No one wants to watch a stream on Twitch or YouTube that has poor visual fidelity. In order to have an entertaining and professional looking stream, you will need a solid webcam. Additionally, a webcam can improve the quality of your production by allowing picture-in-picture (PIP) of your face in addition to your gameplay. However, there are plenty of webcams on the market, and while virtually all webcams will work for your live streaming, some stand out above the rest. We’ve tested all of the following webcams you see below, so you know they’re worth your money and time. Here are our picks for the best webcams.
The best webcams
In addition to the webcam itself, there are a number of accessories that can help you improve your feed and broadcast. These include indicator lights to make sure your webcam is well lit, green screens to remove your background from your feed, and Elgato’s Cam Link to let you use a DSLR camera. as a webcam to obtain the best possible visual quality. The prices listed below are the list price of a product and do not reflect current discounts or fluctuations. Amazon gives discounts on products all the time, so you might be able to get one of these webcams for a much lower price than they usually do.
While you are thinking about your streaming setup, be sure to check out our guides to the best gaming headsets, the best budget gaming chairs, and the best gaming desks that excel in quality and comfort. We also have guides on the best capture cards, the best gaming mouse, the best VPNs for streaming, and more.
Logitech StreamCam
The Logitech StreamCam is an excellent webcam capable of 1080p and 60 FPS. It also has excellent autofocus that adjusts quickly to bring its subject in focus. I was particularly impressed when I show my audience a close-up of a figure or a drink. The StreamCam also has automatic exposure, although you still need the right lighting setup to get the best picture.
A particularly interesting feature is the ability to switch this webcam from a 16: 9 aspect ratio to a 9:16 aspect ratio. This works best if you want to stream to Facebook or Instagram or if you want to use that format for your PIP on Twitch and / or YouTube. It connects to your PC via USB-C, which provides a stronger and faster connection – of course, you’ll need to make sure your PC has a USB-C port, or you’ll need a USB adapter. -C to USB.
Logitech 4K Pro webcam
The Logitech 4K Pro webcam is a surprisingly awesome device. While using it, I didn’t even need a light. In a dimly lit room at 11 p.m., it provided a clear, bright picture that beat any webcam on this list. Colors seemed much more precise and brighter compared to the darker, more contrasting image of the Logitech StreamCam, when comparing the two lightless webcams. There’s no doubt that a light improved the look of the 4K Pro’s stream, but it’s definitely not necessary for a great visual of your face.
The 4K Pro webcam is capable of recording up to 4K and 30 FPS and streaming up to 1080p and 60 FPS. The only issue I found was that Logitech’s capture software wouldn’t allow me to record or even view the webcam feed in 4K. There was also a lot of visual noise in the background of the image. Fortunately, this was not the case in Streamlabs OBS, which provided me with a crisp and smooth picture.
Razer kiyo
The Razer Kiyo is a 720p, 60 FPS webcam, perfect for streaming. One thing about its lower resolution that you need to remember is that your face’s PIP will be much smaller than the rest of your stream. This means it will still look great even if you’re streaming 1080p and above. Where the Razer Kiyo takes this game, however, is having a built-in ring light, which brightens up your face and ensures a beautiful picture.
Razer has also supported its Kiyo webcam with software and firmware updates, bringing new features and customization. Razer’s Synapse 3 software lets you adjust focus, brightness, contrast, and more, as well as save profiles of your preferred settings. Its latest firmware update has improved autofocus, automatic low-light compensation, and automatic white balance, among others.
Logitech C922 webcam
Logitech’s C900 series sets the standard for webcams, and the C922 is a great choice for streaming. It can capture 1080p and 30 FPS or 720p and 60 FPS and has excellent autofocus and lighting correction. This means that this webcam performs well in low light conditions, although you still want to get some extra light to make your webcam feed the best it can be.
Logitech Capture software helps you customize your stream, including exposure, frame rate, and scene effects, including negative colors and a fisheye effect that provides wacky distorted faces. It is a great software that makes it easy to change various settings with your webcam. The Logitech C922 webcam also comes with three free months of XSplit Premium, which gives you everything you need to set up a stream and broadcast on Twitch and YouTube.
Elgato 4K Camera Link
There are some great webcams out there, but if you want the best quality streaming image of your face, you’ll want to upgrade to a DSLR camera. The Elgato Cam Link 4K allows you to connect your DSLR to a PC, giving you an extremely professional and high quality look for your stream.
Other key webcam accessories
Key lights
The indicator lights are a must if you want to get the best picture. These will help eliminate shadows, especially around your eyes, allowing your viewers to see you better and give an overall more professional look.
Green screens
If you want to eliminate your background and take up as little screen space as possible, a green screen is the way to go. However, if you choose a poor quality one, it will only make your feed worse. You will also need to make sure that the green screen is wrinkle free and only one color. You can achieve this by nailing down your lighting setup, eliminating shadows that darken certain parts of your green screen.
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