How do I record flight simulator gameplay videos?

For any flight simulator, record gameplay with your PC’s hardware-accelerated capture software or the built-in capture tools on Xbox and PlayStation. Start at 1080p and 30 or 60 fps, use a hardware encoder, record game audio and microphone separately, make a short test clip, then edit and export the video.

Which recording method should you use?

Use the simplest recorder that provides the control your video needs.

• Operating-system or graphics-card capture: Best for quick clips with little setup. Windows Game Bar and graphics-driver recording tools usually use the GPU’s hardware encoder, limiting the performance cost.
• A full recording application: Software such as OBS Studio is better for long flights, separate audio tracks, webcams, overlays and precise resolution or encoder settings. It runs on the main desktop operating systems.
• Console capture: Xbox and PlayStation can record without a capture card, although clip length, resolution, HDR and audio options depend on the console’s capture settings and available storage.
• Replay followed by screen capture: This is the best route for cinematic videos. Fly once, replay the flight from another viewpoint, and record that replay as video.

A replay file is not a playable video. It stores enough simulator data to reconstruct the flight, while a capture application creates the final video file. Our explanation of how MSFS replay data differs from captured footage covers that distinction in more detail.

How do you set up a smooth flight simulator recording?

1. Select the capture source. Start with game capture because it avoids recording desktop notifications. Use window or display capture if the simulator is not detected, or if separate avionics and instrument windows must appear in the video.
2. Choose a realistic frame rate. Record at 30 fps if the simulator normally runs between roughly 30 and 50 fps. Choose 60 fps only when it can hold close to 60 during demanding airports, weather and external camera pans. A 60 fps recording cannot make a 30 fps simulation look genuinely smoother.
3. Use a hardware encoder. Select the GPU or processor’s hardware H.264 encoder rather than software encoding unless there is a specific reason not to. Hardware encoding leaves more CPU time for flight models, traffic, scenery loading and avionics.
4. Set the recording resolution. 1080p is the safest starting point. Use 1440p or 4K when the simulator already runs comfortably at that resolution and the computer has enough graphics, storage and editing headroom.
5. Configure audio before launching. Select the simulator output and microphone explicitly rather than relying on a device labelled only as default. Use 48 kHz audio and, where possible, put the microphone and game sound on separate tracks.
6. Check the save location. Record to a fast local SSD with enough free space for the whole flight. Avoid FAT32 drives for long recordings because an individual file cannot exceed 4 GB.
7. Make a demanding test clip. Record an airport departure, cloud layer and fast external pan. Check motion, cockpit text, microphone level and engine audio before committing to a multi-hour sector.

These H.264 bitrates are practical starting ranges for local recording, not fixed requirements:

HEVC and AV1 can produce similar quality at lower bitrates, but use them only when the recorder, graphics hardware and editing software all support the chosen format. H.264 remains the least troublesome option for editing and sharing.

Can you record on Xbox or PS5 without a capture card?

Yes. Xbox Series X|S and PS5 or PS5 Pro can save recent gameplay or start a manual recording through their system capture controls. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is available on both platforms; Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is available on Xbox but was never released on PlayStation.

A capture card becomes useful for uninterrupted long sessions, PC-controlled overlays, independent audio tracks or footage that exceeds the console’s storage and duration limits. Party chat and other players’ voices may be excluded because of console privacy permissions, so test the complete audio path first.

How do you make cinematic flight simulator videos?

Fly the aircraft first and choose the camera angles during replay whenever the simulator or an add-on supports it. This prevents camera work from distracting you during take-off or landing and lets you repeat the same moment from cockpit, tower and external views.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, learn the drone-camera controls used for fly-bys and external shots. For older FSX installations, our library also has an FSX replay utility with longer recordings and extra camera options; check compatibility with your particular FSX edition before installing it.

Hide toolbars, assistance markers, control overlays and the mouse pointer before recording the final shot. Replay systems may not reproduce live traffic, weather transitions, control surfaces or add-on animations perfectly, so review each replay before deleting the original live footage.

Why does the recording stutter, show a black screen or lose audio?

• The video stutters but the simulator looks smooth: The recorder is overloaded. Use hardware encoding, reduce recording resolution or frame rate, save to a faster drive and disable unnecessary recording previews.
• Both the simulator and recording stutter: The system has no rendering headroom. Cap the simulator to a sustainable frame rate and reduce demanding settings such as traffic, terrain detail or clouds. Lowering recording resolution alone may not help a CPU-limited simulator.
• The recording is black: Switch between game, window and display capture. On Windows, run the simulator and recorder at the same privilege level, disable conflicting overlays and ensure both applications use the same graphics adapter on a dual-GPU laptop.
• Game audio is missing: Re-select the actual headset or speaker device, then watch the recorder’s audio meter during a test. Changing audio devices after opening the recorder is a common cause of silent footage.
• Only one audio track plays: Many video players play track one by default. Keep separate editing tracks, but also create a combined game-and-microphone mix on the first track when the software allows it.
• HDR footage looks grey or overexposed: The capture and editor are using different colour spaces. Record in SDR for the simplest workflow, or keep HDR enabled and configured throughout capture, editing and export.
• A crash makes the recording unreadable: If supported, record to a crash-resilient container such as MKV and remux a copy to MP4 afterwards. A conventional MP4 may be unusable if recording stops before the file is finalised.

What format should you export?

For broad compatibility, export an MP4 using H.264 at the same frame rate as the source. Keep the original recording or a high-quality master because sharing platforms recompress uploaded video. Do not convert 30 fps footage to 60 fps unless the editor is intentionally generating interpolated frames.

Check the final file from beginning to end before deleting the source. Cockpit text should remain readable, engine sound should not drown out speech, and any background music must be licensed for the service where the video will be published.