AVerMedia's impressive new Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 capture card with 4K 144 Hz passthrough is here

We first looked at AVerMedia's new Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 (GC553G2) HDMI 2.1 USB capture card back at Computex 2023 and were impressed with just how feature-packed and groundbreaking it is for content creation and streaming.

You're looking at a capture card that supports 4K 144 Hz passthrough with HDR and VRR enabled over USB 3.2 Gen 2 or above. Yeah, awesome stuff, as that means it supports modern GPUs like the GeForce RTX 40 Series, the new Radeon RX 7000 Series, and consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. As one of the first HDMI 2.1 Game Capture Cards it's no reason people have been waiting for this to release.

In addition to the Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 (USD 299.99) bringing true HDMI 2.1 support with 4K 60 capture (plus 1080p 240 and 1440p 144), it's also a stylish little unit with RGB lighting that can sync up with all your hardware, and it arrives with the easy-to-use AVerMedia Gaming Utility tool software for capture, or you can use it with popular streaming and capture tools like OBS.

"We believe every gamer deserves the best tools to showcase their skills and passion. With this new HDMI 2.1 USB capture card, we're taking game streaming and capturing to a whole new level," says Michael Kuo, President and CEO of AVerMedia. "Our goal is to empower gamers to create content that truly reflects their talent and dedication."

Being portable and flexible, with HDMI 2.1 passthrough so you don't have to compromise your gaming experience to match the 4K 60 standard for high-quality content on platforms like YouTube and Twitch, is a big win. We've been going hands-on with AVerMedia's new Live Gamer ULTRA 2.1 (GC553G2) for a few days and have been impressed with the results. Stay tuned for our full review, which is coming soon.

In the meantime, check out the product page for more details, or look at the specs below.

• Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (10Gbps)
• Input & Output (Pass-through): HDMI 2.1
• Max Pass-Through Resolution: 2160p144 HDR/VRR, 1440p144 HDR/VRR, 1080p240 HDR/VRR, (1440p240 pass-through will be available via firmware upgrade on Oct 19th. Support for other additional resolutions will be added gradually.)
• Max Capture Resolution: 2160p60
• Supported Resolution: 2160p, 1440p, 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 480p, 480i
• Video Format: YUY2, NV12, RGB24, P010(HDR)
• Headset Audio Input & Output: 4-Pole 3.5mm Jack
• Gamepad Audio Input & Output: 4-Pole 3.5mm Jack
• Dimension (W x D x H): 120 x 70 x 27.6 mm (4.72 x 2.76 x 1.09 in.)
• Weight: 115 g (4.06 oz.)
• System Requirements: Windows 10 x64, Windows 11 x64, or later, Mac (arriving late 2023)