Best capture card for streaming

Capture and passthrough are two different numbers

A capture card does two jobs at once. Capture is the picture it sends to your computer: that is what you stream or record. Passthrough is the copy it sends on to your TV or monitor: that is what you play on. The Game Capture Neo, for example, captures up to 1080p60 but passes up to 4K60 HDR to the TV.

For the stream, capture only has to reach the largest output your platform takes. Twitch’s published settings stop at 1080p60; YouTube lists outputs up to 2160p60. So 1080p60 capture covers Twitch, and 4K60 capture matters for YouTube at 4K and for recordings you edit. The platform pages list each one’s outputs.

For playing, passthrough decides what reaches your screen. To keep 120 Hz from a PS5 or an Xbox Series X|S, Elgato notes, every device in the chain has to support it, the capture card and the TV or monitor included. 4K at 120 Hz needs HDMI 2.1.

Console settings before you plug in

PS5: turn off HDCP first. The PS5 has HDCP copy protection on by default, and with it on the capture picture stays black. Connect the PS5 straight to your TV, go to Settings, System, HDMI, and turn off Enable HDCP. Then connect the PS5 to the card’s HDMI input and the card’s HDMI output to the TV.

The PS5 sends no game sound over HDMI while headphones are plugged into the console or the controller. Unplug them if the capture has picture but no game sound.

Xbox Series X|S: Elgato’s setup has no HDCP step. HDCP turns on while a video app such as Netflix or Disney+ is open; if it stays on after you close the app, restart the console. The PS5 and the Xbox Series X|S can both output 120 Hz at 1080p, 1440p and 4K.

Nintendo Switch 2: Nintendo lists up to 4K at 60 fps in TV mode, and 120 fps at 1080p and 1440p. A card with 4K60 passthrough covers its 4K output; to keep 120 fps on your screen, choose a card that passes 120 Hz. On the Switch, HDCP is off by default and turns on in media apps. Elgato’s Switch steps set TV Sound to Stereo and turn off Match TV Power State, and a docked Switch sends no game sound over HDMI while headphones are in its headphone port.

The PS5 streaming setup walks through the whole PS5 path, including streaming from the console itself.

Check the port on your computer

The Game Capture Neo, the 4K S and the Live Gamer ULTRA S run on a 5 Gbps USB port. The 4K X needs a 10 Gbps port for its full set of modes and drops to fewer modes on a 5 Gbps port. The 4K Pro is an internal card for a Windows desktop with a PCIe x4 slot.

Plug a USB capture card straight into the computer rather than into a hub, and check the port’s speed, not only its shape: a USB-C port can be slow. The USB bandwidth guide explains how to tell, and each model page lists the processor and graphics card its maker asks for.

Questions

Do you need a capture card to stream a PS5? Not to stream at all: the PS5’s Create menu can broadcast gameplay by itself. A capture card is for running the stream from your computer instead, with your own scenes, overlays, camera and microphone in OBS.

Can a capture card record at 120 fps? Some can. Elgato notes that its 4K Capture Utility records a 120 Hz signal at 60 fps, and that OBS Studio, set to 120 fps, records the full rate.

Does playing through a capture card add delay? Play on the TV or monitor connected to the card’s HDMI output: Elgato describes that output as sending the signal in real time.

Why is my capture picture black? Usually HDCP is still on, or OBS is showing the wrong input. Capture card black screen goes through the checks in order.

Equipment for these connections

Start with the kind of gear you’re missing, and read its full profile before adding it to your setup.

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