How to capture and stream video from a PS4
Showing
off exactly how you play is a huge part of the modern gaming
experience. Live streams and Let’s Play videos are increasingly common,
and barriers to entry are lowering every year. Capturing and streaming
gameplay from the PS4 can now be accomplished from the device itself,
and a small hardware investment nets some incredibly high-end results.
With a little bit of effort, anyone can stream and capture console video
without an elaborate or expensive set-up.
Today, I’m going to
walk you through the process of capturing and streaming PS4 gameplay on
the device itself and using the excellent Game Capture HD60
from Elgato. Cameras and microphones are an optional addition, but you
won’t need any other specialty gear to get up and running.
Built-in video capture
On
the DualShock 4 itself, you’ll find a dedicated “Share” button. Give it
a tap, and you’ll be shown all of your sharing options from screenshots
to video clips to Share Play. Press the “Options” button, and then select “Share Settings.”
Share settings
From
this menu, you can drill down, and configure your settings as you see
fit. The first option let’s you change how the “Share” button behaves.
The second option let’s you change clip length, and toggle the mic on
and off. Number three lets you customize what shows up in your
broadcasts, and the final option lets you enter all of your account
info. If you’re just recording video clips locally, you can leave all of
the settings to default, but feel free to tweak these settings to fit
your needs. Once you’re done, exit out.
Select clip
Whenever
you’re playing a game on the PS4, the last 15 minutes are always being
recorded in the background. If you’d like to save and upload any portion
of your gameplay, simply press the “Share” button. Pressing “Square”
will save the most recent footage, and selecting “Upload Video Clip”
will allow you to pick which clip you’d like to use.
Upload
Once
you’ve selected your clip, you can choose to upload it to either
Facebook or YouTube. Make sure you’re logged in, fill out all of the
forms, trim your clip to taste, and post away. It’s a very simple
process , but don’t be surprised if the final result is heavily compressed.
Copy to USB
Alternately,
you can simply move your video clips to a USB drive. Plug in your
drive, and launch the “Capture Gallery” application from the PS4’s main
menu. Navigate to the video you’d like to save, and then press the
“Options” button. Select “Copy to USB Storage Device,” wait for it to
transfer, and then you can use the video on your PC however you’d like.
Built-in gameplay broadcasting
If
you’re into live streaming, the PS4 sports built-in support for both
Twitch and Ustream as well. Before you can do anything, however, you
need to sign up for an account. In a browser, create an account on one
of the streaming sites. Once you have your credentials at hand, start up
your game of choice.
Select streaming service
Hit
the “Share” button, and navigate to “Broadcast Gameplay.” Drill down,
and select your streaming service. Button through the menus until you’re
presented with the option to “Link to the existing account.” Enter your
username and password, and you’ll be good to go.
Configure stream
Before
you go live, this menu let’s you configure your streaming settings as
you see fit. If you want to include video or audio from your PS4
accessories, you can toggle them on. Want to be able to read messages
from your spectators? That’s a toggle as well. Give your stream a title,
select the quality, and start broadcasting to the world. Additionally,
you can have the PS4 post a link to your stream on Twitter or Facebook,
but you’ll need to link your social media accounts separately.
External video capture
Of
course, the PS4’s built-in capture and streaming have plenty of
limitations. If you want high-quality local recordings, videos longer
than 15 minutes, or the ability to add some spice to your live streams,
you’re going to want to invest in external capture equipment. Many
different HDMI capture solutions exist, but today I’ll be walking you
through the process of recording and streaming with the Game Capture HD60
from Elgato. It’s affordable, reliable, and it’s capable of capturing
1080p video at 60 frames per second. It also features an HDMI
passthrough, so you can see and hear everything normally on your TV
without suffering through the latency of most capture equipment.
System settings
First
thing’s first, launch the “Settings” app from your PS4’s main menu.
Scroll down until you find “System” in the list. Now, head into the next
menu.
Turn off HDCP
From
this screen, scroll down until you reach the HDCP (High-bandwidth
Digital Content Protection) toggle. Make sure that the checkbox is NOT
checked. Due to Sony’s recent PS4 firmware issues,
you might want to reboot your system at this point. I initially ran
into an audio issue with my external captures, but a reboot seems to
have fixed my problem.
It’s also worth noting that turning HDCP
off means that you won’t be able to launch apps like Netflix or Hulu. To
regain that functionality, simply go back into the menu, and toggle on
HDCP again. It’s a bit of a hassle, but it’s worth jumping through the
hoop for an unencrypted HDMI signal.
Capture settings
Now, download and install the capture software
on your computer. Launch the app, and press the “Capture Settings”
button on the right-hand side. From here, you can customize your video
feed to fit your needs. 1080p60 footage at the “Best” setting sure does
look fantastic, but it’ll chew through your hard drive very quickly.
If
disk space or CPU usage is a concern, consider dropping down the
quality of the compression, the resolution of the video, or the frame
rate. It’s completely up to you, and how you intend on using the
captured video. Typically, I find that 1080p30 at the “Better” quality
setting works best for me, but your milage may vary.
Record
Once
you’ve configured your settings, you’re ready to record. At the bottom
of the screen, press the red circle, and you’re off to the races. Make
sure you keep an eye on your disk space, though. It’s incredibly easy to
forget that you’re recording once you jump into a game.
Streaming account set-up
Of
course, you can use this app to stream your gameplay as well. Twitch,
Ustream, and YouTube integration is baked right in, but you can stream
using RTMP (Real Time Messaging Protocol) as well for other servers.
Pick a service, create an account, and then click the plus icon in the
“Live Streaming” section on the right-hand side. Enter your credentials,
and you’re set.
Streaming settings
From
here, click the “Streaming Settings” button to customize your
experience. Set the privacy, category, and resolution as you see fit.
Keep in mind that the higher the resolution, the more bandwidth you’re
going to need. If your upstream bandwidth is limited, it’s wise to stick
with 720p.
Bandwidth settings
The
dial in the “Live Streaming” section controls the bitrate of your
stream. The higher the bitrate, the better the quality, but you need to
be careful. If you outstrip your available bandwidth, your stream will
likely cut out for all of your viewers. If you’d like to get an idea of
your available bandwidth, try testing your internet connection using our
sister site Speedtest.net.
Go live
Finally,
you’re ready to go live. Press the “Streaming” button at the bottom of
the screen, and your PS4’s AV output will begin streaming to the rest of
the world. If you’d like to add audio commentary to your stream, plug
in your mic, and press the blue “Commentary” button. If you’re
entertaining enough, you might just be the next PewDiePie.
A word of caution
Please
remember that your entire screen will be going out live, and nothing
will be censored automatically. Don’t input any passwords or answer any
personal messages while you’re broadcasting, or else unsavory types will
most certainly take advantage of your mistake. As always, treat
anything you put on the internet as if you were showing it to a packed
auditorium. Live streaming can be an incredibly rewarding experience,
but you’re opening yourself up to the public — and we all know what can happen when the internet gets its filthy paws on something nice.
