Best webcams in 2024

These are the best webcams for improving the quality of your game streams and video calls, with 4K and 1080p options for all budgets.

Edward Chester

Published: Oct 17, 2024

The best webcams are an essential PC upgrade for those working from home or stepping into the world of game streaming. They can also give you a huge boost in image quality compared to the built-in offerings found on your laptop.

Pro streamers often use a mirrorless camera for the best image quality and low-light performance. But for most users and gamers, a webcam with 1080p video capture at 30 frames per second will be enough to get started – not to mention significantly cheaper. Some webcams even support HDR, but the only streaming service that currently supports high-dynamic range is YouTube Gaming.

Our current best overall pick is the Logitech C920 as it simply offers such a solid combination of decent 1080p image quality and solid sound quality from its inbuilt mics and is generally great value. If you’re looking for a step up to 4K image quality, though, the Elgato Facecam Pro is the way to go.

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The Logitech C920 HD Pro has been around for years, but it’s still a fantastic budget webcam and the place to start if you’re just seeking your first webcam upgrade. For its sub $60 price (generally), it’s the best value webcam around.

The C920’s design is subtle and compact and incorporates a really easy-to-use monitor mount. It also has LED lights to indicate when the camera and microphone are on, though come with a lens cover, but it’s easy enough to just turn the camera around or tilt it upwards.

Image quality is limited by the 1080p resolution (rather than 4K) and 30fps frame rate (rather than 60fps) but it’s still absolutely fine for video chats and basic streaming. The inbuilt microphones also work well and Logitech’s software makes it easy to tweak the focus, brightness, and contrast of your picture.

Read our Logitech C920 HD Pro review.

The Elgato Facecam Pro is the company’s premium dedicated streaming webcam. It’s a great choice if you’re looking to stream on Twitch or YouTube, or you just want incredibly sharp video calls. You get 4K 60fps to offer crisp and smooth footage with excellent overall image quality.

It’s a big piece of hardware with a relatively chunky build. But if you want something to stay in place for a static gaming setup, it’s a quality choice worth the higher price tag.

The Facecam Pro is backed by the versatile Camera Hub software, for customizing basic settings on the fly like FOV and contrast but gives you the means to tinker with white balance, shutter speed, and ISO. You can also fine-tune the focus, exposure, and white balance to get the best picture of your setup, but the automatic settings work well straight out of the box.

The big downside here is there’s no built-in mic at all, so you’ll need to invest in a gaming microphone to record your voice as well as your face.

Read our Elgato Facecam Pro review.

There are plenty of webcams out there that include face and body tracking as a core part of their features, but most rely on software gimmicks that make panning a little sluggish.

The OBSBOT Tiny 2 has a built-in gimbal and AI to physically turn its head, meaning you never miss a beat as you wander around the room or shuffle in your gaming chair. The software is intuitive with three customisable presets so you can always return it to its original position. It has a timer when it’s not in use that makes it automatically look downwards to preserve your privacy.

You don’t necessarily want to open up the software mid-presentation or mid-stream to make a point, and that’s where gestures come in handy. There’s a learning curve that might make you feel a little silly waving your hand next to your face as you figure out what gesture does what, but zooming in and out to emphasize a point is so much easier. At the sacrifice of Windows Hello, which would have been a nice addition, we’ve never been able to position our lens so perfectly without sticking a webcam on a tripod.

All this and image quality from this camera is superb and it’s incredibly compact. You do pay a high price for all that tech but it delivers the goods if you need it.

Read our full OBSBOT Tiny 2 review.

Thanks to its large 1/1.2-inch Sony Starvis CMOS sensor and wide f1.7 aperture, the Razer Kiyo Pro is among the best webcams for producing a great image even in low light. So, if you don’t want to have to resort to shining lights in your face for a clear image while streaming, it’s a great option.

It does only hit up to 1080p resolution, so isn’t the sharpest image compared to 4K models but it can run at up to 60fps for a smooth frame rate.The field of view is set to a wide 103° by default, but you can turn this down as low as 80° via Razer’s Synapse software.

The camera also offers 3D noise reduction via the Razer Synapse app, though the built-in microphones are the best overall so it’s best paired with a dedicated gaming microphone.

For those concerned about privacy also rest easy, as it comes with a detachable cap for when you’re done showing off your face to your fans, friends, or colleagues.

If you want a new webcam, think about what you’ll use it for and how much you want to spend. The cheapest options are likely to be better than your machine’s built-in camera, but won’t offer 4K resolution or any tracking features. 60fps is the standard frame rate for most models, but if you want the movement to be more fluid, look at 90fps and above.

If you already have one of the best gaming microphones, you won’t need a webcam that has an integrated one. On the flip side, a webcam with a mic means you won’t have to buy one separately.