PS5 and the picture is black? Turn off HDCP.

PlayStation turns on HDCP by default, and a capture card shows a black picture while it is on. Turn it off, then unplug and plug the HDMI cable back in. Confirmed on a PS5 by the plugview author.

  • PS5SettingsSystemHDMIEnable HDCPOff

On a PS4, the setting is Settings › System › Enable HDCP. Video apps such as Netflix stay black on purpose; games do not.

The screen is black

  • PlayStation: turn off HDCP, as above. It is the usual cause.
  • Allow camera access: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Camera. Without it the picture stays black.
  • Set the console to 1080p at 60 Hz, a mode every card reads.
  • Close OBS, Discord, Zoom or a browser tab that has the card open; only one app can use it at a time.
  • Run plugview --list. The card must appear under video devices; if not, try another USB port and cable.

The picture works on the home screen, then drops out or flickers in a game

  • The console switched to 4K, 120 Hz or VRR, which most cards cannot capture. Set the output to 1080p, and turn off 120 Hz and VRR.

There is picture but no sound

  • Allow microphone access: System Settings › Privacy & Security › Microphone. To macOS, the card's sound is a microphone.
  • Run plugview --list and name the card's sound input: plugview --audio "<name>". plugview does not guess when several USB audio inputs are connected.
  • Check the console is not sending Dolby, DTS or surround sound, and that no headset is plugged into the controller.
  • Check the volume in the controls bar and that M did not mute it.

The picture is grey, washed out or too dark

  • HDR: PS5, Xbox and Switch 2 send HDR, which a USB capture card passes through as ordinary video. Turn HDR off on the console.
  • Colors: match the console's RGB range to the card. On Switch, System Settings › TV Output › RGB Range, Limited first.

The picture is choppy or lags

  • Run plugview --measure. It shows the frame rate the card really delivers; some cheap cards list modes they cannot deliver.
  • Plug the card into a USB 3 port on the computer itself, not a hub or a USB 2 port.
  • Late sound is usually Bluetooth headphones, which add 150 ms or more. Use the speakers or wired headphones.

The card does not show up

  • Some cards (the original Elgato HD60 S, older AVerMedia and Razer cards) need their maker's driver and are not standard USB video. See the cards page.
  • Another app may have the card open. Close it and plugview tries again.
  • A laptop camera, an iPhone or a virtual camera is never picked automatically. To use one anyway, name it: plugview -d "iPhone".

Still stuck?

Run plugview --list and plugview --measure, then open an issue with the output. Setup steps are in the guide, and your console has its own page: PS5, Switch, Xbox, Steam Deck.