The Elgato HD60 Pro: A Game-Changer for Professionals and Gamers Alike

Ever since the Elgato Game Capture HD gaming capture card launched at a competitive price point, allowing just about anyone to capture their game console gameplay, many of us have been asking Elgato to put out a more capable product - something that still maintains the competitive price point, but has some more slightly professional-oriented features and capabilities. Enter the Elgato HD60 Pro - their answer to our requests. Does it live up to snuff?

The HD60 Pro is an internal, PCIe 1x device, which means you need to have a desktop computer with a free PCIe slot available in order to use it. For us professionals out there, this is not a big deal - but this does limit the functionality to only those with a high-ish-end setup, unlike the previous Elgato Game Capture devices, which were designed to be usable by just about anyone. But that's kind of the point - the "Pro" in the product name is intentional, for good reason.

Looking at the card itself, we have a small, all-black PCIe card - about what I'd expect. I really appreciate that they took the time to make it look good, though. When this card is more than likely going in enthusiast computer builds - where we often like to show off what's inside - it's clear that Elgato has put thought into making this device visually appealing. The compact design and sleek exterior make it a great addition to any high-end gaming rig.

The Convenience of the Device

One of the most impressive features of the HD60 Pro is its convenience. With the dual encoders, you can record high-bitrate 1080p60 footage at an incredibly fast pace - perfect for those who want to capture every moment of their gameplay or live streams. The feature set that comes with the device is also top-notch, providing users with a range of options for customization and control.

In addition to its impressive technical specifications, the HD60 Pro also boasts a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to get started. The device is plug-and-play, requiring minimal setup or configuration before you're up and running. This is ideal for those who are new to capture cards or live streaming - it's a great way to dip your toes into the world of professional-grade recording without breaking the bank.

But the HD60 Pro is not just about convenience; it's also designed with professionals in mind. The device's high-end specifications and robust feature set make it an attractive option for those who are serious about their craft. Whether you're a pro gamer, a streamer, or simply someone who wants to take their gaming experience to the next level, the HD60 Pro is definitely worth considering.

The Software: A Growing Concern

Despite its impressive technical specifications and convenient features, the HD60 Pro's software has been a point of contention for many users. The software is quite convenient, way more so than trying to record various videos or ongoing series with no title, description, game identification, etc. in something like OBS. However, this convenience comes at a cost - the software still has its fair share of bugs and crashes.

In fact, I've had my share of mid-recording crashes, videos flat out not exporting from their software, or even situations where the software just refuses to open - it will just crash whenever it tries until I restart my PC, which is not always an easy option. Despite these issues, it's worth noting that Elgato's support team has been quite responsive when it comes to addressing bugs and crashes. They're always eager to help, and they do a good job of patching out issues as soon as they become available.

The Software: A Growing Concern

One of the most frustrating things about using the HD60 Pro is its software - or rather, its lack thereof. The software is quite convenient, but it's also incredibly finicky. It will work perfectly for hours on end, and then suddenly freeze up or crash without warning. This can be incredibly frustrating, especially if you're in the middle of a recording session.

However, I've found that the software does seem to get better over time. In fact, I've noticed a significant improvement in its reliability since my original review - probably around Christmas 2014 when I got my first HD60. The updates have been consistent and well-received by users, and Elgato has done a great job of patching out issues as soon as they become available.

Is the HD60 Pro Worth It?

So would I recommend this card? Yeah, probably - anyone with just enough technical expertise to be able to install the card and have a high-end rig to run it, but who doesn't want to mess with more, actually professional-level solutions, would strongly benefit from this card. The dual encoders, the high-bitrate 1080p60 recordings, and the convenience of the features that their software provides when it cooperates with you are all amazing features to have in a device like this, and it has certainly impressed me compared to their other devices.

In conclusion, the Elgato HD60 Pro is an impressive capture card that offers a range of benefits for both professionals and gamers alike. With its high-end specifications, convenient design, and robust feature set, it's definitely worth considering if you're looking to take your gaming experience or live streaming setup to the next level.

Product Links and Tutorials

As always, product links will be in the description below. I'll also be creating some tutorials about their updated software shortly - so stay tuned for those!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enEver since the Elgato Game Capture HD gamingcapture card launched at a competitive priceto allow just about anyone to capture theirgame console gameplay, many of us have beenasking Elgato to put out a more capable product- something that still maintains the competitiveprice point, but has some more slightly professional-orientedfeatures and capabilities.Enter the Elgato HD60 Pro - their answer toour requests.Does it live up to snuff?Let’s take a look.The HD60 Pro is an internal, PCIe 1x device- which means you need to have a desktop computerwith a free PCIe slot available in order touse it.For us professionals out there, this is nota big deal - but this does limit the functionalityto only those with a high-ish-end setup, unlikethe previous Elgato Game Capture devices,which were designed to be usable by just aboutanyone.But that’s kind of the point - the “Pro”in the product name is intentional, for goodreason.Looking at the card itself, we have a small,all-black PCIe card - about what I’d expect.I really appreciate that they took the timeto make it look good, though.When this card is more than likely going inenthusiast computer builds - where we oftenlike to show off what’s in our computers- the little touches like an all-black PCBand Elgato-branded shroud around the componentsare really appreciated.What’s even more appreciated is the clear,visible labeling of “In” and “Out”on the HDMI ports for the card.It’s already hard enough to see where toplug stuff in on the back of a busy computerbuild, but this was a concern given that thelabeling on the original HD60 was all butimpossible to see.Props, Elgato, I wish more internal cardscame this slick looking.This capture card is significantly more powerfuland capable than their previous devices.It’s capable of recording a 1080p 60 framesper second video signal from any modern gameconsole or PC, at up to 60 megabits per second- a very high bitrate for “gaming” orientedcapture solutions.Better yet, if you use a third-party programto record from this card, you can get a completelyuncompressed video signal to record at whateverbitrate or format you’d like - so VMix,VirtualDub, and adept OBS Studio users rejoice!Using the updated versions of Elgato’s GameCapture software, users can also utilize theHD60 Pro’s dual encoders to record a “MasterCopy” of what’s going on - at full 1080p60with the highest bitrate, while streamingto a lower quality (and resolution, if needed)stream for Twitch, YouTube Gaming, Hitbox,etc.This is great to keep a stream going on slowerinternet bandwidths and still maintain a ready-to-editvideo file, as well.Highlights, montages - that kind of thing- just got a whole lot easier.They’ve also added a new “Sound Capture”app to their software, allowing users to recorda tertiary audio source along with their gamesound and microphone audio.This is useful for looping in VOIP chats,such as via Skype, Discord, Teamspeak, andso on.All 3 audio streams can be saved to differentaudio files to be mixed in editing, or tothe same stream for a live mix.Best of all - unlike the previous Elgato GameCapture cards, the HD60 Pro runs at an incrediblylow-latency!Almost real-time enough to play from the preview!This “Instant Gameview” feature is greatbecause you no longer have to worry aboutadding in delays on your webcam, microphone,etc.when streaming.I got to the point of strongly recommendingagainst the HD60 for live streaming becauseof the issues caused by the delay and latencyof the card, but this is not a problem atall with the HD60 Pro.The HD60 S that just came out also has thisfeature, but doesn’t have the dual encoders.It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though.Despite one of the original claims about theHD60 Pro being that it also didn’t haveany of the audio de-sync issues that plaguedthe original HD60, that does not appear tobe true.There are plenty of reports out and aboutregarding desync issues with the device, andup until last week, I would have gone againstthem.BUT I’ve finally ran into the issue whilstrecording long sessions of my Modded Skyrimplaythrough for my gaming channel.After a good couple months of using the cardand having no issues - well, desync issues,as I’ve had plenty of other issues withtheir software - I had about a 45 minute to1 hour recording session of Skyrim, across2 or 3 recordings, in which the audio gotcompletely out of sync about half-way through.This isn’t a recoverable issue - once thefile is screwed up, it’s screwed up.The de-sync is inconsistent and so you can’tjust change the speed or placement of theaudio track to fix it.This can be incredibly frustrating for let’splay-style recordings, and the drasticallybigger severity of this issue is why I stoppedusing and recommending the original HD60 altogether.I’ve been using the card to stream regularlyto YouTube Gaming and have noticed absolutelyzero desync while streaming, though - it justseems the encoder has issues when runningthe file to disk.A problem you’d think I wouldn’t havewhen recording to a RAID0 Array with veryhigh write speeds.Unfortunately, the biggest limiting factorof using this device seems to be the software- which, to me, is quite ironic given thatI would only use this card over the pro solutionsI own such as the Magewell XI100DUSB specificallyfor their software.Their software is quite convenient, way moresothan trying to record various videos or ongoingseries with no title, description, game identification,etc. in something like OBS.BUT the continued lack of reliability of thesoftware is beyond frustrating.I’ve had my share of mid-recording crashes,videos flat out not exporting from their software,or even situations where the software justrefuses to open - it will just crash wheneverit tries until I restart my PC, which is notalways an easy option.BUT it’s getting better with time.The software seems to be in a much betterstate compared to Christmas 2014 when I gotmy original HD60, and they’re continuingto update it and try to make it better.In fact, I’ve found that their support teamis quite responsive whenever you do encounterbugs or crashes, send a small crash log theirway and they’ll try to help you resolvethe issue.I would hope at this point that there’squite the number of issues that I’ve atleast helped contribute to via my experiences.These issues shouldn’t be too big of a burdenfor your average YouTuber or streamer.I know very well that they often stem fromthe sheer demand I place on the hardware andsoftware.But that should be expected when pushing acard in the “professional” category asper the “Pro” in the name.This device - and the full experience surroundingit - should stand strong above the lower-endmodels.The hardware certainly does, but the softwarestill has a ways to go.So would I recommend this card?Yeah, probably - anyone with just enough technicalexpertise to be able to install the card andhave a high-end rig to run it, but who doesn’twant to mess with more, actually pro-levelsolutions would strongly benefit from thiscard.The dual encoders, the high-bitrate 1080p60recordings, and the convenience of the featuresthat their software provides when it cooperateswith you are all amazing features to havein a device like this, and it has certainlyimpressed me comparedto their other devices.Iwill be creating some tutorials about theirupdated software shortly.And as always, product links will be in thedescription below.I hope you enjoyed my review of the ElgatoHD60 Pro.If you did, be sure to smash that like button,get subscribed for more awesome tech videos,and otherwise, I’ll see youin the next one!\n"