Best Elgato Capture Card: Which one should you Choose?

The trend of game capture cards started many years back but now these devices are becoming more and more popular among game lovers. Even Elgato itself has now released so many competing models with all advanced features. Thus users are now able to make wide selection of products as per their budget and game recording needs. But how to choose the right one? We'll make a comparison of Elgato capture cards, read this article for more details.

Detailed Comparison:

	HD 60	HD 60 S	HD 60 Pro	HD
Price (Amazon)	$158.22	$169.95	$169.99	$135.99
1080p60 Capture	√	√	√	×
HDMI Input	√	√	√	√
Retro Gaming Input	×	×	×	√
Flashback Recording	√	√	√	√
Stream Command	√	√	√	√
Instant Gameview	×	√	√	×
Master Copy	√	×	√	√
Technical Specifications
Interface	USB 2.0	USB 3.0	PCIe	USB 2.0
Max.Bitrate	30 Mbps	40 Mbps	60 Mbps	40 Mbps
Input	PlayStation 4, Xbox One & Xbox 360 (unencrypted HDMI)	PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Wii U (unencrypted HDMI)	PlayStation 4, Xbox one & Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch & Wii U (unencrypted HDMI)	PlayStation 4, Xbox One & Xbox 360 (unencrypted HDMI), PlayStation 3 (A/V In)
Output	HDMI (pass-through)	HDMI (lag-free pass-through)	HDMI (pass-through)	HDMI (pass-through)
Supported Resolutions	1080p60, 1080p30, 1080i, 720p60, 720p30, 576p, 576i, 480p	1080p60, 1080p30, 1080i, 720p60, 720p30, 576p, 576i, 480p	1080p60, 1080p30, 1080i, 720p60, 720p30, 576p, 576i, 480p	1080p60 (simultaneous 60fps pass through and 30 fps capture), 1080p30, 1080i, 720p (60 or 30 fps capture), 576p, 576i, 480p, 480i. 240i via composite or S-Video.
Operating System	Windows 7 (or later), OS X 10.9 (or later)	Windows 10 (64-bit), OS X 10.12 (or later)	Windows 7 (or later)	Windows 7 (or later), OS X 10.9 (or later)
Dimensions	112 x 75 x 19 mm / 4.4 x 3 x 0.75 in	112 x 75 x 19 mm / 4.4 x 3 x 0.75 in	122 x 56 x 14 mm / 4.8 x 2.2 x 0.55 in	73 x 24 x 109 mm / 2.9 x 1.0 x 4.3 in
Weight	106 g / 3.7 oz	106 g / 3.7 oz	102 g / 3.6 oz	142 g / 5 oz

There are four different capture card models launched by Elgato:

• HD 60: This device comes with a price tag of $158.22 and is able to capture videos with 1080p resolution level. It accepts input via HDMI port but never supports Retro gaming type input. You can enjoy flashback recording with this capture card model and it works with master copy technology but never support Instant Game view.
• HD60 S: This device contains features almost same as that of HD 60 but it extends its support to Instant Game View. That is why its price is little higher: $169.95. The overall weight of this device is same as that of HD 60: 106 grams and this device works perfectly with Window 10. The maximum supported bitrate goes up to 40MBPS but it was limited to 30mbps in earlier model. You will not be able to enjoy master copy technology with this device.
• HD 60 Pro: This is an updated version of HD 60 and HD60 S device and contains all features of its predecessors but at the same time it also supports master copy technology. The only thing that is missing in this capture card is its ability to support retro game input but it works perfectly with HDMI connection. It can be connected via PCIe interface whereas overall weight of this capture card is 102 grams only.
• HD: This is the most basic type of Elgato capture card that is available with smaller price tag of $135.99 only. This device is heavier enough as compared to all other models as its overall weight goes up to 142 grams. The Instant Gameview is also missing in this device but it supports master copy technology.

Conclusion:

If you are looking ahead to buy a capture card to enjoy live streaming of your game videos then it is good to go for Elgato models as they contains all incredible features. You can use Elgato Capture Card Selector to get better suggestions for your device type depending upon your specifications. Professionals recommend this website as best platform to get idea about which device will suit your needs in game recording world. Here you will also be able to get basic details about suggested device for reference.