Top 7 Game Capture Devices for Recording

David Wilson
2024-04-18 16:36:28 • Filed to: Game Recording Tools

The gaming industry has been evolving right from day one. Earlier there were heavy devices with max 1–2 games, but now the scenario is completely different. Gaming experience has changed and gone to a whole new level. Gaming devices are now compact in size as well as powerful with minimum support for HD games. Speaking of such devices, gaming devices are nowadays not only used for gaming but are also used for recording them, so that gamers can share their experience and gameplay with fans and other gamers. Normally known as capture cards, these devices are being used all over the world. In addition to this, it is one of the popular trends that can be seen becoming common these days.

These devices are very easy to use and users can learn it quickly to record their gameplay. In addition to this, users can play game as well broadcast their gameplay at the same time. They can broadcast their game simultaneously to different social media platform such as Twitch or YouTube.

Top 7 Game Capture Card

If you are in search of such capture cards, here is a list of the best cheap game recording devices that you can use to record games. These game capture devices are the best in the market and hence have made their place in our list. Read below to know more.

1. AVerMedia Live Gamer Mini

The AVerMedia Live Gamer Mini is both affordable and portable video game recorder. In addition to this, it is a worthy option for a newbies who have just got into the race for video streaming and capture. The device is simple, with only a microUSB connection and a couple of HDMI ports that are capable of passing a 1080p signal at a framerate of 60fps through without any lag or compression.

This is one of the game capture devices for recording that has an in-built hardware encoder, which employs the well-known standard. This indicates that that capturing your game video will not have an effect on gaming performance of your PC. The capture card also has RECentral application to get you started, although it can also operate with other video capture programs.

2. AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K

Using the AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K, users will have the most affordable capture card that presently lets you to record 4K video in HDR. However, users will not be able to broadcast that recording. In addition to this, users will not be able to edit it with the included shareware. Users will be able to this once streaming services and software will be released by the company. For now, users can broadcast the video directly to YouTube, which is the reason the capture card has been able to make it to this list.

You can also lower down the resolution of your recording to 1080p and be capable of recording at frame-rates of almost 240 fps. The device also has RBG lighting for visual personalization, in case your computer case requires a few more lights.

3. AVerMedia Live Gamer Bolt

Next in our list is the AVerMedia Live Gamer Bolt, which is one of the best capture cards for streaming. It offers the lowest amount of added latency that users have seen out of any capture cards at only a few milliseconds. This makes it ideal for games that need twitch aiming style Apex Legends or cat-akin reflexes such as Spelunky.

The device also captures good quality video at either 1080p24 or 4Kp60 HDR. The only difficult thing about this device is users require a Thunderbolt 3 port, which indicates that you can employ it with only a few well-matched gaming laptops and gaming motherboards. User must definitely cross verify their device’s ports before purchasing this capture device.

4. Elgato Game Capture HD60 S+

This device is, normally, a 4K60 Pro in short. The device have some advantages over the base 4K60 Pro. Normally, the device has / hardware encoder within it. Users do not require a supercomputer to employ it since all processing happens on the device itself. With the encoder within, users do not even require a computer to employ the 4K60 S+. With the in-built SD card reader, users can simply record gameplay free of a computer, all at 4K60. In addition to this, the device shows support HDR in case you need to showcase your PS4 Pro and Xbox One X.

There are some disadvantages while using external device. The device does not support high frame-rate/resolution pass through such the PCIe edition, and “Instant Gameview” is postponed by 250 milliseconds. Yet, the 4K60 S+ is a perfect device when it comes to recording your game at the highest frame rates and resolutions.

5. Diamond Multimedia USB 2.0 HD

The Diamond capture card is a HD video capture box dedicatedly developed for PC games and video. It lets you to edit and capture games from gaming devices such as PS3 and Xbox 360 as well as from camcorder, VHS / DVD player, or satellite set top box, or from almost any device with output and input. It also comes with recording support through S-Video input source.

The program compression allows the device to record 1080p footages while increasing its memory. Users can enjoy high definition real-time (at 30/60 fps up to 1080i) video capture on your laptop and PC through USB 2.0. The capture card can record your captured gameplay sessions directly and broadcast them on Facebook and YouTube. It is also able to reserve your VHS tapes. With Loop-Through video output and input support, the device can be employed for HD game recording, hence offering zero-delay display on your TV and capturing video gameplay on your computer at the same time.

The device sports a full screen video recording feature and POP/PIP modes for playback of video. In addition to this, Power Director 8 by CyberLink is added to the recording for users can edit their videos and burn their support files to VCD/DVD. The device is also well-matched with Microsoft Windows Vista, XP, and 7.

6. Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition

The Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition has been one of the well-liked devices among the gamers that are looking to share the gameplay on YouTube. But with next-generation now in action and everything shifting towards 60fps and 1080p, the device seems to adjusting with the changing times. When it comes to installation, the device makes things simple with its connectors. These comprise HDMI out and in—letting to pass through to a TV—along with an S-Video socket and a group of cables to connect your older consoles including PlayStation 3.

The device is at advantage as there are only handful of capture cards in the industry with the capability of capturing video from the older consoles such as the PS1, Mega Drive, Super Nintendo, and more. Particularly since a shift for 60fps forced many companies to renovate their devices.

Videophiles must remember that HDMI pass through for older machines is a bit tricky. If you are seeking looking to go this way, a video-splitter cable might come handy. The device comes with its own recording program. Similar to most of the software bundled with capture devices, it does not provide much beyond the fundamental things. It lets you record gameplay with only a few settings to change video format and other settings, making it great for newbies.

7. Game Capture HD Pro

Users do not need to spend a heavy amount to buy a capture card. And with the Game Capture HD Pro, users barely even need to shell out a huge amount. The device sports an auto-capturing element to capture your gameplay. The built-in proprietary program sports soundtracks, picture-in-picture boxes, transitions, and text to make your content seem professional. It directly streams to Twitch or YouTube. The device has an in-built encoder so your computer does comparatively less work. It comes with Component and HDMI connectors, letting you to record importantly any machine at 30 frames per second at almost 1080p. The only disadvantage here is that you cannot connect a PS3 to its HDMI input owing to HDCP reasons. It also does not have Component or HDMI cables.

Unluckily, the device does not support Mac, so you must look for different options if you have an Apple device. It also employs USB 2.0 rather than USB 3.1, which can lead to latency problems at the time of streaming. Some consumers report problems with reliability, but users get what you shell out for! The system needs are negligible at best. Your computer requires at least an AMD Athlon x2 64 chip at 2.0GHz or an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU at 1.8GHz. Users will also require DirectX 9.0c-matched sound and graphics and 2GB of RAM.

Best Software Alternative to Game Capture Card

On a second thought, instead of shelling out from your pocket and buying capture cards, users can always opt for free screen recording software solutions. These solutions will save a great amount of money are very easy to understand and use. And one such screen game recording app is Wondershare DemoCreator.

The software is available for Windows (7, 8, and 10) operating systems and allows users to capture their games or desktop in HD (high definition) as well as at the same time recording web and audio camera. Recordings can also be altered with their in-built video editor. For such an affordable video editor and screen recorder, users can presume that Filmora Scrn lacks some of the most important features. But, you are wrong. Here are some of the essential features that the app has”

  • Annotations
  • Record screen and camera
  • Audio settings
  • Video settings
  • HotKeys
  • Cursor effects
  • Various export options

Users, when they launch the program, have the option to immediately start recording a video or directly use the editor. Capturing video is very simple. Just check whether you need to capture your audio, screen, or camera. Users can even verify all of the options if they wish. Every media will be saved as a different file. For recording screen, you can capture the a custom size, full screen, or a target window. The dialogue box for recording is also very easy. Users can alter the size of the recording box or what they need to capture.

democreator main interface

If they do not wish to capture straight away, then you can always jump to their editor. The editor has a simple layout, where users can easily adjust their settings, find videos, and move them around the timeline. Simple editing tools are included in the app, which are more than enough for users to suffice their editing needs.

Every piece of video positioned on the timeline can be modified via the settings box for video. It is possible to alter the compositing (opacity and blending mode), transform (rotation, scale, and position), speed, and border (color, opacity, and size) properties. Having the capability to alter the speed of video recording is really helpful when you need to make a timelapse effect.

Conclusion

Simply put, having capture cards for recording gameplay is perfect. But you get a cheap `and affordable option when you opt for Wonderhsare DemoCreator. The app is free to download and is very easy to use. If you are in search of video game recorder , then DemoCreator is the perfect option. The app can also be used to edit videos as well to give a professional look. So hurry up and download this screen recorder for your computer now to record your games at HD quality, thereby saving your precious money.