Whether you’re streaming games in front of an audience or want to record some 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, sending it to a PC for live streaming or converting it into a file that you can later edit and share online.
There are several models and you may be lucky to find the right one without doing any research. On the other hand, you may not be so lucky. Our guide includes reliable, feature-packed capture cards, covering a range of expensive and inexpensive options. To round out 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 recording card
The best capture card for most people is the $177.89 Elgato HD60X. When we polled 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 X connects to PCs via USB (it comes with a USB-C to USB-A cable) and has a maximum recording resolution of 4K at 30 frames per second. It can handle 4K pass-through at up to 60 fps. These specs are more than adequate for capturing footage from any current-generation console. If you record at 1440p or 1080p resolution, it can record at a faster 120fps.
To complement its impressive spec list, the HD60 X grants buyers access to Elgato’s 4K Capture Utility software. This application is not entirely necessary, but it is easier to learn for streaming newbies than OBS Studio. The 4K Capture Utility also allows you to optionally include narration on your video clip and take high-quality screenshots of the captured video.
Outside of a sale, the HD60 X typically costs $199.99, but it often sells for less. As an alternative that is significantly cheaper, the $64.99 UCEC GAM Live capture card supports the same throughput/recording resolutions and frame rates as the HD60 X, but may not be as reliable as the HD60 X.
Best budget withdrawal card
If you’re just testing the waters with gameplay capture and editing, 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 $70. This pocket-sized capture card is capable of recording 1080p footage at up to 60 fps and has pass-through resolution to match, making it the perfect choice for capturing footage from the Nintendo Switch. The Live Gamer Mini is also compatible with other consoles, but PS5 and Xbox games don’t look their best with this model.
A less expensive (and even smaller) option is the $50 Genki Shadow Cast. The ShadowCast is basically an HDMI to USB-C dongle that allows you to cast the video signal from your source console to a desktop or laptop using the free Genki Arcade app. You can also stream that footage directly to PC tools like OBS Studio. While the ShadowCast is compatible with all current-generation consoles, it can only handle 1080p footage at 30fps, and the image quality is acceptable, not exceptional.
Image: AVerMedia
Best 4K capture card
Due to current limits on the amount of data you can transfer over a USB connection, PCIe capture cards are your best bet if you want to capture gameplay at 4K, 60fps. The best choice we’ve found to do that is the AVerMedia 4K60 HDR10which is usually available for around $210.
As the name suggests, the 4K60 is capable of a maximum recording and pass-through resolution of 4K at 60fps, even with HDR enabled. The card can also record at higher frame rates at resolutions lower than 4K, with a maximum of 144 fps for 1440p or 240 fps for 1080p. However, it’s important to note that while the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are both capable of outputting 4K resolutions at 120fps, this capture card’s HDMI 2.0 ports mean you can only capture 120fps footage by to topple the console. output resolution to 1440p. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for capture cards that use HDMI 2.1, which can capture 4K footage at up to 120fps on consoles.
Image: AVerMedia
Some alternatives to AVerMedia’s 4K60 include Elgato’s PCIe card, the 4K60 Pro MK.2, which comes with similar specs but costs $249.99. The main difference (besides the brand name) is that AVerMedia’s option does not include any video editing software. That’s okay, as long as you want to learn how to use OBS Studio.
There are PCIe card options available on Amazon for as little as $100, but given the potential for an unchecked PCIe card to actually do damage to your desktop (or just not work as advertised), we don’t recommend going this route.
Best capture card that does not require a PC
Stand-alone capture cards can capture footage without being attached 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 kind of capture card the most versatile option, even though they currently support a lower capture resolution than the alternatives. But look no further for one that’s ideal for taking to tournaments or other situations where a laptop or desktop isn’t available to you.
Until Elgato makes a more competitive option than the discontinued 4K60 S+, your best option for a standalone card is the AVerMedia GC513 Portable 2 Plus, which supports 4K pass-through at 60 fps, but is limited to recording 1080p at 60 fps. While recording to external storage is a major selling point for the GC513, it can also be used while connected directly to a PC, just like other capture card models.
Image: AVerMedia
Currently, standalone capture cards are a rarity in this product category, so there isn’t a plethora of alternatives. However, if you’re looking for something that costs less, the 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 compatible with standard-sized SD cards in addition to microSD cards, unlike the GC513, which only accepts microSD cards can use for storage.
Best camera capture card
Camera capture cards are more of a niche product, allowing 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 require a camera capture card to convert what your camera sees into a video signal usable by your PC.
Your best option for this is the Elgato Cam Link 4Kwhich allows 4K video recording at up to 30 fps fully compatible with a wide range of DSLR cameras from popular manufacturers such as Nikon, Canon and GoPro.
AVerMedia offers a slightly less expensive camera capture card with similar specs for around $90 AVerMedia BU113 can technically shoot 4K footage at 30fps, but it’s shorter list of fully compatible cameras means only a handful of devices can support this feature.