Elgato Cam Link 4K

When this model makes sense

Bring a suitable clean-HDMI camera into your computer. Start with that job, then check the surrounding connections. A feature on this device does not establish that the computer, software and destination support the same path.

This is part of the current catalog. Current availability in a manufacturer family does not guarantee retail stock, every regional variant or support for every operating-system release. Match the exact model name when reading a product listing.

Three useful fits

• Bring a clean HDMI camera feed into the computer when no display passthrough is required.
• Move video from a second source into the streaming computer using the documented host interface and capture mode.
• Reuse a working HDMI source whose continuous runtime and power meet the session length; choose the cable for its actual socket.

• Best starting job: bring a suitable clean-hdmi camera into your computer.
• Upgrade around owned gear: use the setup builder to check this connection against your existing computer and sources before replacing adjacent equipment.
• Controlled comparison: compare the required input, output and workflow using the capture card connections guide. Choose the smaller sufficient path when extra hardware does not solve a declared problem.

Connections and decision fields

Read connector shape and data protocol separately. An adapter can change the cable ends; it cannot create a faster host controller, add a microphone preamp or convert protected HDMI into a supported capture source.

Exact identity

Elgato Cam Link 4K

Lifecycle

Current catalog

Equipment role

capture

Host operating systems

Windows 10 64-bit+; macOS 13+; iPadOS 17+

Connector shape

HDMI; USB

Video Inputs

HDMI unencrypted

Video Outputs

USB capture only

Capture output

4K · 30 fps, maximum SDR; software and format conditions apply

Display passthrough

None documented

Usb Gbps

5

Dimensions

81 × 12 × 31 mm

Weight

20 g

Included parts

Cam Link 4K; USB 3.0 A-to-C extension (30 cm), current revision

Revision Modes

Current revision adds2160p60 MJPG. Older units remain2160p30; identify the unit before selecting60 fps.

Encrypted Input Supported

No

Required Software

Camera Hub optional; UVC-compatible application

Use the listed modes as a starting point for the connection. Before a live session, select the exact source in OBS and record it with the other devices connected. If the required mode is absent, lower the output or change the connection before replacing the source.

Check these conditions first

1. The main limitation: There is no HDMI display output. Identify the unit’s revision before planning 4K frame rates, then test clean HDMI and continuous camera power; use a passthrough card for a separate gaming display.
2. The rest of the path: the operating system must recognize the input, and the production application must expose the selected mode. A device visible in a system panel may still be unavailable to OBS if another application owns it.
3. The session conditions: check the full intended duration with all the other devices connected. A short isolated test does not expose shared USB contention, camera runtime limits, accidental monitoring loops or changing household upload.

For HDMI capture, keep the game display requirement separate from the recorded source. A card can pass a mode to a monitor without sending that same mode over USB. HDR, refresh rate and resolution maxima must not be combined into an unsupported imaginary mode.

If the builder reports a hard blocker, solve that requirement before buying an alternative. A conditional result needs the named check. An unknown result means the information is insufficient; it is not a negative review of this model.

What is included, and what may be missing

• Cam Link 4K
• USB 3.0 A-to-C extension (30 cm), current revision

Write down both cable ends and the required data rating. Check length against the real desk route, allowing slack at moving joints without putting tension on a socket. If a host has USB-A and a device arrives with only a C-to-C cable, choose a suitable data cable or adapter; the host’s underlying data speed still applies.

Mounting parts deserve the same check as signal cables. Confirm thread, clamp thickness, load and available space where these apply. “Mount compatible” is incomplete without the mating connector or dimensions. Keep adapters in the plan so the final wiring sheet does not conceal an extra purchase.

Use the optional cost fields in the builder for amounts you have observed yourself. A missing purchase amount stays unknown and is excluded from the known subtotal; it is never shown as a free item. The site does not display hardware prices or stock.

Place it in the complete setup

The diagram illustrates a direct USB setup. Put Elgato Cam Link 4K in its capture role, then follow each required input to an actual source and each output to an actual destination. For an HDMI or XLR component, insert the required capture device or interface between the source and host; do not interpret the direct USB illustration as a universal connection.

1. Connect mounts and power before plugging in the signal cables. Keep the input gain or monitor volume low while changing connections.
2. Select the exact device and mode in the operating system and production software. Close any second application that may be using the same video device.
3. Add each source once. If a routing application already feeds the capture audio to OBS, do not enable a second direct route for the same sound.
4. Record a representative sample with speech, movement and other sources active. Play it back independently of the live monitoring path.
5. Test the platform preview with the intended network and output settings, then save a recovery scene and reconnection order.

Use the Setup Path Builder to produce a connection ledger, or go directly to the pre-stream checklist when you have finished the wiring. For the underlying choice, see capture card connections.