SteelSeries Moments vs NVIDIA ShadowPlay

SMSteelSeries Moments9.1Visit NVIDIA ShadowPlay8.9Visit

Higher score SM SteelSeries Moments #2 in Game Recording Software 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit SteelSeries

vs

NVIDIA ShadowPlay #4 in Game Recording Software 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit NVIDIA

• SteelSeries Moments fits best

  Free clipping, editing, and social sharing

• NVIDIA ShadowPlay fits best

  Free high-resolution NVIDIA GPU capture

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Side by side

Feature	SMSteelSeries Moments 9.1/10 Visit ↗	NVIDIA ShadowPlay 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	8.9
Ranking	#2 in Game Recording Software	#4 in Game Recording Software
Best for	Free clipping, editing, and social sharing	Free high-resolution NVIDIA GPU capture
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Windows
Support	Docs	Live chat, Docs
Integrations	6 integrations	3 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features SteelSeries Moments 2/4 · NVIDIA ShadowPlay 2/4
Instant replay	✓	✓
Watermark-free video	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
GPU encoding	✓	✓
Webcam overlay	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Capture resolution	Not checked yet	8k
Recording modes	Multi-mode	Multi-mode
Supported platforms	Windows 10+	Windows
Our review
Pros	Free manual and automatic clipping with customizable hotkeys Multi-track editing, montages, instant replay, and desktop capture Direct sharing to YouTube, Discord, Reddit, and X	Free access to manual recording, Instant Replay, and Highlights Captures up to 8K HDR at 30 fps or 4K HDR at 120 fps Supports Twitch, YouTube Live, and Facebook Live integrations
Cons	Available only on Windows 10 or later Automatic highlights work only with supported games Built primarily for individual gamers rather than broader team workflows	Requires a Windows PC with an NVIDIA GPU AV1 recording is limited to supported RTX 40-series GPUs Capture capabilities vary by GPU model, codec, and settings
Our verdict	SteelSeries Moments is free game-recording software integrated into SteelSeries GG. It is designed primarily for individual Windows gamers who want to capture gameplay or desktop footage, save highlights, edit clips, and share them online.… Read the review →	NVIDIA ShadowPlay is gameplay capture software delivered through the NVIDIA App for PC gamers and creators using NVIDIA GPUs. It covers manual gameplay recording, DVR-style Instant Replay, Automatic Highlights capture, screenshots,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• SteelSeries Moments — where it wins

  • Free manual and automatic clipping with customizable hotkeys
  • Multi-track editing, montages, instant replay, and desktop capture
  • Direct sharing to YouTube, Discord, Reddit, and X

  Where it doesn't

  • Available only on Windows 10 or later
  • Automatic highlights work only with supported games
  • Built primarily for individual gamers rather than broader team workflows

• NVIDIA ShadowPlay — where it wins

  • Free access to manual recording, Instant Replay, and Highlights
  • Captures up to 8K HDR at 30 fps or 4K HDR at 120 fps
  • Supports Twitch, YouTube Live, and Facebook Live integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires a Windows PC with an NVIDIA GPU
  • AV1 recording is limited to supported RTX 40-series GPUs
  • Capture capabilities vary by GPU model, codec, and settings

• SMSteelSeries Moments9.1/10 · Free plan

  A free Windows clip editor with automatic highlights, multi-track audio, and direct sharing.

  Visit SteelSeriesFull verdict →
• NVIDIA ShadowPlay8.9/10 · Free plan

  A free Windows recorder with high-resolution capture for NVIDIA GPU users.

  Visit NVIDIAFull verdict →