Best Nintendo Switch capture cards in 2024
DexertoWe’ve scoured the internet for the best capture cards for Nintendo Switch so you can stream your Nintendo Switch without issue.
With the Nintendo Switch, you can take screenshots and record short snippets of footage to save directly onto your device, keeping all your favorite Nintendo memories in one place. Yet, if you’re a budding live-streamer, you can’t stream directly from the console like you can with the PlayStation 5.
A capture card is your best bet to stream or record footage directly from your Nintendo Switch console. Capture cards can be hooked up to your gaming PC, or your laptop, and capture your Switch footage so you can share your favorite Nintendo gaming memories with friends, or your live-streaming audience.
Capture cards can be confusing to set up, and expensive to boot, so we’ve scoured every corner of the internet and drawn from some of our own hands-on experiences to pick the best capture cards for Nintendo Switch.
1. Elgato 4K X: Best out the box
Dexerto - Capture resolutions: 1080P60, 4K60, 4K144, 1080p240
- Connection: USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps), 3.5mm line in
- Features: VRR passthrough, HDR10 passthrough and capture
- Price: $229.99
Elgato is one of the most highly recognized brand names when it comes to streaming accessories, and of course, capture cards. The Elgato 4K X is the most recent release in their long lineup of capture cards, offering up 4K capturing capabilities straight out of the box.
The Elgato 4K X setup for the Nintendo Switch is incredibly straightforward, as is the Elgato 4K Capture Utility software you’ll need to record any footage. Elgato even has video tutorials to get you up and running.
While the Elgato 4K X does come packaged with a USB-C 3.2 and HDMI 2.1 cable, picking up an extra HDMI cable will enable passthrough on your monitor, and let you play your games frame-perfect while you record.
2. AverMedia Ultra 2.1: Most future-proof
- Capture resolutions: 2160p, 1440p, 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 480p, 480i
- Features: HDMI 2.1 support, HDR and VRR support, live-party chat, next-gen console compatibility
- Price: $299.99
The AVerMedia Ultra 2.1 is a compact capsule card, ideal for those who don’t want to take up more of their precious desk space. The small, non-desk-filling capsule card has an RGB strip on the side, something absent from the rest of the cards on this list, to add lighting to your likely already-flashy gaming setup.
With HDR support, Nintendo Switch footage captured on the AVerMedia Ultra 2.1 looks crisp and true to how it looks on the handheld. In our review, our Super Mario Wonder footage looked fantastic during playback, and we never noticed a dropped frame or any choppiness.
3. Rode Streamer X: Best mixer-capture hybrid
- Capture resolutions: 1440p60, 1080p120, 1080p60 HDR
- Features: Up to 4K30 video capture, VRR support, Neutrik combo jack for XLR mic connectivity, 3.5mm input, integrated wireless receiver, full customizable pads
- Price: $399
The Rode Streamer X is an audio interface, and video capture card in one. Rode more than makes use of its predominantly audio tech background, with the Streamer X producing a high-quality sound. The compact capture card features audio inputs for XLR microphones, so you can record your voice while capturing the footage of your favorite Nintendo Switch games.
When it comes to the most important bit, video quality, the Streamer X can capture up to 1080p120 or 1440p60. For our review, we noticed no significant frame rate drops, and the capture card was a “joy to use” when recording footage of Super Mario Wonder.
4. Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini: best family of capture cards
Blackmagic Design- Features: 4 HDMI inputs, hardware streaming engine, USB webcam out, audio mixer, 2D DVE transitions
- Price: $495
It’s difficult to pinpoint just one of the Blackmagic ATEM Mini switchers, so we’ve added the entire family to this list. There are four ATEM Mini models to choose from, the ATEM Mini Pro, ATEM Mini Pro ISO, ATEM Mini Extreme, and the ATEM Mini Extreme ISO. Each ATEM Mini is compact but filled to the brim with connections, and source buttons so you can create the ultimate Nintendo Switcd-based live stream.
Unlike typical capture cards, the ATEM Mini switchers are designed to make it easy to create multi-camera and multi-source live streaming productions. Each ATEM Mini allows you to easily switch between 8 high-quality video camera inputs, or connect to your Nintendo Switch, without having to change a thing every time you switch.
Each ATEM Mini is also integrated with a built-in hardware streaming engine, so you can stream your Nintendo Switch gameplay directly via ethernet to YouTube, Facebook Live, or Twitch.
5. Elgato HD60 X: Best budget option
Elgato- Capture resolutions: 2160p30, 1440p60, 1080p60, 1080p30, 1080i, 720p60, 576p, 480p
- Features: HDR 10-bit passthrough (up to 4K60), ultra-low latency, plug-and-play
- Price: $179.99
Elgaot’s capture cards are so renowned, that this is their second appearance on this list. This time, we’re looking at the Elgato HD60 X, a budget alternative to those who want to record, and stream their Nintendo Switch footage, without breaking the bank. The compact capture card can seamlessly connect to your Switch, sending raw video to your gaming screen and your PC.
The powerful capture care may be on the cheaper side, but it can capture your Nintendo Switch games in stunning quality thanks to its 1080p HDR10 compatibilities. The Elgato HD60 X, like a lot of Elgato products, is easy to set up too, just plug in and play and you’re good to go.
How to pick the best Nintendo Switch capture card?
The Nintendo Switch isn’t the biggest pixel pusher of the current-gen consoles, yet you still need to ensure whatever capture card you purchase is compatible with the handheld.
Whether you have the launch Switch, the Switch Lite, or the Switch OLED, the Nintendo handheld produces an output of 1080p at 60fps at the highest, which a lot of games not running more than 30fps.
With the Switch not being the most graphically intensive current-gen console out there, it means you have more legroom to pick between budget-friendly cards, as you don’t need to make use of the 4K capabilities. However, having a future-proof capture card at hand is always helpful, especially if you plan on streaming the future Switch successor.
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