Elgato Game Capture HD - Xbox and PlayStation High Definition Game Recorder for Mac and PC, Full HD 1080p

This is a great little device which I am currently using to stream Nintendo Switch gameplay on Twitch via my Mac Pro. It's worth noting that on a Mac it only really works with the Elgato software and not a certain 3rd party open source program that seems to be very popular at the moment. Also as I'm using a slightly older operating system I was forced to download an order version of the Elgato software. The downloads are not very clearly labelled on their site and so this process involved trying to install several different versions by trial and error until I found once that actually worked. Once you do manage to install the software it does work really well. Setting up your Twitch account and settings is very easy and worked first time and it has some very nifty additional features, such as the ability to automatically lower the game volume when you are talking. My viewers on Twitch reported that the gameplay came through at very good resolution and frame rate and this device was particularly good value for money compared to other products out there. Overall very impressed and will be considering a higher spec Elgato product for my next purchase.

Arrived within 24 hours of purchase.Very small and compact looking capture card which makes it very convenient!It comes with all the wires required for video capture and a 5 step guide on how to set it up.Overall took 30 seconds to get it running, 5 minutes to install an app to the computer, and 2 minutes to get it all working from there.BEWARE: If you wish to record voice during your clips you WILL need to research how to do it with your specific type of headset. For myself, i require an Elgato Gaming Chat Link, which is an extra £10.Would recommend for anyone looking to record gameplay footage etc.

The Pros:- Crisp visuals- Great audio, no buzzing or anything- Easy to set up, uses only 3 cables and it small so hardly any 'mess'- Decent price- Software easy to use. Literally a 'plug and play' kind of device- Videos can be edited in any editing software you choose, you are not forced to use the Elgato software (just right click the video and 'reveal in finder' on a Mac to drag it elsewhere and edit it how you wish)- 720p is simply perfect for YouTube. No frame drops, no lag found at all, great for gaming channels- Small file sizes - 15 minutes of 720p recording is approx 700MB, and when rendered in my other software Screenflow, this is reduced to approx 350MB without loss of quality.- I have not noticed any resource sucking with this or loss of computer use whilst rendering or saving a file. Whilst rendering I have been able to use my computer as normal, and I have a fairly average spec (2.66Ghz Processor, 8GB RAM, 350GB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 9400 256 MB)The Cons:- Cannot add in external audio track, and I found the in-software commentary recorder was massively out of sync with the game (but not a problem since you can edit in better software should you possess it)- 1080p records the video out of sync with the game audio after a time, though I have a mediocre spec computer so maybe a higher spec won't have this problem- The device gets a little warm after extended use, so be careful what you're placing it on. Best to have a placemat or something underneath it.- Sometimes it takes two or three presses of the record button to get it to work. It seems to attempt to reconnect every time you press the button (although if you're in-game and moving the screen around, it seems to detect it first time), I don't think this is an issue with the device though, I think it may just not detect it if there's no movement on screenAll in all highly recommended. It even comes with all the cables so there's no need to go out any buy anything (unlike a PVR, which not only costs double usually, but you have to buy all the cables/splitters/etc to make it work).

It's was ok, didn't work properly. Bad frame rate, problems with aspect ratio and it wasn't in HD as promised. It was more like 360p. When I uploaded game play to youtube, they had to force the video to 720p which stretched the pixels and made the quality even worse. I even tried using different hdmi cables which did nothing.. I was told that elagato depends on your graffics card so if you have a bad pc I wouldn't recommend. However i believe it would be fine on a higher performance gaming rig, minimum gtx 980. I would 100% not recommend this to anyone with a built in intel HD graffics card, it will not work at all. If this product was better optimised for lower performing pcs and actually worked in would give 5 stars

Sometimes the program which you have to install messes up, for example I haven't been able to preview my recordings using the elgato program on my laptop and have videos which are laggy or do not capture sound properly etc... But I only find this out once I have finished my recording and saved it... If you are a YouTuber this can be very frustrating as you will have to re-record your gameplay.The actual product being purchased here though is perfect and has had no faults, purchased this a couple of years ago and have kept it in prime condition