Hardware: Video
The video capture hardware is separate from the device controller emulation. Therefore it's the same for all devices.
Required Hardware:
- A video capture card. (Choose one based on your needs)
- Capture Card w/o TV output (Budget buy) (example)
The cheapest ones can be less than $10. However, they have no TV output, are limited to USB 2.0 bandwidth, and may have video quality issues.
- Loop-Out Card (Good middle ground, but expensive)
if you want a tolerable video quality you'll want one that uses USB 3.0.
- Pass-Through Card (If you want to live-stream) (example)
The more expensive ones can be over $100. These support TV output and use USB 3.0 or PCIe. These are meant for livestreaming. If you want to display the video both on your TV and in your computer, you will need one with TV output with pass-through. Each of these will add to the cost.
- HDMI cable(s)
Regardless of what capture card(s) you choose, you will need either 1 or 2 HDMI cables to connect them to your Switch and/or your TV.
Note: For the purposes of Pokémon automation, the cheapest capture cards appear to be sufficient. But if you want a tolerable video quality you'll want one that uses USB 3.0. And if you want to display the video both on your TV and in your computer, you will need one with TV output with pass-through. Each of these will add to the cost.
Display video only with your computer. (Price Range: $10 - $20 depending on USB 2.0 or 3.0)
Display video both on TV and in your computer.
Pass-Through vs. Loop-Out:
Capture cards with both computer and TV output come in two flavors:
- Pass-Through (Price Range: > $40)
- Loop-Out (Price Range: > $25)
Pass-Through cards are generally more expensive, but they have the lowest latency from the console to the computer (even lower than the capture cards without TV output).
If you intend to do any serious gameplay from your computer, it is highly recommended to get a pass-through card even if you don't intend to display to a TV. Loop-out cards and cards without TV output have high enough latencies that it may be difficult to play on the computer.
This step is optional since it isn't needed for Pokémon automation, but recommended anyway for everyone who has a video capture device.
Once you have your video hardware, download and install OBS. Learn how to use OBS, as it's the standard for streaming recording and will be useful for troubleshooting your hardware setup. Aside from streaming their gameplay, many users use OBS to record their shiny hunts to determine if a shiny is star or square before deciding whether to catch it or pass it up.
This guide will not go into detail on how to use OBS. There should be plenty of other online resources for that.
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