Expert Analysis: Top Cards for Exceptional Xbox Capturing

Streaming your favorite videogame is more accessible now than ever—so much so that even children can share their in-game experiences. With a current-gen console and respectable video capture card, you too can entertain hundreds of people with your wit and skill.

Not only is having a video capture card the ideal medium for streaming high-quality content, but it can also record your big plays (and bad ones) and store them for later. When the dust settles, you can edit your favorite clips and upload them to various platforms for your audience to enjoy at your leisure.

Knowing the next intense moment is just around the corner, what better way to enjoy that experience than with your adoring fans?

Here are the best Xbox capture cards available today.

Elgato HD60 X Capture Card

Best Overall
$177 at Walmart

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  Source:Amazon

EVGA XR1 Lite

Most Affordable
$102 at Newegg

AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K

Best Low-Latency
$200 at Amazon

Razer Ripsaw HD

Best Design
$72 at Amazon

AVerMedia Live Gamer Bolt

Best External Capture Card
$303 at Amazon

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  Source:Amazon

EVGA XR1 Pro

Best for Aspiring Streamers
$140 at Amazon

• SwifDoo PDF Perpetual (2-PC) Free upgrade. No monthly fees ever.

Elgato 4K60 Pro MK.2

Best for Content Creators
$234 at Amazon

Our Favorite Xbox Capture Cards in 2023

Best Overall

Elgato HD60 X Capture Card

A capture card with so few weaknesses

The Elgato HD60 X is like a supportive parent—you have a particular dream and it does everything it can to make it happen. It plugs right in without a fuss, works with the most popular streaming platforms and software, and offers a great variety of resolutions to record in.

Pros

• Works with a wide variety of capture software
• VRR passthrough
• Easy setup
• Records at 60Hz (1440p and 1080p)

Cons

• Can record at 4K, but only at 30Hz

See at Amazon $177 at Walmart

There’s a lot of fuss that goes into getting a reasonable streaming setup ready to go. To avoid as many headaches as possible, the Elgato HD60 X streamlines the whole process.

First off, the Elgato HD60 X offers a wide variety of recording options. You can opt for quality at 4K, but limit your stream to 30Hz, or go with 1440p or 1080p at 60Hz. There are even several lower resolution options like 480p and 720p, which is pretty handy if you’re limited on bandwidth.

Lastly, the Elgato HD60 X plays nicely with the most popular streaming software, like OBS, Streamlabs, Twitch, and YouTube. It also supports options like Microsoft Teams, Vmix, and Facebook Gaming. Regardless of what software or platform you use, all you do is plug the capture card in and it’ll be immediately recognized on Windows and Mac.

Most Affordable

EVGA XR1 Lite

Perfect for budding streamers

The EVGA XR1 Lite is designed to be lightweight and portable. It supports 4K passthrough, in addition to recording at a resolution of 1080p.

Pros

• HDMI and USB Type-C cable bundle inside
• Perfect for retro gaming due to 480p support
• Compatible with DSLR cameras
• Plug-and-play

Cons

• A PC is required

See at Amazon $102 at Newegg

For you aspiring streamers, dropping hard-earned cash on expensive hardware isn’t the smartest move, nor should you have to. So long as you have a working PC or laptop, you can hook up the EVGA XR1 Lite and start streaming your favorite titles.

To begin, the EVGA XR1 Lite doesn’t force you to reduce graphical fidelity; it supports 4K passthrough at 60FPS. Even if you crank up the resolution to 4K, the EVGA XR1 will simply record your videos and output your stream at 1080p and 60FPS, which also gives your audience a better viewing experience than 30FPS.

What’s arguably the best aspect of the EVGA XR1 Lite is its plug-and-play design. It doesn’t take a degree in computer science to plug in the HDMI and USB-C cables, making it user-friendly as well. More importantly, popular streaming software will quickly recognize it.

Best Low-Latency

AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K

When you’re ready to upgrade your rig

$200$250 Save $50

The AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K is an internal capture card designed to capture high-quality video. It’s capable of recording 4K at 60FPS and HDR10.

Pros

• Incredibly low latency
• Supports lower resolutions at higher FPS
• Design aesthetic
• Captures HDR10

Cons

• A PC is required

$254 at Newegg $200 at Amazon

Let’s say you stream on more than just your Xbox but your PC as well and spend a significant chunk of your time editing on the latter. Obviously, a good PC is required, so if that sounds like you, then you’ll need a great companion capture card as well such as the AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K.

It’s hard to argue against the AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K’s performance, considering it not only captures videogame footage in 4K, but also HDR10 and at 60 FPS. More importantly, the latency is so incredibly tiny it’s virtually non-existent, so you won’t have to worry about the hardware holding you back when the action gets intense.

Setting up the AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K is also free of any expected frustration; it’s as close to plug-and-play as you can get. As long as you have an open PCIe x4 slot, the AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K will fit right in, then it’s just a matter of plugging in the HDMI cable, which is easy enough. The icing on the cake, however, is how well the AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K plays nicely with your preferred popular streaming software.

Best Design

Razer Ripsaw HD

Simple, stylish, and great performance

$72$160 Save $88

The Razer Ripsaw HD is compact external capture card that’s designed to record footage in full HD. It also allows the user to mix audio without the need of software.

Pros

• Great choice for aspiring streamers
• Very slim and portable
• Audio management is easy to use
• Plug-and-play

Cons

• Video recording is limited to 1080p at 60FPS

$72 at Amazon $160 at Best Buy

Are you the kind of gamer that likes to stream every now and then, but haven’t built a career around it? Maybe you prefer sharing your experience with a few buddies or perhaps your intent is to catalog your adventure. Whichever the case might be, don’t concern yourself with a bunch of features that go unused and instead pick up the Razer Ripsaw HD.

In lieu of a laundry list of features, the Razer Ripsaw HD simplifies the streaming process. As an external capture card, you don’t have to dig into your computer to install any hardware and potentially damage your PC. It’s just a matter of attaching the device to your PC and console via HDMI, boot up your preferred streaming software, and off you go on another quest.

Of course, the Razer Ripsaw HD isn’t shy on performance; the device allows a 4K resolution to pass through, then simply downgrades the content to 1080p for your stream. That means you don’t have to reign in your own rig for the sake of your audience. And to sweeten the deal, there are two ports for a microphone and headphones.

Best External Capture Card

AVerMedia Live Gamer Bolt

For those who don’t want to miss a single frame

The AVerMedia Live Gamer Bolt features Thunderbolt 3, capable of recording gameplay in 1080p at 240Hz. In other words, it’s the perfect option if you frequently play fast-action titles.

Pros

• Can record 1080p at 240Hz
• Incredibly low latency
• Fast, Thunderbolt 3 performance
• Records HDR10

Cons

• Records via Thunderbolt 3
• Requires a PC

$303 at Amazon

Framerate is incredibly important when it comes to fast-action games, and you certainly don’t want a capture card limiting your performance. To let your Xbox run wild, you need the AVerMedia Live Gamer Bolt.

Thanks to the use of Thunderbolt 3, you can unleash your full potential. The AVerMedia Live Gamer Bolt records footage running as high as 240 frames per second. That’s double what the latest Xbox console can achieve, but it ensures every frame is captured in crisp, 1080p.

The AVerMedia Live Gamer Bolt’s built-in hardware also keeps everything smooth and stable with its very low sub-50ms latency on consoles. You’ll still maintain your competitive edge when the action gets hairy.

Best for Aspiring Streamers

EVGA XR1 Pro

High-resolution capture and on-the-fly audio mixing

$140$220 Save $80

The EVGA XR1 Pro marries the two most important aspects of streaming: audio and resolution. You have the power to record in 4K with audio mixing right at your fingertips.

Pros

• OBS certified
• Plug-and-play
• Built-in audio mixer dial
• Records up to 4K

Cons

• Requires a PC

$140 at Amazon $220 at Newegg $160 at Best Buy

Once you start gaining some traction in the streaming scene, you’ll want to consider improving your stream’s production value. With the EVGA XR1 Pro, you can knock out two of the most important aspects: audio and resolution.

While the EVGA XR1 Pro does capture in 4K, its golden resolution is 1440p. Your audience will still experience a nice bump in picture quality without pushing your PC into the grave to make it happen. More importantly, it records at 60Hz, but if you record at 4K, you’re limited to 30Hz.

What’s particularly great is that the EVGA XR1 Pro has a built-in audio dial. You get two audio ports, one for your mic and another for your console’s party link. With the dial at the top, you can adjust the audio for both sources on the fly.

Best for Content Creators

Elgato 4K60 Pro MK.2

For creators that work with a variety of software

$234$250 Save $16

The Elgato 4K60 Pro MK.2 is an internal card designed for streaming to multiple platforms and in 4K. Due to HDR tone mapping, it’s also capable of recording HDR10.

Pros

• Multi-app support is a must for content creators
• Flashback recording is very handy
• Multiple cards can be installed in one system
• Captures HDR10

Cons

• Requires a PC

$234 at Amazon $250 at Best Buy

One of the most frustrating problems you’ll deal with as a content creator is a capture card that’s limited to a single program. Ideally, you’d want one program streaming your content at 1080p, while simultaneously recording said content at the highest resolution possible. Thankfully, with the Elgato 4K60 MK.2, that’s no longer a dream.

The Elgato 4K60 MK.2 Internal Capture Card’s greatest feature is its multi-app support. This means you can stream content in one resolution while recording footage at a higher resolution in another program. If you plan on uploading higher-quality footage on, say, YouTube, having multi-app support is a must.

When it comes to quality, the Elgato 4K60 MK.2 doesn’t hold back. Not only does the MK.2 record your favorite titles in 4K at 60 FPS, but it also records and streams HDR10, giving your audience higher production value than ever before.

Picking the Best Xbox Capture Card for the Job

What kind of resolution do you want? Are you streaming with a PC or just the Xbox alone? What connectivity options do you need? Finding the right Xbox capture card boils down to those three questions.

In this case, the Elgato HD60 X comes out on top as the most obvious choice. It’s one of the easiest capture cards to set up, given that it’s an external card, and it plays nicely with a wide variety of software and platforms. You have the option to capture as much detail as possible at 4K or drop it to 1440p or 1080p, but at a much higher framerate.

When budget is a major concern, especially if you’re an aspiring streamer, the EVGA XR1 Lite pushes itself to the front of the crowd. It captures gaming in 1080p at 60Hz, which is the golden zone for most streamers, while also allowing 4K passthrough. It’s plug-and-play design means you don’t need to fuss over drivers, too. Best of all, when you upgrade, the EVGA XR1 Lite is compatible with DSLR cameras, so you’ll be able to improve the quality of your facecam when you’re ready to upgrade your main capture card.

Best Overall

Elgato HD60 X Capture Card

A capture card with so few weaknesses

The Elgato HD60 X is like a supportive parent—you have a particular dream and it does everything it can to make it happen. It plugs right in without a fuss, works with the most popular streaming platforms and software, and offers a great variety of resolutions to record in.

Pros

• Works with a wide variety of capture software
• VRR passthrough
• Easy setup
• Records at 60Hz (1440p and 1080p)

Cons

• Can record at 4K, but at 30Hz

See at Amazon $179 at Walmart