5 Best Capture Card for Retro Games

Good old days, when we used to play our favorite games but cannot share it with our friends, If you are a gamer from the pre-internet era then you can understand how easy it has become to record your gaming achievements and experiences online to share with other people.

The best capture card for retro games can take your stream to the other level, If you want your stream to show great without interruption, have the excellent quality along with the best frame rates, then having the best capture card is to be your top most priority.

When you are looking for the best capture card you need to focus on the things that are necessary in case of retro games.

The retro game’s quality is already low and if you want to record them in HD quality, the only thing you need is a converter because there are some best capture cards that enhance your video quality but they all for the latest games and in the case of retro games, the converter is required in order to make the video quality better.

You don’t have to worry you can easily record your retro games with excellent video quality, you just have to follow the proper rules that are described with each one of the capture cards in the article below.

In general, our selections cover a storyline, because you never know what kind of content you are going to want to make in the future.

These capture cards are not for retro games only, you can also record your latest games in these cards and can share it with your friends.

We have mentioned a number of popular devices that are best to capture both retro and modern gaming

Best Capture Card For Retro Games List

Sr# Products Purchase
1 Elgato Game Capture HD60S Check Price
2 AverMedia Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus Check Price
3 StarTech.com HDMI Video Capture Device Check Price
4 Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro Check Price
5 AverMedia Live Gamer Ultra Check Price

1. Elgato Game Capture HD60S

Elgato Game Capture HD60S
Brand Elgato
Hardware Platform PlayStation 4
Item Weight 3.73 ounces
Product Dimensions 4.41 x 2.95 x 0.75 inches
Processor Count 1
Voltage 5 Volts

Main Features:

  • Stream and Record:  It can stream and record your gaming achievements and moments.
  • Capability: It can displayed 1080p quality with 60fps, high bandwidth capability
  • Commentary: it has built-in live commentary feature
  • Capture: It has unlimited capture right to your PC

Elgato is an expert in the gaming field, it is simple to use especially in retro games if you use the converter that is explained above.

The best thing about this device is that it is a slim and compact design, a sleek black and rounded finish with a LED light bar that indicates which ports have a device connected.

The actually capturing capability of this device is 1080p/60 which is great for streaming or recording the video in retro games.

The Elgato game capture software is simplistic and very user friendly, it also has a flashback recording feature that helps you retroactively capture even you forgot to click the record button.

Pros
  • Built in live commentary
  • Unlimited capture right
  • User friendly
  • Flashback Recording
Cons
  • It is expensive
  • Editing software is not perfect

2. AverMedia Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus

AverMedia Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus
Interface USB
Audio/Video input & output HDMI
Resolutions 4Kp60 pass-through
Software Recentral
Operating System Windows/Mac
Advantage 4Kp60, Driver Free

Main Features:

  • Capability: Experience 4Kp60 while recording
  • Stream and Record: It can stream and record with high quality
  • PC and PC-free modes: It can record games with or without PC
  • Headset Commentary: add your commentary to your streams and recordings

AverMedia’s Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus is unique with amazing qualities and the best capture cards for retro games. In the retro games, all you need is a converter and then you can enjoy recording or streaming videos in HD quality.

It has 1080p and 60fps smooth recording, 4K pass-through so you can play in ultra HD, USB 3.0, Mac compatibility, and great flashing light to tell you if you are capturing or recording.

It also offers intuitive software for live editing and the ability to record straight into the Micro SD card, this capture card is best for recording the videos and you can share it with your friends at any time.

We all want to live a past once again and refresh our past memories, the games we play in our early age before the internet era, now we can record them and experience the achievements and moments we made while playing and can share it with everyone.

Pros
  • Experience 4kp60 while recording
  • Stream and record live
  • User Friendly
  • Easy to use
Cons
  • Lit bit expensive
  • Doesn’t stream 4K footage

3. StarTech.com HDMI Video Capture Device

StarTech.com HDMI Video Capture Device
Capability 1080p/60fps high capability
Audio/Video Input & Output HDMI
Applications H.264 video encoding
Operating System Windows/XP/Mac
Advantage Free life-time technical support

Main Features:

  • Versatile applications: This capture device has H.264 video encoding for wide compatibility
  • Capability: It can display 1080p quality with 60fps, high bandwidth capability
  • Stream and record: It can easily or smoothly stream and record the video
  • Advantage of this device: It offers a 2-year warranty and free lifetime technical support

This StarTech.com HDMI video capture device packs smooth 1080p with 60fps, high video quality, this capture card comes with different input options: DVI, HDMI, VGA, and component that allows you to record almost any game console.

This device is very useful when it comes to retro games, you can stream and record that will makes your video footage look much smoother during playback.

The included Stream catcher software has some unique features, such as recording on a schedule and direct streaming options, this is an amazing capture card that can record pretty much any console you connect to it.

This is one of the few capture cards that have better results and a great device when it comes to retro games.

Pros
  • Easy to use
  • Free lifetime technical support
  • Stream and record smoothly
  • User Friendly
Cons
  • Expensive

4. Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro

Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro
Capability 1080p/60fps high capability
Recording Flashback recording
Game view Instant Game view
Operating System Play station 4, Xbox one
Stream Have Stream command

Main Features:

  • Capability: It can be displayed 1080p with 60fps, high bandwidth capability
  • Commentary: It has a built-in live commentary feature
  • Stream and record: You can stream and record your achievements
  • Flashback Recording: If you forgot to click the record button don’t worry it has a flashback recording feature

Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro is perfect for your content, with optimum video capture, dedicated encoding, ultra-low latency technology, it’s on board H.264 encoder that enables you to record unlimited footage in superb 1080p/60fps quality and it is the best capture card for retro games, you can stream and record these retro games in HD quality and can share it with your friends.

It customizes your streams without limits and if you forgot to press the record button then no worries, simply slide back in time and capture every moment retroactively. HD60 Pro makes complex production simple, so you can focus on what you do best, you just have to play, record, stream and enjoy your retro games without any worries.

Pros
  • Stream and record live
  • Flashback recording
  • Easy to use
  • User Friendly
Cons
  • Cause problems sometimes when recording live

5. AverMedia Live Gamer Ultra

AverMedia Live Gamer Ultra
Interface USB 3.1 (Gen 1) Type-C
Audio/Video Input & Output HDMI 2.0
Resolution 4Kp60HDR
Supported Resolution Ultra-wide support, 2160p, 1440p, 1080p
Software Recentral
Operating System Windows/Mac
Advantage High Frame Rate Support

Main Features:

  • Capability: Having resolutions of 4Kp60fps and you can experience that while recording
  • Ultra-Low Latency: Enjoy playing uncompressed video straight on their PC with no latency
  • Plug and Play: It has a plug and plays right out of the box
  • Editing: Cyber link power director 15 included for 4K video editing

This AverMedia Live Gamer Ultra have many qualities and it is best capture card for retro games, If you want to record your videos in HD quality then this device is for you because it can capture 4K footage from your Xbox one or PS 4, HDR is also supported but only for pass through, not capture so you will at least able to enjoy your fantastic looking games while you play.

Its quality is great and whether capturing or streaming there are no compatibility issues so you can enjoy your games without any worries and its software is very user-friendly and allows you to set up recording and streaming at any time.

Pros
  • 4K capture while recording
  • Supports HDR pass-through
  • User Friendly
  • Great quality captures
Cons
  • Requires high- spec PC to
  • The companion app is slow-moving

Buying Guide: In case of Retro Games a Converter is needed

RCA to HDMI, AC to HDMI Video Convertor Adapter

USB Power Supply Support HDMI 1080p or 720p Output Plug and Play
1xAv to HDMI Converter Input ports: 1xRCA ( Yellow, White, Red) Supports all old TV and monitor with HDNI interface
1xUSB Power Cable Output ports: 1xHDMI (standard) Can enjoy high definition video quality
1xUser Manual NTSC/PAL compatible No need to install drivers, portable, plug and play.
  HDMI output: 1080p/60Hz, 720p/60Hz  

Why converter is needed when buying capture cards?

When you go to buy these above mentioned capture cards you need a converter to record retro games in high and better quality without any worries. This converter can:

  • Converts RCA signals into HDMI signals so you can watch your videos easily
  • No need to install drivers, portable, flexible, plug and play
  • You can output the audio synchronization with video
  • It can be displayed on the Monitor with 1080p /60Hz high bandwidth capability

How to use this converter while recording retro games?

This converter adapter is needed when you record your video games with capture cards, it is because in retro games the only thing we need is this converter, it will take an RCA input and scale up to 1080p or 720p and output an HDMI, with this you can connect to your retro system of choice to HD 60S (capture card).

There are two main reasons why you have to choose this particular adapter, one is that it run offs of USB power and not battery power because the ones that run on battery shows that they are not standard, and the second reason is that it is the cheapest and affordable for you.

Now to set this up is also simply take the RCA output from the console and plug into the RCA input of the converter then connect the HDMI from the converter into the HDMI input of the HD 60S, then the rest of the setup is normal and you are ready to record your retro games more easily and quickly.

Final Words:

To finish up the article you can know understands that which capture card have best qualities and it will help you to enjoy when playing games.

Retro games are hard to capture in early internet era, but know as technology increases it is so easy to record, stream and engage your videos and you can share it with your friends, while playing old games it refresh your memories and brighten your day because old games are incomparable no matter how many times you play them you cannot be bored by playing them, you are always ready to play those games every time whenever the opportunity comes.

These above capture cards are best for retro games all you need is to buy a converter and then you can also enjoy these games without any worries, or as a gamer, you always need these types of guidance in order to enjoy the games at their fullest.

So now you do not have to worry when you want to play retro games just buy these capture cards and follow the instructions, you can have a great time and definitely, you won’t regret buying it. 

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