The best capture cards for PC gamers in 2024

Elgato’s HD60 S+ is the best capture card for 1080p streaming at 60fps. While it records gameplay in HD, it still allows you to see the image at a higher resolution thanks to its passthrough supporting 4K, 60fps, HDR10, and zero latency – which is ideal if you’re using it with the best gaming monitor.

Though it does struggle a little bit when it comes to capturing higher framerates, it offers absolutely fantastic 4K HDR playthrough. Meanwhile, its native software is super easy to use and ideal for anyone just getting into capturing their gameplay.

It’s an external model that connects to your recording device via USB, supported by an app that makes it super easy to set up with your favorite streaming software, such as OBS or XSplit. It’s a fantastic all-rounder and that’s why it gets our top recommendation.

Streaming a competitive game such as CS:GO or Dota 2? You’ll want the capability of a high refresh rate passthrough. This model can handle passthrough and recording of 4K resolution at 60Hz, 1440p at up to 144Hz, or 1080p at 240Hz, keeping gameplay as smooth as butter for you and your viewers.

It’s an internal capture card that slots into a PCIe x4 slot, so make sure you’ve got one spare on the best gaming motherboard. Oh, and there’s RGB lighting, which won’t improve streaming quality, but it’ll look damn good as it works its magic.

Worth keeping in mind that you’ll need a fairly powerful setup in order to use this without any issues. If you’re using an older PC, or a budget option, then you might want to think about upgrading if you’re set on using the AverMedia Live Gamer 4K- though if you’re already playing 4K games on your PC, it’ll probably be fine.

AVerMedia’s Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 capture card makes use of an HDMI 2.1 connection – which means it can support higher resolutions. With a max 4K144 pass-through, it captures smooth, lifelike gameplay and makes your streaming ultra high-end. But this comes at a high price. It’s also designed specifically for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it on a PC or macOS.

Our expert reviewer found the capture card easy to use, and the output was superb, with zero glitching or tearing. While footage from the Ultra 2.1 is stunning, be wary of file size. You’ll likely need an external SSD for gaming to store 4K capture files.

The Ultra 2.1’s design is pleasing, with RGB lighting that you can customize. It’s compact too, so sits unobtrusively on a gaming desk or media unit. We’d like to see a USB-C input to add an external streaming microphone in addition to the 3.5mm headset option. For live streaming, it’d keep all the audio inputs going through one device.

The AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 is a premium capture card for PC (and next-gen consoles). I recommend it if you need the best footage money can buy.

Read our AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 review

The second appearance of Elgato on this list. While the Elgato HD60 S+ is a fantastic all-rounder sort of capture card, the 4K60 Pro MK.2 has been made specifically to appeal to streamers. The ability to capture 4k footage at 60fps is no doubt going to be tantalizing for anybody who likes to showcase impressive next-gen titles.

Beyond the quality, this capture card also boasts the ability to push two video output sources at once. Unfortunately, when used to its full capacity, it can be quite taxing on your PC, so unless you have the best gaming PC, or a dual PC setup, things might run a little slowly.

Still, if you’ve got the cash to spare and a powerful enough rig, then this is going to be a fantastic choice of capture card. You’ll struggle to find anything that can capture game footage with this level of detail, and with out-of-the-box compatibility with most streaming and editing platforms, it’s wonderfully simple to use too,

This is probably the cheapest capture card you can get that’s actually good. Go any cheaper and you risk using unreliable products from dodgy, unknown brands. NZXT, of course, is well known for creating fantastic components for gaming PCs and this capture card is not below the standard you’d expect from them.

Admittedly, you’ll get a lower fps rate and the picture quality won’t be quite as impressive as the more premium options on the list. Nonetheless, it still boasts zero-lag passthrough support for 4K at 60Hz in addition to HDR and 1080p at 240Hz. It’s not like you’ll get potato-quality footage.

Meanwhile, this is also a good choice for anybody purchasing their first capture card. It’s easy to use and install and doesn’t require that you download any further pieces of software to stream or record your gameplay. Considering all of that and its low price, it’s hard to criticize the NZXT Signal HD60.

Need a tiny capture card that you can easily transport and swap between devices? You’ll struggle to find something as nifty and convenient as the Genki Shadowcast. You just plug it into the device you want to capture footage from via an HDMI out port, then stick a USB into the other end to connect it to the device you want to stream through.

Once that’s all set up, you use the Genki Arcade app on your PC or laptop and you can then do whatever you want with the footage you’re capturing.  This will be particularly appealing to anyone who wants, not only to stream PC games, but also PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch content.

This a very cheap capture card, and as a result, the capture quality won’t be quite as good as you’ll see with other devices. On top of that, the quality will vary from device to device, but because of its size and convenience, we remain very impressed with it.