It's sad to say, but I'm a big fan of cables. Not your everyday gold-plated connections, but the little cables that have such a niche use they'll likely be forgotten about until that one magic moment you need it. I recently bought a VGA to USB-C, just in case. It's this fascination with stocking up for the right emergency that led me to the Genki ShadowCast. Genki, the same company that brought us one of the best Nintendo Switch accessories on the market, the Covert Dock, has essentially created one of the smallest, easiest to use, cheapest capture cards available. Aside from streaming, though, it essentially allows you to use your laptop screen as a display for Nintendo Switch (or any device with an HDMI-out).
This is where the ShadowCast has placed its bet. On release in 2021, the internet was ablaze with YouTubers running their consoles through the tiny HDMI adapter. At $49.99 / £39.99, it's an excellently priced capture card (especially considering Elgato's can run you all the way up to $400) but Genki was right to lead marketing with its casting features. This is one for travelers, students, and those who just love keeping a nifty solution in their back pocket.
