How to take a screenshot in Steam – Methods

Steam is a popular distributor of video games for PC. The platform offers a wide range of games to choose from, and allows its players to launch the games using their own game launcher.

Steam also offers a variety of additional features, including chat, badges, discussion forums, and so on. Another feature they offer is their own in-game screenshot function.

How to take screenshots in Steam

When you’re playing video games, you may wish to capture a moment in-game without having to pause or exit the game. Fortunately, there are quite a few ways to take in-game screenshots in Steam without disrupting gameplay.

In most cases, when you capture screenshots they’ll be saved in your Steam screenshots folder. That’s assuming screenshot works – in rare cases, you may need to uninstall and reinstall Steam to get it working again, though it’s usually pretty reliable.

We’ll cover a few different methods for taking in-game screenshots in Steam, starting with Steam’s own screenshot feature.

Steam Shortcut

Steam has its own shortcut for taking in-game screenshots. This feature allows users to quickly take an in-game screenshot without having to disrupt their gameplay. The shortcut is a very simple one.

To take an in-game screenshot in Steam, simply press the F12 key on your keyboard. Or, if there’s another function bound to that key, press Fn + F12 key.

Once you’ve taken the screenshot, it will automatically be saved in your Steam screenshots folder.

There are a few ways of locating your Steam screenshots. We’ll go through some of the simplest ways to do so below.

Steam Client

The simplest method of finding your Steam screenshots is through the Steam client. Launch the Steam app and click the ‘view’ option. It should be in the upper left corner. Then, select the ‘screenshots’ option.

screenshots-option

A new window should then appear. The new window should be labelled ‘screenshot uploader’. You should be able to view all your Steam screenshots from this window.

It will show your latest screenshot by default. You can navigate through your different screenshots by game, using the drop-down menu.

screenshot-uploader

If you want to be taken to the file location your screenshots are stored at, click the ‘show on disk’ option. This should open up the File Explorer.

Online Library

You can also use the screenshot uploader to access your Steam online library.

You can upload your Steam screenshots to your online library so that they’re accessible from all devices. Keep in mind that you’ll still have to log in first before you can view the library.

To view your online library, launch the Steam client and click on View > Screenshots > View Online Library.

screenshot-uploader-1

If you wish to upload your screenshots, you can do so using the screenshot uploader. First, click on the screenshots you want to upload. Then, select the ‘upload’ option in the lower right.

File Explorer

Alternatively, you can access your Steam screenshots’ file location through the File Explorer. Steam will automatically create a screenshots folder after you first use the Steam screenshot function.

By default, your Steam screenshots folder should be located in This PC > Windows (C:) > Program Files (x86) > Steam. After opening the Steam folder, scroll all the way down and open the userdata folder.

The userdata folder should a folder named after an assortment of numbers. This folder represents your account, and the numbers should mimic your account ID.

If you have more than one account registered on your Steam client, there will be a folder for each account.

Find the relevant account’s folder and open it. If you’re unsure about which folder is the correct one, open each folder until you find the one for your account.

After opening the account folder, open the 760 folder. Then, open the remote folder. There should be a list of folders, each named after a series of numbers.

Each folder represents a certain game you own, and each series of numbers is a game ID.

Only the games in which you’ve taken screenshots should have a folder. Click into the different folders to find your various in-game screenshots.

If you’re looking for a particular game’s screenshots, you can search for that game’s ID by going to https://steamdb.info/apps/.

You can search for the game using the search bar to discover their ID.

game-ID-website

Then, return to the File Explorer and open the folder with that game ID.

Windows Shortcut

Outside of Steam’s own screenshot feature, there are other ways to take quick in-game screenshots in Steam.

One such way is through using the default Windows screenshot shortcut. Simply press Windows-key + Prt Sc to take and save an in-game screenshot.

Related: Steam slow to open – Fix

The screenshots you take using this method should be saved in the File Explorer. To access them, open the File Explorer and go to This PC > Pictures > Screenshots.

Xbox Game Bar

Windows also possesses another screenshot function in their default Xbox Game Bar feature. To access the Game Bar, press Windows-key + G. You can take a screenshot by clicking on the camera icon in the upper left.

game-bar

Alternatively, if you wish for a more seamless screenshot experience, press Windows=key + Alt + Prt Sc to take a screenshot using the Game Bar. The screenshots you take using the Game Bar should be automatically saved in the File Explorer.

To locate these screenshots, open the File Explorer and go to This PC > Videos > Captures.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are quite a few methods you could utilise to take a screenshot in Steam. Your Steam screenshot location will vary depending on your method, but typically they’ll be saved in the screenshot folder.

Most of these methods allows for minimal gameplay disruption, and automatically saves your screenshots in the File Explorer. One of the simplest screenshot methods is Steam’s very own screenshot feature.

See: Steam Application Not Opening

Other methods include some of Windows’ default screenshot shortcuts, one of which utilises the Xbox Game Bar. Find the method that best suits your needs.

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Author

Jenny

I love reading, writing, drawing, and other creative pursuits. I wish to travel more and do extreme activities, such as bungee-jumping and skydiving. I'm a casual gamer with an affinity for narrative-driven games and unique art styles. I like watching a variety of different media, but I particularly enjoy animations and musicals. My favourite genre, for both books and visual media, is psychological-thriller.

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