CuteCapture - Capture Software for Linux and Mac

[whatagreatcoffee]

I'm actually considering getting the 2023 MacBook Pro model with the Apple silicon chip. Since they are using their own processors instead of the Intel ones on these models, will the Cute3DSCapture application still work on them? Also, I do see that CuteCapture v1.4.0 does support macOS, but up to what macOS version? All the way up to Ventura? I want to ask before I make the jump.

Thank you.

[Chroma]

CuteCapture will run on 2023 Apple Silicon Macs. The issue though is not in it running, but actually getting the whole package to operate easily.

Basically, CuteCapture’s development has been dead for something like over 2-3 years at this point. The current version will display video as expected, but you cannot get audio. The Mac uses a mic/headphone dual use port, and CuteCapture has no idea what to do when you plug an AUX in, and it just turns the 3DS into a headphone out, which does nothing. And no, the software doesn’t do audio out from the USB like Loopy’s native software does. I also once tried using a headphone splitter to split the signals for the Mac out to a separated mic and headphone port, and the software still couldn’t output audio.

Believe me, a good decade ago I got tired of Windows and switched to Mac, best decision and I still stick with it today. However, CuteCapture is the frontliner software recommended today for this capture card, and not only is it completely dead on development, but what is currently here only half works.

I would recommended getting a Mac for its many other benefits as a daily computer. However, specifically for this use, CuteCapture just isn’t up to snuff. You’ll see me in multiple forums continuously mentioning this problem, because we need a solution and it just never has been actually addressed. I hope if you end up with a Mac, you’ll also voice your opinion on the forums to inform that Mac users currently have nothing actually usable for this capture card.

[whatagreatcoffee]

Thank you for the reply. I'm probably going to go ahead and move forward with my MBP 2023 purchase then.

I actually do use Cute3DSCapture for streaming, and I have to set up a semi-elaborate setup for my audio to get recognized on OBS. I have one 3.5mm cable connecting to the headphone port, then I have a ground loop noise isolator connected to that so you don't hear crackling noises, following another 3.5mm cable connected to that and then connecting to an external sound card adapter, which is then plugged into my MacBook Pro 2018 model. Then I have to use Soundflower or BlackHole to reroute the 3DS sound to OBS or wherever else using Loopback, so yeah, Mac streaming is a complicated process, but I definitely understand the hurdles you have to go through to get the sound to work.

[Chroma]

Thank you for the reply. I'm probably going to go ahead and move forward with my MBP 2023 purchase then.

I actually do use Cute3DSCapture for streaming, and I have to set up a semi-elaborate setup for my audio to get recognized on OBS. I have one 3.5mm cable connecting to the headphone port, then I have a ground loop noise isolator connected to that so you don't hear crackling noises, following another 3.5mm cable connected to that and then connecting to an external sound card adapter, which is then plugged into my MacBook Pro 2018 model. Then I have to use Soundflower or BlackHole to reroute the 3DS sound to OBS or wherever else using Loopback, so yeah, Mac streaming is a complicated process, but I definitely understand the hurdles you have to go through to get the sound to work.

There's one important note that I keep wanting to emphasize for anyone who has the potential interest in developing a solution for Mac. It's an appropriate pre-conception of Mac that used to be true, but has changed.

For the longest time, Apple absolutely locked down every facet of video and audio capture from the Mac (probably because of iTunes/QuickTime), and you had to use utilities like Blackhole/Soundflower/Loopback to force reroute the audio to capture anything. This placed a ton of restrictions on third party developers and didn't allow them to create capture apps without a ton of extra patchwork. People decided to just develop for Windows instead, and it was a good reason because it was easier.

However, very silently, one year Apple's macOS update (I think it was around High Sierra, maybe Catalina) allowed for easier capture. That year, Apple built in better instant recording options in macOS (cleaner interface for screen recording instead of going through QuickTime app). In this process, applications like OBS can now capture directly as long as the app is in windowed mode. Adding an application or window capture there will not only capture it like Windows now, but it'll automatically capture the audio of that app/window without any additional tweaking or third party utilities like Blackhole needed. Twitch Studio is another Mac app that does this in a different way; during initial installation, it installs Loopback's ACE audio plugin into macOS and then immediately allows for desktop audio capture as a whole.

Apps have this wider freedom now, and sadly I think a lot of developers have stopped looking at Mac from the days it was way more restricted. I'm trying to bring that to attention myself. Loopy's got his hands pretty full with building/installing boards, but I think he's the best chance we ever have of developing something that works for Mac now. I've mentioned a couple options like a Mac port of the current Windows app, or even just a plugin straight into OBS like how some recent Elgato capture cards do it. There was some conversation back then about potentials but nothing since. I know he's very busy, so I really just keep posting about it to keep it in memory. It's way too easy nowadays for people to just forget Mac users exist, and that they're steadily growing while the PC market has been slowly crashing. We need an option that doesn't require your very complex setup of wires and rerouting apps, and macOS now has the capabilities in multiple ways for a developer to create that.

[loopy]

Is OBS the primary way of recording (just capturing the CuteCapture window)? Or are you using cutecapture to record?

[whatagreatcoffee]

For now, I'm just using OBS to capture the 3DS audio and the Cute3DSCapture video to stream. I don't use Cute3DSCapture to record. In fact, I didn't even know Cute3DSCapture has a recording feature.

[Chroma]

Yes, CuteCapture doesn't have a local record option, it really just acts as a way to expand your 3DS's display onto a larger Mac display. Now that OBS can capture audio/video from apps directly, you can capture the CuteCapture window and use either "Start Recording" or "Start Streaming" to actually bring that footage to YouTube/Twitch or a .mp4/.mkv, depending on what you need.

That's really the only thing left right now, in my opinion. I'm happy that @whatagreatcoffee seems to have a working setup, but for me, a setup like this continues to not give me reliable audio. You can see me on GitHub on CuteCapture's issues threads, trying for a long time to find a setup that works. Best I ever got was a day or two of working audio that eventually crackled too much to be usable in a stream setting. If there's no streamlined easy method like Loopy's native capture app on Windows, it just isn't reliable for streaming. Since it's fully live, anything goes wrong, and you just have to give up on it or spend your stream troubleshooting live. I wasted a lot of time ordering cables/adapters from Amazon, returning them when CuteCapture couldn't make them work, and doing the same from local shops.

Very slowly, I'm consistently expressing my hopes to one day see a 3DS capture where you plug one USB-C cable into the device, it charges the device, and outputs good video/audio together into a somewhat recently updated app. I'll keep apologizing for mentioning all this so much, I just really don't want this to be forgotten about, because the alternative right now is unusable for streaming. Regardless of it all, big thanks for what you do for this community, keeping the 3DS capture scene alive and healthy. Always appreciate it and just hope to work towards that potential future setup for us Mac users.

[Dawson95]

I was just wondering, does anyone know how to get in contact with the developer for the CuteCapture software. I just wanted to ask them if they are working on updating the software so that it can work with the New Nintendo 3DS XL capture cards.

[Chroma]

I was just wondering, does anyone know how to get in contact with the developer for the CuteCapture software. I just wanted to ask them if they are working on updating the software so that it can work with the New Nintendo 3DS XL capture cards.

GitHub is the place. I believe the developer will answer troubleshooting questions, but they have explicitly said they are no longer able to work on it due to life stuff.

[Dawson95]

I was just wondering, does anyone know how to get in contact with the developer for the CuteCapture software. I just wanted to ask them if they are working on updating the software so that it can work with the New Nintendo 3DS XL capture cards.

GitHub is the place. I believe the developer will answer troubleshooting questions, but they have explicitly said they are no longer able to work on it due to life stuff.

I see, alright then. Is there possibly another 3ds viewer window I can download to use the New Nintendo 3DS XL capture cards?