Best External Capture Cards for Gaming (September 2023)

The Elgato Game Capture 4k60+ is a must-have for content creators who are looking forward to scaling up their presence in the near future. Armed with 4k60 HDR 10 capture and zero-lag passthrough, this is also Elgato’s first capture card to use stand-alone recording via an SD card. Its compatibility with all the leading PC broadcasting software out there is what makes the Elgato Game Capture 4k60 S+ a truly compelling buy. With this capture card at your disposal, you no longer have to be at the mercy of big production studios and strapping desktop rigs for recording 4k HDR footage. Compact and portable, the Elgato Game Capture 4k60 S+ contains all the cutting-edge technology required for capturing high-fidelity gameplay.  With the Elgato Game Capture 4k60 S+ by your side, all you need to save your performance is to insert an SD card and hit record, thereby eliminating the need for any PC or software altogether. The HEVC chip that is part of the capture card’s armour promises to deliver the highest encoding performance possible. The true passthrough that the card offers allows your gaming experience to be unaltered irrespective of whether you are broadcasting live or future-proofing your archive.

Whether you want to record an event or use it for personal game streams, the AVerMedia Live Gamer Bolt GC555 is adept at catering to all your needs. It enables capturing 4K HDR content at 60 and 240 FPS for life-like smooth streaming. Precisely record those precious frames without any lagging issues. The capture box follows AVerMedia’s ultra-low latency standard for optimal experience and records appropriately at less than 50 ms.AVerMedia Live Gamer Bolt GC555 features 7.1 surround-sound passthrough technology to provide an immersive recording experience. You can also use AVerMedia’s Gaming Utility to customize and pick your preferred resolution and corresponding FPS without the need for connecting HDMI with a passthrough monitor. Also, the capture box allows you to clone your display monitor with it to eliminate tearing and stuttering issues for buttery capture.The LG Bolt GC555 is compatible with multiple streaming software and platforms. Thus, you will never have to worry about what software you use and focus only on providing high-quality content to your fans and followers. The capture box has HDMI 2.0 ports for both input and output passthroughs. It is compatible with the Windows operating system. NVIDIA GeForce GTX1050 Ti or above and 8GB of RAM are recommended specifications.

Cool and composed, ASUS TUF CU-4K30 is a gaming capture box delivering high-quality streams for your fans and followers. It supports passthrough video streams of up to 60Hz in 4K resolution at 30fps, up to 144Hz in 2K resolution at 60fps, and up to 240Hz in Full HD resolution at 120fps. Thus, you get to capture and stream every detail of the gameplay. The capture box features 2 x HDMI ports, a 3.2 Gen 1x1 Type-C port and two 3.5 mm jacks for the headset and console. This enables you to stream with high-quality audio definition while playing solo or squad.You also get integrated OBS Studio support for easy tweaking and streamlining your content. The size of the compact box is only about half-palm. Thus, it also reduces the hardware clutter so that you can quickly set up your streaming station anywhere and at any time. Also, its aluminum chassis is effective in throwing out the heat generated by the internal components for longevity. There’s an RGB lighting strip at the bottom of the capture box to efficiently convey the functionality’s status. Every function is assigned to a unique color, and the strip changes color based on the status of the capture box.

Elgato Game Capture HD60 S+ lets you enjoy the triple-A value, consequently enhancing your gaming experience. Elgato Game Capture is a good option for gamers as it is so simple to set up. The users only need to connect their console and PC, and they are good to go and begin enjoying their game with their audience. Elgato Game Capture HD60 S+ allows the users to go live on any platform showing in the top-notch resolution of 1080p at a fluid 60 FPS or if you're more of a high-res nut, you could also stream at 2160p at 30FPS. It is also compatible with XSplit, Streamlabs OBS, OBS Studio, and any tools that gamers use regularly.

AVerMedia Live Gamer Mini GC311 is the affordable and smallest solution for streamers wanting to record their gameplay.  This card supports 1080p 60FPS GC311 video pass-through and recording without any latency supporting all the gaming devices and consoles. You can get your hands on this card by spending £109.99. With a weight of 74.5g and dimensions 100mm x 57mm x 18.8mm, this card comes with a Micro USB 2.0 interface. It has video and audio inputs and outputs.  This card supports the resolutions 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 480p and 480i that should meet your requirements. Supporting MPEG 4 recording format, it also supports hardware encoding.