Windows 11 includes a built-in feature designed for gamers called “Record what happened” (formerly known as Background Recording in the Xbox Game Bar). When this is turned on, Windows constantly records your screen in the background while you are playing a game. This allows you to press a button and instantly save the last 30 seconds of gameplay if something amazing happens. However, this constant background video encoding consumes significant CPU and GPU resources. If you are experiencing lower framerates, stuttering, or if you simply don’t care about saving gaming clips, you should turn this feature off.
How to Disable Background Recording
You can turn this feature off directly within the Windows 11 Settings app. It only takes a few seconds.
- Click the Start button on your taskbar, then click the gear icon to open Settings. (Alternatively, press the Windows key + I on your keyboard).
- In the left-hand sidebar of the Settings app, click on Gaming.
- In the main window on the right, click on Captures.
- Look for the section titled Record what happened.
- You will see a toggle switch next to the description “Record the last 30 seconds (or more) of gameplay.”
- Click the toggle switch to move it to the Off position.
A Note on System Performance
Disabling this feature immediately stops Windows from silently capturing your screen. This frees up video memory (VRAM) and processing power, which can lead to a noticeably smoother experience in demanding PC games.
It is important to note that turning this off only disables the automatic background recording. You can still open the Xbox Game Bar (by pressing Windows Key + G) and manually click the “Record” button to capture a video of your screen at any time.