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Streaming a game console, or even just a secondary computer, is a tough business. This difficulty is exacerbated by a glut of low-end capture cards that have flooded the market in recent years. While most of them are fine for basic video capture, the latency and restrictive supported resolutions mean that gaming with one of them will be quite difficult. Fortunately, high-end cards are easy to find and will work in just about any major streaming software suite you're likely to use.
Note: You will see capture cards listing capture (or recording) and transfer resolutions. Capture is the resolution and frame rate that will actually be streamed/recorded, while passthrough is the resolution and frame rate that you will see locally on your TV or monitor.
Mirabox 2021 Real 4K
The Mirabox 2021 Real 4K is a USB 3.0 capture card capable of streaming 4K at 30Hz, with 4K 60Hz passthrough. TV or your monitor. It offers a 30m microphone input and output so you can direct your audio directly into the stream itself and monitor it in real time.
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Mirabox 2 inputs 2 outputs
This capture card is capable of capturing two HDMI inputs and displaying them in a variety of picture-in-picture layouts. This is useful if you need to capture two devices at once, or just want to overlay your video at the hardware level instead of having to create different scene elements in OBS. It's capable of 4K at 30Hz and has a built-in OSD to monitor the live scene while you stream without needing to stop the stream to adjust the scene.
Elgato HD60 S.
The Elgato HD60 S is their entry-level device, with solid 1080p 60Hz capture capability and a USB Type-C connection. Hardware-wise it's a bit basic, but the real benefit here is being fully compatible with Elgato's own streaming software suite which provides a litany of useful features as well as full compatibility with OBS and Streamlabs. If you just want to stream in 1080p and need a solid basic capture card, then this is a reliable performer.
Elgato HD60 S+
The HD60 S+, which supports 4K passthrough at 60Hz and capture with HDR10, takes the lead from Elgato's HD60 S and includes the same level of software capabilities as the HD60 S. It works with a single USB Type -C and has multi-application support so you can capture gameplay in multiple programs at once. Which can be useful if you want to record raw gameplay footage in OBS while streaming in Streamlabs, for example.
Elgato HD60 Pro
This PCIe x1 capture card from Elgato features H.264 hardware encoding to take some of the strain off your CPU, which can be a boon for mid-tier or lower-tier systems. It only runs at 1080p 60Hz, but offers a very solid base experience if you're using older games or hardware and don't need a 4K capture card yet. It also features a much higher bit rate than USB capture cards, which can provide a quality boost.
Elgato 4K60 Pro
Elgato's highest-end 4K60 Pro. It is capable of full 4K 60Hz transmission with HDR10 via PCIe x4. It also provides high frame rate transmission with 1080p at 240Hz and 1440p at 144Hz transmitted to your monitor or TV so you don't lose higher frame rates locally, even when streaming. continued.
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AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K GC573
The frmo AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K is a PCIe Gen 2 x4 capture card capable of capturing 4K 60Hz with HDR enabled, and supports high frame rate passthrough for lower resolutions. It comes with CyberLink's PowerDirector 15 software suite and AVerMedia has its own software suite which can be used to adjust the various settings and resolutions on the card without having to go through OBS. It also has full RGB lighting in three different modes, so it will be perfectly fine if you use a lot of RGB in your PC case.
When choosing a capture card, you should always start with your preferred capture resolution and frame rate, then make sure your preferred passthrough resolution and frame rate are also supported. Afterwards, it's just a question of type of interface and price range. The PCIe card will almost always provide a higher bit rate than USB, but the convenience of a USB capture card is useful in setups that you don't leave permanently.
For more hardware guides, check out the best gaming hardware holiday gifts and the 6 best ring lights of 2021 for streaming on Pro gaming guides.
