The Elgato HD60 S capture card is everything a streamer needs

It can sometimes be confusing to know exactly what hardware and software you need to get to start your streaming career. If you don’t have the prior knowledge, experience, or help of others the task can sometimes be daunting. That’s where the Elgato HD60 S comes in. The device, which is easy to use and can be run on one monitor, offers some much-needed features that simplify streaming for both novices and experienced broadcasters.

The Elgato HD60 S is an external capture card that uses a HDMI cable. The card can be used on your console, PC, or camera to either record a video to put onto YouTube or stream live to an audience.

The device is easy to use. You can take it out of the box, connect the cables into the PC and you’re ready to go. It’s then a case of choosing your streaming/recording software and clicking record.

The HD60 S has significant improvements over its predecessor, the Elgato Gaming HD60. The new version of the capture card has USB 3.0, allowing captured content to display a high definition resolution of 1080p, one of the highest non-4K resolutions available.

Normally capture cards aren’t quick enough to record and play on the same monitor, requiring a two-screen setup—one that records while the other is used to play the game. With the HD60 S’ speedier connections, content creators can play the game through Elgato’s recording software on a single monitor. This will be helpful for players unable to afford two monitors.

The HD60 S also uses the same software as its predecessor. The software allows you to take full control over your streams by creating custom overlays that you can switch between in an instant. You can easily insert subscriber alerts, camera positions, and vital information that you want your audience to see.

That being said, you don’t need to use Elgato’s software with the device if you’d prefer to use XSplit or OBS.

The HD60 S has one small disadvantage over previous Elgato capture cards. You won’t be able to stream and record older retro consoles such as the Nintendo 64 as the capture card only uses HDMI outputs, which older consoles did not have.

With all that said, the older models of Elgato capture cards offer nearly the same experience, so it might be safer to wait on an upgrade.

Price: $149.95 on Amazon