OBS Clip Suite

One OBS Studio Lua script that makes OBS Replay Buffer work like NVIDIA ShadowPlay Instant Replay on Windows, plus a few extras that ShadowPlay doesn't have.

ShadowPlay-style features

1. Replay Buffer Restarter – restarts the buffer right after every save, so each clip is always a new video and back-to-back clips never share overlapping footage, just like ShadowPlay.
2. Replay Organizer – sorts each saved clip into a per-game folder automatically, named after the game.

Extras

3. Clip Alert Sound – plays a short sound every time a clip is saved. ShadowPlay shows an on-screen overlay when a clip is saved; this sound is the replacement for it, since OBS has no such overlay.
4. Update Checker – checks this repo's Releases and updates the script for you.

Everything lives in a single file: obs_to_nvidia.lua.

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Requirements

• Windows (the Organizer and the updater use Win32 calls; without them the Restarter and Alert modules still work, the Organizer disables itself).
• OBS Studio with Lua scripting (the stock Windows build; developed on OBS 33).
• The Replay Buffer enabled in OBS (Settings > Output > Replay Buffer) and a save hotkey set.

Install

1. Download obs_to_nvidia.lua from the latest Release.
2. Put it somewhere permanent (OBS remembers the path; don't leave it in Downloads).
3. In OBS: Tools > Scripts > + and pick the file.

That's it. Each module has its own group in the Scripts window with an on/off checkbox in the group header.

What each module does

On every Replay Buffer Saved event the modules run in this order:

1. The Alert plays its sound (first, so it is never delayed by the Organizer). It only plays for a real save: the Saved event plus the clip file being on disk.
2. The Organizer moves the clip into its folder.
3. The Restarter stops and restarts the Replay Buffer.

An error in one module never stops the others.

1) Replay Buffer Restarter

After a save, the script asks OBS to stop the buffer, waits for OBS's "stopped" event, starts it once, and waits for the "started" event. A slow watchdog timer is only a safety net in case an event never arrives (it retries a few times, then logs a warning instead of looping forever).

2) Replay Organizer

Sorts every saved clip into a subfolder named after the game or app you were actually playing.

• Detects the real foreground window using direct Win32 calls only (no cmd.exe / PowerShell is spawned), so fullscreen games are never minimized or kicked to the desktop.
• The last game you played wins. The script remembers what was in front during the past minute (or less, if your Replay Buffer is shorter). If you play, then switch to the desktop, Discord or a browser and press save, the clip still goes to that game. A game has to stay in front for at least 5 seconds to count, so a window flashing past, or a helper tool you glance at while playing, is ignored. If you played two games, the later one is used.
• Games are detected windowed or fullscreen when they are installed in a game library (Steam, Epic, GOG, Riot...). A fullscreen game installed anywhere else (any drive or folder) is detected too. Windows, Office, browsers, launchers (Steam, Epic, Battle.net, Playnite...), helper tools (Lossless Scaling, Voicemeeter, MSI Afterburner...) and per-user apps like Discord are never taken for games.
• Non-game apps go into a shared Desktop folder.
• Never overwrites an existing clip if two clips get the same name in the same second.
• Handles non-ASCII (e.g. Arabic) folder names and paths.
• Minecraft: any launcher or modpack is recognised from the end of its window title (- Singleplayer / - Multiplayer (...)) and goes into a Minecraft folder.
• Custom names: in the group, type the current folder name, type the new name, press Add. Your entries are saved with the script's settings. If the game has no folder yet, you can type its exe name as shown in Task Manager (e.g. MyGame or MyGame.exe), as long as it was in front recently.
• Known games list: a built-in list is merged with your own entries in known_games.txt (in %APPDATA%\obs-studio\script-data\OBS-Clip-Suite). Reload the script after editing it. To name a game by its window title (any program), add a line like title:hollow knight=Hollow Knight. For Java and Microsoft Store (UWP) games, which all share one exe name (javaw, ApplicationFrameHost), this rule is also what makes them count as games; without a rule only Minecraft is recognised there.
• Game names: your own names > built-in/known_games.txt > official name (Steam appmanifest, Epic manifest, GOG info file, then the exe's ProductName / FileDescription; all offline) > the game's window title > the Steam install folder name > Steam lookup. Programs like javaw or Store apps (which can be any program) are named from their window title only. A game that an OBS Game Capture source has hooked is always treated as a game. Turn the official names off with Use official game names.
• Steam lookup (optional): only when a game has no window title and no Steam folder, unknown games can be looked up on the Steam Store by name. Results are remembered in known_games.txt. Turn it off with Look up unknown games on Steam.

3) Clip Alert Sound

Off by default. Turn it on with the group's checkbox, then choose:

• one of 6 built-in sounds (embedded in the script, no extra files),
• or your own file (.wav .mp3 .ogg .aac .flac) under Custom sound file,
• the volume (0–100 %),
• and press Test Alert Now to hear it.

4) Update Checker

• Checks GitHub Releases ~10 seconds after OBS starts (can be turned off), or any time with Check for Updates Now.
• Updates are compared by version number (1.10.0 is newer than 1.9.0); only a higher version is offered.
• When an update is found:
  • Ask me first (default) – a dialog: Yes = install, No = skip this version, Cancel = ask again later.
  • Install it automatically – installs when no stream / recording / virtual camera is active and no fullscreen game is in front (the Replay Buffer doesn't block it: it is stopped first and started again by the new OBS).
  • Only mention it in the log.
• The dialog and installs are held back while a fullscreen game is in the foreground. The dialog is also held back while a stream / recording / virtual camera is active, and only one dialog can be open at a time.
• An update restarts OBS twice (it opens and closes twice): the second restart is what loads the new version. The Replay Buffer is resumed at the end.
• Restore previous version puts the newer version on the skipped list, so it isn't offered again right after the restore.
• Your old script is backed up next to it as obs_to_nvidia.lua.bak and obs_to_nvidia.lua.bak-<version>. Restore previous version brings it back.
• How an update is applied (2.4.2+): the new file is written next to the script as obs_to_nvidia.lua.staged. OBS then starts a fresh instance, the old one closes, and the new instance swaps the file in and starts the Replay Buffer again – once. The running script file is never overwritten while OBS is using it.

Settings files created next to the script

File	Purpose
obs_to_nvidia.lua.bak, .bak-<version>	Backups made by the updater
obs_to_nvidia.lua.staged	Downloaded update waiting to be applied (temporary)
obs_to_nvidia_update_state.tmp	Temporary marker used during a self-update
known_games.txt (in %APPDATA%\obs-studio\script-data\OBS-Clip-Suite)	Your extra game names and cached Steam results

Troubleshooting

• "No properties available" / Error opening file: (null) in the Script Log – OBS couldn't read the script file. Check that obs_to_nvidia.lua exists at the path shown in Tools > Scripts, remove the entry, and add the file again.