Macs, especially those with Apple silicon chips, occasionally have compatibility issues with USB devices and other peripherals. The same is true when using a capture card with a Mac.
Whether you want a capture card for streaming, use your external camera as a webcam, or something else, there are a few additional considerations to make when choosing your best capture card for a Mac. These considerations relate to technical requirements as well as what you intend to capture.
Connectivity? You need USB and UVC
Before we get started, make sure you know the basics of what a capture card is and how it works before we get into the most pressing considerations for Mac users selecting one.
An important rule of thumb when looking for peripherals for Macs is to use what generally already works on all major platforms, and this is especially true for capture cards.
First, even if you have an Intel Mac Pro with PCIe slots, only external USB capture cards are compatible with Mac, and with a few exceptions, these capture cards must also follow the UVC (USB Video Class) protocol.
Almost all computers, be it Windows, Mac or Linux, have broad driver support for UVC devices from the start. If your capture card follows UVC, no driver needs to be installed.
Software and firmware updates may be required depending on your model, but a UVC capture card will work immediately after plugging in. Nearly all recent USB capture cards from major vendors like Elgato, AVerMedia, and EVGA are UVC (or have spec Apple silicon support), so chances are your favorite USB capture card is fine.
The only exception we know of is for later Intel Macs with Thunderbolt 3 support. The AVerMedia Live Gamer Bolt, a Thunderbolt 3 capture card, has drivers for Intel Macs, but still lacks drivers that support Apple silicon, meaning it’s completely incompatible if you have an M1 or M2 Mac. So for Apple silicon you need external USB UVC recording cards.
A crash course on HDMI passthrough
In most cases, in addition to capturing your camera as a webcam, you’ll want a capture card with passthrough capabilities. In this case, the HDMI signal comes in from your console through the input of the capture card and the capture card captures it for output to your computer via USB and to your monitor or TV via the HDMI output.
Simply put, passthrough signals start from your console and become what you see on your monitor or TV as the card records this video and sends it to your computer. Note that the recording resolution will never exceed that of passthrough. Most USB capture cards (that you’ll be using on Mac) go through higher resolutions or frame rates than they capture because the USB bandwidth is generally lower than HDMI.
This is important to understand for streaming games on Mac. For example, if you have an Elgato HD60 X, it will go up to 4K60, but capture it to 4K30 or scale the video signal to 1080p60. In this example, you can game at 4K60 and watch your live stream in 1080p60, the maximum resolution Twitch supports anyway.
Since passthrough is the limiting factor on a capture card, make sure the specs meet your needs. For example, a Nintendo Switch only needs a capture card with a maximum of 1080p60 for both pass-through and capture, but you’ll need 4K60 pass-through to play with full quality on your high-spec gaming PC, PS5 or Xbox Series X, even if you only capture 1080p60.
Find out what resolution you’re capturing, then find cards that support it at a minimum for passthrough. It’s also worth noting that passthrough is lag-free on all current capture cards from Elgato, AVerMedia, and other major reputable vendors. This means that the capture card doesn’t add delay to what you see on your monitor or TV, which is vital for competitive gaming.
Consider reputable companies that specialize in capturing
Understanding UVC compatibility and HDMI passthrough is paramount to your capture card selection, but there are other factors to consider. Plenty of reputable brands make solid capture cards, such as EVGA’s XR1 series, but capture cards aren’t the specialty of many brands, meaning it won’t be their priority for quality or continuous support.
On the other hand, Elgato and AVerMedia generally have more robust software, ecosystems, and support options than other brands due to their specialization in capture cards and other creator peripherals. In addition, a recording card from AVerMedia or Elgato can receive firmware updates to add or improve features, recording resolutions, or more. Companies that specialize in capture cards are much more likely to make such improvements than less focused or reputable ones.
You can find many cheap capture cards on Amazon that may work for you, but they lack the level of support and quality control that more reputable suppliers have. Reputation aside, your capture card should also be able to plug into your Mac in the first place.
Consider swapping the USB cable (or getting a hub)
Most capture cards come with USB-A to USB-C cables or USB-A to micro-USB cables, but modern MacBooks only have USB-C ports. Unless you’re using an iMac, a Mac mini, or a Mac Studio with USB-A ports, you’ll need a USB hub with adequate bandwidth (especially for USB 3.0 cards) or a USB-C cable of equal or better bandwidth .
This bandwidth is especially crucial depending on the resolution you choose to capture.
Consider your focus: streaming or recording?
If you’re gaming at high resolutions like 1440p or 4K, you may have different needs depending on how you want to use the card. For streaming, having the right resolution for passthrough is vital, but you only need 1080p60 recording at most for Twitch. If you’re streaming on your Mac, also consider other relevant peripherals like the Stream Deck and unique ways they can be used for productivity even on macOS.
If you’re focusing on high-resolution shooting, you may want to focus on higher-resolution capture, such as devices that support 4K30 or 1440p60. While most current, high-end 4K USB capture cards can pass 4K60, 1440p144, or 1080p240, their capture frame rates are limited by USB bandwidth, generally to 4K30, 1440p60, and 1080p120, respectively.
This is the biggest drawback of streaming or otherwise capturing content on a Mac compared to using a PC with a PCIe capture card. That said, whether you’re streaming or recording, as long as you know your passthrough and capture needs, you can probably find a suitable capture card for your needs!
Go ahead and capture
Choosing the right capture card for your Mac can seem more confusing than it needs to be. Be sure to choose a UVC card with adequate throughput and recording capabilities for your needs (ideally from a reputable company). If you’ve checked those boxes and you’re buying from a reputable brand, then you shouldn’t have a problem. So get out there and start capturing!
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