Elgato 4K60S+ review: This capture device is a content creator's best friend

4k60 S Lifestyle Source: Corsair

Game capture in the 4K era has been a fleck of an outcome for businesses and content creators. At most events I've been to as a games author, most companies have been using things like Atomos camera monitors to capture 4K60 gameplay footage, even though they aren't really intended for this purpose, and they tin can exist incredibly expensive.

At the time, though, there simply wasn't a solution for capturing 4K sixty FPS footage on the go, without hooking upwardly a total PC, and having content creators either bring their own storage devices or having to email or share massive RAW, unedited files. Not only is this inconvenient and impractical, but it's also crazy expensive, especially if the upshot or studio in question wanted to gear up multiple Atomos devices for capture.

In typical Elgato manner, the business firm has stepped upwards to make full yet another niche in the content creator tools market. It's a godsend for any business organization looking to fix up an event or whatsoever streamer who wants to take their capture capabilities on the road without lugging around a laptop. Make no mistake, though; it's a bit pricey. Information technology might be on offer for Amazon Prime number Solar day in the future, though, and then continue an eye on its shop page hither.

This is the impressive standalone 4K60S+ capture device.

Capture and go

Elgato 4k60s Plus

Elgato 4K60S+

$400

Bottom line: While niche, this production is a godsend for serious frequently-traveling content creators and businesses who put on gaming events.

Pros:

Convenient size and weight
Some of the best encoding I've e'er seen
Has optional standalone power for recording even without an attached PC
Includes multiple plug types for unlike regions, ideal for travel

Cons:

Can go surprisingly hot just from being plugged in, fifty-fifty when not in use
Only way to turn it off is to unplug it

What you'll honey most the Elgato 4K60S+

4k60 S Lifestyle Source: Corsair

First thing to know is that this is ultimately a niche product. Depending on who you are, and what type of content you create, you may not need to spend $400 on this detail device. Know that this is aimed firmly at businesses and events, and content creators who might be traveling to preview events who need an easy way to capture footage without needing to resort to the tools on hand.

If you're capturing footage at habitation for making videos or streaming to Twitch or YouTube, Elgato has far more affordable capture cards than this that are worth checking out instead. If you're a content creator who oftentimes travels, this might become your new best friend, though.

Elgato 4k 60 S Plus In The Box Source: Elgato

Like most of Elgato's capture cards, the fix on this device is incredibly easy. Elgato provides all the cables you lot need, including a power pack with swappable plugs for dissimilar regions. Information technology'southward a thoughtful touch, given that the Eu, United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, and the United states of america all have dissimilar sockets, and if y'all're traveling to a prove or an issue, y'all desire to be sure you tin can plug this matter in. I'g impressed with Elgato'due south attention to detail here.

Speaking of attention to detail, Elgato gave this device a decent corporeality of weight, besides, with highly flexible cables that make it sit still wherever you place it. Lighter continued devices tend to slide all over the identify when fastened to taught plastic cables, and so once again, I find this to be a plus.

While the pattern of a capture card isn't necessarily of import, the textured stop on this device is quite prissy. The recording button has excellent action and informative LEDs that let you know whether it'south recording or in standby mode.

Speaking of recording, the most impressive aspect of the Elgato 4K60S+ is the advanced on-board HEVC encoding chip, which lets you lot tape up to 7 hours of 4K 60 FPS HDR footage on a unmarried 256 GB SD carte du jour. This is truly insane, considering I recall events where I've recorded RAW footage from an Atomos screen recorder that was simply about 30 minutes long, but about 40GB in size. The Elgato also uses standard storage formatting, meaning that I could apply the aforementioned SD card I use for my photographic camera, alongside my Elgato, which but added further convenience.

This sort of direct-to-SD card compression will exist a game-changer for many content creators and businesses who simply desire to get in, record their footage, and edit rapidly without having to go through re-encoding or pinch cycles. Chopping downward a massive 100GB 4K60 HDR RAW files on a laptop you might use for traveling is not incredibly fun. The 4K60S+ volition make that endeavour a lot easier.

The 4K60S+ is versatile likewise. If you're taking it on the road, yous can power information technology separately, as noted by an external power source. Using it in this way, you can capture PC footage directly, without using the local PC hardware, which might otherwise impact game performance. At home, you can power it via USB-C to a USB-A port on your PC. This way, y'all can apply it for streaming games as with other Elgato capture devices, or capturing footage direct to your PC from whatever device connected via HDMI.

The versatility, the convenient weight, high-quality cables, and crazy codec make this product an all-round winner. Nonetheless, there are a couple of minor gripes I would like to accept seen improved, perhaps in futurity versions.

What you might dislike about the Elgato 4K60S+

4k60 S Lifestyle Source: Corsair

The Great britain has a reputation for beingness a cold, rain-drizzled place in the Northward of Europe. In truth, though, the summer months can be ridiculously warm, compounded further because most buildings aren't designed for air conditioning. Reviewing this unit right now, it'southward 87F (30C) where I am, and while this isn't necessarily the capture card'due south fault, it surprised me how warm the 4K60S+ gets even when information technology's not in apply.

This is perhaps compounded by the fact that you can't turn it off without fully unplugging it. Elgato noted to me that the 4K60S+ falls into standby fashion when it hasn't been used for 15 minutes, but I constitute even in this manner, it would remain kind of warm, despite using only a reported 2w of ability while standing by. Information technology's not a deal-breaker past any means, but it'due south worth being enlightened of.

Additionally, the 4K60S+ also comes with a nifty settings.txt file when it initially copies files to your SD bill of fare, letting you tweak various things. For power users, it'southward nice having access to configure these settings, but having to edit a text file to exercise so seems a scrap ... 90s? I'm non sure if in that location are some technical limitations for this, simply being able to alter the settings via the 4K Capture Utility on PC GUI is hopefully something that Elgato explores down the line.

Should you buy the Elgato 4K60S+?

4k60 S Device Source: Corsair

The vast majority of content creators may merely want to take hold of an Elgato HD60S+, which gives y'all all the tools and ability you demand to capture footage on a home PC aslope whatever connected HDMI device. Still, if you're a more profound content creator, at that place are a few niches this device tin can fill.

The fact that this is the only Elgato capture device that can be powered in a standalone configuration is a large boost for people making content on PC potentially since game capture can often impede performance on some levels of PC hardware. Beingness able to offload that encoding to a separate device is a useful choice, and well worth exploring. If you're a business or game studio looking to get rid of those incredibly expensive Atomos monitor capture devices, the Elgato 4K60S+ is your new best-in-class option. If you're a content creator who is frequently on the road, who doesn't want to rely on the capture solutions provided by an result, this is also an platonic option.

The Elgato 4K60S+ does precisely what it says on the tin, and it does it exceptionally well. While investing in a $400 capture device certainly won't be necessary for near, for those this device is aimed at, at that place's simply cypher better out at that place right now.

Capture and go

Elgato 4k60s Plus

Elgato 4K60S+

Best standalone capture device.

This is the male monarch of standalone powered capture devices, with immense versatility, impressive on-lath encoding, and an intuitive interface.

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