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To capture party chat with an Elgato card, the right route depends on your console and headset. On Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, set Party Chat Output to Headset & Speakers so party audio is also sent over HDMI. On PS4 or PS5 with a wired headset plugged into the controller, Elgato’s Chat Link Pro workflow routes headset audio through an analog input or computer line-in. Neither method automatically captures your own microphone in every setup.
Choose the route that matches your setup
| Setup | Party-chat route | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S | Set Party Chat Output to Headset & Speakers; capture HDMI audio. | Elgato says this setting applies to party chat, not Game Chat or Lobby Chat. |
| PS4 or PS5 with a compatible wired controller headset | Use Elgato Chat Link Pro and connect its audio plug to the capture card’s analog input or a computer Line-In. | Chat Link does not directly capture your headset microphone; use a separate computer microphone for your commentary. |
| USB or wireless headset | The documented Chat Link arrangement does not directly support this connection. | Check headset, console, capture hardware, and software compatibility before choosing another route. |
These methods are not interchangeable: Xbox’s setting sends party audio over HDMI, while the Chat Link route is for compatible wired controller headsets. Elgato’s Xbox party-chat instructions, PS4/PS5 Chat Link Pro instructions, and Chat Link manual describe vendor-supported configurations; exact software labels and available ports vary by hardware.
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Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S: send party chat over HDMI
- Open Settings on the Xbox.
- Choose General, then Volume & Audio Output.
- Set Party Chat Output to Headset & Speakers.
- Capture the console’s HDMI audio with the Elgato device and check that your capture software is listening to the expected audio source.
Elgato says this sends party chat to the headset and over HDMI to the display and capture card. The setting does not route Game Chat or Lobby Chat in the same way; Elgato says those chat types go only to the headset in the described configuration. If your headset or mix-amp has an audio output such as a Stream Port, Elgato describes that as another possible route. A wired headset and Chat Link may be relevant when the needed headset audio path is not available through that output.
PS4 or PS5: use Chat Link Pro with a wired controller headset
Check compatibility first
This workflow is for a compatible wired headset connected through the controller’s 3.5 mm jack. Elgato says USB and wireless headsets do not directly work with the original Chat Link arrangement. Chat Link Pro also needs a usable analog audio input: either a dedicated input on the capture card or a supported computer sound-card input.
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Connect the cable and select the input
- Plug Chat Link Pro’s male four-pole 3.5 mm connector into the controller.
- Connect the compatible headset to Chat Link Pro’s female four-pole connector.
- Connect the remaining 3.5 mm plug to the capture card’s analog input or the computer’s Line-In. Use Line-In rather than a PC Mic-In port when Line-In is available; Elgato warns that mic ports use different voltages and may cause issues.
- In Elgato 4K Capture Utility, select Analog Audio for the supported external capture-card configuration described by Elgato.
- For Elgato’s documented OBS workflow with a PCIe card, open the video capture source’s properties, enable Use Custom Audio Device, and select the computer input receiving the cable.
Some USB capture cards have a dedicated 3.5 mm analog audio input. Some PCIe cards do not, so the cable instead connects to the computer’s Line-In or another supported input, which you then select in the capture software. Verify your card’s actual ports before connecting anything.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Will the recording include your own voice?
Chat Link routes headset audio to the capture card, but it does not directly record your voice through the headset microphone. For the documented PS4/PS5 workflow, connect a separate microphone to the computer and add it as an audio source in your recording or streaming software. Elgato mentions microphone monitoring for Xbox One, but that note should not be assumed to apply to every console and setup.
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Check the signal if party chat is missing
- On Xbox: confirm Party Chat Output is set to Headset & Speakers, then confirm the capture software is using HDMI audio.
- On PS4 or PS5: check that the headset is wired to the controller through Chat Link Pro and that the cable runs to an analog input or computer Line-In selected in the software.
- If using a PCIe card without an analog input: select the computer input connected to the cable as the custom audio device in the documented OBS workflow.
- If your own commentary is missing: add a separate computer microphone; the headset mic is not captured directly by Chat Link.
- If capturing PS5 video with Elgato 4K Pro: Elgato’s capture-card setup says HDCP must be disabled for video capture. That requirement concerns video capture, not party-chat routing. See Elgato’s PS5 capture-card setup.
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