Desktop mode
Records your selected monitor, then automatically switches to direct Game Capture when a fullscreen game appears.
Windows replay utility · v0.1.5 preview
Instant Replay that tries to stay on.
Captail keeps recent gameplay ready, watches its capture pipeline, and attempts recovery when recording stops or stalls.
Free · GPL open source · Local recordings · No account
01 / THE MOMENT
Replay failure is easy to miss.
The moment is not.
A game crashes. A source disappears. A graphics driver restarts. If recording stops quietly, the only warning arrives after you press Save.
Captail is built around supervision: show the real state, attempt a controlled restart, then retry instead of pretending the buffer is healthy.
Recovery reduces lost footage. It cannot recreate frames Windows, a game, anti-cheat software, or a failed driver never delivered.
02 / THE RECOVERY LOOP
Always checking.
Never claiming blindly.
Rolling capture and recovery are treated as one system.
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01
Buffer armed
Compressed video and audio packets stay in RAM until you save.
-
02
Stall detected
Watchdog checks for a stopped module or missing new frames.
-
03
Controlled retry
Captail restarts the pipeline, reports failure, and backs off between retries.
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04
Recording again
The interface confirms when the replay buffer is healthy again.
03 / CAPTURE PATH
Desktop coverage.
Direct game capture.
Game Capture mode
Waits for a fullscreen game and never records the desktop. Better when privacy outside games matters more than continuous coverage.
04 / HARDWARE ENCODING
Use the encoder your GPU exposes.
Captail detects available hardware encoders and hides unsupported codec choices.
AV1
Best compression on supported modern hardware. Newer format; check player and editor support.
HEVC
Strong compression with broader modern-GPU support than AV1.
H.264
Most compatible choice for playback, editing, and sharing.
Encoder families implemented: NVIDIA NVENC · AMD AMF · Intel Quick Sync
05 / SAVE WHAT MATTERS
Sound intact.
Timing under control.
- 15 sec–15 minConfigurable rolling duration, with an optional RAM limit.
- Two audio pathsSystem or detected-game audio plus microphone, mixed or separated.
- Global hotkeysSave with Ctrl+Shift+F10. Toggle with Ctrl+Shift+F9. Both configurable.
- 30–240 FPSReal requested capture rates; useful only when source and hardware sustain them.
06 / AFTER THE SAVE
Review. Trim. Keep the tracks you need.
Saved clips appear in Captail’s replay library. Open one to scrub, set a trim range, and keep or remove each audio track.
07 / PRIVACY
Your replay stays yours.
No Captail account. No ads. No analytics or telemetry. No automatic upload. Captures, settings, thumbnails, and logs stay on your PC.
Honest network note: GitHub builds may contact the GitHub Releases API to check for updates. An update package downloads only after you click the update control. Store builds use Microsoft Store updates.
Read privacy policy08 / CHOOSE FOR THE JOB
Focused replay, not a streaming suite.
Scope comparison, not a performance benchmark.
| Workflow | Captail | ShadowPlay | OBS Replay Buffer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary shape | Single-purpose replay utility | NVIDIA capture overlay | Recording and streaming studio |
| Capture setup | Desktop auto-switch or game-only | Instant Replay through NVIDIA overlay | Configure scene, source, output, and save hotkey |
| Recovery promise | Explicit watchdog, visible state, retries | Not evaluated here | Not evaluated here |
| Best fit | Leave replay armed in tray | Use NVIDIA’s integrated capture tools | Build scenes or combine replay with production tools |
Sources: Captail README · NVIDIA App · OBS overview · Captail is not affiliated with NVIDIA or OBS Project.
09 / HARDWARE TRUTH
Early preview.
Tested scope stated plainly.
- Windows
- 10 version 2004+ or 11 · x64
- RTX 40 / 50
- Tested
- Older NVIDIA
- Needs public testing
- AMD / Intel
- Detection implemented · testing needed
10 / QUICK START
Three steps. Then leave it armed.
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01
Download
Choose Setup for normal installation or Portable for a self-contained folder.
-
02
Choose capture
Select Desktop or Game Capture, then set duration, codec, FPS, and audio.
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03
Save the moment
Leave Instant Replay enabled. Press Ctrl+Shift+F10 when something happens.
11 / FAQ
Before you press download.
Is Captail a full OBS Studio replacement?
No. Captail uses libobs, but deliberately omits scenes, streaming, transitions, and plugin management. It is focused on Instant Replay.
Which download should I choose?
Use the Setup EXE for a normal per-user Windows installation and uninstaller. Use Portable ZIP when you want a movable folder; extract the entire archive before launching Captail.exe.
Does Captail upload clips or use telemetry?
No. Captail has no cloud clip service, account, analytics, advertising, telemetry, or automatic upload. Non-Store builds may contact GitHub for update checks.
Will it work on AMD or Intel graphics?
AMD AMF and Intel Quick Sync capability detection is implemented, but those GPU families still need broader public hardware testing. RTX 40 and RTX 50 series are currently tested.
Why does Windows show an unknown-publisher warning?
GitHub release binaries are not Authenticode-signed yet. Verify the package against SHA256SUMS.txt and GitHub build provenance before running it.
Can recovery guarantee every replay?
No. Captail can detect some stopped or stalled pipeline states and attempt recovery. It cannot recreate frames never delivered by Windows, the game, anti-cheat software, or a failed graphics driver.
I am on Captail 0.1.3 or 0.1.4. How do I update?
Download and run the 0.1.5 Setup EXE manually once. Those two versions contain a Windows file-lock bug in their updater. In-app updates work normally starting with 0.1.5.
Free · Open source · Windows
Keep the last moment within reach.
Download Captail’s latest early-preview release from GitHub.