Whether you're streaming PS5, Xbox Series X, or Nintendo Switch, a capture card is the key to getting high-quality footage into OBS or Streamlabs. We tested the top contenders — from the versatile Elgato HD60 X to the budget-friendly EVGA XR1 Lite — to help you find the right fit for your setup and budget.
Streaming from a console is different from streaming from a PC. Your PS5, Xbox Series X, or Switch can broadcast to Twitch or YouTube on its own, but the quality is locked in — you can't add overlays, switch scenes, or adjust bitrate in real time. A capture card fixes that. It pipes your console's HDMI signal into your computer so OBS or Streamlabs can do the heavy lifting.
Here are the best capture cards for console streaming right now.
| Pick | Best for | Capture | Passthrough | Price tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elgato HD60 X | Overall | 1080p60 | 4K60 HDR | Mid |
| EVGA XR1 Lite | Budget | 1080p60 | 4K60 | Budget |
| Elgato 4K60 S+ | 4K recording | 4K60 HDR | 4K60 HDR | Premium |
| Genki ShadowCast | Portability | 1080p30 | 4K60 | Compact |
| AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus | PC-free recording | 1080p60 | 4K60 | Mid |
The Elgato HD60 X is the most well-rounded capture card for console streamers. It captures 1080p60 video while passing through 4K60 HDR to your TV or monitor, so you don't have to choose between stream quality and your own viewing experience.1
Setup is genuinely plug-and-play on Xbox Series X and PS5 — the card is natively supported, which means no workarounds or EDID emulators. It's compact, runs cool, and the USB-C connection keeps latency low. If you're buying one capture card and want it to just work, this is it.
Specs: 1080p60 capture, 4K60 HDR passthrough, USB-C, external
The EVGA XR1 Lite proves you don't need to spend a lot to get solid performance. It records 1080p60 and passes through 4K60, matching the core specs of cards that cost twice as much.2
Build quality is surprisingly good for the price — metal housing, not cheap plastic. The only real compromise is the lack of a USB-C cable in the box (it uses USB-C but ships with a USB-A adapter), and there's no HDR passthrough. If you're just starting out or streaming on a tight budget, this is the smart buy.
Specs: 1080p60 capture, 4K60 passthrough, USB-C, budget
Most capture cards record 1080p and pass through 4K. The Elgato 4K60 S+ actually captures 4K60 video, and it does it without a computer — just plug in an SD card and record directly.3
This is overkill if you're streaming at 1080p, but if you need pristine 4K footage for YouTube or archival, it's the only external card that delivers. It also supports HDR capture, which is rare. The trade-off is price — it's the most expensive card here — and size, since it's noticeably larger than the HD60 X.
Specs: 4K60 HDR capture, 4K60 HDR passthrough, SD card recording, premium
The Genki ShadowCast is tiny — about the size of a USB-C dongle — and designed for portability. It captures 1080p30 (not 60) and passes through 4K60, which makes it fine for casual streaming or mirroring a Switch or PS5 on a laptop screen.
The lower frame rate cap means it's not ideal for fast-paced competitive games, and there's no HDR support. But for travel, quick demos, or a secondary setup, the size is unbeatable.
Specs: 1080p30 capture, 4K60 passthrough, ultra-compact, portable
The AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus (LGP2+) captures 1080p60 and can record directly to an SD card without a PC. That makes it a great choice if you want to record gameplay on the go or don't want to haul a laptop to a LAN party.
It also works as a standard USB capture card when plugged into a computer. The button-based controls on the device itself let you start/stop recording without touching software. It's bulkier than the Elgato options, but the standalone recording feature is genuinely useful.
Specs: 1080p60 capture, 4K60 passthrough, SD card recording, mid-range
Most capture cards — including our top pick, the HD60 X — capture at 1080p and pass through 4K to your display. That means your TV or monitor sees 4K, but your stream or recording is 1080p. This is fine for 99% of streamers because Twitch and YouTube cap most streams at 1080p anyway.
True 4K capture (like the 4K60 S+) matters if you're recording for offline editing or publishing high-resolution YouTube videos.
HDR passthrough (and even rarer, HDR capture) is becoming more common. The HD60 X and 4K60 S+ both support HDR passthrough. If you play in HDR and want to keep that visual fidelity on your monitor while streaming, make sure your card supports it.
For console streaming, external USB capture cards are the way to go. Internal PCIe cards are faster but require a desktop PC and are harder to swap between setups. External cards work with any laptop or desktop and are plug-and-play.
If you want to record gameplay without a computer — say, at a friend's house or on a trip — look for a card with SD card recording. The Elgato 4K60 S+ and AVerMedia LGP2+ both support this.
We evaluated capture cards based on capture resolution, passthrough resolution, HDR support, ease of setup with modern consoles (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch), build quality, and price. Sources include hands-on testing data from TechRadar1 and IGN.
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