Macs, especially those running Apple silicon chips, occasionally have compatibility issues with USB devices and other peripherals. The same goes when using a capture card with a Mac.

Whether you want a capture card for streaming, using your external camera as a webcam, or anything else, there are a few extra considerations you need to make to choose your best capture card for a Mac. These considerations are both in regard to technical requirements and what you plan to capture.

Connectivity? You Need USB and UVC

Before we begin, make sure you know the basics of what a capture card is and how it works before we delve into the most pressing considerations for Mac users selecting one.

A major rule of thumb when seeking peripherals for Macs is to use what already generally works across all major platforms, and this especially applies for capture cards.

First off, even if you have an Intel Mac Pro with PCIe slots, only external USB capture cards are compatible with Mac, and aside from a few exceptions, these capture cards must also follow the UVC (USB Video Class) protocol.

Almost all computers, whether Windows, Mac, or Linux, have broad driver support for UVC devices from the get go. If your capture card follows UVC, it will not require any driver installation.

Software and firmware updates may be needed depending on your model, but a UVC capture card will work immediately upon plugging in. Almost all recent USB capture cards from major vendors like Elgato, AVerMedia, and EVGA are UVC (or have specified support for Apple silicon), so chances are your preferred USB capture card will be fine.

The only exception we're aware of is for later Intel Macs with Thunderbolt 3 support. The AVerMedia Live Gamer Bolt, a Thunderbolt 3 capture card, has drivers for Intel Macs but still lack drivers that support Apple silicon, meaning it's completely incompatible if you have an M1 or M2 Mac. Thus, for Apple silicon, you'll want external USB UVC capture cards.

A Crash Course on HDMI Passthrough

For most cases, aside from capturing your camera as a webcam, you'll want a capture card with passthrough capabilities. In this case, the HDMI signal of your console enters through the capture card's input and the capture card captures it to output to your computer over USB and to your monitor or TV via the HDMI output.

To put it simply, passthrough signals start from your console and become what you see on your monitor or TV while the card captures this video and sends it to your computer. Note that the capture resolution will never exceed that of passthrough. Most USB capture cards (which you'll be using on Mac) pass through higher resolutions or frame rates than they capture, as USB bandwidth is generally lower than that of HDMI.

Holding a capture card and showing its HDMI in/out and USB ports
 

This is important to understand for streaming games on Mac. For example, if you have an Elgato HD60 X, it passes through up to 4K60 but captures up to 4K30 or scales the video signal down to 1080p60. In this example, you can game at 4K60, and your live stream can watch in 1080p60, the max resolution Twitch supports anyway.

Because passthrough is the limiting factor on a capture card, ensure the specs meet your needs. For example, a Nintendo Switch only needs a capture card with a maximum of 1080p60 for both passthrough and capture, but you'll need 4K60 passthrough to game at full quality on your high-spec gaming PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X, even if you're only capturing 1080p60.

Figure out what resolution you are capturing, then find cards that at minimum support it for passthrough. It's also worth noting that passthrough is lag-free on all current capture cards from Elgato, AVerMedia, and other major reputable vendors. This means the capture card adds no delay to what you see on your monitor or TV, which is vital for competitive gaming.

Consider Reputable Companies That Specialize in Capturing

Understanding UVC compatibility and HDMI passthrough are most vital for your selection of capture card, but there are additional factors to consider. Numerous reputable brands make solid capture cards, like EVGA's XR1 series, but capture cards are not the specialty for many brands, which means it won't be their priority for quality or continuous support.

On the other hand, Elgato and AVerMedia generally have more robust software, ecosystems, and support options than other brands due to their specialization in capture cards and other creator peripherals. In addition, a capture card from AVerMedia or Elgato may receive firmware updates to add or improve features, capture resolutions, or more. Companies that specialize in capture cards are far more likely to make such improvements than less focused or reputable ones.

You can find many inexpensive capture cards on Amazon that might work for you, but they lack the level of support and quality control that more reputable vendors have. Reputability aside, your capture card also needs to be able to plug in to your Mac in the first place.

Consider Swapping the USB Cable (or Get a Hub)

Most capture cards come with USB-A to USB-C cables or USB-A to micro-USB cables, but modern MacBooks only have USB-C ports. Unless you're on an iMac, a Mac mini, or a Mac Studio with USB-A ports, you'll need either a USB hub with sufficient bandwidth (especially for USB 3.0 cards) or a USB-C cable at equal or better bandwidth.

This bandwidth is especially crucial, depending on the resolution you choose to capture.

Consider Your Focus: Streaming or Recording?

streamer on gaming chair sitting at desk with computers on it

If you're gaming at high resolutions like 1440p or 4K, you might have different needs depending on how you plan to use the card. For streaming, having the appropriate resolution for passthrough is vital, but you at most need 1080p60 capture for Twitch. Additionally, if you're streaming on your Mac, consider other relevant peripherals like the Stream Deck and unique ways they can be used even for productivity on macOS.

If you're focused on high-resolution recording, you might want to focus on higher resolution capture, like devices that support 4K30 or 1440p60. While most current, high-end, 4K USB capture cards can pass through 4K60, 1440p144, or 1080p240, their capture frame rates are limited by USB bandwidth, generally to 4K30, 1440p60, and 1080p120 respectively.

This is the main drawback of streaming or otherwise capturing content on a Mac compared to using a PC with a PCIe capture card. That said, whether streaming or recording, as long as you know your passthrough and capture needs, you can likely find a suitable capture card for your needs!

Go Forth and Capture

Picking the right capture card for your Mac can seem more confusing than it needs to. Ensure you pick a UVC card with adequate passthrough and capture capabilities for your needs (ideally from a reputable company). If you've got those boxes ticked, and you buy from a reputable brand, then you shouldn't have a problem. So get out there and start capturing!