Are there capture cards with such low latency you can use them to game through a computer?

No Stupid Questions@lemmy.world – 51 points – 8 months ago

I have a few consoles setup on my desk and I think it would be neat to be able forgo switching inputs on my monitor.

It could be useful for setting up a picture-in-picture system and using the inputs in EmuVR to play non-Retroarch consoles like my Xbox 360 and original Xbox.

Is this feasible? I would be fine playing at lower resolutions. I have attempted it with a cheap Ali Express HDMI to USB device but the latency threw a wrench into that idea. I am wondering if a more capable capture device could be the answer.

Also would my graphics card play a big factor? I have 1070ti so I feel like it should be fine.

If all you're looking to do is nicer input switching, a KVM switch would be a better solve.

Capture cards would be more useful if you wanted to record the gaming sessions. AFAIK they will always introduce latency as they are usually designed for a situation where that is fine.

What I am more so after is combining inputs rather than switching them.

EmuVR for example lets you add custom video files to the CRTs in your virtual bedroom and I think with some effort it would be possible to use the feed from a capture card in it. I would essentially be using the consoles' controller and playing on real hardware but in a virtual world.

It would also be nice to be able to simply add some kind of picture-in-picture mode to my monitor so I can watch Seinfeld in the corner of the screen while I play Elden Ring. So I would be fine with a device specifically for that purpose instead of a software solution.

High end capture cards might be able to get a low res stream with minimal delay, but you will still notice the delay. Let alone the software side

And at that price? You are better off buying a tv that supports picture in picture. Or a tablet

Yeah.. tend to agree - it's doable but OP would be reaching for some fairly hectic gear to solve a pretty small problem. Consumer monitors with PIP definitely exist and would be cheaper.

Consumer monitors with PIP definitely exist and would be cheaper.

They seem pretty hard to come by from what I've seen during sporadic searching

Not really.. just a slightly higher end of gear, most of dells professional series will do it from memory, the gigabyte on my desk does it.

There are software solutions for this: https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDangerous/comments/a09g6q/for_pc_players_who_like_to_stream_videos_while/

I don't think any of those solutions are dealing with video outputs though. They seem to be mostly talking about pop out windows,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071DN62GW Here's an HDMI switch with PIP. Zero clue how good of an experience that would be, but that sort of thing exists.

I have never seen a capture device with USB interface have any kind of usable latency, you'll want one with PCI Express interface.

Elgato makes a capture card with PCI Express interface, I had a friend who used one to play all of his consoles on big virtual screen in VR. I tried out Mario Kart 8 for the Switch and it played great.

Really? No major hiccups?

Someone else suggested the same thing and it sounds like it might be what I am looking for. I was only using my USB device because it's what I had on-hand. A PCI-E device would be fine

I have a pci-e capture for composite. I do notice an input delay. I didn't really try to get a bleeding-edge configuration setup. Just wanted to mention that it might not be as simple as it sounds.

Have you seen the RetroTink project? I have no first-hand experience, but I've heard good things. Not sure if it fits your use-case. It's used to convert composite video to hdmi with minimal latency. You'd still have to switch monitor inputs, though.

Yep, I only played through couple races & was a few beers in, it felt acceptable for me at the time. Not sure how it would be with the latest gen Elgato cards & they are pricey so best to buy from store with a good return policy.

I hate to be the negative person, but I think you would be adding so much complications that it would necessarily cause delay at the very least. I'd be fascinated to see if you could prove me wrong, though.

No worries. I was wondering if anyone else has done it already so I wouldn't need to do some potentially expensive experimenting. I feel like I've seen devices specifically for splitting and sharing inputs somewhere before.