings, such as resolution, frame rate, and bitrate, are appropriately set for your system. You can also try resetting the settings to default and then reconfiguring them.
5. Disabled Share Feature: ShadowPlay is now integrated with NVIDIA’s Share feature. If the Share toggle is turned off, it can prevent ShadowPlay from recording. To enable it, open the ShadowPlay overlay and click on the gear icon. In the Share settings, make sure the Share toggle is activated.
6. Hardware Incompatibility: In some cases, certain hardware configurations may not be fully compatible with ShadowPlay. Check if your GPU is supported by ShadowPlay and if any known compatibility issues exist. You can find this information on the manufacturer’s website or community forums.
7. Incompatible Game or Application: ShadowPlay may not work with certain games or applications due to compatibility issues. Check if the game or application you are trying to record is on the list of supported titles. If it’s not, you may need to use alternative recording software or try running the game in windowed or borderless mode.
8. System Resource Limitations: Recording gameplay can be resource-intensive, and if your system is already under heavy load, it may affect ShadowPlay’s performance. Close any unnecessary programs or background processes that may be consuming system resources and try recording again.
If none of these solutions resolve the issue, it’s advisable to seek help from the official support channels of ShadowPlay or the GPU manufacturer. Provide them with detailed information about your system configuration and the steps you have already taken to troubleshoot the problem.