What else you need to use it
Worked out from Elgato’s own specifications and box contents for this model. The setup builder checks the same parts against your computer and the rest of your gear.
You need
- A USB 3 port (5 Gbps), straight on the computer. A USB 2 port is too slow for it. The maker asks for a direct port rather than a hub. USB-C is a plug shape, not a speed, so check the port itself.
- A second HDMI cable, from the card to your screen. Passthrough sends the game on to your TV or monitor with no delay, and that needs its own cable.
Check first
- A USB-C port on your computer. The cable in the box has USB-C at both ends. If your computer only has USB-A ports, you need a USB-C to USB-A cable rated for the same speed.
- HDCP turned off on the source. It captures unencrypted HDMI only. Consoles have their own HDCP setting; protected films and streaming apps cannot be captured. Black screen fixes
In the box
- The HDMI cable in the box, from your console or camera. One HDMI cable is included.
When this model makes sense
- Capture a console that isn’t copy-protected (HDCP) while you play on your TV through the passthrough.
- Bring a console or a second PC into your streaming PC.
- Use a camera or console you already own if it can stay on, and powered, for your whole stream; choose the HDMI cable to match its socket.
The Capture card connections guide weighs it against the other ways to fill the same role.
Connections and specs
- Full name
- Elgato Game Capture 4K S
- Still sold
- Yes, a current model
- Type
- Capture cards
- Connection
- Connector shape
- HDMI; USBA plug’s shape doesn’t tell you its speed →
- Video inputs
- HDMI
- Video outputs
- HDMI passthrough
- Capture output
- 4K · 60 fps (maximum SDR; software and format conditions apply)Capture and passthrough explained →
- Display passthrough
- 4K · 60 fpsCapture and passthrough explained →
- USB speed (Gbps)
- 5
- Audio inputs
- HDMI audio; 3.5 mm analog line
- HDR capture
- Up to 1080p60, Windows only
- HDR passthrough
- Up to 2160p60 HDR10
- VRR passthrough
- Yes
- Captures HDCP-protected video
- No
- HDR
- HDR10 passthrough up to 4K at 60 fps; HDR10 capture up to 1080p60, Windows only
- Size and mounting
- Dimensions
- 112 × 72 × 18 mm
- Weight
- 90 g
- In the box
- Included parts
- Game Capture 4K S; USB-C to USB-C cable (150 cm); HDMI 2.0 cable (150 cm)
- Computer
- Operating systems
- Windows 11+; macOS 14.2+; iPadOS 18 USB-C+
- Processor the maker asks for
- Windows: Core i5 eighth generation / AMD Ryzen; Mac: Apple M1 or better
Check these conditions first
Not yet confirmed from Elgato’s documents: power draw. The builder treats it as unknown, never as a yes.
For HDMI capture, treat what your TV shows and what the computer records as two different things. A card can pass a mode through to the TV without sending that same mode to the computer over USB. Top resolution, top refresh rate and HDR rarely come together, so check the maker’s mode table for the exact combination you want.
What is included, and what may be missing
- Game Capture 4K S
- USB-C to USB-C cable (150 cm)
- HDMI 2.0 cable (150 cm)
Both cable ends and the data rating matter more than the plug shape: streaming cables and ports explains how to match them.
Place it in the complete setup
Every connection
- Webcam USB outUSB cable → A USB port on your computer
- Microphone USB outUSB cable → A USB port on your computer
- Microphone / interface headphone out3.5 mm or 6.3 mm headphone connection → Headphones (what you hear)
- Computer Ethernet portEthernet cable → router; your upload → Platform (check the stream preview)
- Wall socketThe maker’s power supply, or USB power → Computer and devices that need their own power
The diagram shows a simple USB setup. Find where the Elgato Game Capture 4K S goes, then follow each input back to what feeds it and each output on to where it goes. HDMI and XLR gear needs a capture card or audio interface between it and your computer; it doesn’t plug straight in the way this USB example does.
The setup builder turns this into a connection list for your own computer and gear, and the pre-stream checklist covers the rehearsal once it is wired.
Compare it head to head
Each page sets the two models’ specs side by side and says what else each one needs.