These are the best capture cards for PC gaming, streaming, and recording. From 720p to 4K capture.
The best capture cards for PC gaming offer true recording freedom. A good capture device will lessen the load on your main gaming PC to allow for high-quality streaming, and can expand your gaming repertoire beyond PC platforms and into console exclusive territory. If you’re a budding Twitch or YouTube streamer, a capture card makes your dual-PC broadcast that little bit better and that little bit easier—so make sure you pick the right one for the job.
Read more
(Image credit: Future)
Our pick of the best gaming monitors to buy in 2020
The best capture card for you will depend on what kind of content you plan to make. Are you recording footage to edit later or focusing on streaming? Some cards are better for one or the other. Video resolution, particularly for streaming, varies from card-to-card, too.
We recommend most focus on a 1080p target resolution with any potential capture card purchase. There are good 4K capture cards out there, but they’re expensive, and most aren’t capturing a ton of 4K video—the storage needs can be harsh and you need serious upload bandwidth too. Most capture cards also come with some kind of software: While most streamers use some form of OBS or XSplit, video work is nothing if not unpredictable, so it doesn’t hurt to have good software as a backup.
In general, our selections cover a few scenarios, but we’ve leaned good towards all-around solutions. You never know what kind of content you’re going to want to make in the future, so these cards will hopefully prepare you for anything. If you’re picking up a capture card as part of a bigger build for a streaming setup, take a look at our picks for the best webcams and the best microphones for streaming.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Elgato)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Elgato)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Elgato)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Elgato) 1. Elgato Game Capture HD60 S
The best capture card for streaming and recording
Resolution: 1080p| Frame rate: 60fps| Interface: USB 3.0
Prime
$179.99
View at Amazon
$179.99
View at Best Buy
$179.99
View at CORSAIR
See all prices (6 found)
1 Amazon customer review
☆☆☆☆☆
Excellent capture quality
Good price
This is the perfect card for anyone wanting to get their gameplay online with as little hassle as possible. Elgato are experts in their field, and the HD60 S proves it; reasonably priced and simple to use, it’s probably the best place to start if you’re new to streaming, and your gaming PC can’t manage it solo. Crisp 1080p recordings at 60fps are a feather in its cap, while USB 3.0 connectivity is a happy bonus. Built-in software to get you up and running seal the deal. The only downside would be the card’s somewhat limited editing suite—it’s not much good for anything beyond trimming video. However, it does have ‚Flashback Recording‘ to help you retroactively capture even if you forgot to hit ‚record.‘
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Avermedia)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Avermedia)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Avermedia)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Avermedia)2. AverMedia Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus
A brilliant, user friendly pick
Resolution: 1080p| Frame rate: 60fps| Interface: USB 3.0
Prime
$139.99
View at Amazon
$139.99
View at Best Buy
$169.
