Hotkeys

Hotkeys allow you to control Segra during gameplay without switching windows. Configure global keyboard shortcuts to mark important moments and save replays.

Elevated (Admin) Games and the Hotkey Broker

Windows blocks a non-elevated process (Segra) from reading input while a process running as administrator (many anti-cheat–protected games) is focused. To keep hotkeys working in that case, Segra ships a small companion service called the Hotkey Broker.

• The broker runs as a Windows service at Local System with a signed executable. Segra prompts you to install it the first time it detects an elevated game and remembers your choice per broker version (hotkeyBrokerDeclinedVersion in settings.json).
• Once installed, Segra connects to the broker over a local named pipe and forwards hotkey presses that occur while an elevated game is focused. All hotkey UI, storage, and behavior stay the same.
• A Hotkey Broker Warning appears in Settings if the broker is missing, out of date, or failed to start. Follow the prompt to reinstall or repair it.
• If you decline the install, hotkeys still work everywhere except while an elevated game is focused.

Global hotkeys on Linux Wayland

On Wayland sessions, Segra reads hotkeys directly from your keyboards in /dev/input, so they work no matter which window is focused. Key positions follow your keyboard layout as reported by XWayland.

Reading /dev/input requires your user to be in the input group. Without it, Segra falls back to XWayland, and hotkeys only work while an X11 window (for example, a Wine or Proton game) is focused. Settings then shows a warning with the command to fix it:

sudo usermod -aG input $USER

Log out and back in after running the command. On X11 sessions, hotkeys work in every window without extra setup.

Available Actions

Segra supports four hotkey actions:

Default hotkeys

Configuring hotkeys

From the Settings UI

1. Navigate to Settings > Recording section
2. Find the Hotkeys section, directly below Capture Mode
3. Click the key display button next to the action you want to change
4. Press the desired key combination
5. The hotkey updates automatically

Global hotkeys are paused while Segra captures a new binding, so pressing an existing combination doesn't trigger its action.

Supported Key Combinations

You can bind:

• Single keys: F8, F10, K, etc.
• Modifier + Key: Ctrl+K, Alt+R, Shift+B
• Multiple modifiers: Ctrl+Shift+K, Ctrl+Alt+F1

Supported Keys

Function Keys

• F1 through F24

Modifier Keys

• Ctrl (Control)
• Alt (Alternate)
• Shift
• Win (Windows key)

Special Keys

• Arrow keys (←, ↑, →, ↓)
• Space, Enter, Tab, Esc
• Home, End, PgUp, PgDn
• Insert, Delete, Backspace
• Num Lock

Alphanumeric

• Letters: A-Z
• Numbers: 0-9

Symbols

• ;, =, ,, -, ., /, `, [, \, ], '

Enabling and disabling hotkeys

Each hotkey can be temporarily disabled without removing it:

1. Navigate to Settings > Recording > Hotkeys
2. Click the checkbox next to the action
3. Unchecked hotkeys remain configured but won't trigger

Hotkey settings JSON

Hotkeys are stored in settings.json under the keybindings key. The key name is unchanged from earlier versions, so existing settings files keep working:

"keybindings": [
  {
    "action": "CreateBookmark",
    "enabled": true,
    "keys": [119]
  },
  {
    "action": "ToggleRecording",
    "enabled": true,
    "keys": [120]
  },
  {
    "action": "SaveReplayBuffer",
    "enabled": true,
    "keys": [121]
  },
  {
    "action": "TogglePreview",
    "enabled": true,
    "keys": [122]
  }
]

Key Properties:

Common Key Codes

Use Cases

Troubleshooting

Best Practices