A dual-PC capture setup sends the gaming PC’s HDMI video to a capture card connected to the streaming PC. OBS runs on the streaming PC and uses that card as a Video Capture Device; the streaming PC, not the card, handles encoding.
The exact connections depend on the capture-card model. Before buying or plugging anything in, check its supported input modes, connection to the streaming PC, passthrough options and audio paths. Then test video and sound separately before relying on the setup for a long broadcast.
Check that the card and computers are compatible
Think of the capture card as an input device for the streaming PC. It receives the gaming PC’s HDMI output; OBS on the second PC captures that input. The card does not, by itself, encode or compress the broadcast. Encoding remains the job of the streaming PC and its streaming software or hardware encoder. Elgato explains the card’s role in its overview of capture cards for streaming.
That distinction helps set expectations. A second PC can take streaming and encoding work away from the gaming PC, but it still needs to be capable of encoding the chosen output. Adding a capture card to a single-PC setup does not automatically improve performance: the game can usually be captured directly in OBS, and encoding still needs to happen somewhere.
There are two broad types of card. An external card connects to the streaming PC over a supported USB connection. An internal card fits a compatible PCIe slot in that PC. These are not interchangeable connection plans: check the streaming PC for the required port or slot, and follow the chosen model’s current setup and compatibility guidance. Elgato’s capture-card setup guide describes both external USB models and an internal PCIe route.
Next, compare the card’s supported input resolution and frame-rate combinations with the signal you want the gaming PC to send. Also check what the streaming PC connection can carry. Do not assume that a card supports a particular resolution, refresh rate, interface or passthrough mode just because another Elgato model does. Those specifications are model-specific, and the gaming display’s capabilities are a separate consideration.
| Check | External card | Internal card |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming-PC connection | A suitable USB port and the cable specified for that model | A compatible PCIe slot and installation in the streaming PC |
| Gaming-PC video input | HDMI from the gaming PC to the card’s HDMI In, if provided | HDMI from the gaming PC to the card’s HDMI In, if provided |
| Display passthrough | Only if the model has a suitable HDMI Out and supports the intended mode | Only if the model has a suitable HDMI Out and supports the intended mode |
| Before setup | Confirm USB requirements and supported video modes | Confirm slot compatibility, installation requirements and supported video modes |
Elgato’s guide says USB 2.0 is not sufficient for the external-card setups it describes. It specifies USB 3.0 for those models and USB 3.2 Gen 2 for 4K X. Treat that as model-specific guidance, not a universal rule for every card; check the current specification for the card you own. The same applies to HDMI cables and the signal modes they can carry. If the gaming PC, card, cable and display do not share a supported mode, you may see no picture or need to change the output setting.
Connect the gaming PC to HDMI In
For a model with an HDMI input, connect an HDMI output on the gaming PC to the card’s port marked HDMI In. The card belongs in the video path between the gaming PC and the streaming PC: the gaming PC supplies the picture, and the card passes that picture into OBS on the other computer.
Read the labels on the card rather than relying on the position of a port. HDMI In and HDMI Out have different jobs. Connecting the gaming PC to HDMI Out will not deliver its video to the capture input. If the card is external, make the HDMI connection while the computers and other equipment are in a stable state, then connect the card to the streaming PC as described for that model.
On the gaming PC, use its display settings to select a resolution and refresh rate the card accepts. The intended stream settings also matter, but the capture card’s input capability is not necessarily the same as the output mode you eventually choose in OBS. If you plan to play at a higher refresh rate than you intend to stream, check whether the specific card can accept that incoming mode and whether its passthrough behaviour meets your needs. Do not infer either from the product family name.
If the gaming PC has more than one HDMI output, identify which one is carrying the game display. A desktop may have a graphics-card output and a motherboard output; the latter may not carry the game image in a given configuration. Use the output that is active for the display signal you intend to capture, and confirm that the gaming PC still detects the display arrangement you expect after connecting the card.
Connect the card to the streaming PC
With an external card, use the connection and cable specified for that model and plug it into a suitable port on the streaming PC. Avoid assuming that every USB socket on a computer provides the same capability. A port on a hub, a front panel or a dock may behave differently from a direct port on the computer, so if the card is not detected, test a direct connection that meets its requirements.
With an internal card, install it in a compatible PCIe slot in the streaming PC and follow the card’s installation instructions. Shut down and prepare the computer as the manufacturer directs before opening the case. Once installed, confirm that the operating system and the relevant Elgato software or drivers recognise it, following the current instructions for the exact model. Do not proceed on the assumption that an internal card is working merely because it is seated in a slot.
Keep the capture connection distinct from the network connection. The card carries the gaming PC’s video and possibly its HDMI audio into the streaming PC. The streaming PC still needs its own internet connection to send the live broadcast to YouTube. If a stream later has network or bitrate trouble, that is a separate problem from whether OBS can see the capture card; our guide to troubleshooting a dropping YouTube Live bitrate covers that different signal path.
Use HDMI Out only when the model supports passthrough
If the card has an HDMI port labelled Out and supports passthrough for your intended signal, connect that output to the gaming monitor. In that arrangement, HDMI travels from the gaming PC into the card, then the card sends a display signal onward to the monitor while providing the capture input to the streaming PC.
Treat the monitor connection as optional, not a required step in every setup. Some cards do not offer HDMI Out, and supported passthrough modes differ. Check the exact model’s documentation for the resolution and refresh-rate combinations it supports, and confirm that the display accepts the output. A port’s presence alone does not establish that it can pass through the mode you want.
If passthrough is unavailable or unsuitable, the gaming PC may need another display connection for the monitor, depending on its outputs and the card’s supported arrangement. That can change how the PC sees and configures its displays. Test the game on the monitor before a broadcast and check that the captured signal remains available at the same time. If either the monitor or OBS loses the picture after a mode change, return to a supported resolution and refresh rate rather than trying random settings.
Add the card in OBS on the streaming PC
Open OBS on the streaming PC. In the Sources area, add a Video Capture Device source and select the Elgato card from the device list. Elgato’s OBS Studio setup guide for the 4K60 Pro MK.2 shows the device-source workflow. Menus and available controls can vary with the model, software version and operating system, so follow the guidance for your card where it differs.
Give the source a useful name, such as “Gaming PC capture”, especially if the scene also contains a webcam or other video inputs. When OBS asks whether to create a new source or reuse one, choose according to whether you want the same device configuration shared between scenes. Select the card as the device and look for the gaming PC’s picture in the preview. A black preview or “no signal” message means the video path needs attention before you fine-tune a scene.
Check the source’s available resolution and frame-rate controls against the card’s supported modes. Start with a mode both the gaming PC and card support, then verify the picture is stable. It is reasonable for the captured source and the stream output to use different settings, but the capture source must first receive a mode it can accept. Avoid copying a setup value from a guide for another card without checking its documentation.
Once the image appears, check that it is framed as intended. The capture can have a different aspect ratio or layout from the streaming scene. If the game is cropped, stretched or surrounded by empty space, adjust the OBS source transform and scene layout rather than changing unsupported capture modes. Keep a simple test scene until video and audio work; it is easier to identify which part has failed when there are fewer sources involved.
Route game audio deliberately
Treat audio as a separate connection to verify, even when the game picture looks right. In many setups, game audio travels with the HDMI signal from the gaming PC, but whether OBS receives and uses it depends on the card, operating system and OBS configuration. Check the OBS audio mixer while the game is producing sound. If the capture source has an audio option, use the relevant device setting for that model and confirm that the meter responds.
Listen to a short recording or monitor the audio using a safe, non-feedback-prone arrangement before going live. A moving meter does not guarantee that the sound is intelligible or that it is the right source. Check that game audio is neither duplicated through another desktop-audio source nor missing because OBS is listening to a different device. A short test recording can reveal echo, clipping, an unexpectedly low level or a missing channel without making those problems part of a live broadcast.
If you are streaming from a gaming PC rather than a console, first decide where its game sound should play. The chosen Windows or other operating-system output device can affect whether audio accompanies the HDMI signal. The exact settings depend on the computer and card; verify the output selection on the gaming PC and then verify capture on the streaming PC. Keep a separate microphone connected to the streaming PC if that is where you want your voice to enter OBS. Do not assume the capture card’s HDMI audio input also carries a headset microphone.
Controller headset audio is a different case. A headset connected to a console controller may send game and chat audio along an analogue route rather than through the HDMI capture path. Elgato’s Chat Link manual describes an optional arrangement for this kind of setup. It also makes an important distinction: Chat Link routes headset sound to the capture device, but the headset microphone goes to the controller rather than directly into the capture card. If your voice needs to reach OBS, plan a separate microphone path.
For a PC line-in connection with Chat Link Pro, Elgato’s Chat Link Pro setup guidance says to use Line-In rather than Mic-In. This is a specific connection instruction, not a general recipe for every PC, headset or card. Check the documentation for your audio hardware and test game, chat and microphone audio separately so you know what each path contains.
Troubleshoot no signal before the stream
If OBS does not show the gaming PC, trace the video path one connection at a time. Confirm that the cable from the gaming PC is in HDMI In, not HDMI Out. Check that the card is connected to the streaming PC using the required interface and port, and that the device appears in OBS’s Video Capture Device list. If it does not appear, close other software that might be using the card, reconnect it as directed by the manufacturer and check the operating system’s recognition of the device.
If the device appears but the preview is black, check that the gaming PC is sending a supported resolution and refresh rate. Test with a known-good HDMI cable appropriate for the intended mode. Elgato’s setup guidance flags cable capability as relevant; its documentation for 4K X calls for an HDMI 2.1 cable for high-refresh-rate operation. That instruction is model- and mode-specific, not a blanket requirement for all capture cards.
Also check whether the source is HDCP-protected. Capture cards do not provide a way around protected content restrictions, and a protected signal may not be available for capture. For a game console, review its current settings and official guidance rather than assuming that the same setting applies across devices. If the image works in one application but not another, close the other application before testing OBS again, as a capture device may not be available to multiple applications at once.
Change one thing at a time and retest. For example, first verify the HDMI input and device detection, then test a supported signal mode, then investigate the cable or USB connection. This makes the cause easier to identify than changing resolution, ports and OBS settings together. Keep the capture card’s current manufacturer instructions to hand; model names that look similar can still have different interfaces, controls and audio behaviour.
If you are building this for a channel that runs overnight, remember that a two-PC capture arrangement still depends on both computers, their power and the local connection remaining available. Capture hardware solves the video hand-off, not every operational risk of a long broadcast. For a file-based channel rather than a live gaming feed, the decisions are different; see how to keep a Gurbani YouTube stream running overnight and how pre-recorded video can be looped for a 24/7 YouTube stream.
When the gaming PC, card and OBS are ready, do a private or otherwise low-risk test and watch the preview, audio meters and recording together. That checks the actual combination of hardware and settings you plan to use, not just whether each device powers on. If you are weighing a file-based channel instead of maintaining two PCs for a live gaming feed, StreamNeo removes the need to leave your own computer running to play an uploaded video as a YouTube live stream.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
How do I connect my gaming PC to my streaming PC?
Connect the gaming PC’s HDMI output to the capture card’s HDMI In. Then connect an external card to the streaming PC using its supported USB connection, or install an internal card in a compatible PCIe slot. In OBS on the streaming PC, add the card as a Video Capture Device.
Why is OBS not showing my Elgato capture card?
Check that the streaming PC recognises the card and that OBS has the correct device selected. For a missing or black picture, confirm HDMI In, the card’s required USB connection if applicable, a supported input mode and a suitable cable. Also consider whether the source is HDCP-protected and follow the exact model’s current troubleshooting instructions.
How do I get game audio to the streaming PC?
First check whether the gaming PC sends game audio over HDMI and whether the capture device’s audio appears in the OBS mixer. Headset or controller chat can use a different route; an analogue accessory such as Chat Link may be relevant for some console setups, but it does not directly capture the headset microphone. Test game sound, chat and your voice as separate sources.
Does every Elgato card support passthrough?
No. Passthrough, interfaces and supported resolution and refresh-rate combinations vary by model. Use HDMI Out to the gaming monitor only if the exact card supports the desired mode, and confirm that the monitor accepts it.