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How to Record Xbox Game Pass Achievement Notifications in OBS

OBS can capture the game without capturing its Xbox achievement toast. Set up Game Capture for gameplay, then test Display Capture and review a local recording before streaming.
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Use OBS Game Capture for the game, but don’t assume it will also record Xbox achievement notifications. If the toast is missing, test a separate Display Capture source and inspect a local recording before streaming. Whether it works depends on the Windows and OBS setup; the official documentation does not guarantee that achievement toasts will be captured.

Why the achievement toast may not appear in OBS

Xbox Game Bar is a Windows gaming overlay that opens with Windows key + G. Microsoft also documents Windows key + Alt + G for starting and stopping a recording in full-screen PC games. Xbox Wire described an Achievements overlay in Game Bar in an announcement dated October 22, 2019, and said achievement notifications would open Game Bar. That announcement is a dated feature description, not confirmation that every current Xbox app, Windows build, or notification configuration behaves the same way. Xbox Wire’s 2019 announcement

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OBS treats the game and an on-screen overlay as distinct capture concerns. Its Game Capture source is designed to capture DirectX or OpenGL games. The source has an optional “Capture third-party overlays” property, off by default, which may capture a game overlay but can conflict with Game Capture. OBS does not promise that this setting will capture Xbox achievement notifications.

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Set up OBS to capture gameplay

  1. Launch the PC Game Pass game from the Xbox PC app. Microsoft describes the app as a place to browse and launch Game Pass titles, and says Windows key + G opens Game Bar while playing. Microsoft’s Xbox app guide

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  2. In OBS, add a Game Capture source and select the game window or the appropriate full-screen capture mode. Use it as the gameplay source; treat achievement-toast capture as unconfirmed.

  3. If you want to test the optional overlay property, open the Game Capture source properties and check Capture third-party overlays. OBS says this option may conflict with Game Capture, so compare a short recording with the option on and off rather than relying on it for a stream.

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  4. Trigger a real achievement notification if practical, or show another Game Bar overlay, then make and review a short local recording. Verify that both the game and the notification appear in the saved file.

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If the toast is missing, test Display Capture

A separate Display Capture source is the next method to try because it captures the display rather than only targeting the game. In a 2020 OBS forum discussion, a moderator suggested trying Display Capture in Windows 10 capture mode to capture Game Bar. This is an older community suggestion, not current official guidance or a guarantee for achievement notifications. Check the capture-method options available in your installed OBS version. OBS forum discussion (2020)

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Results are not consistent across reports: in a 2025 OBS forum post, one PC Game Pass player said Display Capture and cropping did not record their achievement pop-ups. The page reviewed had no replies, so it documents an individual failure rather than establishing a general compatibility result. OBS forum report (2025)

OBS source What it targets Achievement-toast guidance Trade-off
Game Capture The game, typically DirectX or OpenGL Third-party overlay capture is optional and may conflict; Xbox toast capture is not guaranteed by OBS documentation. Designed for game capture, but do not treat it as an assured overlay recorder.
Display Capture The display A 2020 OBS moderator suggested Windows 10 capture mode for Game Bar; a 2025 PC Game Pass report said the poster’s toasts were still missed. May include unrelated desktop content; verify both toast visibility and what else enters the recording.

Check the recording and protect your desktop

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Where Game Bar recordings are saved

Microsoft says clips recorded through Game Bar are stored locally and appear in the relevant game’s Xbox app hub. That applies to Game Bar clips; it does not mean OBS recordings are saved in that hub. Microsoft’s Game Bar recording guide

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