HDMI 2.1 capture cards are finally coming to the market. None have a scheduled release date, but Avermedia has announced that they have one in development. Unfortunately, we don’t know whether that means we’ll see it in the next few months or the next few years.
Does anyone make an HDMI 2.1 capture card?
No HDMI 2.1 capture cards are available on the market. Avermedia recently announced the Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 (GC553G2) and the Live Gamer 4K 2.1 (GC575). The former is an external card that’ll likely connect via Thunderbolt 4 or USB 3.2, while the latter is an internal PCIe card.
However, for now, you’re stuck with HDMI 2.0b compatible cards. The theoretical max you’ll get out of the models available now is 1080p at 240Hz, 1440p at 144Hz, or 4K at 60Hz. However, most capture cards don’t even support the full range of HDMI 2.0b features like HDR and (limited) VRR. So, you must be careful to read the fine print when researching one to purchase.
If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, there is one HDMI 2.1 card available right now on special order. The Chinese company Yuan, an Original Digital Manufacturer (ODM) that produces reference hardware for many capture card companies (including Elgato), has added an HDMI 2.1 capture card product sheet to its website. Companies like Elgato will typically buy these and use them as a basis for their own design and build custom drivers and software around them.
