Elgato HD60S+
Finding the right capture card can be a little tricky. It mostly depends on the hardware you’re using, especially your display. Seeing as we’re well into the age of 4K, it’s likely that you’ll want a passthrough that doesn’t compromise image quality so you can experience the premium graphics you paid for. The Elgato HD60S+ is admittedly a little on the pricier side, but if you’re regularly streaming with consoles, this is the capture card you’ll want. With 4K passthrough and 1080p recording, both you and your audience will get the best-looking version of your games possible. For those primarily playing on PC with a dual-PC streaming setup, there are also capture cards you can plug right into the inside of your computer. The 4K60 Pro is a great option for that crowd and runs roughly $80 more than the HD60S+.
Second Monitor
Having a second monitor is absolutely crucial for streaming – one screen for playing, the other for chat and OBS. In all honesty, it doesn’t entirely matter what kind of monitor you get as your second screen, and there are more affordable options than ever before now. Just keep in mind that you’ll also have it for off-stream hours, so make your choice accordingly. Keep an eye out for monitors that can be set up vertically for those with particularly active chats. If you’re just starting out you may not need that just yet, but future-proofing is always handy.
Green Screen
If you’d like to maximize the amount of game your audience can see while streaming, get yourself a green screen. You can make it effectively invisible so that your audience just sees you and your game, as opposed to a big block with you and your room (of course, if you have a flashy streaming room that you set up, don’t bother! It will sit in the corner like mine). There are premium green screens available from Elgato and other manufacturers, but they can be pretty pricey. Personally, I bought a clothes rack with wheels on it and a cheap green screen from Amazon, and it does the trick just fine.
Soundproofing
Soundproofing can be intimidating, but it’s super handy for those who live with roommates or family as well as improving audio on your stream. The acoustics in your room can have an impact on how your microphone picks up your voice, so softening those hard walls can really make a difference. You don’t have to get industry-grade soundproofing installed by professionals, as there are tons of affordable options you can install by yourself now. As long as you don’t have wallpaper and keep them as close together as humanly manageable (like no space for sound to get between them), your stream will sound great! You won’t disturb or be disturbed by anyone else in the house or neighborhood.
LED Lights
For the RGB-inclined, LED strips are a must-have. Again, there’s a ton of affordable options in various lengths that you can cut and stick together as needed to get them around corners. Most of them also come with remotes that allow you to set the lights to your liking, and some even offer an audio-sync option (though that may turn into an epileptic hazard depending on how they respond to what you’re playing, so proceed with caution). Also, the little connectors they come with can be a pain to get open, so definitely grow out some fingernails to help with installation. No, I’m not joking.
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