diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/crPage.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/crPage.ts
index 904ed5a479..e6f2472788 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/crPage.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/chromium/crPage.ts
@@ -905,7 +905,7 @@ class FrameSession {
 
   async _createVideoRecorder(screencastId: string, options: types.PageScreencastOptions): Promise<void> {
     assert(!this._screencastId);
-    const ffmpegPath = registry.findExecutable('ffmpeg')!.executablePathOrDie(this._page.attribution.playwright.options.sdkLanguage);
+    const ffmpegPath = process.env.PLAYWRIGHT_FFMPEG_PATH || registry.findExecutable('ffmpeg')!.executablePathOrDie(this._page.attribution.playwright.options.sdkLanguage);
     this._videoRecorder = await VideoRecorder.launch(this._crPage._page, ffmpegPath, options);
     this._screencastId = screencastId;
   }