best hardware for recording video game consoles

Alright, so you wanna record them video games, huh? Like, the ones on them fancy consoles? Not a problem, not a problem at all. I’ll tell ya what you need, no fancy talk, just plain ol’ good stuff.

First off, you gotta get yourself somethin’ to snatch the picture and sound. They call ’em capture cards, I think. Sounds complicated, but it ain’t. It’s like a little box that sits between your game box and your TV, or your computer.

Now, there’s a bunch of these things out there. Some are cheap, some ain’t. If you got the money, you can get the real fancy ones, like them Elgato thingamajigs. People seem to like ’em. They got this one, the Elgato 4K X, I hear it’s real good for them super clear pictures, the kind that make you feel like you’re right there in the game. But it’ll cost ya, somethin’ like two hundred and thirty dollars, maybe more. Then there’s the Elgato 4K Pro, even fancier, but Lordy, that’s like three hundred bucks! That’s a lot of chicken feed, I tell ya. They also got these things called stream decks. I don’t know much about them, but folks say they help you switch between things while you’re recording or something. Stream Deck this, Stream Deck that, too many for this old lady to keep track of.

But if you’re like me, and you don’t wanna spend all your hard-earned cash, there’s cheaper ones too. AVerMedia, that’s another name I heard. They got this Live Gamer Bolt, and folks say it’s real fast and gives you nice, clear pictures too, even the 4K ones. And it works real good for streaming, whatever that is. You kids and your fancy words. But you need a special plug on your computer for that one, a thunderbolt thingy, so make sure you got that.

Now, some of these capture cards, they just plug right into your computer, like with a USB cable. Easy peasy. Others, they go inside your computer, which is a bit more tricky. If you ain’t good with screwdrivers and such, maybe get a friend to help ya. Or stick with the USB ones, those are simple enough even for an old woman like me, well, not that I use them, but you get the idea.

• Important stuff to remember:
• Make sure the capture card works with your game console. Some work with everything, some don’t. Like them PlayStations and Xboxes and Nintendos. Gotta make sure it all fits together.
• Think about how good you want the picture to be. If you just wanna show your friends, maybe you don’t need the super fancy expensive one. But if you wanna put it on that YouTube thingy, then maybe you want the good stuff.
• And don’t forget about the sound! You want folks to hear the game, right? Most capture cards do sound just fine, but it’s somethin’ to keep in mind.

Now, besides the capture card, you might need some other things. Like a good computer, if you’re gonna record on that. And a big hard drive, ’cause these videos take up a lot of space. Lordy, these young folks and their terabytes and gigabytes. Back in my day, a floppy disk was all ya needed.

And if you wanna talk while you’re playing, you’ll need a microphone. But that’s a whole other story. We’ll stick to the picture-taking stuff for now.

Oh, and one more thing, don’t go buyin’ the first thing you see. Look around a bit, read some reviews, see what other folks are sayin’. And don’t be afraid to ask for help at the store. Them young fellas at Best Buy or wherever, they usually know what they’re talkin’ about, even if they do use all that fancy jargon.

So there ya have it. Not so hard, right? Just get yourself a good capture card, make sure it fits with your stuff, and you’ll be recordin’ them video games in no time. And don’t forget to have fun! That’s what matters most, ain’t it?

And remember, whether you get the fancy Elgato or the AVerMedia, or somethin’ else entirely, it’s all about havin’ fun and sharin’ your games with the world. Or just keepin’ them for yourself, that’s fine too. It’s your game, you do what you want with it.

And one last thing, don’t forget to save your money! Recording games is fun, but it shouldn’t break the bank. There’s always a deal to be found if you look hard enough.

Anyways, I gotta go now, my soaps are on. You kids have fun with your video games, and don’t stay up too late!

Tags: Game Capture, Video Game Recording, Best Capture Cards, Elgato, AVerMedia, 4K Recording, Game Console Recording, Streaming, Capture Devices, HDMI Capture