Play and Stream with Your Console on Your PC

Updated February 08, 2023 21:27

No more changing your monitor cables to play games on your favorite console thanks to the NZXT Signal Capture Cards!

If you’re a gamer, there’s a good chance you enjoy a good game no matter what platform it’s on. Many PC gamers, however, may not have a dedicated monitor for their console, like Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5, or Xbox Series X/S. In this guide, we’ll show you how to play and hear your gameplay through your computer from your console thanks to the NZXT Signal Capture Card and OBS Studio!

Do I need a capture card?

The easiest way to think of this is with a question:

Can I see the video and hear the audio on my computer?

For games that run on PC, you don’t need a capture card. But for consoles, cameras, and mobile devices, a capture card is the most reliable way to get that signal at maximum quality and framerate to your computer so you can stream.

Setup

Console Settings

For a detailed setup guide for the Nintendo Switch, XBOX, Playstation, Camera, and Mobile, head over to our Streaming Your Console, Camera, and Mobile Device page.

OBS Software Settings

Make sure you have the latest version of OBS Studio.
Launch OBS Studio. It will ask you a bunch of questions. Feel free to skip the setup, as the settings will be below.
In the bottom right of OBS, click ‘Settings’ and go to the ‘Audio’ tab.
Set your ‘Desktop Audio’ to your headphones or speakers from the dropdown menu.
Set your ‘Monitoring Device’ to the same device and make sure ‘Disable Windows Audio Ducking’ is checked off.
In the ‘Video’ tab, set both ‘Base’ and ‘Output’ Resolutions to 1920x1080, and an FPS value of 60. Click ‘Apply’ to save your settings.
Exit the settings window and click the + in the sources window on the lower left. Click ‘Video Capture Device’.
Give your device a name (doesn’t matter what you call it). Click ‘OK’.
Turn your console on.
Select your NZXT Signal Capture Card from the dropdown menu next to Device.
Start with ‘Device Default’ in the Resolution/FPS Type. Ideally, you should have a signal! If you don’t, then select ‘Custom’ for Resolution/FPS Type, and type or select the correct resolution your capture card is rated for.

For most consoles, a resolution of 1920x1080 and an FPS of 60 will work!

For ‘Color Space’, set it to 709 and ‘Color Range’ as ‘Partial’. This will make sure you’re playing in the best color possible.
Scroll down more within the capture card properties window: Set ‘Buffering’ to ‘Disable’.
- Set the ‘Audio Output Mode’ to ‘Capture Audio-Only’.
- Check off ‘Use Custom Audio Device’.
- Set the ‘Audio Device’ to the audio source associated with your capture card. Click ok!
At this point, you should now see audio coming from your capture card in the Audio Mixer! Turn this slider to approximately the halfway mark, as below, so you don’t destroy your ears in the next step.
Click on the gear next to the capture card audio in the Audio Mixer, then click ‘Advanced Audio Properties’.
Next to the name of your capture card on the right under ‘Audio Monitoring’, select ‘Monitor Only (mute output)’ from the dropdown menu. You should be able to hear it now!
Adjust your volume to your liking with the slider of the capture card audio in the Audio Mixer. (Quick tip: game audio centered around -25dB, as in the picture below, is a good target if you’re going to stream your gameplay).
You can play right from this window, full screen it, or pop out a smaller window thanks to OBS' built-in settings.
- For fullscreen view, right-click the video, select ‘Fullscreen Projector (Preview)’, and select the monitor you want to view it on.
- For a windowed view, you can move around, and select ‘Windowed Projector’.
  
  You should now be all set to record and/or stream your amazing gameplay! By using a capture card, you’ll never have to unplug and plug in your monitor cables just to play your favorite console. Input latency will depend on the Capture Card you have and the USB port you’re using. Ideally, your Capture Card is a USB3.0 or above. And most importantly, have fun!