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CapturePlayer

A minimalist capture card viewer for PC gaming and Discord streaming. Built for Nintendo Switch and other consoles. Now available for Windows, Linux and macOS (Apple Silicon).

Turn on your console, open CapturePlayer, and play — that's it.

Demo

demo_video.mp4

What's New in v0.4.0

  • Manual Capture Format - Resolution and frame rate can now be set manually in the settings, with support for 4K and high refresh rates, instead of relying on auto-negotiation
  • Tested with Elgato 4K X - Successfully tested with the Elgato 4K X capture card on Nintendo Switch 2
  • Settings Panel State - The settings window now remembers its last open state
v0.3.3
  • Right-Click Settings - Open settings via right-click directly at the cursor position; the settings window is now movable
  • Drag Out of Fullscreen - Grab the top drag zone to pull the window out of fullscreen
  • Native Fullscreen & Smoother Video - Glitch-free video presentation and native fullscreen mode; no more overlay glitch at capture start
  • Under the Hood - Updated to Electron 42
v0.3.2
  • VSync Setting - New Advanced option: keep it on for 60 Hz displays, turn it off on high-refresh monitors (ideally with G-Sync/FreeSync) for the most responsive picture (takes effect after restart)
  • Redesigned Settings - Compact tabs with short hover tooltips instead of info boxes, new "Advanced" section
  • WebGL Renderer (experimental) - Optional alternative render path with shader-based color controls
  • Linux & macOS Support - Official builds for Linux (AppImage) and macOS (Apple Silicon)
  • Fixes - Capture no longer starts misplaced in a corner; flicker-free HUD and settings rendering

The Problem

When you want to play Nintendo Switch games on your PC monitor through a capture card and stream it on Discord, OBS is unnecessarily complicated:

  • You need to configure audio routing
  • Set up the preview projector to show only the video
  • Deal with UI elements you don't need
  • Navigate through complex menus just to view your console

The Solution

CapturePlayer does one thing perfectly: Shows your capture card feed. Nothing else.

Key Features

Clean Viewing Experience

  • Only the capture card image is displayed - no buttons, no toolbars
  • Controls appear on hover and automatically hide themselves
  • Perfect for gaming without distractions

Performance

  • Optimized for low input lag
  • No audio delay - audio and video stay in sync
  • Fast startup - ready to play in seconds
  • Lightweight on system resources
  • Cross-platform: Windows, Linux, macOS (Apple Silicon - 4K60 tested on M1)

Smart Display & Customization

  • Automatic aspect ratio detection - window adapts to your input signal
  • Custom aspect ratio presets - create and save your own ratios
  • Fullscreen mode with zoom control (Ctrl + Mouse Wheel)
  • Always on Top option to keep window visible
  • Color adjustment presets - save your favorite brightness, contrast, saturation & hue settings

Simple Configuration

  • Quick device switching in settings
  • Autostart function - automatically starts capture when app launches
  • Preset management - save and load your favorite settings combinations
  • No complex setup required
  • Works immediately after connecting your capture card

Perfect For

  • Playing Nintendo Switch on your PC monitor
  • Streaming console games on Discord
  • Quick capture card viewing without streaming software overhead
  • Anyone who finds OBS overkill for simple capture viewing

Installation

Download the latest release from GitHub Releases:

  • Windows Installer: CapturePlayer.Setup.x.x.x.exe - Standard Windows installation
  • Windows Portable: CapturePlayer.x.x.x.portable.exe - No installation needed
  • Linux: CapturePlayer.x.x.x.AppImage - Make it executable (chmod +x) and run
  • macOS (Apple Silicon): CapturePlayer.x.x.x.arm64.dmg - On first launch, right-click the app and choose "Open" (build is not notarized)

How to Use

  1. Connect your capture card to your PC
  2. Launch CapturePlayer
  3. Click "Start Capture" or enable autostart in settings
  4. Customize your experience: Create aspect ratio and color presets in settings
  5. Zoom in/out: Hold Ctrl + scroll mouse wheel (works in fullscreen too)
  6. Play your game!

For Discord streaming: Share your screen and select the CapturePlayer window

Screenshots

Main Window Clean display with auto-hiding controls

Settings Simple device and color adjustment settings

Tested With

  • Elgato 4K X
  • Elgato HD60 S+
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • Windows 11
  • macOS (Apple Silicon, M1)

Note for low-power Apple Silicon (e.g. MacBook Air M1): Enable the WebGL renderer in the View settings for smooth playback. With the Elgato 4K X, 1080p60 and 4K60 ran well in testing; 1440p60 could stutter on this hardware.

Why Not OBS?

OBS is great for streaming, but CapturePlayer gives you instant, clean capture card viewing. The video appears directly in the correct aspect ratio as a window with sound - no buttons, no UI, just clean video. Perfect for gaming and Discord streaming without preview workarounds.

License

MIT License


Built for gamers who just want to play. Created by galusperes

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Ultra-simple, cross-platform capture card viewer — turn on your console and play.

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