When it comes to gaming capture devices or capture cards, the market is full of them. From Elgato to Avermedia and several others, there are so many that it can make someone’s head spin when they are looking for a capture card for the first time or a replacement. However, this mainly pertains to either internal capture cards or external capture devices that function with a PC. But what if you need an external capture device that works without needing a PC or a laptop?
That’s where things get narrowed down quite a bit, with only Elgato and Avermedia being two of the companies that have something you’d be looking for. Even then, both of these devices are also older and don’t support new technology, such as HDMI 2.1, which is probably unfavorable for those using them with a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, or even a gaming PC.
That said, here are our five picks for the best external capture cards for 2024.
AverMedia GC513 Live Gamer Portable 2 PLUS
This is the first self-contained external capture device I’ve ever owned. While I still own it, it doesn’t get as much use as it used to, such as taking it to events or recording in other places outside my office. More on that later. The Live Gamer Portable 2 PLUS is perhaps my favorite external gaming device that doesn’t need a laptop or a PC, and that’s saying something. Sadly, as I alluded to before, this is an older device that doesn’t support HDMI 2.1 or USB C. My device definitely has some battle scars; the top button is missing, and there are scratches all over it, yet it still does what it needs to do.
This device features three modes: PC mode, PC-free mode, and Card reader mode. As it suggests, PC mode requires a PC, which you select by sliding the switch to the PC icon on the device. On the slider, PC-free mode puts the device into a mode where you pop in an SD card and then press the button on top of the device to start and stop recording. All of your gameplay footage would be sent to the SD card. Finally, card reader mode lets you connect the device to a PC if you don’t have a card reader handy. I never used this mode as I always had a card reader on hand.
It’s important to state that this is a revision of the Live Gamer Portable 2, so you don’t confuse those two. With this upgraded model, Avermedia added a 4K passthrough but no 4K recording. The device does support recording up to 1080p60, and that’s it. This shouldn’t be looked at as a bad thing, as not everyone needs to record in 4K. If the lack of higher resolutions doesn’t matter to you, then the LGP2 will suit your needs.
The only thing I don’t like about the device, which isn’t the fault of the device, is the software. Avermedia’s ReCentral is what ships with the device, and with all of the updates to it, I did not like it. Sometimes, it froze up; other times, my footage would be choppy. Working with Avermedia, the only recourse was to downgrade the software, which defeated the purpose of installing the upgraded versions. Thankfully, using OBS resolved those issues.
The AverMedia GC513 Live Gamer Portable 2 PLUS is available on Amazon for under $140 and was on sale for $120 at the time of this article.
Elgato 4K60 S+
The first thing I want to point out about the Elgato 4K60 S+ when it was first released was it was a damned experience. I saw it when I was at the local Microcenter, and I saw the price tag; I got sticker shock. $399.99, plus tax. But I picked it up because it was the only portable external capture device that does 4K without the need for a PC. However, once I got it home and started playing with it, I was disappointed.
A feature on numerous Elgato devices, such as Instant Gameview, was missing, but it added 250ms of preview latency, making this a recording-only device. The PC requirements were higher than every external capture device available, and it got hot. There was no HDMI 2.1, and it also didn’t support 1440p, just 1080p60 and 4K60, and that is what sold the device. High-quality SD cards are also needed to get the best out of the device. You also couldn’t use the Elgato game capture software and had to use the new 4K capture software, which is the same one being used to this day. But, when it was first released, it was terrible, and recording with that software was just bad. Thankfully, OBS was there again to save the day.
I know I sound negative about the device, but everything I’ve said is true. It wasn’t the best device out of the box, but it did what you needed it to do. It also had some decent positives, such as onboard encoding and a maximum bitrate of 200 Mbps, and it was mind-blowing to be able to record 4K60 with just a button press at the time. I took that device everywhere: events or my living room when I needed to record footage, but I didn’t want to be in my office, and it served me well. Check out my Elgato 4K 60 S+ review to see what I thought about the device.
Sadly, the 4K60 S+’s time in the sun was short-lived. Elgato discontinued the device a year or so after its release and hasn’t produced another device that does what the 4K60 S+ did, which is a miss, in my opinion. If you want 4K recording on the go, this is it. While this is discontinued, you can still find these on eBay or refurbished on Amazon.
That’s it, and I feel that the market leaders, Avermedia and Elgato, are missing out on this market for portable devices that can record without a laptop or PC. People keep asking for them, and yet nothing is being done. Still, there are other options.
ATOMOS Ninja and Shogun Monitor Recorders
So, if you’re looking for a portable capture device that you don’t need a PC or laptop to record, these two are it. But there are a few other options out there to pick up that are portable, but they aren’t dedicated capture devices. There are the Ninja and Shogun monitor recorders from Atomos, which are meant for higher-end stuff, such as videography. I don’t have any experience with them, but from what I’ve seen, people have been adopting them more and more for portable game capture. However, again, there are downsides, such as not having HDMI 2.1, and they are super expensive, starting at $600 for the Ninja line-up and $1200 for the Shogun.
While they offer quite a bit, they might also be overkill for many and complicated; it’s worth mentioning them in case someone wants to check them out. I’m actually thinking about picking up the Ninja for testing purposes if I can justify the price.
Apple iPad Pro with M2 and Elgato HD60 X / 4K X
Again, I have no experience with this as I no longer own an iPad Pro, and I’m not sure if I have any plans of getting one until Apple stops treating the iPad line-up as a toy. However, there has been a movement where various tech YouTubers have been showing off that the iPad Pro with the M2 has been able to capture gameplay with Elgato’s HD60 X and the 4K X capture devices. One such user is EposVox, someone I’ve been following for quite some time, and he’s done some testing on this. Give his videos a watch below.
It works for the most part, but there have been some issues, especially when Elgato updates its apps. Still, I see this as the future of capturing footage on the go or replacing capture cards since the newer capture devices support HDMI 2.1 and offer faster bandwidth. It’s a great idea, and I’ve been following it.
Those who have been playing with this setup have been stuck using the iPad Pro with the M2, but with Apple announcing its incoming iPad Pro will ship with the M4 processor, completely skipping the M3, I can see things changing significantly. The performance is nearly doubled, and the issues I’ve seen with using the iPad Pro with either the HD60 X or 4K X should be resolved. Of course, this is going to be pricey, and again, it is still experimental. An iPad Pro isn’t cheap, and this also ends up being a situation where your capture device is tethered to another device; it just isn’t as cumbersome as a laptop. If I ever decide to upgrade from my iPad Air to an iPad Pro (which I likely won’t), I’ll give this a try.
You may notice that I didn’t recommend the Hauppauge HD PVR Pro 60, and for good reason. I did not have a good experience with it, and there’s still an audio issue that, at least when I owned it, was not resolved. It also doesn’t have the best bitrate when in use without a PC, which didn’t make the device worth owning. A former team member reviewed the device, and he had the same opinion. While the device is able to record footage on its own, both Avermedia’s and Elgato’s products outclass it, and you’re better off not bothering with it.
So, there you have it. These are your options if you want to record gameplay footage on the go. While there could be some knock-off or off-brand devices floating around out there, I know nothing of them. If you happen to know of something better, please let me know by contacting me here or on my Twitter account (@shadowhaxor).
