Game streaming is very popular in today"s internet, and there are many products out there to help content creators show off their gaming sessions to the world. Today, Razer announced its Ripsaw HD capture card, which supports streaming up to 1080p at 60 frames per second, but also allows 4K passthrough for gaming, so you don"t have to sacrifice your gaming experience while streaming.
There are some cards out there, such as the Elgato 4K60 Pro, that support 4K streaming, too, but they can be pretty expensive. For $159.99, the Razer Ripsaw HD streams at Full HD, which is still very much acceptable, while letting you enjoy your games at a higher resolution. The Ripsaw HD has one HDMI input and one HDMI output, so that it sits somewhere between your PC or console and the screen you"re playing on. It"s a very compact box, too, so it shouldn"t get in the way of your setup.
The Ripsaw HD can be used with gaming PCs or with any of the current-generation consoles - the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and even the Nintendo Switch. It connects to your streaming PC via USB 3.0, and it has 3.5mm audio jacks for both input and output, so you can mix audio from your system and your microphone, while also listening to your game through your headset. This should make it fairly simple to set up a normal streaming environment without the need for complex software solutions.
You can use the Ripsaw HD with just about any streaming platform you can think of, as it"s compatible with Twitch, Mixer, YouTube, and also with dedicated streaming software such as OBS and XSplit. Razer says that the Ripsaw HD will be available from its website on April 11, but it seems to be available for purchase right now, coming in at $159.99 or €169.99. It"s expected to be available worldwide during the second quarter of 2019.
If you"re looking for other streaming gear, Razer also offers things such as the Kiyo streaming camera with a built-in ring light and the Seiren microphones.