REVIEW – EZCap 261 Capture Card

Have you ever wanted to capture or stream your gameplay? Don’t like the option that the Switch natively provides? Already spent all your money on a Nintendo Switch and some games? I’ve recently had the pleasure of using a cheaper alternative to the Elgato, Avermedia, Hauppauge, and Roxio capture cards: the EZCap 261.

I’ve had it for a little over a month and used it to capture several videos for our YouTube channel. This USB 3.0 capture card has far exceeded my expectations, and it costs about two-thirds of the price that I paid for my last card. While it is basic in function, it has all the important features: 1080p 60fps recording, HDMI pass-through, and USB 3.

As far as the review, I’m going to cover three different areas: functionality, practicality, and its technical ability.

So how functional is the EZCap 261? It literally is just plug-and-play. I have been using it on a Windows 10 machine, but it also supports Mac and Linux PCs. It works with programs such as VLC Media Player, Open Broadcaster, and Xsplit. It also works with a webcam too, so when I used it in Discord video chat and Skype, it showed up without any problem. It’s biggest limiting factor is that it is HDMI only. This means you won’t be able to record classic consoles that use the analog inputs like RCA and component without an adapter for it.  For any of your HDMI consoles, including the Switch and Wii U, you’ll be able to capture and stream freely.

How practical is it? That depends on your desired uses. I use capture cards to capture and stream. I have a need for it and I use it accordingly, and it is worth it for anyone who wants to get in to game capture and streaming. It’s much cheaper than the alternatives. You likely spent a lot of money on a Switch and some games and want to stream your efforts. For the price of a special edition of a game, you’re getting fully featured device that works flawlessly with the Switch.

Lastly I want to talk tech. The EZCap 261 is a $100 (US) alternative to other capture cards like the Elgato HD60. The card itself is powered and transfers data over the USB 3. Unfortunately, it can’t record anything on its own. You’ll need a computer to perform the majority of the work, as well as additional software. As mentioned before, I use Open Broadcaster Studio. You can record as long as you want, as long as you have hard drive space and have certain settings. Any color washout can easily be fixed with post-processing or filters, but this doesn’t affect the quality of the recordings. Everything just works, and that’s all you can ask for from a capture card with the added benefit of no extra drivers.

Overall, the EZCap 261 card is worth the money. It has all the same features of a standard capture card and then some. It’s cheap and practical for the cost-conscious person, and technically, it’s one of the best capture cards at its price-point.  Check it out here on Amazon if you want to purchase it yourself!

**Review unit provided by EZCap for the purpose of this review**

Mike Trim

Mike has been with NintendoFuse since January 2015 as a Social Media Manager. He has always had a passion for Nintendo games, and his favorite game series is Donkey Kong Country.