Before I get to the review I'll quickly detail my computer specs since it may matter.
i5-4690k
16gb ram
nVidia GeForce GTX 1070
1TB Samsung 840 Evo SSD which I had the software set to use for recording storage
So I actually purchased this on May 11th so I could record my (admittedly rather bad) gameplay from my consoles. When I got it I had a few issues which I'll detail but first I'll go through the pros.
First off the unit is really easy to setup. Just download the software from the website and install it then connect the device. If you wish you can install the software ahead of time while you wait for a unit you ordered to arrive.
The software itself is pretty stable. I didn't have any real issues during recording. The only one I had, which may of very well been user error, was that it seemed to be "recording" where the clock was moving but it didn't record. I had messed with some settings prior so I reset everything to default and it worked fine after.
I'm actually able to get full 1080p 60fps without issue. This worked fine out of the box. It may have to do with my specs though and as such your mileage may vary. There are steps on the Elgato help site that can work towards improving performance if for some reason you are not able to get that.
The recording was clear and didn't have any frame drops. Please be aware if you are trying to play the video via VLC and getting frame drops or what appears to be a scrambled picture please try another player that might actually use the system decoder. VLC uses its own decoder and it seemed to have issues when I tested my first couple of recordings. When I used a different player it worked fine. If people have to know I do use K-Lite Codec Pack but I don't think that was what fixed it but it may affect what system decoder was actually used. The fact that I use that doesn't constitute an endorsement or recommendation of that software. The issue with VLC may be resolved in a future update of the software if it isn't already.
Elgato Support is very very good. They communicated via email and there may be a delay but responses are from actual people and I didn't have any troubleshooting based auto-replies. I did get one for the initial email receipt but that just gave appropriate response timeframes so that expectations could be established. Kudos to them for doing that.
You do not have to hook up the HDMI out if you don't want to. For me I was just using it to hook up to the computer and using the software is perfectly acceptable.
The delay is pretty much invisible. I was able to play the game using purely the feed from the software without any real issue.
Now for the cons.
My unit had a seemingly loose USB connection. When moving the unit would sometimes disconnect. I did get the unit replaced with Elgato where the issue continued. As a second step they actually sent me a replacement USB 3 to USB C cable (same as what was in the box) and that seems to have resolved the issue. So... if your unit seems to drop out while you are moving it then it may be advisable to just try a different cable and see if the issue persists. I can only guess there was a loose wire in the connector that plugged into the Elgato HD60 S.
If the unit does happen to disconnect while the Game Capture HD program is running then it may crash. This may result in the loss of the recording or corrupted data in it. For the most part, this is a minor issue because it shouldn't disconnect on its own anyways.
| Brand | Elgato |
|---|---|
| Item model number | 1GC109901004 |
| Operating System | Mac,Windows 10 |
| Item Weight | 3.73 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 4.41 x 2.95 x 0.75 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 4.41 x 2.95 x 0.75 inches |
| Number of Processors | 1 |
| Voltage | 5 Volts |
| Manufacturer | Elgato Direct |
| ASIN | B01DRWCOGA |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | April 12, 2016 |
