ShadowCast 2

Name: ShadowCast 2
Brand: Genki
SKU: HTGSC2-WT-NA
Price: 39.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.5 (32 reviews)

A sequel to IGN’s “Best Capture Card of 2023” and our most crowdfunded favorite ShadowCast. Ditch the TV and plug this tiny adapter into your console’s HDMI port and you’ve discovered the tiniest, simplest most seamless way to play, record, and stream your console games to your laptop and iPad.

Rated 4.5 out of 5

Based on 32 reviews

$39.99 USD

$49.99 USD

Variant

Description

It’s hard to imagine that the tiny ShadowCast 2 is able to magically turn your laptop screen or iPad into an HDMI monitor for all your gaming (and videography) needs. Simply plug this into the HDMI port of your favorite console (it completely hides inside of the Nintendo Switch dock!) and it converts that signal to a USB-C port that you can directly connect to your laptop or iPad and play instantly. No more hauling a TV around for that game convention or dorm room, simply use the screen you always have with you - that shiny MacBook or other portable computing device.

The ShadowCast 2 is compatible with many apps, essentially turning your game console into a ‘webcam’ of sorts. You can play games in popular streaming apps like OBS if you want to share your gameplay to your Twitch and YouTube followers, or you can record your gameplay in apps like Quicktime. We even have a simple app called Genki Arcade (Win/Mac/Chrome) and Genki Studio (iPad) that lets you get you playing as instant as pushing the ‘input’ button on your TV remote.

Key Features

"Best Capture Card of 2023" by IGN.

High-Definition Recording: Capable of QHD 1440P30 and 1080P60 capture for high-quality video content.
Swift Data Transfer: Features USB-C 3.2 connectivity with a 5Gbps transfer rate for speedy data movement.
User-Friendly: Offers Plug and Play functionality, eliminating the need for driver installation.
Minimal Delay: Engineered for low latency to ensure smooth video transmission.
Software Compatibility: Supports various applications like OBS, Xsplit, Streamlabs, and more for versatile use.
Multi-Platform Streaming: Enables content streaming on popular platforms such as Twitch, YouTube, and others.
Tablet Integration: Includes Genki Studio compatibility for iPad, enhancing mobile use.
Ultra-Light Design: Boasts a feather-light weight of 10 grams for portability.
Camera Flexibility: Allows for easy conversion of a camera to a high-quality webcam for streaming or video conferencing.

How to Use

To get your console video feed to your computer simply plug ShadowCast 2 into the HDMI port of your console and then plug the included USB-C 3.2 cable into the ShadowCast 2 to your computer’s USB-C 3.0+ port.
Important: You need a USB-C 3.2 port to capture 1440p30.
Open your favorite app - and all of these will have various different settings - but essentially you will need to select ‘ShadowCast 2’ as the video/camera input source and ‘ShadowCast 2’ as the audio/mic input source. You’ll also usually be able to set the resolution and framerate - we recommend 1080p60 generally as the best balance of smooth fast gameplay and quality.
From here you should already be able to play your game with video and sound. If you want to record a video of your game play you should have a record video button in your app or be able to record the full screen from your OS. Many apps like OBS, YouTube, and Twitch Studio will also let you livestream your footage.

What's Included

1 x ShadowCast 2
1 x USB-C 3.2 Cable

Genki Arcade

Maximize your experience with the Genki Arcade app for Mac, iPad, Windows, and your browser.

The Genki Arcade app ensures a smooth and enjoyable gaming experience by streaming video and audio from your console to your laptop or tablet device.

Mac (v.1.3): Download Link

iPad (v.1.3): Download Link

Windows (v.1.8.3 Beta): Download Link

Browser (v.1.1.2): Download Link

ShadowCast 2

$39.99 USD

$49.99 USD

ShadowCast Series in the Wild

Neil Genki Using ShadowCast 2 and Analogue Pocket to capture retro gameplay footage

Asia Filipiak @asiathegirl_ Question from TikTok: How do you set up your gaming streams?

Neil Genki Using ShadowCast 2 to capture gameplay footage from retro Nintendo

Christian De Ceglie @_pixelchris This is the Genki ShadowCast

Unbelievably small, deceptively powerful

Designed to be universally compatible

Stream and record at the same time with ultra low latency in all your favorite apps

ShadowCast 2

Frequently Asked Questions

I don’t see the video feed on my app?

he most common solution is to ensure you’re using the included USB-C 3.2 cable and that you’re connecting it to a computer that has a USB-C 3.0+ port. Next things to check is that your console is on of course. If ShadowCast 2 isn’t selectable as a video/camera device this likely means there is something wrong with the USB-C connection or port. If you can select ShadowCast 2 in your app but you see a Genki screen with a QR code its likely the connection to the console. If you see a black screen the culprit is likely your console’s video settings, see the next question.

All I see is a black video feed, what gives?

HDCP is likely the culprit and is a form of content protection. If you’re using a PlayStation 4 or 5 first connect your console to a TV and navigate to Settings -> System -> HDMI section of the PlayStation interface, and turn off Enable HDCP. Other devices generally have HDCP off until specific video apps are launched.

Will this work with my device?

ShadowCast 2 is meant to be as universally compatible as possible. As long as your console isn’t outputting more than a 4K60 video source, ShadowCast 2 should be able to take that video input. There are few consoles/cameras that have unique geometries that may make it complicated to connect ShadowCast 2 and an HDMI extender may be required. In terms of the computer, ShadowCast 2 works with all major computing platforms including Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, and iPadOS - however for optimal performance you’ll want to make sure you’re using a USB-C 3.0+ port on your computer and that your computer speed can comfortably process and record video smoothly at whatever you’ve set as your capture resolution.

Does this work with Covert Dock?

Yes, you can use all versions of Covert Dock with ShadowCast 2. Simply plug ShadowCast 2 into the Covert Dock as you would a typical HDMI console and you’ll capture the feed going into the Covert Dock’s USB-C port.

Does this really fit in the Nintendo Switch dock?

Yep it certainly does.

What Our Customers Say

average rating 4.5 out of 5

Based on 32 reviews

5 Stars

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88% of reviewers would recommend this product to a friend

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Review posted

Reviewed by Zac Y.

Verified Buyer

Rated 5 out of 5

Works perfectly

Great for playing switch or steam deck on my main PC monitor. I keep all my emulation stuff on the steam deck and this let's me play on my main monitor much more easily than before, plus now I can stream it to discord with ease. A small amount of artifacts sometimes, but other than that the picture is very good, and the latency is definitely playable, even rhythm games.

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Reviewed by Max Peckham (.

Verified Buyer

Rated 4 out of 5

Surprisingly good!

After a couple hours of testing, this thing is well worth it for the price. Runs really smooth with my 2020 M1 Macbook, which is something you can't usually get without forking out a fortune. Very responsive with my Switch, have yet to test it with other consoles but I haven't experienced many problems. I recommend running it through OBS as the Genki Arcade app doesn't have the finesse and option variety that I'd like, and it seems to run better in 1080p on OBS. I would also recommend adjusting the audio to about -10dB as otherwise the audio from the Shadowcast clips and cuts out. After setting it up properly, it's so worth it for the cost! So glad I found this thing, and can't wait to start streaming.

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Reviewed by Bogusław C.

Verified Reviewer

Rated 5 out of 5

Bardzo fajne

Bwkkwkw

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Reviewed by Patrick W.

Verified Buyer

Rated 5 out of 5

ShadowCast2 👍🏻

Fonctionne parfaitement, Raspberry pi 5 -> Macbook Pro.

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Reviewed by Andrey Y.

Verified Buyer

Rated 4 out of 5

Great image quality and setup experience.

I have no major issues connection various devices using ShadowCast 2.

The latency is sadly too high for action games when you need to act fast (Helldivers 2), but it's more that ok for more slow games like Witcher 3. I tried to tweak the resolution, but it didn't make any difference.

I would say the latency is on pair with Remote Play on PS5.

Color reproduction is limited to 8bit I guess, but it's not so noticeable during the gameplay.

Just a few notes:

- Use Genki Arcade app from the Apple App Store, not from the website.

- Disable HDCP on your device BEFORE trying to stream anything.

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ShadowCast 2

Frequently Asked Questions

Works perfectly

Surprisingly good!

Bardzo fajne

ShadowCast2 👍🏻

Great image quality and setup experience.

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