Gaming Gear – The Top 5 Webcams for Gamers and Streamers

If you are looking to emulate streamers you do not necessarily have to invest into expensive hardware right from the start. For the beginning a simple webcam is more than enough for video chats or YouTube. Only if you want to pursue it professionally you need to go for more expensive options.

*Disclaimer: All links to other online shops are affiliate links. esports.com receives a small commission for each purchase through those links. As customer you do not have to pay additional fees or higher prices. Thank you for your support.

Our Top 5 – Webcams from Budget to Premium

Within our recommendations you can find a camera tailored to your needs, be it for the occassional video chat or a professional live stream.

PC-LM1E Webcam

Our top 5 starts with a very affordable webcam. The PC-LM1E costs only $25 and offers you more than you would expect from the pricetag.

The PC-LM1E Webcam looks more elegant than it costs.

Good option for video chats

The webcam has a fixed focus and offers 1080p at 30 frames per second. The horizontal angle covers 85 degrees and gives you great quality if you have sufficient lighting. For video chats or YouTube content that is more than enough. Audio-wise the webcam is also suprisingly good. It has a stereo microphone with noise cancelling and more than does its job.

Strengths

  • Cheap price
  • Solid video if you have sufficient lighting
  • 1080p at 30 FPS
  • Stereomicrophone with noise cancelling

Weaknesses

  • Fixed focus
  • No way to rotate the camera
  • Almost no options to finetune

If you are looking for a webcam with a small budget, the PC-LM1E offers you all you need for the basics for a very fair price.

►You can buy the PC-LM1E on Amazon here

Logitech C922 Pro

Logitech is of course also in our list of recommendations. The C922 Pro is a good starter model for professional streaming.

The Logitech C922 Pro is one of the most popular streaming webcam. | Image Credits: Logitech

Table Tripod included

The C922 Pro has an automatic lighting correction and will work nicely even in rough lighting environments. Logitech also includes a table tripod.

Video recordings have high quality with the C922 Pro. It offers a 1080p resolution at 30 frames per second or 60 frames at 720p. Its camera has autofocus and covers a visual cone of 78 degrees. Stereo microphones with noice cancelling are also part of the camera, but are not quite on par with the crisp video. If you are serious about streaming, you should consider an external microphone.

Strenghts

  • Very good video quality
  • 1080p at 30 FPS, 720p at 60 FPS
  • Tripod included
  • Autofocus and lighting correction

Weakness

  • Microphone is only of average quality

The webcam is on the slightly more expensive side of things with $80, but offers you strong visuals for its price.

► You can buy the Logitech C922 Pro on Amazon

Logitech StreamCam

Exceeding the $100 mark, the Logitech StreamCam is on the expensive end of our recommendations, but it holds up to its name. Just like the C922 Pro, the StreamCam also has autofocus and 78 degrees of coverage. In addition it has intelligent lighting, which optimizes ISO. If you use the auto-framing mode it also moves the camera automatically to keep you centered.

The Logitech StreamCam manages 60 FPS even on 1080p. | Image Credits: Logitech

With 60 frames per second at 1080p the StreamCam has really good video quality. Its only weakness are the stereo microphones with noise cancelling that are in-built. While they are of higher quality than many other products, it is not sufficient for professional streamers.

Strengths

  • Very good video quality
  • 1080p at 60 FPS
  • Auto-focus with face tracking
  • Intelligent lighting
  • Available in multiple colors

Weaknesses

  • Average microphone

► You can order to Logitech StreamCam on Amazon

Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000

Our next webcam returns back to the cheaper price ranges. The Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000 is listed at $40 and competes in the low-end spectrum. Streamers should probably steer away from this model, but if you consider alternatives to the PC-LM1E the LifeCam HD-3000 is a great choice.

The Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000 offers good quality for its price. | Image Credits: Microsoft

More than enough for video chats

The Microsoft webcam offers you 30 frames per second at 720p and is great in good lighting. But in darker rooms it reaches its limits. You should also have a tranquil environment as the in-built microphone does not have noise cancelling.

Strengths

  • Affordable price
  • 720p at 30 FPS
  • Solid video quality in good lighting

Weaknesses

  • No noise cancelling
  • Almost no options to finetune
  • Unable to rotate

► You can purchase the Microsoft LifeCam HD-3000 on Amazon

Razer Kiyo

Just like the Logitech products in our list, the Razer Kiyo is mainly targeted at streamers. The Razer webcam not only has good video quality but also strong lighting with its integrated LED ring light. You can even adjust its brightness across 12 levels. While it does not fully replace good lighting in the room, it compensates for quite a bit.

The Razer Kiyo has a ring light to make the setup easier. | Image Credits: Razer

You can configurate the Razer Kiyo to either record 1080p at 30 FPS or on 720p at 60 FPS. It also allows you to switch between auto-focus and manual focus. The Razer Synapse 3 software also gives you the option to adjust brightness, contrast and more.

Strenghts

  • Very good video quality
  • 1080p at 30 FPS or 720p at 60 FPS
  • Auto-focus and manual focus
  • LED Ring light
  • Plenty of adjustment options

Weaknesses

  • Average microphone

► You can buy the Razer Kiyo on Amazon

Things to watch out for when buying a webcam

There are many things you should consider when purchasing a gaming or streaming webcam. Here are the most important factors:

  • Resolution and Zoom

A webcam’s resolution is the first thing you should consider. Depending on your requirements a cheap 720p model might be enough. The higher the resolution the more options you have in using the video it produces. You can zoom in closer as example or focus on smaller objects. While a 720p camera can capture sufficient image, it will quickly turn worse when zooming in.

  • Framerate: 30 or 60 FPS?

Even cheap cameras will be able to produce 30 frames per second, which is more than sufficient for video chats. But if you are interested mainly in streaming you should go for 60 frames per second to guarantee a fluid video for your audience.

  • Lighting and Auto-Focus

Your stream might be the most interesting one in the world, but if you are blurred out, you will not have that many viewers. So you should make sure to grab a camera that automatically focuses on you. More expensive models will also have lighting correction to ensure a good image even in dark surroundings.

  • Microphone

Ideally your streaming camera already has stereo microphones for good audio quality as well. Noise-cancelling improves that even further, even if most webcams do not have the best microphones. Even models like the Razer Kiyo do not necessarily have a sufficient microphone. So if you are streaming professionally you should invest into a stand-alone microphone on top.

Read more:

Which camera do you use? Join the discussion on social media or Discord!

Image Credits: Logitech, Microsoft

*The listed articles are provided through affiliate links. A purchase after clicking through them supports us at esports.com as we will receive a small commission without additional cost to you.