May 6, 2024

The best capture card: 4K and 1080p cards for PS5, Xbox, PC, Switch

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Whether you want to stream games for an audience or capture casual gameplay footage from your PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, or Nintendo Switch, you may need a capture card. It’s an essential accessory that can process your console’s uncompressed video signal and either send it to a PC for live streaming or convert it into a file that you can later edit and share online.

There are several models, and you might be lucky to find the right one without having to do a lot of research. On the other hand, you may not be so lucky. Our guide includes reliable, feature-rich capture cards that cover a range of expensive and low-cost options. To complete the streaming setup, we’ve also included some camera capture card recommendations in case you want to turn your DSLR into a webcam. We will keep this post updated as more models become available.

Best capture card

Elgato HD 60 X

For most people, the best capture card is the $159 card Elgato HD60 X. When we asked the Polygon video team for their input, the HD60 X was the unanimous winner. It was chosen because they believe it offers the best performance and features compared to other capture cards in its price range.

The HD60 It can handle 4K passthrough at up to 60 fps. These specs are more than enough to capture footage from any current-gen console. If you record in 1440p or 1080p resolutions, faster recording of 120 fps is possible.

In addition to its impressive list of specs, the HD60 X gives buyers access to Elgato’s 4K Capture Utility software. This application isn’t strictly necessary, but it’s easier to learn than OBS Studio for those new to streaming. The 4K Capture Utility also allows you to record comments on your video clip if necessary and take high-quality screenshots of the captured video.

Outside of a sale, the HD60 costs $64.99 as a much cheaper alternative UCEC GAM live capture card supports the same passthrough/recording resolutions and frame rates as the HD60 X, but may not be as reliable as the HD60 X.

Best budget capture card

AVerMedia Live Gamer Mini

If you’re just getting started with capturing and editing gameplay footage, there are some good capture card options that cost well under $100. The AVerMedia Live Gamer Mini has a list price of $99.99 but is regularly available for around $80. This pocket-sized capture card is capable of capturing 1080p footage at up to 60 frames per second and has matching passthrough resolution, making it the perfect choice for capturing footage from the Nintendo Switch. The Live Gamer Mini is also compatible with other consoles, but this model doesn’t make PS5 and Xbox games look their best.

A cheaper (and even smaller) option is the $50 option Genki ShadowCast. The ShadowCast is effectively an HDMI to USB-C dongle that allows you to cast your source console’s video signal to a desktop or laptop using the free Genki Arcade app. You can also stream this footage directly into PC tools like OBS Studio. Although ShadowCast is compatible with all current-gen consoles, it can only handle 1080p footage at 30 frames per second and the quality of the footage is acceptable, not exceptional.

Best 4K capture card

AVerMedia 4K60 HDR10

Due to current limits on how much data you can transfer over a USB connection, PCIe capture cards are the best option if you want to capture gameplay in 4K and 60fps. The best choice we found for this is this AVerMedia 4K60 HDR10which typically retails for around $200.

A stock photo of the AVerMedia 4K60 HDR10 installed in a desktop PC

As the name suggests, the 4K60 is capable of a maximum capture and passthrough resolution of 4K at 60 fps, even with HDR enabled. The card can also record at higher frame rates and lower resolutions than 4K, a maximum of 144 fps at 1440p and 240 fps at 1080p, respectively. However, it is important to note that both the Xbox Series output resolution is set to 1440p. We’re looking for capture cards that use HDMI 2.1 and allow recording 4K footage at up to 120 fps on consoles.

Alternatives to the 4K60 from AVerMedia include the PCIe card from Elgato 4K60 Pro MK.2, which comes with similar specs but costs $249.99. The biggest difference (aside from the brand name) is that AVerMedia’s option doesn’t include video editing software. This isn’t a big deal as long as you want to learn how to use OBS Studio.

PCIe card options are available on Amazon for as little as $100. Given the possibility that an untested PCIe card could actually harm your desktop (or simply not work as advertised), we wouldn’t recommend this route.

Best capture card that doesn’t require a PC

AVerMedia GC513 Portable 2 Plus

Standalone capture cards allow you to capture footage without being connected to a PC. Instead, they have a microSD or full-size SD card slot that stores your gameplay until you can put the files on your PC. This feature alone makes this type of capture card the most versatile option, even though it currently supports a lower capture resolution than the alternatives. But look no further for a device that’s ideal for tournaments or other situations where you don’t have a laptop or desktop at your disposal.

A close-up of a microSD card inserted into the AVerMedia GC513 Portable 2 Plus

Until Elgato offers a more competitive option than the discontinued 4K60 S+, the best option is for a standalone card AVerMedia GC513 Portable 2 Plus, which supports 4K passthrough at 60 fps but is limited to recording 1080p at 60 fps. While recording to remote storage is a key selling point for the GC513, like other capture card models, it can also be connected directly to a PC.

Currently, standalone capture cards are a rarity in this product category, so there aren’t many alternatives. However, if you’re looking for something that costs less, this is it Hauppauge HD PVR Pro is available on Amazon for around $130. The HD PVR Pro offers many of the same specs as its AVerMedia counterpart, but is also compatible with standard-sized SD cards in addition to microSD cards, unlike the GC513 which can only use microSD cards for storage.

Best camera capture card

Elgato Cam Link 4K

Camera capture cards are a more niche product that allows you to turn most DSLR cameras into a webcam. Some newer DSLR cameras support this feature out of the box with native USB connections, but other cameras rely on a camera capture card to convert what your camera sees into a video signal that can be used by your PC.

Your best option for this is the Elgato Cam Link 4Kwhich enables 4K video recording at up to 30 frames per second and is fully compatible with a variety of DSLR cameras from well-known manufacturers such as Nikon, Canon and GoPro.

AVerMedia offers a slightly cheaper camera capture card with similar specs for around the same price. The AVerMedia BU113 can technically shoot 4K footage at 30 frames per second, but is shorter List of fully compatible cameras means only a handful of devices can support this feature.

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