By: Aaron Lai
August 1, 2025
A couple of weeks have passed since my birthday, and it seemed to pass pretty quietly. I spent most of the day celebrating on my own, as there was a church camp happening that weekend. Part of me was grateful for this, as I wanted isolated time without people before the busy weekend. However, I also felt a bit mixed and lonely. On one hand, I did not want people to make a big deal about it. Everyone has a birthday one day of the year, so you will likely forget other peoples' birthdays. On the other hand, I also remember a previous camp where they surprised me with a cake. It may have felt a bit embarrassing to get so much attention in the moment, but I also remember and appreciate that time deeply. I think I was also baited because when I was helping them shop for camp food, they purchased multiple cakes, which made me think something was up. This is not to discount my appreciation for those who did wish me well, whether in person or over text on the day of, and made me feel more grateful for those who actually remembered. I think as you get older, these celebrations only happen when you make it for yourself rather than hoping others will do something. In a similar vein, I recall several years back thinking I could stream my video gaming for others to watch. However, I quickly realized this turned gaming into a chore. Fast forward to today, and my streaming career is quite nonexistent, as I found it hard to maintain a schedule. Streaming as a whole is still a thriving and many are still doing well at it, but those that do are committed in making it a spectacle for others to watch. Today, AVerMedia has a new product in the form of the Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro, which is an external capture card that may be good as an option to capture console gaming. If you have the time and commitment, the Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro seems like a great option, but what is it like to use? Let us find out together!
Today's review unit of the Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro arrived from AVerMedia's warehouses in San Jose, California. Traveling with UPS and their Standard ground service, this small brown corrugated cardboard box was passed to us here in Calgary, Alberta in great condition. There were no concerning dents or holes, and the product inside was not damaged in any way. This was the only product inside this box.
The AVerMedia Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro has a pretty standard looking retail box. The color and style match all of AVerMedia's other products we have reviewed, including most recently the Elite Go GC313Pro. This includes a red and white color palette. At the top is AVerMedia's logo, along with the product name underneath. The description of "Game Streaming Capture Box" is underneath in both of Canada's official languages. In the middle, there is a scaled down image of the capture device in the middle. Underneath, there are three primary features for the Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro, including the 4K 60fps, HDR and variable refresh rate passthrough, support for 240fps capturing, and low latency output. More specifications and features can be found around the side and back of the box.
Before we continue, I have grabbed the specifications from the manufacturer's website for your perusal:
Specifications
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C (5Gbps)
- Video Input & Output (Pass-Through): HDMI 2.0
- Audio Input & Output (Pass-Through): HDMI 2.0
- Max Pass-Through Resolution: 2160p60 HDR/VRR,1440p144 HDR/VRR, 1080p240 HDR/VRR
- Max Capture Resolution: 2160p60, 1440p144, 1080p240 / 1440p30 HDR, 1080p60 HDR
- Max VRR Record Resolutions: 1440p60 /1080p120 /1080p240
- Supported Resolution (Video input): 2160p, 3440x1440p, 1440p, 2560x1080p, 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 480p
- Video Format: YUY2 / NV12 / RGB24 / P010 (HDR) / MJPEG
- Supports 5.1 multi-channel audio. LPCM format supports stereo (LPCM 2.0ch) only
- Dimension (W x D x H): 112.6 x 66.2 x 26 mm (4.43 x 2.6 x 1.02 in)
- Weight: 99 g (3.49 oz.)
System Requirements
Windows® 10 x64 / 11 x64 or later
- Desktop: Intel® Core™ i5-6XXX / AMD Ryzen™ 3 XXX or above + NVIDIA® GTX 1060 / AMD RX 5700 or above
- Laptop: Intel® Core™ i7-7700HQ + NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050Ti or above
- 8 GB RAM recommended (Dual-channel)
macOS 13/14 or later
- Apple M1 or 3.6 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
- Apple M1 or Radeon Pro 555 with 2 GB of VRAM
- 16 GB of 2400 MHz DDR4 memory
- For 4K60 MJPEG capture, requires M1 Ultra / M2 Ultra or above
- HDR capture and RGB24 format are not available for macOS
iPadOS 17 or later
AVerMedia Supported Software
- AVerMedia Assist Central Pro
- AVerMedia Streaming Center (Windows only)
- AVerMedia Streaming Center Plug (OBS Plugin)
- Firmware update tool
What’s in the Box
- Live Gamer ULTRA S (GC553Pro)
- HDMI 2.0 Cable
- Type C to Type A Cable
- Quick Start Guide
Out of the box, the AVerMedia Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro is found nestled in a black plastic shell to protect the product during shipping. Under the hollow shell, there are two separate bundles of cables. This includes an HDMI 2.0 cable and a USB Type-A to Type-C cable. These inclusions ensure users can quickly get connected and online with the Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro. A quick start guide is also provided.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
