New Genki ShadowCast video capture card goes ‘Pro,’ Covert Dock gets an upgrade

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The upgraded Genki ShadowCast 2 and 2 Pro capture cards offer higher-quality video capture, while the new Covert Dock 2 for Nintendo Switch can handle more charging power.

By Umar Shakir, a news writer fond of the electric vehicle lifestyle and things that plug in via USB-C. He spent over 15 years in IT support before joining The Verge.

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Ice climber amiibo with ShadowCast 2 dongle and Covert Dock 2 power adapter in translucent plastic, plus the ShadowCast 2 pro slab.

The new Genki Alpine collection.
Image: Human Things

Gaming accessory company Human Things is coming out with new Genki ShadowCast external capture cards that feature higher-quality recording for livestream sessions, plus a slightly souped-up new Covert Dock GaN charger for Nintendo Switch. The company is crowdfunding its new “Alpine collection” on Kickstarter, including ShadowCast 2, ShadowCast 2 Pro, and Covert Dock 2.

The Genki ShadowCast 2 Pro capture device supports up to 4K video at 60 frames per second and can handle HDMI passthrough with HDR and VRR. The company claims it has an instant setup process — just plug your gaming system (for example, a PS5) into the ShadowCast 2 Pro hardware, then plug in a USB-C iPad or a computer. You can capture video through Genki Studio (now on iPad), OBS, or other software and also view it on a TV plugged into the second HDMI port. You can even capture at 144 or 240 frames per second if you drop the resolution to 1440p or 1080p, respectively. There are also two 3.5mm audio ports for monitoring and mixing.

ShadowCast 2 Pro has the ports.

ShadowCast 2 Pro has the ports.
ShadowCast 2 Pro has the ports.
Image: Human Things

The old dongle-style Genki ShadowCast capture card is getting a spec bump. We felt that the previous model was a bit fuzzy and laggy, but the new $49 ShadowCast 2 supports 1080p captures at 60 frames per second and ups the connection to USB 3.2. Now, you can fit this dongle inside the Nintendo Switch dock, plugged into HDMI, and plug in an iPad to play Nintendo Switch games on the go.

A note on crowdfunding:

Crowdfunding is a chaotic field by nature: companies looking for funding tend to make big promises. According to a study run by Kickstarter in 2015, roughly 1 in 10 “successful” products that reach their funding goals fail to actually deliver rewards. Of the ones that do deliver, delays, missed deadlines, or overpromised ideas mean that there’s often disappointment in store for those products that do get done.

The best defense is to use your best judgment. Ask yourself: does the product look legitimate? Is the company making outlandish claims? Is there a working prototype? Does the company mention existing plans to manufacture and ship finished products? Has it completed a Kickstarter before? And remember: you’re not necessarily buying a product when you back it on a crowdfunding site.

Finally, the new Covert Dock for Nintendo Switch ups the power to 45W from 30W on the old version. The $60 Covert Dock 2 can charge an iPad and keep your Nintendo Switch in dock mode, plus you can piggyback a ShadowCast onto it for a compact portable gaming solution on an iPad or computer. Like the original, it saves you a lot of bag space while traveling, and with more power, you could just carry this one charger and leave all your other bricks behind.

The ShadowCast 2 Pro will cost $160 but can be had for $129 if you pledge on the company’s Kickstarter. Additionally, its other new accessories are available for up to 26 percent off if bundled together. And the shells are see-through, if you’re into that.

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