Moonlight

Capture card for a console

Put a capture card between your console and your TV. It gives Moonlight the picture with the least delay, and you keep playing on the TV.

A capture card gives Moonlight the console's HDMI picture with the least delay. It sits between the console and your TV, so you keep playing on the TV as usual.

#Wire it

  1. Console HDMI out to the capture card's HDMI in.
  2. The card's HDMI out to your TV or monitor.
  3. The card's USB cable to the Moonlight PC, in a 10 Gbps port (USB 3.2 Gen 2). On a slower port the card is limited to about 120 FPS. Your motherboard manual says which ports are 10 Gbps.

#On a PS5, turn HDCP off

With HDCP on, the PS5 blocks the capture card and Moonlight gets no picture. On the PS5, go to Settings > System > HDMI and turn off Enable HDCP.

#In Moonlight

  1. Close the card's own app (Elgato, AVerMedia) and OBS on the Moonlight PC. Only one program can hold the card.
  2. In Capture, choose Capture Card and pick the card by name. For a Magewell Pro Capture card, choose Magewell SDK instead.
  3. Choose 1920x1080 and the highest frame rate the card offers at that size. Do not capture at 1440p or 4K.
  4. Check the Live Preview shows the console's picture before you go on.

Then set up the controller output.

#If something goes wrong

What you seeWhat to do
No picture at allOn a PS5, check HDCP is off. Close the card's own app and OBS, then press Start again.
The picture looks zoomed inChange the capture format to 1920x1080.
Capture FPS stays near 120 or lowerMove the card to a 10 Gbps USB port.

The passthrough guide has more on capture card settings and problems.

Stuck on a step? Ask in the Moonlight Discord and a staff member will help.