Video capture cards read unencrypted video and audio signals from sources outside your computer and turn them into something that your computer can read, record, and stream. Most often, this kind of technology is used for recording and streaming sessions from a gaming console, like the Xbox console or PlayStation 5 console. But you can also use them to capture video footage from a camera, like a DSLR, or audio from a microphone.

On a gaming desktop computer, you can plug your capture card directly into the PCI express slot on your motherboard. For gaming laptops, there are external capture cards that plug into your computer via USB. Most capture cards rely on your computer’s processor to complete the encoding, but a few are designed to do the whole process on their own thanks to a hardware encoding chip. Those devices will record the footage to an inserted SD card.

A video capture card will usually offer you much better recording quality than the recording feature available within a gaming console. Some models will even handle 4K recording with ease. However, the place where PC capture cards really shine is streaming. So, if you are enhancing your gaming setup in order to livestream your gaming sessions, then a video input card for PC, along with a fast and reliable networking system, will be necessary. Remember, for the best internet connection, consider plugging directly into your router.

If you are using a capture card for streaming, then you will also benefit from using a stream deck. A stream deck will give you shortcuts for managing audio leveling, adding sound effects and graphics or sending messages while you stream your play. In fact, many buttons on stream decks can be customized so that you can prioritize your specific needs when you share your gameplay. Whether you want to stream your gaming sessions or live videos, capture cards and stream decks make your job easy.