Whether You're Streaming or Skyping, These Are the Best Webcams

Streaming your gameplay—whether you’re playing Valorant or speedrunning a classic game—is all the rage these days. But if you want to keep up with the pros on Twitch and YouTube, you’re going to need some quality gear before those subscriber numbers will begin to climb.

A good webcam is part of that equation (as is a quality microphone for streaming), and there’s an absolutely insane amount of cameras to choose from. Luckily, I’ve been down this road before and have penned this helpful guide to help you get the best webcam for your buck, no matter if you’re a professional streamer or just dipping your toes into the water.

TL;DR – These are the Best Webcams:

1. Logitech C920S HD Pro Webcam

Best Webcam

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The Logitech C920S HD Pro Webcam hits the best balance of giving you great Full HD video at a reasonable $80 price. For those more familiar with the Logitech C920, the C920S is slightly upgraded version that comes with a physical screen cover for some added privacy.

While it’s not the most expensive or feature-rich model the Logitech offers, the C920S grants you great 1080p video with sharp picture quality, excellent autofocus, and decent low-light. If you’re looking for specialized features like 4K recording or 60 frames per second, you’ll have to look elsewhere on our list.

2. Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000

Best Budget Webcam

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The LifeCam HD-3000 may not offer full HD resolution—it’s a 720p at 30fps affair—but it does have very nice picture quality, a built-in stand, and noise-canceling for its onboard mic. Microsoft touts this cam’s TruColor technology as producing more realistic colors and skin tones, and it seems to do fairly well in low-light situations too.

If you’re looking for a basic webcam for your desktop or one that performs just a little better than the one built-into your laptop, Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000 is an excellent choice. And at only around $40, the LifeCam is the most affordable option on this list.

3. Logitech C922 Pro Stream

Best 60fps Webcam

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No, you’re not seeing double, but you would be forgiven for thinking that’s the case. The Logitech C922 is almost identical to the C920S but with a few extra improvements for game streaming to justify (debatably) its increase in price. You can still record 1080p video at 30fps, like its predecessor, but the C922x also adds 720p resolution streaming at 60fps—meaning it can match the refresh rate of your 60fps game

Another streamer focused feature is this webcam’s integrated ability to remove the background around you. The effect looks convincing enough but a physical green screen will always look better. The C922 also adds a higher quality glass lens and better low-light correction. We still think the original C920S is a better value, but if those extra features are important to you, the C922 is a great option.

4. Razer Kiyo

Best Streaming Webcam

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See it at CDW

The Razer Kiyo is similar to the Logitech C922x in that it can stream 1080p at 30fps, or 720p video at 60fps. But what sets the Kiyo apart is its integrated light ring, which allows for a more professional looking capture even in a dimly lit environment. Ring lights have been a semi-secret tool in videographers’ kits for years, as they have a tendency to make subjects look more evenly lit and in turn softens skin tones and features. There’s a reason they’re nicknamed Diva Lights.

5. Logitech Brio

Best 4K Webcam

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Sure, full HD is great, but what if you’re looking to future proof your video setup with 4K resolution and even HDR compatibility? Well, the Logitech Brio is the webcam for you. With a 2160p resolution running at 30fps—or 1080p resolution at 60fps—the Brio is one of the highest resolution webcams on the market right now. Plus, it’s capable of recording in High Dynamic Range (HDR) if you’ve got a compatible display.

The included stand for the Brio is also pretty nice, and opens up more possibilities for positioning the cam around your desk environment. It actually reminds me a bit of the stand under a PlayStation 4 camera. The only downside? It’s incredibly expensive.

6. Logitech C930e

Best Webcam for Work

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Okay, this might look like we just added the same Logitech webcam for the third time between C920S and C922, but stick with us here because the Logitech C930E is by far the best webcam for work. Although it records videos at the same 1080p and 30fps as a few of our picks, this webcam comes with a premium Carl Zeiss lens. It also has one of the widest pictures thanks to the lens’ 90-degree field of view.

The end result is video calls that look cleaner, sharper, and bigger. Its perfect for group meetings or family video calls if you have multiple people in the same room as you. Of course, that nice lens comes at a premium and it costs nearly twice as much as the C920S.

7. Logitech StreamCam

Best High-End Webcam

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The Logitech StreamCam is just about the only webcam on the market that lets you record both at 1080p and 60fps. The StreamCam also features a fancy built-in omnidirectional microphone complete with a small noise filter.

The SteamCam has auto-exposure and auto-focus features, and it comes with a completely streaming software suite. You also get a tripod mount along with the regular monitor mount, and you can even rotate the camera if you prefer to shoot smartphone-style video in a portrait orientation.

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Kevin Lee is IGN’s Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam

Source: IGN.com Whether You're Streaming or Skyping, These Are the Best Webcams