Icons for various multimedia editing software
Library, Museums and Press Staff
March 11, 2024

Recording Gameplay with the Web Presenter Kit

By Mike Gates, Student Multimedia Design Center

 

This past semester, we have received several questions at the Student Multimedia Design Center (SMDC) regarding gameplay capture from the consoles in our spaces, such as the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

While the game consoles installed at our gaming and media viewing stations cannot be moved or altered, there is good news! You can borrow an equipment kit from the SMDC that can help capture and stream gameplay footage from your own personal video game systems.

 

The Blackmagic Design Web Presenter Kit

Using the Blackmagic Design Web Presenter Kit and your own personal computer, capturing video game footage from an HDMI source is a breeze!

The device can take an HDMI signal or SDI signal and output it through USB to a computer, where it can be used as if it was a simple webcam. The Web Presenter can be selected as a video and audio source to use in video editing programs, like iMovie, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro, as well as in streaming and capture software, such as Open Broadcaster Software, YouTube Studio and Twitch Studio.

 

Diagram of the ports on the rear of the Web Presenter Kit.

Diagram of the ports on the rear of the Web Presenter Kit.

Connecting Your Console and Computer to the Web Presenter Kit

To connect your game console to the back of the Web Presenter Kit, simply unplug the console’s HDMI cable from your TV (if it is still connected) and plug it in to the “HDMI IN” port on the Web Presenter Kit. Then, connect one end of the USB cable (included in the kit) into the “USB WEBCAM OUT” port on the Web Presenter Kit and the other end into an open USB port on your computer.

Note: If you have your own HDMI/RCA to SDI device, you may use the “SDI IN” port on the Web Presenter Kit, but most users will not have this specialized equipment on-hand and will be using the “HDMI IN” port.

After these steps, plug in the power cable to the Web Presenter Kit, and all the hardware connections you need to capture gameplay are complete!

 

This article is part of the weekly series “Multimedia Tips and Tricks,” which shares content in response to frequently asked questions at the Student Multimedia Design Center. We’d love to hear from you. Please share your feedback with us by filling out our survey.