The Elgato Chat Link is a simple adapter that allows you to capture all audio from your Xbox One or PlayStation 4 (PS4). Without Chat Link, you normally need to make compromises on what audio is captured for your audience to hear.
Both consoles have certain limitations with what audio is sent over HDMI with a headset connected. Chat Link works with wired headsets that connect into your Xbox One or PlayStation 4 controller. USB or Wireless headsets do not directly work and sometimes have workarounds, see the [USB/Wireless Headsets] section later in this article.
How It Works
Connections
Setup
Setup - Elgato Game Capture and USB Devices
Setup - OBS or Streamlabs OBS and USB Devices
Setup - OBS or Streamlabs OBS and PCIe Devices
Analog Gain Control
USB/Wireless Headsets
Xbox One Mic Monitoring
Troubleshooting
How It Works
Chat Link works by splitting the audio coming out of your controller, and sending this audio to your headset and to your Elgato Game Capture card to be recorded or streamed. It does not, however, allow you to directly record your voice. The audio from your headset's microphone passes straight through Chat Link and is sent into the controller. Your voice can be recorded through Chat Link on Xbox One using the Microphone Monitoring feature on the console. More information can be found below.
To record your voice, you will need a separate microphone connected to your computer using our Live Commentary feature.
Connections
For cards such as our Elgato Game Capture HD60 and Elgato Game Capture HD60 S, you can connect Chat Link directly into the device as these cards have a dedicated 3.5mm port for auxiliary audio. For cards such as our Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro and Elgato Game Capture 4K60 Pro, you will need to connect Chat Link to a Microphone Input or Line Input on your computer as they only have HDMI inputs and outputs.
The Chat Link cable has three connections:
• Female 3.5MM 4 Pole – To Headset – 5cm to Hub
• Male 3.5mm 4 Pole – To Controller – 10cm to Hub
• Male 3.5mm 3 Pole – To Game Capture Device – 180cm to Hub
Setup
Configuring your console and software to use the Chat Link adapter is simple. If you’re using a headset which plugs right into the controller already, there isn’t anything you need to change on your console as Chat Link functions in the same way.
Along with our own Game Capture software, Chat Link works with third party software such as:
• OBS Studio
• Streamlabs OBS
• XSplit
Elgato Game Capture Setup
To setup Chat Link with Elgato Game Capture software, follow these steps:
1) Head into your Device Settings by clicking on the gear icon next to your Device’s icon.
2) From here, go to ‘Audio Input’.
3) If you’re using the Elgato Game Capture HD60 or Elgato Game Capture HD60 S, you will see "Analog Audio" in the dropdown list.
If you’re using a card such as the Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro or Elgato Game Capture 4K60 Pro, you would select the Line-In or Mic-In port that you connected Chat Link to. As the Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro and Elgato Game Capture 4K60 Pro don’t have 3.5mm ports on them, you need to use the ports elsewhere on your system for this audio.
OBS Studio / Streamlabs OBS Setup - USB Devices
While we’re showing steps for OBS Studio, the interface for Streamlabs OBS is identical.
To setup your Chat Link on your Elgato Gaming capture card within OBS Studio or Streamlabs OBS, look for your Elgato Game Capture layer inside of the "Sources" section. If you haven’t changed the name, it may still be called the default "Video Capture Device".
1. Right click on your Elgato Game Capture or "Video Capture Device layer" and click on Properties.
2. Within the Properties window, click on Configure Video.
3. A new Elgato Game Capture themed window will appear giving you some of the same options as you’ll find in our software. If you’re using the Elgato Game Capture HD60 or Elgato Game Capture HD60 S, you will have a checkbox option named "with Analog Audio". (If you’re using a Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro or Elgato Game Capture 4K60 Pro, this checkbox will not appear. See below.)
4. Click on the box to check "with Analog Audio". This is what allows the Elgato Game Capture HD60 or Elgato Game Capture HD60 S to ‘listen’ to the 3.5mm port and capture audio from the Chat Link.
5. Click on Done.
If you’re using an Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro or Elgato Game Capture 4K60 Pro, you won’t have a 3.5mm Analog Port on the card to connect the Chat Link. You will need to connect the Chat Link to a Line-In port on your system. Where this port is depends on your computer or motherboard.
OBS Studio / Streamlabs OBS Setup - PCIe Devices
To setup your Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro or Elgato Game Capture 4K60 Pro in OBS Studio / Streamlabs OBS:
1. Inside of the Properties Window for your Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro or Elgato Game Capture 4K60 Pro, scroll to the bottom.
2. Check the box for "Use Custom Audio Device"
3. Select the input on your computer where the Chat Link is connected.
4. Click on "OK" to close the Properties window.
This option allows OBS to override the audio from the capture card with the audio input you selected. OBS will treat the audio from your Line In port and the video from the lgato Game Capture HD60 Pro or Elgato Game Capture 4K60 Pro as a single object which makes managing your scene easier.
Analog Gain Control
The Elgato Game Capture HD60 and Elgato Game Capture HD60 S also have analog gain controls as part of their native 3.5mm audio ports. You can adjust this volume separately from the Game Sound volume within Game Capture. If you have a particularly quiet source, you can boost the audio level to allow it to be at a reasonable level.
Within the Device Settings screen for the Elgato Game Capture HD60 or Elgato Game Capture HD60 S, go to the Audio tab.
You can adjust this section between -12dB and +12dB. By default, it is at 0dB.
If your audio is oddly quiet or distorted, adjusting this level may help bring it back to normal.
USB/Wireless Headsets
Chat Link is only able to let you capture audio that is output from the controller. If your headset plugs directly into your controller using a 3.5mm cable, it will work with our Chat Link. However USB or Wireless Headsets don’t connect through the controller, and are thus not directly compatible.
Some USB or Wireless headsets have ‘mobile’ or other wired options for use with a mobile phone. One headset that does this is the Sony PlayStation Wirelsss Gold headset. A headset like this is compatible when using said cable that’s included.
Xbox One Mic Monitoring
The Xbox One Controller can allow you to hear your voice within your headset. This is known as Mic Monitoring. This can be used to record your voice through the Chat Link without needing a separate microphone on your computer. Keep in mind that this means you will be hearing your voice which may or may not be something you wish to happen. If you don’t want to hear yourself, then your only option for voice recording is to have a microphone connected to your PC or Mac and using the Live Commentary function.
This functionality does not work with the Xbox Stereo Headset Adapter. You will need to plug your headset directly into the Xbox One Controller's 3.5mm port.
1. Press the Xbox button on your controller.
2. Then scroll right to the Settings tab. You will see a new Audio option.
3. Go into Audio.
4. Move the slider for Mic Monitoring to the right to raise the volume of the microphone audio.
Troubleshooting
Q. After Connecting my Chat Link and Headset I don’t hear anything.
A. Since Chat Link connects to your console like a normal wired headset, be sure that everything is securely connected, and your console’s settings are set to output all audio to the Headset connected to the controller.
You should hear everything normally in your headset when Chat Link is connected. If you don’t, reach out to our support team: https://help.elgato.com
Q. I hear buzzing in my headset and recording with Chat Link.
A. Buzzing can occur on the PlayStation 4 if the controller is connected to the console for power. The PlayStation 4's USB ports can cause noise in the controllers headset port. Be sure to charge the controller fully before use so that it can be used wirelessly during play or connect the controller to another USB power source such as a phone charger.
Q. I hear everything fine in my headset, but I don’t hear anything in my recording or stream.
A. It could be that you haven’t yet selected the correct Audio Input within your Game Capture Settings. See the [Setup] section in this article for more Information.
B. If you’re using an Elgato Game Capture HD60 or Elgato Game Capture HD60 S, the analog audio gain could be too low. See the [Analog Gain Control] section in this article for more information on how to correct for this.
If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to our support team via email: http://e.lga.to/help or by phone: http://e.lga.to/phone