When most people are shopping for capture cards, Razer may not enter the conversation. It’s weird though, Razer is known as one of the top gaming peripheral companies on the market - making headsets, cameras, microphones, keyboard and more. They even made and released a capture card, the Razer Ripsaw, which took aim at Elgato’s stranglehold on the streaming accessory conversation. Razer has improved upon the original Ripsaw with the Razer Ripsaw HD. This time they are squarely targeting the Elgato HD60 S, but does it do enough to put it in the conversation as a viable mid-range gameplay capture option?
Specifications
- Max Capture Resolution: Uncompressed 1080p 60 FPS
- Interface: USB 3.0 Only
- Video Input: Digital - HDMI 2.0
- Audio Input: Digital - HDMI
- Audio Mix-In Input: 3.5mm Mic-in / 3.5mm Aux-in
- Video Output: HDMI 2.0
- Maximum Supported Pass Through Resolutions: 2160p60
- Other Supported Resolutions: 2160p, 1080p, 1440p30fps, 720p, 480p
- Includes: USB3.0 Type C to Type A cable, HDMI 2.0 cable, 3.5mm Audio Cable
- Console Compatibility: Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
- Price: $159.99 (via Razer)
One of the really nice aspects of the Ripsaw HD is down to the fact that there is no need to install a bunch of bloatware on the PC you’re streaming from. I know for some people havbing the extra programs to cut, record and mix audio is important, but for me I appreciate the simplicity of the Ripsaw HD. Simply plugging in the Razer is enough to get you started. It’s compatible with both OBS and Xsplit, meaning whichever streaming software you swear by, you can be treated to crisp, clear recordings of either a gaming PC or your console of choice. There is no fiddling with settings in Razer Synapse either, which I loved. It’s simply plug and go.
And this is a great thing too, as setting up a quality stream shouldn’t be that hard. Realistically, the capture card, while one of the most important aspects of your set up, should be an afterthought once everything is ready to go. It’s about the same size as the Elgato HD60 S, so it’s not going to take up valuable real estate on your desk either.
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The lack of integrated software though, does come with some disadvantages over the competition. While I enjoy OBS and Xsplit, the Elgato software is a bit easier to use for game capture beginners. Additionally, through the software, The HD60 S is capable of flashback recordings - something integrated into modern day AMD and Nvidia GPUs as well, but missing from the Razer Ripsaw. This feature helps considerably in game reviews, allowing me to quickly capture something that just happened instead of creating videos and hoping something exciting happens along the way while I’m recording. The Razer Ripsaw does allow for audio mixing directly in the card thanks to the front-facing audio inputs, and you can adjust the volume through Razer Synapse, which makes creating quick voice overs during gameplay easy. However, it might just be easier to use the mic hooked up to OBS - since that type of software is required any way to capture anything.
It’s a shame as well, that it only outputs at 1080p60, as today’s gaming society looks for 4K fidelity in their games and streams. But, it does support 4K passthrough, meaning there’s no need to change your gaming resolution to match the stream. You can game at whatever resolution you want to get the max fidelity you paid for while letting Razer handle the rest. Given the closest competition doesn’t support 4K pass through as well, it’s a leg up over other cards.
One of the issues I’ve had with my Elgato cards in the past is down to the audio fidelity while capturing or streaming. I’ve noticed when streaming console games there was a crackling sound that came through when monitoring it in OBS as well as on the stream. Even the HD60
Pro, which uses internal PCIe instead of a USB3.0 connection, has had this problem. I’ve searched forums, Reddit and more for answer and fixes, but there doesn’t seem to be one. Once I had the audio sources set up in OBS on the Ripsaw HD, however, I never experienced this, as evidenced by the test video above. Being able to easily create high quality recordings or knowing that my streaming audience will be getting the same fidelity as what I’m experiencing is important, and the Razer does deliver.
At the end of the day, the choice will likely come down to the feature set for each respective user. How important is integrated software for the user, or you simply looking for a quality pass through to record your gameplay for the world to see? The Razer Ripsaw HD is more money than the Elgato counterpart as well - though not as expensive as the HD60 Pro. At the end of the day, however, the Razer performs. The Ripsaw HD is a worth the look if you’re in the market for a capture card, especially due to the ease with which to set up the device and the 4K pass through. The Ripsaw HD may not be the Elgato killer it’s set out to be, but it’s worthy of being in the conversation as one of the best mid-range capture cards on the market today.
Pros
- Easy to use, requiring minimal set up
- Built in audio mixing
- 4K passthrough
Cons
- Lack of first party software leaves meaningful features by the wayside
- Limited to 1080p60 output, not support for 4K or even 2K output
