If you're a PC gamer who likes to stream gameplay to the world, the latest update to Nvidia's GeForce Experience may tickle your fancy. Version 1.8.1 includes Twitch ShadowPlay streaming, allowing you to stream your gameplay without needing any additional hardware.

Nvidia claims the performance hit from streaming to Twitch using ShadowPlay should be minimal, as the GeForce GTX 600 and GTX 700 series graphics cards have an H.264 encoder built in. When streaming, your in-game framerate won't be capped either, so you should be able to play at the same performance level as if you weren't streaming.

All the previous ShadowPlay functionality is still there, including a 'Shadow Mode' which records up to the last 20 minutes of gameplay at the press of a button. Standard non-streaming recordings are made at a resolution of 1080p at up to 50 Mbps, although you do require a GTX 650 or higher to gain access to the feature (and the dedicated H.264 encoder on the graphics card).

ShadowPlay is still in beta, so there could be a few bugs and issues with the software at this stage. Future updates should see the ability to record your desktop using ShadowPlay, as well as enhanced microphone control.