For people who love playing games or watching others play games, it can be fun to take game screenshots of important moments. Sometimes, the graphics of a game may be excellent. And sometimes, you want to share your achievements with your friends or make a record of your progress within a game. However, it's absolutely unfortunate when you have these moments and you don't know how to take a screenshot. If you have no idea how to take screenshots of your games, no worry, as this guide will introduce a variety of ways to screenshot games on the PC.
How to Screenshot Games Using the PrtSc Key
On a PC, you can capture your entire screen by tapping the shortcut key, a feature that comes with Windows computers. One thing should be aware of this method is that your screenshot won’t be saved as a file directly, but it will be copied to the clipboard. So, you’ll need some extra steps to save the file. Moreover, the quality of your screenshot might be low using the PrtSc key. If you want a higher-quality of screenshots, it’s better to use an HD screen recorder instead.Â
Now, let’s see how to take screenshots of PC games.Â
Step 1:Â Launch your game on your Windows computer.
Step 2: Press Print Screen/PrtSc to capture the entire screen of your game.
Step 3: Click Start and open Paint. Then, click File > New, and paste your screenshot to the canva. Then, you’ll see your screenshot. To save it, you just need to click File > Save As.Â
Using PrtSc to take a screenshot of your games is simple, but it can only capture the full screen. Moreover, the PrtSc button sometimes won’t work for some reason. If you want a 100% workable way to take screenshots or a way that enables you to control what you can capture, just refer to the following guide.Â
How to Screenshot Games with Windows Built-in Tool
If you’re using a PC running Windows 10 and above system, then you have an extra option. That is to use Xbox Game Bar, a versatile gameplay overlay that is pre-installed with Windows 10. Now, follow these steps to screenshot games with Xbox Game Bar.Â
Step 1:Â Open and play the game you want to capture screenshots.
Step 2: Press the Win button + G to bring up the Xbox Game Bar’s overlay.Â
Step 3: Click Capture from the top toolbar. Then, click on the screenshot button to capture your screen.
Step 4:Â Then, you can view the snapshot by clicking on See my captures.
Best Solution on How to Screenshot Games on Windows
The Windows native Xbox tool is a good choice, but if you don't have a high enough version of Window, then you won't find it on your computer. And sometimes you may need a more advanced screen recording app to take a higher-quality screenshot. If you want to unlock more powerful screenshot features, just consider using iTop Screen Recorder. It is a powerful and user-friendly screen recorder that can meet most of your screenshot needs.
With its screenshot feature, you can flexibly choose to screenshot a customized area, full screen, active window, or scrolling window. From this point, you can also apply it to save webpage as image. Once taken a picture of your screen, you can add text, annotations, or other elements to your screenshot.Â
To screenshot games on Windows using iTop Screen Recorder, you can follow these steps.
Step 1:Â Download the iTop Screen Recorder on your device.
Step 2: Launch iTop Screen Recorder first, then start playing your game. When you want to take a screenshot, press Crtl+F11 or any other shortcuts you have set up. Then, select the area you wish to screenshot.
Step 3. You can add annotations or text to your screenshot. Once done, click Save to save your screenshot.Â
Apart from being a game screenshot tool, iTop Screen Recorder is a powerful screen recorder. With the screen recorder, you can record part of screen, full screen, or fixed window in one click. More highlights of iTop Screen Recorder include:
- Record Any Area of Games: Whether to record part of the screen, the entire screen, a specific window, or a selected region, it can meet various recording needs. This flexibility makes it an ideal option for gameplay.Â
- Boost Mode for Better Gaming Experience: This screen recorder comes with high FPS and Game Boost mode that allows you to record moments of honor without causing lag. That brings you a better gaming experience.Â
- Ultra-High Definition Game Recording: With iTop Screen Recorder, you can also easily record high-resolution game videos that show every detail of your bet and help you look back on your game.
- Voice Changer for Interesting Recording Effects: It has a voice changer with 10+ voice filter for you to choose from. These filters include robots, lolitas, and bass. You can apply any of them to make your video funny.
How to Screenshot Games in Steam
If you are playing games on the Steam platform, you can directly press the F12 key to take steam screenshots. The steps are simple and are described below.
Step 1: Launch Steam and start playing your games. Press the F12 key to take a screenshot.Â
Step 2:Â Steam will capture your screen and save it on your computer. To view captured screenshots, you can launch Steam and select View > Screenshots.Â
Capturing Game Screenshots with Nvidia GeForce Experience
If you’re an experienced game player, you must be familiar with NVIDIA, the most famous graphics card provider in the world. Geforce Experience is an optimized app for NVIDIA graphics cards. It is pre-installed on PCs with supported NVIDIA GPUs and has a basic screenshot feature. So, you don’t have to install it. It’s easy to capture game screenshots with Nvidia GeForce Experience. Here are the steps.
Step 1:Â Launch the game app you wish to capture a screenshot from.
Step 2: Press Alt+F1 to take a screenshot. Then, your screenshot will be saved to the GeForce Experience gallery. To view the screenshot, you can press Alt+Z to view the overlay and click Gallery.
FAQs About Screenshot Games
How do I find my screenshots on PC games?
The location of your screenshots may vary depending on the way of screenshot you choose. You can usually find them in the screenshot tool called Library or Files, depending on the tool you are using. And, you can often adjust the storage location of the screenshots in the settings of your tool, such as iTop Screen Recorder.
Do screenshots games cause lag?
Taking screenshots in games with a screen recorder Windows 10 usually has minimal impact on performance and should not cause significant delays. However, if you use a resource-intensive tool or take screenshots at a high frequency, this may slightly affect performance, especially on lower-performance computers. It is recommended to use efficient and optimized screenshot tools to minimize any potential impact.
What is the screenshot key for Epic Games?
By default, the screenshot key in Epic Games is usually the "F12" key. However, it is important to know that the screenshot key can be customized in the Epic Games launcher or in the game settings. If you are using a third-party screenshot tool such as iTop Screen Recorder, you can often set your preferred screenshot key in the tool's settings for taking screenshots in Epic Games and other applications.
Conclusion
Now, you’ve learned how to screenshot games. Overall, there are five approaches for your purpose. Each method has its strengths and weaknesses. If you’re looking for a comprehensive solution to screenshot Minecraft or other games, iTop Screen Recorder would be your best option. With its flexible recording modes, customizable settings, and various editing features, you can get a perfect screenshot. Now, let it help you take a screenshot in game.