Ah, gaming highlights. One of the finest pleasures of the gaming world. As you gain more confidence in gaming, you’re bound to share your highlights with friends. This is why we’ve decided to talk about ReLive vs ShadowPlay – which one is better? Should this influence my decision when buying a gaming rig?
Before we begin, make sure that you already have a rig with either Nvidia or AMD inside. We recommend checking out the best cheap gaming setup under $1,000 if you are looking for a good entry-level gaming rig.
ReLive vs ShadowPlay – Preview
Thanks to recording software from both AMD and Nvidia, sharing your frags, highlights, and everything in between can be done with a hotkey or two. However, when it’s ReLive vs ShadowPlay, can you really say one is better than the other?
While it’s true that gaming in the twenties is as convenient as ever, choosing which product to get can get really confusing. Fortunately for you, we’re going to give you a few ideas about Nvidia’s ShadowPlayand Radeon ReLive.
If you already have the best gaming PC build for CS:GO, then it’s time to learn how to maximize your experience. Let’s get started.
About Radeon ReLive
Radeon ReLive is Team Red’s premier video game recording app built in the AMD Software – Adrenalin Edition. This software allows users to instantly record videos, take screenshots, or even create GIFs, all in one software! Feel like your clip is worth sharing? Instantly do so once you’re done cropping.
Another great feature of ReLive is the ability to stream your videos directly on popular streaming platforms. Because sharing is caring, never get left behind with Radeon ReLive – powered by AMD Software.
Key Features
- Social Media Sharing with ease
- Easy file accessibility
- Record, share, create GIFs
- Game Streaming
- Record Desktop
- Hotkey Assignment
About Nvidia Shadowplay
It’s safe to say that Nvidia ShadowPlay is the one that revolutionized video game recording with ease. If you’re looking to instantly broadcast (stream), record, or create highlights of your games, then ShadowPlay has it all for you.
With Shadow Record, never miss a clip that you find worth sharing, even if you’re not actively recording in-game! It will record your active game in the background. If nothing remarkable happens, then the video file will delete on its own. If you have a highlight, just press ALT + F9 and it will save the last 5 minutes of your game (this can be adjusted via settings)
Key Features
- Quick-Edit – Crop and share your videos via overlay
- Shadow Record
- Live Stream with Nvidia Broadcast
- Desktop Recording
- Geforce Experience
ReLive vs ShadowPlay – The Battle for Game Recording Superiority
To truly know which graphics card is giving you more bang for your buck, we will make some comparisons to set a fair stage for both. Since the performance of the apps varies from GPU model to model, we’ll be focusing on the features presented by both Nvidia and AMD.
While the goal of this ReLive vs ShadowPlay article is to give you an idea of what you will get beyond the hardware, please do take note that our opinions are purely from a gaming enthusiast’s perspective.
ReLive vs ShadowPlay Quality Settings
| ReLive | ShadowPlay | |
| Video Bit-rate | 0-50Mbps | 0-130Mbps |
| Video Presets | Low: 5MbpsMed: 10MbpsHigh: 30MbpsMax: 50Mbps | Low: 15MbpsMed: 20MbpsHigh: 50MbpsMax: 130Mbps |
| FPS Options | 30FPS60FPS | 30FPS60FPS |
| Video Encoder | AVCHEVC | NVENC |
| Audio Bit-rate | 32-320Kbps | 184Kbps |
| Audio Options | Select DevicePTTAuto-DetectIn-Game | Select DevicePTTAuto-DetectIn-Game |
| Desktop Recording | Yes | Yes |
Both Nvidia and AMD have given their users the option to tweak the recording quality settings available for video games. From Recording bitrate to in-game resolution, we can say that the battle of ReLive vs ShadowPlay on paper would look like a stalemate. However, upon closer inspection, our eye test tells us otherwise.
In this photo, focus on the quality of the vegetation and see who has the edge. For casual users, it might look the same. Now focus on the rocks and then the mist. Which one do you think has better quality?
Now for fast-moving objects like this jet, it would be harder to notice the differences between the two. But hey, here’s what it looks like side by side. Which one do you think takes the cake?
In our eyes, we believe that Nvidia’s ShadowPlay has the upper hand in terms of pure quality alone. The highest bitrate from AMD is comparable to 50% of Nvidia’s.
ReLive vs ShadowPlay – Streaming Quality
| ReLive | ShadowPlay | |
| Services Available | TwitchYouTubeCustom Server | TwitchYouTube |
| Bit-rate Supported | 1-10Mbps | 1-18Mbps |
| Resolution Supported | 360p480p720p1080p | 360p480p720p1080p |
| FPS Options | 30FPS60FPS | 30FPS60FPS |
| Audio Bit-rate Quality | 32-192Kbps | 184Kbps |
| Overlays Available | WebcamSystem InfoDurationCustom | WebcamFPSStatus IndicatorViewer Count |
If you care about the stream quality, there’s a reason why most streamers opt for Team Green, simply because of the superior recording and streaming quality. Simply put, if you have zero plans of getting a capture card in the near future, then we highly recommend Nvidia.
Sorry Team Red, for this ReLive vs ShadowPlay segment, Team Green is the obvious winner. Let’s move on.
ReLive vs ShadowPlay – Stream Features
Both software come with the ability to stream directly to established platforms like Twitch and YouTube. However, ReLive goes the extra mile with the ability to stream via custom URLs. This can be very helpful for private hosting sessions.
As you can see in the image above, both are very identical in the features they promise. If you’re looking for more features, we’d say go for Team Red.
To Nvidia’s credit, accessing the ShadowPlay menu even while in-game makes sharing a breeze.
While both ReLive and ShadowPlay are capable of being used by third-party streaming software like OBS, it’s safe to say that for this ReLive vs ShadowPlay segment, AMD takes the crown.
ReLive vs ShadowPlay – Software Stability
While this part can be very subjective and is often played out by anecdotal evidence, it’s safe to say that both platforms have their good and bad days. One of the most annoying bugs with ShadowPlay is the very short performance degradation when saving a clip. While this also happens on ReLive, it’s more noticeable with the former.
One of the reasons for the sudden performance degradation is the file size. As we’ve mentioned above, the quality of Nvidia’s recording, as well as the streaming quality is amazing. The downside of superior quality has bigger files to work with. If you have limited storage, this can get annoying really quickly.
All in all, we believe that both are very usable and reliable. For this ReLive vs ShadowPlay segment, we’re giving both a tie.
Conclusion
From a gamer’s standpoint, it’s safe to say that Nvidia offers a lot more for casual and aspiring gamers alike. ShadowPlay is very easy to use, and everything you need to get started with streaming is already provided for you.
However, Team Red’s GPU prices are relatively cheaper than the competition. If you’re not looking for superior recording and you’re simply recording and streaming for fun, then there’s no harm in choosing the more affordable option.
We’d like to hear from our readers. What GPU are you using? Do you stream or share highlights with friends and the community? Tell us about your experience and why you chose AMD ReLive vs ShadowPlay or vice versa.
Looking for more interesting reads? Be sure to check out our guide on how to get the best PC gear for streaming, vlogging, and YouTubing especially if you’re serious about turning this into a profitable career.
