How to stream an Elgato capture card to Discord

The short answer

Discord has no built-in Elgato integration, so you send the capture card's picture through one of two routes. In the first, Discord treats the card as a webcam: you pick it as your camera, and it appears in your video tile during a call. In the second, you open the card's picture in another program, such as Elgato's capture software or OBS, and share that program's window with Discord's Go Live screen sharing. Many people use Go Live for games because it can share the program's sound along with the picture. The camera route carries video only.

One thing changes which route you need: whether your Elgato model shows up as a standard camera on your computer. Some Elgato devices do and some don't, and this guide can't confirm the behavior of individual models. If Discord lists your card as a camera, you can use the camera route. If it doesn't, use Go Live or put OBS in the middle.

Choosing a route

Route | What viewers see | Audio from the capture card | Best for

Card as Discord camera | Your video tile in a call | Not carried; needs separate routing | Cameras, quick sharing, cards that appear as a camera

Go Live window share | A stream that viewers click to watch | Can be shared with the window on Windows | Console gameplay with game sound

OBS Virtual Camera | Your video tile, with any OBS overlays | Not carried by the virtual camera | Cards Discord doesn't list, or layouts with overlays

Before you start

• Connect the source, such as a console or camera, to the card's HDMI input. Connect the card to your computer with the cable and port your model's documentation specifies.
• If you want to play on a TV without delay, connect the card's passthrough output to the TV and play from that screen. Don't play from the preview on your computer, which usually lags behind.
• Install the Discord desktop app. The browser version has more limited screen-sharing and audio features.
• On a PlayStation, turn off HDCP in the console's system settings. Otherwise the card receives a protected signal and shows a black picture.
• Close any other program that might be using the card. A capture device usually works with only one application at a time.
• Confirm Discord has permission to use the camera and to record the screen. Check this in your operating system's privacy settings, especially on macOS.

Route 1: Use the capture card as your Discord camera

• 1. Turn on the source device so the card is receiving a signal.
• 2. Close Elgato's capture software, OBS and any other program that might be holding the card.
• 3. In Discord, open User Settings and go to Voice & Video.
• 4. In the Camera dropdown, select the Elgato device.
• 5. Click Test Video. You should see the game or camera image in the preview.
• 6. Join a voice channel or start a call, then turn on your camera.

How to tell it worked: the Elgato device appears in the Camera list, the Test Video preview shows the live picture rather than black or a frozen frame, and someone in the call can see your tile updating. These are three separate checks. Discord can list the device and still show black if the card has no usable signal. A working preview also tells you nothing about how sharp or smooth the image looks to others, so ask a viewer.

Remember that this route sends no sound from the card. Discord transmits audio only from your selected microphone. For viewers to hear the game, see the audio section below.

Route 2: Share the capture preview with Go Live

• 1. Open a program that displays the card's live picture with sound, such as Elgato's capture software or OBS. In OBS, add a Video Capture Device source and select the Elgato device.
• 2. Confirm the picture is moving and that you can hear the game through your computer. In OBS, you may need to set the source's audio monitoring so it plays through your speakers or headphones.
• 3. If you use OBS, right-click the preview and open a windowed projector. This gives Go Live a clean window that contains only the video.
• 4. In Discord, join a voice channel in a server, or start a call in a direct message.
• 5. Click the screen share button, open the Applications tab, and choose the capture program's window or the OBS projector window.
• 6. Pick your stream quality options and click Go Live.

How to tell it worked: Discord shows a preview of your stream, and a viewer who opens it sees the game picture and confirms they hear the game sound. Check these separately. A moving picture doesn't prove the audio is coming through, and a viewer who hears sound doesn't confirm the quality is acceptable on their connection. The quality options you can choose depend on your Discord account. This guide has no verified resolution or frame-rate figures to give.

Getting the game sound to viewers

On Windows, sharing a specific application window through Go Live normally includes that application's sound. This works only if the capture program is actually playing the card's audio, so check that you can hear it locally before you go live. On macOS, Discord's ability to share application or system audio has been more limited. Check Discord's current documentation for your version before you rely on it.

If you use the camera route or OBS Virtual Camera instead, game sound has to reach Discord through your microphone input. That requires virtual audio routing software or a mixer, which can also send your voice and the game together. Set it up carefully: if the game sound also plays from speakers your microphone can hear, viewers may get echo or doubled audio. Headphones avoid this. This guide has no verified input-level targets, so adjust by ear and ask a viewer whether your voice and the game are balanced.

Variation: OBS Virtual Camera

If Discord doesn't list your Elgato card as a camera, or you want overlays or a cropped layout, build the scene in OBS and click Start Virtual Camera. Then select OBS Virtual Camera in Discord's Camera dropdown and run the same checks as in Route 1. OBS must stay open with the virtual camera running the whole time. The virtual camera carries no audio.

If something goes wrong

• Device missing from Discord's camera list: your model may not appear as a standard camera. Use Go Live or OBS Virtual Camera. Also restart Discord after connecting the card, and try another port or cable.
• Black picture in Discord's camera preview: another program may be using the card, the source may be off or on the wrong input, or the signal may be HDCP-protected.
• Black window in Go Live: share the projector window rather than a minimized program. If that doesn't help, try turning hardware acceleration on or off in Discord's advanced settings, then restart Discord.
• Viewers see video but hear nothing: confirm the capture program is playing audio locally, and that you shared an application window rather than an option that leaves out sound.
• Your voice is missing: Discord still uses your selected microphone. Check the Input Device under Voice & Video, and use the Mic Test to confirm Discord detects activity. Detection alone doesn't guarantee viewers can understand you, so ask them.
• Delay while playing: play from the TV connected to the card's passthrough output, not from the preview on your computer.

What this guide can't confirm

No verified evidence was available about specific Elgato models, their camera compatibility, supported resolutions, latency, or Discord's current quality limits. Check your model's support pages and Discord's own help articles for those details. The steps above describe general methods. Verify the result through a viewer's eyes and ears, not just through your own preview.