Capture cards are a critical component if you want to record your gameplay. Most people use capture cards to stream content from systems that don’t have built-in streaming capabilities, such as the Switch or most mobile gaming devices. Another effective use is to use a capture card to record footage of a game for later editing.
If you want to start capturing game footage, so you can reach your streaming or content creation goals, knowing what’s available is critical. The capture card industry isn’t as active as other components, but there’s still a good amount of competition. Here’s a quick primer on the best capture cards available in 2024 and which you should go for.
Elgato HD60 X Capture Card
The shining standard for capture cards
The Elgato HD60 X is the latest flagship product of the Elgato brand. This card replaced the HD60 S+, bringing new features, great pricing, and a good entry-level experience.
One of the best cards you may find on the market is the Elgato HD60 X. Elgato is most known for their capture cards, with the Elgato HD60 S+ having been one of the most popular components on the market for capturing. The HD60 X is the follow-up to that component with a few marked improvements.
This card excels for consoles and has particular popularity with the Switch. This is because the card captures in 1080p, which is the highest resolution the Switch offers, making it a natural fit. It also has a passthrough for 4k resolution, making it ideal for capturing footage from computer games and consoles. The cost is higher than for most cards, but you’re getting astrong performancefor the price you pay.
Razer Ripsaw HD
Perfect card for multitasking
The Razer Ripsaw is a notable addition to the capture card market from peripheral titan Razer. This card’s biggest claim to fame is its full audio mixing capabilities, which can help make your task of editing more enjoyable.
Razer is among the most trusted and well-known brands in gaming peripherals. While they’re mostly known for keyboards, mice, and gaming chairs, their capture card is a stellar product that won’t leave you wanting more. This card is streamlined for use with the PS4, Xbox One, and Switch, which means it may have some stiffer competition regarding the newest generation of consoles. Like other cards, its natural capture is 1080p, making it ideal for the Switch or PCs with older GPUs that can easily do this resolution.
Aside from its capturing abilities, it also has a 4K 60 FPS passthrough. You can use this passthrough to record higher resolutions, though some systems may return some mixed results. One of its greatest features is itsaudio mixing capabilities, as well as a simple 3.5mm audio cable jack for a quick and easy setup.
EVGA XR1
Enhancing gameplay whether you’re recording or not
EVGA is bringing its strong, competition-topping products to the capture card market. The XR1 is everything a capture card should be, with passthroughs to make the gaming experience more streamlined as a whole.
EVGA has several capture cards that’ll catch your attention during your research, but its flagship product is undoubtedly the XR1. If you’re looking for a capture card for consoles, this is our card of choice.
Like most capture cards, its native resolution is 1080P with an acceptable 60 FPS. It also lets you switch to up to 1440p with 144Hz with HDR, though it won’t capture in this mode and purely enhances your gaming experience. EVGA also touts this as being the first device that’s certified for OBS, so if that’s your stream capture software of choice, this card will offer some excellent compatibility perks.
EVGA XR1 Lite Capture Card
The little brother of the EVGA XR1
The “little brother” of the EVGA XR1, the EVGA XR1 Lite offers almost everything its partner product does. This product is smaller and cheaper, but is missing a handful of perks that the XR1 offers.
If you’ve found the EVGA XR1 and feel that it’s overkill for you, you may want its little brother, the EVGA XR1 Lite. This card is perfect for entry-level capturing, landing it on our list as the best beginner card where budget isn’t a restriction. The card features many of the same perks as the XR1, coming in at a 1080P 60FPS recording quality, the same USB setup, and the same OBS official licensing. So what makes it the Lite version?
One of the reasons for this title is that it’s significantly smaller at nearly half the size. This product’s dimensions are 3.9"x2.8"x0.61", compared to the XR1’s 7"x5.3"x3.6". That makes it perfect if your setup has limited space. It’s also cheaper and lacks some of the features that the original XR1 has. We’d recommend using this card until you’ve decided to upgrade. If you love what you have, the XR1 is a great point to go afterward, but you may find yourself wanting to veer into other, more heavy-duty products.
ASUS TUF CU4K30
The ASUS TUF Gaming capture card is one of the most powerful cards on the market. With 4K/60FPS play and 30FPS capture for streaming, this card’s only downside is a higher-than-average price.
ASUS TUF is known throughout the PC world for their strong laptops, hardy peripherals, and effective hardware choices. In the capture card industry, their ASUS TUF Gaming Capture Card, the CU4K30, is one of the most powerful and easy-to-use options on the market. This card is perfect for any console or PC and can record in any gaming resolution.
The CU4K30’s name hints at its ability to capture video in 4K resolution at 30 Hz. Doing so gives you some of thebest live-stream visualson the market. It’s also straightforward to use with little more than plug-and-play. The card itself has a durable outer shell that makes sure it won’t break if you drop it a time or two while also keeping its profile slim for your setup. Overall, the high price is the only thing stopping this from being an easy choice for the best card on the market.
AVerMedia Live Gamer Mini
Fine performance, exemplary cost
The AverMedia Live Gamer Mini is a compact and low-cost capture card for gamers on a budget. It caps out at 1080p capture, but an HDMI passthrough can offer higher resolution.
AverMedia isn’t the most well-known brand on the market partially because their products aren’t as widespread as many others. But when you can find the brand’s products, you’ll find some of the best budget options on the market. The AverMedia Live Gamer Mini is no exception, earning its place on our list as the best budget option for a capture card in 2024.
The AverMedia Live Gamer Mini’s main claim is its extremely low cost. While high-end capture cards create an expensive barrier to entry, you can buy this card for a lower price than most games you’ll record. For that, it will record at 1080p, capture at 60FPS, and provide support for both PC and console, making it just as powerful as most cards. That said, some people find the card too thick to easily put it in a setup, and its use of USB 2.0 instead of the modern 3.0 makes it slightly less desirable.
Elgato HD60 S+ Capture Card
Still available, though slightly outdated
The Elgato HD60 S+ capture card has been phased out by Elgato’s recent release of the HD60 X. However, you’ll still see this list mentioned frequently online, making it an option worth knowing about during your research.
We’re including the Elgato HD60 S+ capture card as an honorable mention. This card has been shifted out of production for the most part, replaced by Elgato’s newer product, the HD60 X. The newer product is a bit better in every way, but the HD60 S+ was the industry standard until getting replaced. As such, you’ll still often find many resources online that suggest this card despite Elgato phasing it out for a newer model, so we thought it best to address the card.
With that said, you might struggle to find this one in stock in some places. Best Buy and Walmart will often have one or two in stock, while Amazon is more likely to have some still on the shelf. It often comes at a slightly lower price than the HD60 X, but is still more expensive (and higher quality) than most modern competitors. This is the perfect card if you find it used or at a discount, and using one will still give you a stellar performance for your capture, but we recommend aiming for a more recent release.
FAQ
Are Capture Cards Difficult To Use?
Most capture cards are remarkably easy to use. Our list is full of cards that require little more than a USB plugin, an HDMI passthrough, and/or an audio jack. Manufacturers often have resources online that you can use to learn how a card works.
Do I Need A Capture Card To Stream?
From most sources, no. Modern consoles and most PCs have streaming capabilities that allow you to use their built-in software to stream. Capture cards are good for recording in this situation. However, some gaming platforms don’t have these built-in capabilities, such as the Nintendo Switch, making a capture card necessary.
How Much Do Capture Cards Cost?
Capture cards vary heavily in their costs depending on their features, age, manufacturer, retail outlet, and more. At their most expensive, they’re around the $200 mark. The cheapest cards are often cheaper than a full-price game.
