Looking for a capture card? Our guide has the top picks

Whether or not you’re streaming video games for an viewers otherwise you wish to report some informal gameplay footage out of your PC, PS5, Xbox Collection X, or Nintendo Change, you may want a seize card. It’s a vital accent that may course of your console’s uncompressed video sign, both sending it to a PC for livestreaming or changing it right into a file you could edit later to share on-line.

There are a number of fashions on the market, and also you may get fortunate discovering the best one with out placing within the analysis. Then once more, it’s possible you’ll not get so fortunate. Our information consists of dependable, feature-packed seize playing cards, masking a variety of dear and cheap choices. To finish the streaming setup, we’ve additionally included some suggestions for digicam seize playing cards, in case you wish to flip your DSLR right into a webcam. We’ll hold this publish up to date as extra fashions turn into out there.

Finest seize card

Elgato HD 60 X

Picture: Elgato

The very best seize card for most individuals is the $159 Elgato HD60 X. After we polled the gamerjive video crew for his or her enter, the HD60 X was the unanimous winner. It was chosen as a result of they suppose it presents the very best efficiency and options in comparison with different seize playing cards in its value vary.

The HD60 X connects to PCs through USB (it features a USB-C to USB-A cable), and it has a most seize decision of 4K at 30 frames per second. It could possibly deal with 4K passthrough at as much as 60 fps. These specs are greater than ample for capturing footage from any current-gen console. For those who’re recording in 1440p or 1080p resolutions, it might seize at a sooner 120 fps.

Including to its spectacular checklist of specs, the HD60 X grants patrons entry to Elgato’s 4K Seize Utility software program. This software isn’t completely essential, however it’s simpler to be taught for streaming newcomers than OBS Studio. The 4K Seize Utility additionally permits you to report commentary over your video clip, when you’d like, and take prime quality screenshots from the captured video.

Exterior of a sale, the HD60 X is often priced at $199.99, however it usually sells for much less. In its place that’s considerably inexpensive, the $64.99 UCEC GAM Stay seize card helps the identical passthrough/seize resolutions and body charges because the HD60 X, however it is probably not as dependable because the HD60 X.

Finest finances seize card

AVerMedia Stay Gamer Mini

Picture: AVerMedia

For those who’re simply testing the waters with capturing and modifying gameplay footage, there are some good seize card choices that value nicely below $100. The AVerMedia Stay Gamer Mini has a listing value of $99.99, however is repeatedly out there for round $80. This pocket-size seize card is able to recording 1080p footage at as much as 60 fps and has an identical passthrough decision, making it the proper selection for capturing footage from the Nintendo Change. The Stay Gamer Mini is appropriate with different consoles as nicely, however this mannequin received’t make PS5 and Xbox video games look their greatest.

Picture: AVerMedia

A inexpensive (and even smaller) possibility is the $50 Genki ShadowCast. The ShadowCast is successfully an HDMI to USB-C dongle that permits you to solid the video sign of your supply console to a desktop or laptop computer with assistance from the free Genki Arcade app. You may as well stream that footage immediately into PC instruments like OBS Studio. Whereas the ShadowCast is appropriate with all current-generation consoles, it might solely course of 1080p footage at 30 fps, and the footage high quality is appropriate, not distinctive.

Finest 4K seize card

AVerMedia 4K60 HDR10

Picture: AVerMedia

Because of the present limits of how a lot information you may funnel by way of a USB connection, PCIe seize playing cards are the best choice if you wish to seize gameplay at 4K, 60 fps. The only option we’ve discovered for doing that’s the AVerMedia 4K60 HDR10, which is often out there for round $200.

Picture: AVerMedia

As its identify suggests, the 4K60 is able to a most seize and passthrough decision of 4K at 60 fps, even with HDR enabled. The cardboard can even report at greater body charges with decrease resolutions than 4K, maxing out at 144 fps for 1440p, or 240 fps at 1080p. It’s vital to notice, nonetheless, that whereas the Xbox Collection X and PlayStation 5 are each able to outputting 4K resolutions at 120 fps, this seize card’s HDMI 2.0 ports imply you’ll solely be capable of seize 120 fps footage by pulling down your console’s output decision to 1440p. We’re preserving our eyes out for seize playing cards that use HDMI 2.1, which is able to permit for capturing 4K footage at as much as 120 fps on consoles.

Some options to AVerMedia’s 4K60 embody Elgato’s PCIe card, the 4K60 Professional MK.2, which is provided with comparable specs, however prices $249.99. The largest distinction (apart from the model identify) is that AVerMedia’s possibility doesn’t embody video modifying software program. That’s no massive deal, so long as you’re wanting to learn to use OBS Studio.

There are PCIe card choices out there on Amazon for as little as $100, however given the potential for an unvetted PCIe card to do some precise hurt to your desktop (or simply not work as marketed), we wouldn’t advocate taking this route.

Finest seize card that doesn’t require a PC

AVerMedia GC513 Transportable 2 Plus

Picture: AVerMedia

Stand-alone seize playing cards can seize footage with out being tethered to a PC. As a substitute, they function a microSD or full-size SD card slot that may retailer your gameplay till you may deposit the recordsdata onto your PC. This function alone makes this type of seize card essentially the most versatile possibility, despite the fact that they presently assist a decrease seize decision than the options. However look no additional for one which’s excellent for bringing to tournaments, or different conditions the place a laptop computer or desktop received’t be out there to you.

Picture: AVerMedia

Till Elgato makes a extra aggressive possibility than its discontinued 4K60 S+, the best choice for a stand-alone card is the AVerMedia GC513 Transportable 2 Plus, which helps 4K passthrough at 60 fps, however is proscribed to recording 1080p at 60 fps. Whereas recording to distant storage is a key promoting level for the GC513, it will also be used whereas linked on to a PC, like different seize card fashions.

Presently, stand-alone seize playing cards are a rarity on this product class, so there isn’t an abundance of options. Nonetheless, when you’re in search of one thing that prices much less, the Hauppauge HD PVR Professional is offered on Amazon for round $130. The HD PVR Professional presents most of the identical specs as its AVerMedia counterpart, however is appropriate with standard-size SD playing cards along with microSD playing cards, not like the GC513, which may solely use microSD playing cards for storage.

Picture: AVerMedia

Finest digicam seize card

Elgato Cam Hyperlink 4K

Picture: Elgato

Digital camera seize playing cards are extra of a distinct segment product, permitting you to show most DSLR cameras right into a webcam. Some newer DSLR cameras assist this function out of the field with native USB connections, however different cameras might want to depend on a digicam seize card to translate what your digicam sees right into a video sign that’s usable by your PC.

Your only option for that is the Elgato Cam Hyperlink 4K, which permits for 4K video seize at as much as 30 fps and is totally appropriate with quite a lot of DSLR cameras from standard producers like Nikon, Canon, and GoPro.

AVerMedia presents a barely inexpensive digicam seize card that options comparable specs for about the identical value. The AVerMedia BU113 can technically report 4K footage at 30 fps, however its shorter checklist of totally appropriate cameras means solely a handful of gadgets can assist this function.