If you use a PlayStation 5, you’ve probably noticed it records your gameplay automatically. Every trophy, every big moment – saved. That’s cool at first. But then your storage fills up. Clips stack up in Media Gallery. Maybe you don’t even use them. The good news? You can control it.
In this guide, you’ll learn how gameplay recording works on PS5, how to stop automatic recordings, how to manage saved clips, and how to free up space.
How Gameplay Recording Works on PS5?
The PlayStation 5 constantly keeps a short rolling gameplay buffer in the background. This means the system is always recording the last few minutes of your gameplay. When you press the Create button on the DualSense controller, the console saves that recent gameplay as a video clip.
It also automatically saves short video clips and screenshots when you earn trophies. This feature is part of the PS5 system software developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment.
There are two types of recording on PS5: manual capture and automatic capture. Manual capture happens when you press the Create button. Automatic capture happens when trophies unlock or certain events trigger recording inside the Captures and Broadcasts settings.
How to Stop Automatic Trophy Video Recording?
If your PS5 saves a video every time you earn a trophy, you can turn that off. Follow these steps to disable trophy video recording:
- Go to Settings on your PS5 home screen
- Select Captures and Broadcasts
- Choose Trophies
- Turn off Save Trophy Videos
- You can also disable Save Trophy Screenshots
This prevents the system from automatically recording a clip every time you earn Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum trophies. It helps save SSD space.
How to Adjust Create Button Capture Settings?
The Create button controls how gameplay clips are saved. You can change how it behaves. Here’s how you can adjust Create button shortcuts:
- Open Settings
- Select Captures and Broadcasts
- Go to Shortcuts for Create Button
- Choose Standard, Easy, or customize manually
- Adjust press and hold behavior
You can reduce accidental captures by customizing the shortcut layout.
How to Change Video Clip Length and Resolution?
Longer clips and higher resolution recordings take more storage space. You can lower both. Follow these easy instructions to adjust recording settings:
- Open Settings
- Select Captures and Broadcasts
- Choose Video Clip Format
- Adjust Resolution from 4K to 1080p if needed
- Change Clip Duration to a shorter time
Shorter clips and lower resolution reduce file size significantly.
How to Delete Saved Gameplay Recordings?
Your clips are stored in Media Gallery. If storage is getting full, delete unused videos. Try these simple steps to manage recordings:
- Open Media Gallery from the home screen
- Select the video clips you want to remove
- Press Options on the controller
- Choose Delete
- Confirm removal
You can also copy clips to a USB external drive before deleting them.
Can You Completely Stop Background Recording?
The PS5 always keeps a short rolling gameplay buffer active. That part cannot be fully disabled because it powers the “Save Recent Gameplay” feature. However, you can stop automatic trophy captures and reduce clip duration. That minimizes saved files while keeping system features working.
Prevention Tips for Better Recordings
Managing recording settings helps keep your internal SSD healthy. Here are simple habits:
- Turn off trophy video capture
- Lower video resolution
- Reduce clip length
- Delete clips weekly
- Transfer important clips to USB storage
- Monitor available storage in Settings
Conclusion
The PlayStation 5 makes it easy to record gameplay, but it also fills storage quickly if you leave everything on. By adjusting Captures and Broadcasts settings, disabling automatic trophy videos, and managing Media Gallery, you stay in control.
Take a few minutes today to check your settings. It makes a difference. And if this guide helped you, share it with other PS5 players and comment below how you manage your gameplay recordings.
