10 Best Capture Cards for Recording and Streaming
Streaming is more popular than it’s ever been. Popular live streaming sites like Twitch continue to break records, with 2021 seeing a historic 24 billion hours of watch time. Big-name streamers use equipment like professional cameras, lighting, audio mixers, and green screens to elevate their production value.
If you are interested in starting a stream of your own, you don’t need tons of expensive equipment from the get-go. Especially if you plan on streaming video games, the first piece of gear you’ll need to get started is a simple capture card. Capture cards make it easy to record and stream your best gaming moments from computers and home consoles alike.
What to Consider
When picking the best capture card for your recording and streaming needs, there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, think about what you want your recording and streaming resolution to be. Most capture cards are capable of either a max capture resolution of 1080p or 4K. If you already own tons of high-end equipment, we recommend a 4K-capable capture card. Otherwise, a 1080p capture card is sufficient for most people.
If you primarily use a gaming desktop for streaming, you may want to consider an internal capture card. While most capture cards plug in via USB, internal capture cards plug directly into your desktop’s motherboard. This direct connection leads to smoother, high-quality video capture.
While many capture cards come with built-in software, most streamers turn to dedicated streaming software like Open Broadcast Software (OBS) or XSplit.
How We Selected
Many of these recommendations come from personal use. For the products we couldn’t test ourselves, we performed intensive research, reviewing content from expert sources like PC Gamer, PCMag, CNET, Tom’s Guide, DigitalTrends, and others, as well as thousands of consumer reviews from online storefronts like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. As for the products themselves, we evaluated them on performance, compatibility, build quality, and price.
