More and more gamers have been looking to stream content on platforms like YouTube and Twitch for several years. Different manufacturers are seeking to respond to increasingly demanding demands. Thus, capture boxes designed for the ninth generation of consoles continue to proliferate and today it is AVerMedia's Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 that interests us. Priced at 299.99 euros, this case has arguments in its favor which we will now detail.
What's in the box?
Advertisement
The packaging is rather classic and allows you to discover the design of the capture box as well as its characteristics at a glance. After removing the small pieces of tape, you can access the opening of the box and finally come face to face with the box and its instructions.
Here we are now with the Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 in our hands, which immediately allows us to understand that AVerMedia did not want to make it a sober and discreet object despite its small size. Indeed, we can see that the majority of the front panel is dedicated to RGB lights. Note that the card also exists in white. We regret that the plastic scratches very easily.
Inside the packaging, we also obviously find a manual, as well as a 1.5 meter HDMI 2.1 cable, a 1 meter USB-C (10 Gbps) cable and a 1 meter 3.5 mm audio cable. 8 meter.
A box that adapts to a wide range of definitions and frame rates
Advertisement
The Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 stands out for its ability to fully enjoy its games in passthrough. This capture box can indeed be perfectly suited to competitive gamers, since it supports passthrough display in 4K 144Hz, 1440p 240Hz and even 1080p 360Hz! Another very positive point, this functionality is compatible with ultra-wide screens. Unfortunately, we were unable to test this ourselves, as we are not equipped with one.
As for capture, the card is not capable of recording in 4K 144Hz, unlike the Elgato 4K or even 1440p 240Hz. HDR capture is not possible in all configurations.
We are not going to detail the entire mix of definitions and framerates allowed by the Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1, but rather present this to you synthetically with a matrix. You will see that the card adapts to a very wide variety of configurations, enough to satisfy many scenarios.
New generation card obliges, the Variable Refresh Rate is present for passthrough display. If you would like to know more about this technology, do not hesitate to consult our article dedicated to VRR. HDR is also supported on display.
A simple and effective solution, both for novices and regulars
For such a device intended to be used daily, it is essential that it is easy to use, especially for players who are not yet accustomed to using a capture box. Fortunately, the connections are easy to make and very well explained inside the box, but also in the manual.
On the back, there is a USB-C port, two HDMI ports and two 3.5mm audio ports. So, simply connect the USB-C port to your PC with the cable provided, connect the HDMI Out to the screen on which you are playing passthrough and connect the HDMI In to the console.
This is by no means obligatory, but it is also possible to plug your controller and headset into the dedicated 3.5 mm audio ports in order to capture sound from them. The Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 thus offers the opportunity to capture sound coming from HDMI, the controller or the headset, always with complete ease.
What about software?
To take advantage of the capture box, it is necessary to install AVerMedia Gaming Utility. Installation is very simple by scanning the QR code in the box or by going to the website. Once it is installed, you discover very accessible software with only 3 tabs.
On the first, you can view the video output parameters or even make sound adjustments, depending on whether you want to capture what comes from HDMI, headphones or audio. We regret that at each startup, it is necessary to specify the source of the hardware from which the video and audio comes, because it is the PlayStation 4 and 5 which are selected by default.
Another tab allows you to control the RGB effects present on the front of the card. Here, many choices are available to us, particularly concerning the colors displayed, the brightness and even the effects. We are not particularly fans of it and have opted for a static and sober effect, but this is a personal opinion, therefore purely subjective.
Finally, the last tab allows you to set the language, the type of HDMI desired or the mix of definitions and framerates that will be used. Using the software is therefore very easy and will in no way be an obstacle for someone not used to using such equipment, quite the contrary.
To take our captures, we installed AVerMedia's proprietary software, RECentral 4, but encountered a significant problem. Although it is, once again, very easy to use, it happened to us a few times that the capture was interrupted for no apparent reason.
We subsequently made recordings on OBS and this time did not encounter this problem. Whether for streaming or captures, the image quality fully complies with the desired definitions and framerates, no sound lag was noted and the colors displayed are very pleasing to the eye.
Who is Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 for?
Whether you are a novice or accustomed to capture boxes, the Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 is a very good product which unfortunately risks clashing with the Elgato 4K X, which is offered at 249.99 euros. However, although the Avermedia tool costs 299.99 euros and is not capable of recording in 4K 144Hz, it stands out greatly for its passthrough capabilities, particularly with support for ultra-wide screens. and 1080p 360 Hz.
Let's also remember that, for the moment, captures beyond 60 Hz are not necessarily useful for streamers or content creators on broadcast platforms like Twitch and YouTube, since they are not able to offer displays beyond 60 Hz.
If the Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 is essentially designed for ninth generation consoles, namely the Xbox Series , an iPad, an Android or even a Nintendo Switch.