Anyone who has always dreamed of a career as a Let’s Player or streamer will sooner or later come across the topic of “capture cards”. This is an interface between consoles and PC. While PC gamers can record their games using software without any further problems, Xbox, Playstation and Co. need this extra.
Elgato has established itself as the go-to company in this area for many years. The former Munich peripheral producer has now brought two new cards onto the market: Elgato Game Capture 4K X and Elgato Game Capture 4K Pro. We have looked at both and will tell you who the innovations are really worth it for.
Internal or external?
Although both capture cards have the same purpose, they differ significantly visually and in connection. So let’s start with a look at the Game Capture 4K X.
Source: Elgato/Corsair This is an external card. The 4K X has an HDMI in and output, a USB-C port, and an analog audio input. The structure for routing the signal from the console to the PC is quite simple. The HDMI signal from the console is fed into the HDMI input of the capture card and then continues via HDMI out to the monitor or television.
What’s special about the 4K X is that recordings and passthroughs with up to 4K144 and HDR10 are possible with HDMI 2.1. If that’s too complicated for you, here’s a breakdown: The card can record the exact image that comes out of your console and play it back without loss. Previously, external cards were limited to a maximum of 4K60.
The 4K X also offers the option of recording gameplay on the go thanks to the USB-C port. Elgato recommends an iPad, which then saves the content in the photo gallery or internal storage. It’s a shame, however, that features from the predecessor were simply eliminated.
The Game Capture 4K60 S+ offered an SD card slot, which meant you could save games directly to the card. Completely without a PC. But the function disappeared from the market along with the card.
Source: Elgato/Corsair In principle, anything that can be passed through via HDMI can be connected to the 4K X. In addition to consoles, these can also be PCs or cameras. Elgato has other proprietary solutions for cameras.
The possibility of sending the image from another PC through will be exciting for streamers with a weaker gaming PC. In this way, the required performance for the software is divided and the gaming computer can develop its full power. In a sense, it acts as a console. More on why the software is so sophisticated later.
Elgato for hobbyists: 4K Pro
The Elgato Game Capture 4K Pro differs from the 4K X at first glance. This is a card with a PCIe 2.0 connection. This means that the 4K Pro must be built into the PC. If you haven’t had any crafting experience yet, don’t let this put you off.
Installation is simple because the card does not require any additional power supply. The Elgato gets its power directly from the mainboard. Once the card is in the slot, it can be used plug-and-play. Anyone who already has experience with the predecessor, the 4K60 Pro, will know the procedure because both cards are very similar.
Connecting consoles, PCs, cameras, etc. is then easy. Just like with the 4K X, the HDMI signal is fed into the HDMI in and comes out of the HDMI out without loss. As the nickname “Pro” suggests, there is significantly more power available here and therefore even better resolution in the passthrough is possible.
Source: Elgato/Corsair Of course, the Game Capture 4K Pro also offers HDR10, but fails at 4k recordings at 144 Hertz. However, the options remain 4K60, 1440p144 and 1080p240. However, the 4K Pro scores with a strong passthrough. Here again 4K144 and even 8K60 in HDR are possible.
Now you have to ask the question of who effectively uses 8K content in everyday life, but we must not forget that this is a Pro model. We therefore assume professional use. However, downscaling from 8K to 4K is possible. The lack of 4K144 recordings is then questionable. The advantages of an integrated capture card are clear: less cable clutter and the device is always ready to record.
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