Elgato

Elgato 4K X Capture Card, HDMI 2.1, 4K144 Ultra-Low Latency

Cables & Accessories

Our Take

The Elgato 4K X is a USB-based external capture card aimed at streamers and content creators who want to capture or passthrough footage at up to 4K144 via HDMI 2.1. It sits at the premium end of Elgato's lineup, targeting those with high-refresh-rate gaming setups who don't want to compromise on capture quality when recording or broadcasting.

Key Features

HDMI 2.1 input and output supporting up to 4K144Hz passthrough

Captures up to 4K30 or 1080p60 for recording and streaming

Ultra-low latency passthrough so gameplay feel is unaffected

Compatible with Elgato's 4K Capture Utility and OBS via plugin

Works with PC and Mac; connects via USB-C

VRR and HDR passthrough supported on compatible displays

Our Verdict

A sensible buy for streamers rocking a high-refresh-rate 4K setup who need clean passthrough without compromising their gaming experience. If you're capturing at 1080p or don't have an HDMI 2.1 display, the premium is harder to justify — look at Elgato's HD60 X or rivals from AVerMedia instead.

What We Like

HDMI 2.1 passthrough is genuinely rare at this price point for external cards
Clean, no-driver-faff setup on most modern systems
Solid build quality consistent with Elgato's recent hardware

Things to Consider

Capture resolution ceiling is lower than the passthrough spec, which may surprise buyers
Requires a reasonably powerful PC to handle 4K capture without dropped frames
Premium pricing versus rivals offering comparable capture specs without HDMI 2.1
Mac support is functional but less polished than on Windows

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