The perfect seize card: 4K and 1080p playing cards for PS5, Xbox, PC, Swap

Whether or not you’re streaming video games for an viewers otherwise you need to report some informal gameplay footage out of your PC, PS5, Xbox Collection X, or Nintendo Swap, you may want a seize card. It’s an important 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 which you can edit later to share on-line.

There are a number of fashions on the market, and also you may get fortunate discovering the correct one with out placing within the analysis. Then once more, you could not get so fortunate. Our information contains dependable, feature-packed seize playing cards, overlaying a spread of expensive and cheap choices. To finish the streaming setup, we’ve additionally included some suggestions for digicam seize playing cards, in case you need to flip your DSLR right into a webcam. We’ll hold this submit up to date as extra fashions turn into obtainable.

Greatest seize card

Elgato HD 60 X

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

The HD60 X connects to PCs by way of 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 will 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. If you happen to’re recording in 1440p or 1080p resolutions, it may well seize at a sooner 120 fps.

Including to its spectacular checklist of specs, the HD60 X grants consumers entry to Elgato’s 4K Seize Utility software program. This software isn’t completely vital, but it surely’s simpler to be taught for streaming newcomers than OBS Studio. The 4K Seize Utility additionally lets you report commentary over your video clip, in case 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, but it surely typically sells for much less. In its place that’s considerably inexpensive, the $64.99 UCEC GAM Reside seize card helps the identical passthrough/seize resolutions and body charges because the HD60 X, but it surely might not be as dependable because the HD60 X.

Greatest finances seize card

AVerMedia Reside Gamer Mini

If you happen to’re simply testing the waters with capturing and enhancing gameplay footage, there are some good seize card choices that value nicely underneath $100. The AVerMedia Reside Gamer Mini has a listing value of $99.99, however is repeatedly obtainable 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 alternative for capturing footage from the Nintendo Swap. The Reside Gamer Mini is appropriate with different consoles as nicely, however this mannequin received’t make PS5 and Xbox video games look their finest.

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

Greatest 4K seize card

AVerMedia 4K60 HDR10

Because of the present limits of how a lot knowledge you’ll be able to funnel by way of a USB connection, PCIe seize playing cards are your only option if you wish to seize gameplay at 4K, 60 fps. Your best option we’ve discovered for doing that’s the AVerMedia 4K60 HDR10, which is often obtainable for round $200.

As its title suggests, the 4K60 is able to a most seize and passthrough decision of 4K at 60 fps, even with HDR enabled. The cardboard may report at increased 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 to seize 120 fps footage by pulling down your console’s output decision to 1440p. We’re conserving 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 embrace Elgato’s PCIe card, the 4K60 Professional MK.2, which is provided with related specs, however prices $249.99. The largest distinction (except for the model title) is that AVerMedia’s choice doesn’t embrace video enhancing software program. That’s no huge deal, so long as you’re desperate to discover ways to use OBS Studio.

There are PCIe card choices obtainable 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 suggest taking this route.

Greatest seize card that doesn’t require a PC

AVerMedia GC513 Moveable 2 Plus

Stand-alone seize playing cards can seize footage with out being tethered to a PC. As an alternative, they function a microSD or full-size SD card slot that can retailer your gameplay till you’ll be able to deposit the information onto your PC. This function alone makes this sort of seize card probably the most versatile choice, despite the fact that they at the moment assist a decrease seize decision than the options. However look no additional for one which’s splendid for bringing to tournaments, or different conditions the place a laptop computer or desktop received’t be obtainable to you.

Till Elgato makes a extra aggressive choice than its discontinued 4K60 S+, your only option for a stand-alone card is the AVerMedia GC513 Moveable 2 Plus, which helps 4K passthrough at 60 fps, however is restricted 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.

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

Greatest digicam seize card

Elgato Cam Hyperlink 4K

Digicam 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 best choice 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 widespread producers like Nikon, Canon, and GoPro.

AVerMedia presents a barely inexpensive digicam seize card that options related 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.