Best Capture Card In 2022 For Streaming On Twitch And YouTube

Dedicated capture cards are still practically a must if you're looking to stream your gaming sessions on Twitch or YouTube. While it's true that modern game consoles have built-in features for capturing gameplay footage and screenshots, you won't get the same level of control or customization; plus, there are understandable limitations in place. Capture cards let you connect your console to your PC, allowing you to capture your gameplay feed and push it live to people all around the world. Whether you're gaming on the PS5 and Xbox Series X or older consoles like the PS4, Xbox One, or Nintendo Switch, it's important that you give your viewers the best possible image you can get--capture cards can help with this. Even if you game on a PC, the quality you get from an internal capture card is unbeatable. We've rounded up the best capture cards in 2022. After checking out our recommendations, read on to get tips on what to look for in a capture card.

Best capture cards in 2022

As we try out more capture cards, we'll be sure to update this list with any we find exceptional. In the meantime, be sure to check out the best capture cards we've already tested and vouch for below.

If you're looking for more tech guides see our full guide to the best streaming accessories, best gaming headset, best gaming keyboard, best gaming mice, best Nintendo Switch controllers, best Xbox One controllers, best PS4 controllers, best VR headsets, best budget gaming chairs, and the best budget monitors.

Quick look: Best capture card for 2021

The best high-end capture card: Elgato 4K60 S+
The best budget capture card: EVGA XR1 Lite or Pro
The best 1080p60 capture card: Elgato HD60 S+
An excellent 1080p60 capture card: Razer Ripsaw HD
The best internal capture card: Elgato 4K60 Pro
The best internal capture card for 1080p60: Elgato HD60 Pro

Best budget capture card

EVGA XR1 Lite or Pro

The Good:

Great value
Plug-and-play design
Supports 4K passthrough
Certified for OBS

The Bad:

Requires a PC

The EVGA XR1 Lite offers solid streaming and recording quality for the price. It's capable of recording at 1080p at 60fps and has 4K passthrough, so you can still play your games in 4K while streaming at the lower resolution. The XR1 Lite is certified for OBS and connects via USB 3.0 Type-C. It's compatible with all modern game consoles as well as PC.

If you're willing to spend around 100 bucks, you can grab the EVGA XR1 Pro, which is capable of streaming at 1440p at 60fps or 4K at 30fps. The XR1 Pro also has an audio mixer, so you can tinker with your sound on the fly. And if you're someone who likes RGB lighting, the EVGA XR1 has customizable lighting effects.

See XR1 Lite at Amazon

See XR1 Pro at Amazon

Best high-end capture card

Elgato 4K60 S+

The Good:

Capture up to 4K and 60 FPS gameplay
4K HDR and 60 FPS passthrough
High-end encoder makes recording beautiful footage a breeze
Record footage to a PC or straight to an SD card, including flashback recording
Connects to PC via USB-C
Single-button device makes recording easy

The Bad:

Does not support 1080p240 and 1440p144 passthrough
High price tag

Elgato's new 4K60 S+ is the most exciting capture card on this list, thanks to its onboard video encoder and the ability to capture footage directly to an SD card. All you have to do is plug in your console via HDMI, press the capacitive touch button, and you're recording--no PC needed. And considering its portable form factor, the Elgato 4K60 S+ makes for a great option when going to events like PAX, where you might be able to capture game footage of games before they release. It features 4K HDR and 60 frames per second passthrough (with the right HDMI cable), as well as no noticeable lag, making it something you can leave plugged in at all times. Unfortunately, unlike Elgato's internal 4K60 Pro card, it does not support passthrough for 1080p and 240Hz or 1440p and 144Hz.

The price can also be a deterrent for casual content creators. There's no doubt that the portability, SD card recording, and video-encoding capabilities are attractive features for game capture, but they come at a price--one that's actually quite high. If you don't absolutely need everything the 4K60 S+ has to offer, then you may not want to shell out the extra cash required to pick this high-end external capture card up.

See at Amazon

Best 1080p60 capture card

Elgato HD60 S+

The Good:

Capture up to 1080p and 60 FPS gameplay
4K HDR and 60 FPS passthrough
Connects to PC via USB-C
Easy to set up

The Bad:

Requires a PC

If you're looking for a cheaper portable capture card, then Elgato's HD60 S+ is a great option. A successor to the Game Capture HD60 S, the S+ capable of capturing up to 1080p and 60 FPS and passthrough of 4K HDR and 60 FPS. This makes it a great capture card that you can keep plugged in at all times, though you will need a PC to record your gameplay--the HD60 S+ does not have an SD card slot. The accompanying software also supports flashback recording. The Game Capture HD60 S+ is perfect for Twitch, YouTube, Mixer, and any other streaming or video platform you want to create for, and is the best capture card for getting started quickly.

See at Amazon

Best audio features + solid streaming performance

Razer Ripsaw HD

The Good:

Captures up to 1080p and 60 FPS gameplay
Supports 4K and 60 FPS passthrough
3.5mm ports are perfect for gaming headset

The Bad:

Doesn't support HDR passthrough
Requires a PC

Razer, known for its excellent gaming keyboards and mice, also makes a great game capture card. Slick and discrete, the Ripsaw HD easy to place anywhere on your desk and keep a low profile, while capturing up to 1080p and 60 FPS with passthrough for 4K and 60 FPS. It unfortunately does not support HDR passthrough. This capture device's unique feature allows you to plug in a 3.5mm microphone and headphones to record your voice and monitor your audio respectively--this is perfect if you plan on streaming with a gaming headset. For the budget-minded gamer, this, along with decent streaming software, is all you need to start streaming your game footage and build your Twitch channel.

See at Amazon

Best internal capture card

Elgato 4K60 Pro

The Good:

Perfect for nearly every platform out there
Captures up to 4K and 60 FPS as well as HDR
Supports up to 1080p240Hz and 1440p144Hz passthrough
Internal PCIe card lets you set it and forget it

The Bad:

Requires a PC

The Elgato 4K60 Pro is the best internal PCIe capture card out there. It's capable of capturing gameplay up to 4K and 60 frames per second directly from your gaming PC, and it's easy to set up, too: All you have to do is plug it into your motherboard and download the drivers to get it working--no USB cable required. It can capture HDR and passthrough up to 1080p at 240Hz and 1440p at 144Hz. These passthrough capabilities are particularly useful if you're going to use this card to capture your own PC's gameplay, as you won't have to sacrifice your own experience while recording or streaming. It also works seamlessly with the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. With some third-party accessories, I was even able to capture retro platforms like the Nintendo GameCube and Wii without the need for an external capture box.

See at Amazon

A great capture card for 1080p60 PC gamers

Elgato HD60 Pro

The Good:

Captures up to 1080p and 60 FPS
Supports 1080p and 60 FPS passthrough
Internal PCIe card lets you set it and forget it

The Bad:

Isn't suitable for PS4 Pro or Xbox One X
Requires a PC

The HD60 Pro is a version of Elgato's internal PCIe capture card that supports capture and passthrough up to 1080p and 60 frames per second. It has fewer features and capabilities than the 4K60 Pro, but it also comes at a much cheaper price. If capturing in 4K HDR isn't something that interests you, then the HD60 Pro video capture card is more than enough to handle your streaming and recording needs, especially if you're an aspiring streamer or YouTuber.

See Elgato HD60 Pro at Best Buy

What to look for in a capture card

The first thing you should consider when picking out a capture card is how you're going to use it. If you plan on doing a lot of streaming at home and want to keep things relatively clutter-free, then an internal capture card that you insert into your PC's motherboard, such as the Elgato 4K60 Pro, is a great choice that offers excellent quality as well. Portable capture cards, like the Elgato HD60 S+, are great for those who want the flexibility of being able to take it wherever they need to go--though in most cases, you will need a laptop nearby if you plan on travelling away from home and using your capture card. Once you've figured out what suits your needs best, choosing the right capture card is much easier.

From this point, you need to consider the platforms you're going to be recording. Capture cards have a variety of features that can either take advantage of your platforms' features or restrict them entirely if you don't buy the right device for your setup.

Refresh rate is actually quite simple. A screen with a 60Hz refresh rate is capable of showing you 60 images per second--or 60 frames per second. The vast majority of capture cards can only capture up to 60 FPS, so you don't need to worry too much about this--though if you're playing on a PC, you may still want to enjoy your ultra-high refresh rates while recording. This is where passthrough comes in.

You'll notice that each capture device has a different range of passthrough, including 4K passthrough. This refers to the signal that the capture card is able to "pass through" itself and on to your own screen while recording. In some cases, a gaming capture card is capable of capturing certain resolutions and refresh rates while passing through higher resolutions and refresh rates--for example, capturing 1080p and 60Hz but passing through 1440p and 144Hz. The passthrough capabilities of each device are different, so be sure to think of your setup and what device can accommodate your gameplay footage and 4K passthrough needs.

Thankfully, if you're strictly a console gamer, then you're covered on all fronts for now. The PS4 Pro and Xbox One X are capable of resolutions up to 4K with 60 frames per second, something multiple capture cards are capable of recording directly from the game console. Several consoles also feature HDR support, and while you may want to record everything you're able to see from your console, HDR capture isn't necessarily something you should worry about. HDR stands for high-dynamic range, which refers to the range of colours a device and game are able to display. TVs and content that support HDR often have beautiful bright colours, making a huge impact on the overall image quality. Capturing HDR footage from your gaming console is an appealing prospect, but it requires expensive equipment and only people with HDR-capable screens will be able to enjoy it. If you still want to experience your console's HDR for yourself, then you'll want to keep an eye out for devices capable of HDR passthrough.

There are quite a few professional-grade capture cards out there that are made for filmmaking and cameras. These can work with consoles and your PC, but they're very expensive and totally gratuitous for the content most YouTubers and Twitch streamers make. We left these types of products out and focused on the best capture cards that will be most useful for video game content creators.

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