Combat Gaming

If you’re into live gaming, and you like to record your games, then you probably already know all about the Avermedia Live Gamer. If not, we’re here to enlighten you on why you should consider investing in one. After all, it is Christmas time. It's the holy grail for Xbox game streamers: a capture card that can pull 4K game footage from your Xbox One X. Avermedia Live Gamer Portable simplifies live streaming so much that you almost forgot how much trouble it used to be. In a nutshell, you can even record and stream your gameplay simultaneously, with voice commentary. Sounds good, right?

There are still a lot of new things you can do when it comes to capturing high frame rates and high-resolution video. The Xbox One X is making this much easier with 4K resolution.

Hardware for such a function is still in its infancy, but consumer-grade products are available that don't cost a lot. Most people use internal capture cards, but AVerMedia has an external 4K/HDR capture card called the Live Gamer Ultra, and there is a lot to like about it.

Avermedia Live Gamer Portable lets gamers record and stream Xbox, PlayStation, and WiiU gameplay. In addition to capturing directly to an SD card, this device allows gamers to record without a PC. The camera can record a 1080p video clip in full HD, and it uses TimeShift to record retroactively for up to an hour after the game clip took place. Streaming directly to Twitch, Youtube, and other services is also possible with a PC with built-in commentary and RECentral software.

The device comes with an HDMI cable, a USB cord, and a component cable adapter. In order to record to an SD card without using a PC, you will need a USB adapter and an SD card with enough storage.

Using RECentral, users can record voice commentary and save it as a separate audio track for use in post-production. As a result of the integrated Stream Engine, users can begin streaming immediately with applications like Open Broadcaster Software and Wirecast.

Operating System

Windows and Mac are both supported by Avermedia Live Gamer Portable. Virtually any console, including retro consoles, can be recorded with it.

Live Gamer 3 Interface

A Mac or PC with USB 2.0 can be used to stream or record to this device. In addition to recording directly to an SD card, Avermedia Live Gamer Portable can also record on its own. For passthrough and recording, either Component or HDMI cables can be used.

4 Ease of Use

The direct-to-SD method is incredibly simple and reduces the setup time dramatically. Simply attach your console via HDMI or Component cables to the input port, and then connect your TV via HDMI in the output port, and press the large “hot button” to record directly the the SD card. Using it with a PC requires just one additional cord, and takes no time at all to get going. Generally, this is one of the easier recording devices at this price point.

Luve Gamer Input/Output

The Avermedia Live Gamer Portable can receive AV or HDMI for inputs, and uses HDMI for output. There is also a port for audio in, and another for audio out, using standard 3.5mm jacks. USB 2.0 is used to connect the device to a PC or Mac.

There are some minor performance differences between Live Gamer Ultra and Live Gamer 4K, but apart from that, the two capture cards are almost identical. A vented plastic box with very slight red accents and an LED light for information purposes is also very similar in physical design and construction. The Xbox One X can capture very crisp 4K footage, though it is limited to 30 frames per second at this resolution due to the limitations of USB capture cards. It is possible to pass through up to 60 frames per second at 4K, as well as 240 frames per second at 1080p when recording at 120 frames per second.

So, live gamer, is it time to make Live Gamer part of your ultimate gaming setup? We think you should.