Best capture card 2025

The Elgato HD60 X is the go-to alternative for players seeking to play video games on as much as 240Hz gaming displays with decision as much as 1440p however who aren’t too involved about capturing very quick footage. That is as a result of this card helps 240Hz pass-through at 1080p or 1440p however it may possibly solely seize at as much as 60Hz, no matter decision. That is sufficient for many players to play at a comfortably quick tempo and share respectable high quality clips.

The HD60 X may also seize 4K footage at 30Hz however it may possibly solely move by means of 4K at 60Hz, so when you have one of many more and more frequent 4K displays that may run at 120Hz, you may want a extra highly effective card. Likewise, if you wish to seize your gaming footage at above 30Hz.

In addition to this nice seize and pass-through help, the HD60 X helps variable refresh charge (VRR) so your monitor can nonetheless use its Freesync or G-Sync modes to remove tearing and stutter.

All this and the cardboard’s exterior kind issue and straightforward USB connection makes it simple to setup and versatile, although as with all USB seize playing cards, you may must be sure you have a quick sufficient USB port.

The Elgato 4K X is a extra severe seize card for any PC gamer seeking to seize 4K high quality excessive refresh charge gaming. With its skill to seize and pass-through video at as much as 144Hz at a 4K decision, you’ll be able to recreation with beautiful visuals whereas capturing all that element and easy movement to be used in later video edits. You possibly can even seize 240Hz at 1080p and 144Hz at 1440p.

Crucially, all this energy comes at a value, so for those who do not recreation at excessive refresh charges, or need not seize at these charges, it is best to have a look at saving cash and getting a lower-tier card just like the Elgato HD60 X. In the meantime, if even greater resolutions are what you want, the Elgato 4K Professional is a greater guess as it may possibly seize at 8K and move by means of 4K at 240Hz.

For the overwhelming majority of players, although, the Elgato 4K X needs to be all of the seize card they ever want.

The AVerMedia Reside Gamer 4K is a great-value choice that provides specs  that sit someplace between these of the Elgato HD60 X and Elgato 4K X, however a value that is a lot nearer to the HD60 X. Particularly, this card enables you to seize 1080p at 240Hz, 1440p at 144Hz, and 4K at 60Hz, all of that are charges almost double that of the HD60 X. In the meantime, the 4K X provides that essential 144Hz 4K seize choice.

The draw back to this card is that its inner card kind issue is not as handy because the USB kind issue utilized by the HD60 X, so it is much less simple to swap between utilizing it for capturing PC and console footage, as an example. Or for capturing footage of another gadget. Plug the HD60 X right into a laptop computer, although, and it may be used for capturing all types.

Nonetheless, the massive benefit right here is value. The AVerMedia Reside Gamer 4K is at present solely a greenback or two costlier than the HD60 X whereas providing all that additional capturing fireplace energy. In the meantime, the 4K X is much more costly. So, for those who’re certain you are pleased with an inner card that may stay sat in your foremost gaming PC, that is one of the best worth choice to get.

AVerMedia’s Reside Gamer Extremely 2.1 seize card makes use of an HDMI 2.1 connection – which suggests it may possibly help greater resolutions. With a max 4K144 pass-through, it captures easy, lifelike gameplay and makes your streaming extremely high-end. However this comes at a excessive value. It is also designed particularly for PS5 and Xbox Sequence X/S consoles, however that does not imply you’ll be able to’t apply it to a PC or macOS.

Our skilled reviewer discovered the seize card simple to make use of, and the output was excellent, with zero glitching or tearing. Whereas footage from the Extremely 2.1 is beautiful, be cautious of file measurement. You may probably want an exterior SSD for gaming to retailer 4K seize information.

The Extremely 2.1’s design is agreeable, with RGB lighting that you would be able to customise. It is compact too, so sits unobtrusively on a gaming desk or media unit. We might prefer to see a USB-C enter so as to add an exterior streaming microphone along with the three.5mm headset choice. For stay streaming, it’d preserve all of the audio inputs going by means of one gadget.

The AVerMedia Reside Gamer Extremely 2.1 is a premium seize card for PC (and next-gen consoles). I like to recommend it for those who want one of the best footage cash can purchase.

Learn our AVerMedia Reside Gamer Extremely 2.1 overview

The Elgato 4K Professional does simply what it suggests by being your best option for these in search of a professional-level setup. Whether or not you are mounting it in a second devoted seize PC or your foremost gaming PC, this card can present extremely high-quality pass-through, high-quality seize, and crucially, can work with a number of apps directly.

So, if you wish to seize video, stream to Twitch, and to Zoom on the identical time, you’ll be able to with this card. What’s extra, it may possibly present pass-through video of as much as 8K at 60Hz and 4K at 240Hz. Oddly, although, it really has barely decrease seize high quality settings than the Elgato 4K X. That card tops out at 1440p240 and 4K144, whereas the 4K Professional stops at 1440p144 and 4K60.

The opposite limitation right here is that it’s an inner card, so it is not as simple to make use of with a wide range of gadgets or take with you to seize output from different gadgets elsewhere. For a devoted streaming setup at dwelling, particularly when you have a 240Hz 4K monitor, it is a best choice.

That is in all probability the most cost effective seize card you may get that is really good. Go any cheaper and also you threat utilizing unreliable merchandise from dodgy, unknown manufacturers. NZXT, after all, is well-known for creating implausible parts for gaming PCs and this seize card is just not beneath the usual you’d anticipate from them.

Admittedly, you may get a decrease fps charge and the image high quality will not be fairly as spectacular because the extra premium choices on the record. Nonetheless, it nonetheless boasts zero-lag passthrough help for 4K at 60Hz along with HDR and 1080p at 240Hz. It isn’t such as you’ll get potato-quality footage.

In the meantime, that is additionally a sensible choice for anyone buying their first seize card. It is easy to make use of and set up and does not require that you simply obtain any additional items of software program to stream or report your gameplay. Contemplating all of that and its low value, it is exhausting to criticize the NZXT Sign HD60.

Want a tiny seize card that you would be able to simply transport and swap between gadgets? You may wrestle to seek out one thing as nifty and handy because the Genki Shadowcast. You simply plug it into the gadget you need to seize footage from by way of an HDMI out port, then stick a USB into the opposite finish to attach it to the gadget you need to stream by means of.

As soon as that is all arrange, you employ the Genki Arcade app in your PC or laptop computer and you’ll then do no matter you need with the footage you are capturing.  This shall be notably interesting to anybody who desires, not solely to stream PC video games, but additionally PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Change content material.

This a really low cost seize card, and consequently, the seize high quality will not be fairly pretty much as good as you may see with different gadgets. On prime of that, the standard will fluctuate from gadget to gadget, however due to its measurement and comfort, we stay very impressed with it.