What does your display need?
If you play on a screen fed by the card, its passthrough must carry the mode you play at (4K60, 120 Hz, HDR or VRR) while the card records a smaller one. Without passthrough you need a separate path to your screen.
Capture cards for streaming
A capture card turns an HDMI source (a console, a second PC or a camera) into something OBS can record. Two pictures leave it: the one it sends to the computer, and the one it passes through to your display. They are often different, so check both.
9 current models · From each maker’s own pages
How does it connect to the computer?
Most cards are external USB boxes, and a fast mode needs a fast, direct port. An internal card needs a free PCIe slot in a Windows desktop, so it suits neither a laptop nor a Mac.
Internal PCIe
Every current model
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Play at 4K60 on your TV while streaming in 1080p60
Elgato Game Capture Neo
Use its HDMI output to play on your TV in 4K60 HDR and its USB output to capture up to 1080p60. Choose another card if you need to stream or record in 4K.
Connections & full profile →An external capture card for console streaming
Elgato Game Capture 4K S
Select a listed capture mode and a separate listed display mode. If HDR or high refresh is essential, match both exact modes before choosing this card.
Connections & full profile →High-refresh HDMI capture on a fast direct USB port
Elgato Game Capture 4K X
Use a 10 Gbps USB port to get every mode. On a 5 Gbps port, pick one of the lower capture modes, or use a faster port, before buying it for high resolution.
Connections & full profile →A capture card that fits inside a Windows desktop
Elgato Game Capture 4K Pro
Use a supported Windows desktop with a suitable PCIe x4 slot. Choose a USB capture device for a Mac or a laptop without an accessible compatible slot.
Connections & full profile →Use a camera with clean HDMI output as your webcam
Elgato Cam Link 4K
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.
Connections & full profile →Capture a console over USB while keeping a separate gaming display
AVerMedia Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro
Choose the capture mode for your Windows PC or Mac. The HDMI source must not be copy-protected (HDCP); a different cable won’t make protected video capturable.
Connections & full profile →HDMI 2.1 USB capture with 4K144 passthrough for a high-refresh console or PC
AVerMedia Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 GC553G2
It needs a USB-C port rated USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) and an HDMI 2.1 display and console for its top passthrough modes. 4K144 capture is MJPEG on Windows in AVerMedia’s own software; macOS captures up to 4K60, without HDR.
Connections & full profile →View at AVerMedia ↗A small 1080p60 USB capture box with passthrough for a first console stream
AVerMedia Live Gamer MINI GC311
It stops at 1080p60, with no 4K, HDR or high refresh rate, and cannot capture HDCP-protected video. No HDMI cable comes in the box.
Connections & full profile →View at AVerMedia ↗Use a camera with clean HDMI output as your webcam, up to 4K at 30 fps or 1080p at 120 fps
Razer Ripsaw X
There is no HDMI display output, so it suits a camera, not a console you also play on. Razer lists Windows 10 64-bit or later only, and no HDMI cable comes in the box.
Connections & full profile →View at Razer ↗Older models, for owners
- Elgato HD60 X: Already own an HD60 X? Keep it.
Check your own
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