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If you are passionate about network
games and want to stream some of your games that you play with friends or
opponents, you should know that there are video capture cards to record them or
broadcast the video of your games at the highest quality.
These
ingenious little devices (also available in internal PCI card format), allow
you to record your game and process its transmission in streaming, so that the
CPU of your console or PC can dedicate its power to execute the game.
As
you know, both the PS4 and Xbox One can currently stream and record streams
directly, but their capabilities are limited and game performance is likely to
be affected at certain sets of the game.
A video capture card will help ensure that you can get the highest quality game images possible without experiencing fps (frames per second) playback lag, which is essential to remain competitive.
In
the case of Nintendo Switch owners, the console can only record a few seconds
of video without any possibility of transmission, so the use of one of the
devices analyzed here becomes essential for the entire user community.
Here we show you a complete list of video capture solutions with which you can broadcast your games and grow in followers on your social networks, either on YouTube or Twitch . mucommucation
The best video capturers of 2021
Elgato Game Capture HD60 - The most compact
·
£
159.95
Most
people who are interested in capture cards are probably hoping to stream live
to services like Twitch. If you are from this group, the Elgato
HD60 S solution is one of the best you will find.
It
is external, but very light and compact, since it barely occupies the size of
an external SSD hard drive. It is ideal for transmitting from anywhere and
at any time. It also has a simple look: sleek black, with a single slim
light bar to show when it's active.
The
ports are minimal, but they cover what you need: HDMI input and output, USB to
connect it to a PC computer, and a 3.5 mm audio jack so you can connect your
headphones and put comments on the broadcast video.
Designed
primarily for streaming, the HD60 S uses USB 3.0 for streaming ensuring low
latency of up to 1080p and 60fps - it's fluid enough that you can play games
using your PC for streaming on the same screen.
However,
the HD60 S is a bit slow at recording images, so we wouldn't recommend it if
that's your priority. You can record images, but you may need to lower the
resolution and frame rate.
The
HD60 S comes with Elgato Game Capture software, which is by far the simplest
and easiest to use capture software (recommended for beginners), although it
lacks some of the deeper features of its rivals.
Still, it's great for anyone new to the technology, making the HD60 S our recommendation for any newbie starting out in streaming, proving to be sufficient for most users.
Razer Ripsaw HD - The Advanced Choice
·
£
159.99
The Razer
Ripsaw HD solution offers a simpler approach to use than its previous
version, dropping certain features in favor of offering a simpler approach.
With
this in mind, the ports are simple: HDMI input and output, USB-C for connecting
to a PC (and drawing power from it), audio input for adding a microphone to the
video mix, as well as audio output for headphones.
Combine
it with the sleek, simple design and high-quality cables (an HDMI cable, USB-A
to USB-C, and 3.5mm audio) and you'll see how the Razer feels like an
undeniably premium proposition ,
as you'd expect from part of the brand.
Streaming
and recording take place at up to 1080p and 60fps, but HDMI pass-through still
delivers 4K, so your own video quality doesn't need to be compromised for
streaming purposes.
So
what is the problem? The software. The Razer Synapse hub is still
interesting but without exploiting all the possibilities of the product, which
does not mean that it is a recognized proposal by applications such as OBS and
XSplit.
We
had some trouble getting it up and running, even though Razer for Ripsaw has
always been plug-and-play ,
but it's not really as simple as it sounds. Once up and running, the
Ripsaw HD offers excellent quality.
Interesting for those who have more advanced knowledge of hardware and video game streaming.
Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro - For PC Professionals
·
£
189.95
We
have previously seen the capabilities of the model in external format, and here
we bring you the capturer in the form of a PCIe card that you can integrate
into your PC. You will not need great computer skills, since you only have
a single position.
Obviously,
that means that it is only useful if you have a desktop PC which you want to
use to capture images, and if you feel comfortable opening your computer for
installation, (or you know a friend who will do it for you).
This
means that it is truly the ideal choice for anyone with a single desktop gaming
platform who wants to use their PC to simultaneously play games and capture
images, without affecting the performance of your CPU.
Now
keep in mind that there will still be some performance hit - this may not
completely offload all the processing work from the image capture, but it will
do something positive to lighten up your CPU and GPU.
Given
the nature of the setup, performance really depends on your computer (which is
technically true for all cards, but a lot more here), although in general it
should be capable of recording at 1080p and 60fps, with acceptable performance.
As
with the other Elgato cards, you will find the company's Game
Capture software ,
which is also compatible with third-party alternatives.