You want to record your PlayStation, Xbox or Switch gameplay without tying it to one PC or learning a confusing software stack. The AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable is built for exactly that: a small external box that sits between your console and your screen, captures the feed, and can even record to an SD card with no computer attached. Buying one refurbished is one of the smartest moves a new streamer in Australia can make, and this guide shows you how to do it without getting burned.
The numbers that change the conversation
Top refurbished avermedia live gamer portables on eBay right now
These are current listings for the Live Gamer Portable and its later revisions, pulled live so you can compare condition, accessories and price in one place.
Listings update automatically and open in a new tab.
Why second-hand is not “second best”
A capture box is one of the safest things in the whole gaming-gear world to buy used. There is no battery to wear out, no fan, no spinning drive, and no touchscreen to crack. The Live Gamer Portable is essentially a sealed signal-processing box with a few ports, a record button and a status light. Once it works, it tends to keep working for years.
The Live Gamer Portable family also ages gracefully because its job has not changed. The original LGP and the LGP 2 / LGP 2 Plus all pass an HDMI feed through to your TV while capturing it, and the standalone “PC-Free” mode that records straight to a microSD card is firmware-baked, so it does not depend on a vendor server staying online. A unit made several years ago does the same job today as the day it shipped. That is precisely the kind of device where paying full new price makes the least sense.
A capture box has no battery, no fan and no screen to fail. Buy the one someone else already broke in, and pocket the difference for a better microphone.
The savings are real
External capture cards are a category where new prices stay stubbornly high, so the gap to a clean used unit is wide. With used and refurbished gear generally landing 20-60% below new, the money you keep is enough to fund the rest of a streaming setup: a decent USB microphone, a key light, or a fast microSD card for PC-free recording. For someone just starting on YouTube or Twitch, that reallocation matters more than the box itself. You are buying the same capture quality and spending the saved dollars where viewers actually notice.
New vs used, side by side
| Brand new | Used / refurbished | |
|---|---|---|
| Capture quality | Identical | Identical |
| Price | Full retail | 20-60% less |
| Accessories included | All in box | Check the listing photos |
| Latest firmware | Yes | Free download & flash yourself |
| Environmental cost | Full manufacturing CO2 | Already paid by first owner |
| Warranty | Manufacturer | Seller / ACL rights |
The five-minute checklist before you pay
- Confirm which revision it is. “Live Gamer Portable” covers the original (GC510), the LGP 2 and LGP 2 Plus. The LGP 2 Plus adds 1080p60 pass-through with capture; the original passes through 1080p60 but captures at up to 1080p30. Match the revision to what you actually need.
- Check the cables and adapter are present. The unit uses a USB connection to your PC and HDMI in/out. A missing HDMI lead is cheap; a missing or non-genuine USB cable can cause capture dropouts, so ask.
- Ask whether PC-Free recording has been tested. A seller who can confirm the record button writes a clean file to a microSD card has proven the core hardware works end to end.
- Look for the status LED behaviour in the description. A healthy unit shows a steady ready light; a unit stuck flashing can signal a firmware or USB fault.
- Confirm it passes an HDCP-free signal. The box will not capture protected content (e.g. some streaming apps) by design; that is normal and not a fault. Make sure the seller is describing console gameplay capture, not a “broken” claim based on a copy-protected source.
You have more protection than you think
When you buy from a business seller in Australia, the Australian Consumer Law applies on top of anything the seller promises. Goods must be of acceptable quality and fit for their stated purpose, and those guarantees cannot be signed away by a “sold as-is” line in a listing. If a refurbished Live Gamer Portable arrives unable to capture at all, you are entitled to a remedy. Buying through eBay adds the Money Back Guarantee as a second layer if the item is faulty or not as described. Keep the listing screenshot and your messages, and you are well covered.
Ready to find yours?
Browse current refurbished and used Live Gamer Portable deals from trusted sellers below.
Red flags to walk away from
- “Untested” with no photos of it powered on. For a sealed box with no moving parts, a seller who cannot show a ready light is hiding something or has not bothered to check.
- No mention of the included USB cable. This is the single most common cause of “it won’t capture” complaints; an unspecified or generic cable is a gamble.
- Photos that hide the ports. The HDMI and USB connectors should be clean and undamaged. Bent or corroded ports are a hard no.
- A price barely below new. If the saving is only a few dollars, buy new and keep the full manufacturer warranty instead.
- A listing that promises it captures Netflix or other protected apps. It cannot, and a seller claiming otherwise either does not understand the product or is being misleading.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a powerful PC to use it? No. The Live Gamer Portable does its capture in hardware, so it is far gentler on your computer than a software-only setup. Its PC-Free mode records to a microSD card with no computer connected at all.
Will it work with my PS5, Xbox Series or Switch? It works with any console that outputs standard HDMI gameplay. As with every capture device, it will not record HDCP-protected content such as some movie and streaming apps, but console gameplay passes through fine.
Can I update a second-hand unit to the newest firmware? Yes. AVerMedia provides firmware and the RECentral / capture software as free downloads, so a used box can be brought fully up to date at no cost.
Original LGP or LGP 2 Plus, which should I look for used? If you only record at 1080p30 the original is great value. If you want 1080p60 capture while still passing 60fps to your TV, hold out for an LGP 2 Plus.
The bottom line
The Live Gamer Portable is close to the ideal used purchase: a rugged, fanless, screenless box that does one job and does it for years. Buying refurbished saves you a meaningful share of the price, keeps a perfectly good device out of Australia’s e-waste stream, and frees up budget for the parts of your setup that viewers actually see and hear. Confirm the revision, check the cables and the ready light, lean on your Consumer Law rights, and you will have a capture solution that punches well above what you paid.
This article may contain affiliate links; see our Affiliate Disclosure.