EVGA XR1 review: A good capture card mired with confusion

Source: Windows Cardinal

If you lot're a console gaming content creator then you lot want to have the best capture menu in your armory. Whether it's for streaming or making YouTube videos, a bad capture carte du jour equals bad content.

There are usually two brands budding creators look towards in the starting time place. EVGA isn't one of them, more widely associated with graphics cards, motherboards, and ability supplies. The XR1, and so, is an intriguing product, and as it came with the first "OBS Certified" sticker on the box, you'll be thinking it brings a large game.

Nosotros never get on what a product says on the box, and in this example, you may well find yourself completely misunderstanding what's there.

Decent choice

EVGA XR1

Bottom line: Don't buy this capture card if you lot're interested in high-frame-charge per unit passthrough, considering you won't be getting what you're hoping for. That aside, the XR1 is actually a pretty adept capture menu.

Pros

• Great looking footage
• 1080p60 capture
• 4K passthrough
• Solid sound features
• USB-C

Cons

• Poor quality cable in box
• 120Hz laissez passer through is misleading
• Absolute dust and fingerprint magnet
• On-screen interference with a poor quality cable

Jump to:

• At a glance
• What you'll like
• What y'all'll dislike
• The competition
• Should yous buy?

EVGA XR1 at a glance

Source: Windows Central

The EVGA XR1 is an external capture card that connects to the PC over USB 3.0. This makes it a perfect companion for both desktop and laptop users.

Spec	Value
Interface	USB three.0 Type-C
Video Input	HDMI ii.0 Up to 4K@60FPS
Audio Input	HDMI
Video Pass Through	Upward to 2160p lx FPS
Advanced Pass Through	Upward to 1440p@120FPS
Capture	1080p Upward to 60 FPS
Encode format	RAW
Required CPU	Intel Core i5 6XXX and above AMD Ryzen three 1300X and above
GPU	NVIDIA GTX 1060 and abover AMD RX 5600XT and above

The EVGA XR1 doesn't crave whatsoever additional software or drivers to operate, instead, it's a simple plug-and-play affair.

Windows ten sees information technology as a webcam, and then any apps that accept a webcam tin besides accept the XR1.

Being OBS Certified, OBS Studio is the most obvious choice of companion app to use with the XR1. But streamers will likewise have no trouble using Streamlabs OBS, XSplit, or any other popular broadcasting software.

PC requirements are adequately low, though the XR1 yet asks for a fairly capable GPU. For this review, I was using the XR1 with a gaming laptop, with a Ryzen vii 4800H and NVIDIA RTX 2060 inside.

However, the requirements can be taken with a pinch of salt. I really tried the XR1 connected to the photographic camera app on a 10th Gen Intel Core i3 Chromebook with no dedicated graphics and was able to tape adequately decent footage. Your Windows PC is likely to handle it only fine.

What you'll similar about the EVGA XR1

The EVGA XR1 is unlike from other capture cards and you'll see it the moment y'all open up the box. This isn't a mere black rectangle, nor is it simply adorned with RGB to give it some gamer flair. Though it does have RGB.

The biggest standout characteristic on the hardware is the huge dial in the eye of the mirrored cease on the tiptop. All the various features are controlled with this, and the XR1 has a pretty solid audio game going on top of its video prowess.

In that location are times the audio features on the XR1 will become really useful, especially if you're not using an Xbox.

Whether you're going to use the audio features is another thing, but you lot're well catered for if y'all desire it.

To go with the dial there's a headphone-out/microphone-in jack as well as an input for party chat linked from a controller. Not only does this ensure you tin hear everything, but it makes sure if you lot want to stream your party chat as well, you can easily from whatsoever panel.

All the various audio source levels tin can exist managed on the XR1, though well-nigh will nonetheless likely utilize OBS for more granular controls, at least for what your stream or video recording hears.

Source: Windows Central

The XR1 audio features are also particularly useful to folks who own a PS5. Because Sony thought information technology a proficient idea to cake HDMI game sound when a headset is connected, you need a way to hear the game audio as well as output the video to OBS to handle. The headphone output on the XR1 really came into its own hither, solving a trouble that shouldn't exist.

Whether you're gaming on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, or the last-gen consoles, the XR1 is perfectly capable of beingness a good quality stream tool. It can't match the true titans of the space, like the AVerMedia Live Gamer Bolt, but for streamers especially, it's very skilful. Information technology can laissez passer through video at 60 FPS at up to 4K resolution, while simultaneously capturing at 1080p60, which is what y'all desire for streaming to services like Twitch.

All of this is done with a standard USB 3.0 connection, and using USB-C, also, and while EVGA doesn't specify a maximum supported bitrate, the XR1 does at least encode RAW. The footage looks superb and while at that place is latency, it's not shut to being significant. Information technology'due south hard to measure exactly, but it's easily less than a second. Not low plenty to play the game (not that you would) through OBS, merely low enough that it doesn't impact your stream interaction. It's doing a lot over USB, afterwards all.

Source: Windows Central

It's also worth noting that when the XR1 first launched there were reports of setting upwards in OBS being a convoluted process that involved separate audio sources that needed to exist added. In the months since I don't know if EVGA changed something or OBS did, but that's not an issue. Hooking up is the same as whatsoever other capture bill of fare, with the audio coming forth with the video feed.

You can withal add the audio from the capture card equally a split up source if you wish, and I did notice that doing and so produces more book, just it isn't necessary.

I tin't avert mentioning the RGB, either. Information technology's a fleck cliche at this indicate, slapping colorful, blinking lights on a gaming product, just on the XR1 the lights too serve a functional purpose. Different modes and sound levels use the lights as an indicator of what'south going on, and the RGB is the only part of the XR1 to have its own companion software. If you don't like the stock choices, you tin go customize them yourself.

What yous'll dislike near the EVGA XR1

Source: Windows Central

The EVGA XR1 is the best example I've seen in some time of a product that will catch you out if yous don't read all of the marketing and the minor print. Why do you enquire?

"Avant-garde Pass Through."

Because I didn't read everything in full, I assumed that this meant the XR1 supported 120Hz pass through from my Xbox Series X in the same way all the other capture cards I've tested over the years supported pass through.

I was wrong. And having a quick look at local retailers around the time I caused this unit didn't educate much, either.

Advanced Pass Through just turns the capture card off, information technology's more often than not just and so you tin can exist lazy.

I don't know if it was marketing, the engineers, or another department in EVGA that came up with this term, but it'due south wildly misleading. On the one hand, yes, it does allow laissez passer-through at 120Hz up to 1440p resolution. Merely you tin can't actually utilise the capture carte while it does it. Information technology finer disables the capture characteristic when used.

The same event would exist delivered past unplugging your console from the capture card. This feature exists entirely and so nosotros tin can be lazy enough to not accept to do that. If you were thinking this would be great to be able to stream with and still play your Series X at 120Hz, move along. It really makes me quite cross, because I got sucked in, and I'chiliad in the fortunate position of having tested a majority of the capture cards on sale today.

Anyway...

Source: Windows Key

Another thing that isn't very good on the XR1 is the cablevision that comes in the box. For 1, information technology has ii USB-A connectors on it, with the intention of using both for the best functioning (and, information technology seems, the 120Hz 'pass through' mode). Why? This isn't necessary, considering I'm using a loftier-quality Razer USB-C cable, getting maximum performance and all features, and freeing up 1 USB port on my PC.

The cable in my unit also simply flat out didn't work. Information technology powered on the XR1 but that seemed to exist the limit. After an 60 minutes of trying to figure out why there was no video in OBS, I threw the cable in the bin and replaced it. Everything worked immediately. Sure, I could take been unlucky and it was just faulty, but it doesn't feel like a quality item anyway. And the two connectors thing.

Information technology'south also worth pointing out that using a low-quality cable will too result in on-screen interference. This isn't sectional to the XR1, the Razer Ripsaw suffers the same way when not using the cable that came with it (ironically the cable I somewhen grabbed for the XR1). Bandwidth is key, so make sure yous accept a practiced one, perhaps fifty-fifty grab something for USB 3.ane or 3.2 every bit a little extra insurance.

The XR1 is also a grit magnet similar zip I've ever seen before. That's also probably considering I don't apply many mirrored finish products in my part. But if you detest grit, you'll be cleaning this off a lot.

EVGA XR1: The competition

Source: Windows Central

The EVGA XR1 is in a crowded infinite. In that location's no shortage of USB capture cards, likewise in the same price range. In fact, the merely external capture cards that the XR1 isn't competing confronting are Elgato and AVerMedia'due south highest-end offerings.

So where does that exit the XR1? The most obvious competitor is the Elgato HD60S+. Like the XR1 it can handle 4K pass-through but also capture, admitting at thirty FPS. It does have some gremlins with HDCP, and it's more expensive and requires specialist drivers.

There's likewise the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra, a capture card that doesn't hide behind misleading marketing when it comes to its pass-through capabilities. As an added bonus, the Live Gamer Ultra can capture in 4K likewise as pass the video through, and information technology isn't a 1000000 miles away from the XR1 on price.

The closest competitor on hardware and features is the Razer Ripsaw HD. It, besides, is a simple plug-and-play affair and like the XR1 has dedicated audio jacks on the front. It'southward capable of 4K pass-through and matches the capture resolution at 1080p60. It's also quite a lot smaller and much more than discreet.

Should you lot buy the EVGA XR1?

Source: Windows Fundamental

I'll admit, my first 24 hours with the EVGA XR1 were sour. Having been duped into thinking it was something it's not, admittedly some of that is on me for not reading the manufacturer's website in full, I was irritated.

The saving grace is that recently, in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland anyway, the XR1 has been available for inexpensive. The discounts seen put it only a pilus more than expensive than the AVerMedia Alive Gamer Mini, and this is a much more than capable capture card. Even with the rubbish cable.

It isn't a bad product, though. It's too non the capture card I'g going to tell you to run out and buy. I do capeesh that EVGA tried to practise something different, and while it'southward non something I'll use a lot, the extra audio features on hand take been extremely useful in some cases. And I'm a sucker for RGB.

The XR1 is a good capture card, merely information technology's also no better than any of the competing, more established products. And while many quondam hands have no bug using OBS, both Elgato and AVerMedia with their piece of cake-to-use apps, are more welcoming for newcomers.

My best recommendation would exist to requite information technology a try if you've been interested and it ticks the boxes you need to tick, only avoid paying full price. The $180 RRP is too loftier, just if you can score a discount yous'll be very pleased. Where information technology actually counts, the XR1 delivers, with slap-up-looking video and high-quality sound backed by like shooting fish in a barrel, reliable performance.

EVGA XR1

A good starting time attempt

At its core, the EVGA XR1 is a good capture card, albeit one marred with some frustration. If yous tin score a discount on the RRP it'due south a very attractive buy.

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/evga-xr1-review

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