Bandicam is a free screen and game recorder for Windows with three recording modes (Game, Screen, Device), hardware encoding, and tools like real-time drawing and webcam overlay. This page explains each feature so you can get the best quality—for example, game recording up to 480 FPS and 4K UHD, hardware acceleration (NVENC, Quick Sync, AMD VCE) for lower CPU use, and direct upload to YouTube without conversion. For setup, see our guides; to download Bandicam, use the Download page.
Organized by how you use Bandicam: gaming, business, and education.
Game Recording mode hooks into DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan. Record up to 480 FPS and 4K UHD with minimal FPS loss. Facecam overlay, hardware encoding, and direct upload to YouTube.
Game recording details →Screen Recording for demos, meetings, and presentations. Record full screen, window, or custom region. Real-time drawing, scheduled recording, and small file sizes.
Screen recording details →Tutorials, online lectures, and how-to guides. Webcam overlay, real-time drawing, mouse effects, and audio recording. Output ready for YouTube, Vimeo, or Google Drive.
Webcam & drawing →Bandicam is built for efficiency and quality.
Max FPS (game recording)
UHD resolution supported
Smaller file size vs many recorders
Recording modes (Game, Screen, Device)
Bandicam's Game Recording mode hooks into DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan so you can record 2D and 3D games with minimal FPS loss. Supports up to 480 FPS and 4K UHD (3840×2160). Use the default hotkey F12 to start and stop; a green FPS counter shows when the game is detected, and it turns red while recording.
Works with fullscreen and windowed games. For best quality, enable hardware acceleration in Bandicam settings.
Record your full screen, a specific window, or a custom rectangle. On multi-monitor setups, choose which display or area to capture. Bandicam can auto-detect video areas (e.g. the YouTube player or a browser window) for cleaner captures.
See how to record your screen in our guides.
Add a picture-in-picture webcam or facecam on your recording. Choose overlay position, size, and style: rectangle, rounded, or chroma key for green-screen style. Useful for streams, tutorials, and reaction videos.
Encode with NVIDIA NVENC, Intel Quick Sync Video, or AMD VCE/VCN for H.264 and HEVC (H.265). Hardware encoding reduces CPU load and often produces smaller files at the same quality. Enable it in Bandicam's video settings.
Draw, highlight, or annotate on the video or screenshot while recording. No need to edit afterward. Ideal for tutorials, presentations, and support videos.
How Bandicam compares to typical screen recorders.
| Feature | Bandicam | Typical recorder |
|---|---|---|
| Max FPS (game) | 480 FPS | Often 60–120 |
| 4K UHD | Yes | Varies |
| Hardware encoding | NVENC, Quick Sync, AMD | Varies |
| File size (compression) | 20–95% smaller | Larger at same quality |
| Direct YouTube upload | Yes, no conversion | Often requires conversion |
Hardware acceleration uses your GPU (NVIDIA NVENC, Intel Quick Sync, or AMD VCE/VCN) to encode video instead of the CPU. That reduces CPU load and often gives smaller file sizes at the same quality. Enable it in Bandicam’s video settings. See Hardware acceleration above and fix lag when recording.
In Game Recording mode, Bandicam supports up to 480 FPS and 4K UHD (3840×2160) with minimal FPS loss because it hooks into DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan. For screen or device recording, FPS depends on your settings and hardware. Use Game Recording for games and enable hardware acceleration for best performance.
Yes. Use Screen Recording or Game Recording and enable Webcam overlay in Bandicam settings. You can choose position, size, and style (rectangle, rounded, chroma key). See Webcam / Facecam overlay and how to add webcam overlay.
