How to Enable or Disable Capture Mouse Cursor when Recording Game in Windows 11
Windows 11 lets you choose whether to record your mouse cursor when capturing gameplay. This setting controls if your pointer appears in game recordings. You can easily turn this feature on or off through Windows 11’s built-in tools.
Capturing your mouse cursor helps viewers see where you click in game guides. You may also prefer to hide the mouse cursor for a cleaner look during recordings. Windows 11 makes changing this setting easy.
The Xbox Game Bar, a handy tool for recording games, manages this setting. You can toggle cursor capture on or off using either the Settings app or by directly editing the Windows Registry.
Go to Settings Gaming Captures and toggle “Capture mouse cursor when recording a game” on or off. Alternatively, use the Registry Editor to change the CursorCaptureEnabled value to 1 to enable or 0 to disable.
Method 1Changing the Setting in the Windows Settings App
The Settings app offers the simplest method for controlling your mouse cursor’s appearance during game recordings. It’s fast and accessible.
Open Windows Settings
First, open the main Windows Settings app. Pressing Windows key + I on your keyboard is the quickest way. This opens the Settings window.
Go to Gaming Settings
Once Settings is open, click on Gaming in the list on the left side.
On the right side, you’ll find several gaming options. Select Captures.
Choose How to Capture Your Mouse Cursor
You can choose whether your mouse cursor shows up in game recordings through Windows 11’s Settings. Go to Captures and find the Recording preferences. Look for ‘Capture mouse cursor when recording a game’ and turn the switch On to include it, or Off to hide it.
A switch controls the capture mouse cursor option. Turn this switch On if you want your mouse cursor to appear in your game recordings. This capture mouse cursor option is the default setting on most Windows 11 computers.
To hide your mouse cursor in recordings, turn the switch Off.
Close Settings
The selection to show or hide the mouse cursor during gameplay recording applies immediately. You can close the Settings window now; your choice will take effect the next time you record gameplay in Windows 11.
Method 2Using the Windows Registry Editor
The Windows Registry Editor tool lets you change system settings directly for more control over your game recording settings. This tool is powerful, so you must be careful. Before changing any registry settings, create a backup of your registry so you can restore it if needed.
Before proceeding, it’s wise to create a backup of your registry. This allows you to restore your system if any issues arise.
Turning On Mouse Cursor Capture Using the Registry
To make sure your mouse cursor is recorded in game videos, you can adjust a specific setting in the Windows Registry. First, open the Registry Editor by pressing Windows key + R, typing regedit, and pressing Enter. If a User Account Control prompt appears, click ‘Yes’.
Open the Registry Editor
Press Windows key + R to open the Run box. Type regedit and press Enter. Click “Yes” if the User Account Control (UAC) prompt appears.
Go to the GameDVR Key
In the Registry Editor, navigate to a specific location. In the address bar at the top, carefully type or paste this path and press Enter:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameDVR
If the GameDVR folder doesn’t exist within CurrentVersion, you’ll need to create it. Right-click on CurrentVersion, select New, then Key, and name it GameDVR.
Create or Change the CursorCaptureEnabled Value
With the GameDVR key selected on the left, examine the right side. You need to create or change a value named CursorCaptureEnabled.
- Right-click in the empty space on the right side.
- Select New, then DWORD (32-bit) Value.
- Name the new value exactly
CursorCaptureEnabled. - Double-click on the new
CursorCaptureEnabledvalue to change it. - In the “Value data” box, type
1. - Make sure “Base” is set to Hexadecimal.
- Click OK.
Setting the CursorCaptureEnabled value to 1 tells Windows to capture your mouse cursor during game recordings.
Close the Registry Editor
You can now close the Registry Editor. The change usually takes effect immediately, but restarting your PC can help ensure all programs recognize the new setting.
To re-enable the capture mouse cursor setting, change its value to '1'. If the capture mouse cursor setting was already on, this action confirms its current state without altering it.
Turning Off Mouse Cursor Capture Using the Registry
To hide your mouse cursor in game recordings using the registry, you’ll change the same setting as before but with a different value. Open the Registry Editor by pressing Windows key + R, typing regedit, and pressing Enter. Click ‘Yes’ if the User Account Control prompt shows up.
Open the Registry Editor
As before, press Windows key + R, type regedit, and press Enter. Grant permission if the UAC prompt appears.
Go to the GameDVR Key
In the Registry Editor’s address bar, navigate to this path:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\GameDVR
Again, confirm the GameDVR key is present. If not, create it by right-clicking CurrentVersion, selecting New, then Key, and naming it GameDVR.
Change the CursorCaptureEnabled Value
In the right pane of the Registry Editor, locate the CursorCaptureEnabled value. If it’s missing, create it as a DWORD (32-bit) Value, just as we did when enabling it.
- Double-click on the
CursorCaptureEnabledvalue. - In the “Value data” box, type
0. - Make sure “Base” is set to Hexadecimal.
- Click OK.
Setting the CursorCaptureEnabled value to 0 tells Windows not to capture your mouse cursor during game recordings.
CursorCaptureEnabled value, it may revert to its default state (usually ON). To ensure it’s off, verify that the value is set to 0.Close the Registry Editor
Registry Editor closing completes the change to stop capturing the mouse cursor in game recordings. This change applies immediately, but restarting your computer ensures this mouse cursor capture setting is fully integrated.
Summary
You can now control if your mouse cursor appears in Windows 11 game recordings using either the simple Settings app or the advanced Registry Editor. This gives you the flexibility to decide what works best for your recorded game clips. The Settings app is the easiest and safest way to make this change.
Remember, the Settings app is the most secure and recommended option for most users. Reserve the Registry Editor for situations where you are confident in your actions and have a backup in place.
How do you capture the mouse cursor when recording a game?
In settings, select “gaming”. In gaming settings, select “captures”. Here, under “recording preferences”, you will see the option called “capture mouse cursor when recording a game”. You can enable or disable that here by clicking the toggle.
How do I disable cursor capture?
And then on the right side you want to scroll. Down. Where it says capture mouse cursor in recordings check mark that or uncheck it depending on your preference. And that's all you have to do.
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Richard
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Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
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