I am brand new to speedrunning, but I want to get a recording setup going. At the time of this post, I really only have a few PS1 games in mind that I want to try running. I want to get a component capture card, but I really can't justify to my wife the cost of a PCIe card.

So here's the question: Has anyone had success using the USB dongles? I know they don't record in HD, but I can't imagine PS1 games are going to look that great in HD. My goal at the moment is just get started, and share my progress. The two games I want to play are not even listed on the website. I really want to record a few runs and try to get these gems on the site.

Thank you in advance for any help!

I can't say anything about how well the dongles work since the only capture card I've ever used is the original Elgato HD, but if your computer has the CPU to power it, you can always go the emulation route for the absolute cheapest recording since you won't require a capture card at all.

computer is a good start since you can get set up for free (time to get used to the process) but out of curiosity what are those 2 game you talking about ?

That has always been a thought to try, but I wasn't sure how the rules applied to emulation. I thought runs had to be done on the original console for them to be considered valid for World Record Status. I own the two games I want to run in physical form, so I could potential run them in the emulator.I found a few usb component cards described for VHS conversion, but not much support on how well they perform recording console gameplay.

Rules for emulation differ based on each community. You'll need to ask the moderators of the games if they have any special rules regarding it. However since the games you want to run aren't on the site, if you request them, you'll become the moderator and can set the rules as you like. You can request games here https://www.speedrun.com/requestgame and please give a couple weeks for them to be approved.

As for capture cards, the best standard def one is gv-usb2. It's only around $40 and handles composite and s-video capture. It is the way to go for PS2 and early era gaming. The drivers for it are in Japanese but it's only 2 clicks and there are guides online. I'd recommend picking that up for a capture card.

Rules for emulation differ based on each community. You'll need to ask the moderators of the games if they have any special rules regarding it. However since the games you want to run aren't on the site, if you request them, you'll become the moderator and can set the rules as you like. You can request games here https://www.speedrun.com/requestgame and please give a couple weeks for them to be approved.

As for capture cards, the best standard def one is gv-usb2. It's only around $40 and handles composite and s-video capture. It is the way to go for PS2 and early era gaming. The drivers for it are in Japanese but it's only 2 clicks and there are guides online. I'd recommend picking that up for a capture card.

(Forgive me if this doesn't work I'm posting from my phone.) @speedygarret I'm thinking about running Spec-Ops Airborne Commando and Darkstone. Both for the PS1. I know there is a Steam release of Darkstone, but it patched certain exploits I want to use.

@Timmiluvs Thank you so much! I was going to get something similar but now I know that'll be perfect.

I should note here too, even if it may potentially be too late, if you spy on Ebay for things like Elgato or other products, they quite frequently show up under Buy It Now for quite a bit cheaper than standard auctions. I picked up my Elgato HD, with extra cords, for about 65 bucks (with shipping and handling included). That all depends on how patient you are though.

I remember playing Darkstone and hating it, and yet still playing it for over a hundred hours at least. I'm honestly very surprised there are no runs of it listed here.

I haven't moved forward with any purchases yet, but I did begin setting up my pc for emulation using my disc. Once I get it submitted you should totally submit a run!

Everyone shits all over the Elgato, but aside from the delay, I haven't had one problem with it. Quality capture device.