Razer Kiyo webcam review: Brightening up the life of a streamer

Razer Kiyo

The Kiyo is part of Razer's broadcaster lineup of accessories, joined by the Seiren microphones and Ripsaw capture card. Their commonage target: Streamers. Folks who demand a quality production to produce a quality stream.

The Kiyo isn't like any normal webcam, though. And that'south pretty obvious equally presently every bit you handclapping eyes on it. It'southward large and round and has a really bright ring light out front. Overall, it's a solid production that has its faults, but might be the affair you need for your stream.

Light me up

Razer Kiyo

$99.99

Bottom line: Good paradigm quality and the light is excellent, simply Razer actually should take included some companion software to help become the all-time from it.

Pros:

Ring low-cal is bright and easy to adjust.
1080p video, 60fps at 720p.
Punchy paradigm with overnice contrast (but beware of looking a little over saturated!).
Built-in tripod mount.

Cons:

Quite large.
No companion software.
Even small movements trigger motorcar-focus.
Congenital-in microphone is on the tranquillity side.

What you lot'll love about the Razer Kiyo

Razer Kiyo

The light. Arguably information technology's the single thing you'd be considering buying the Razer Kiyo for. Lighting is important if you're putting your face up in a stream, because your viewers will want to see yous and information technology doesn't wait very professional if you lot're all night and noisy. The light on the Kiyo cures all that without the need for external, frequently big lights.

Video: 1080p/30fps or 720p/60fps.
Adjustable ring light.
Built-in microphone.
Supports XSplit and OBS (and nearly Windows apps that support webcams).
Standard tripod mount.

That also makes information technology a superb option for a streamer who's tight on space. If you're using a green screen, this light alone probably won't be enough, but it's really bright. Information technology'due south also super easy to adjust, you simply plough the ring and it gets brighter or dimmer.

The image quality when the room is well lit is pretty skilful and looks quite punchy with plenty of contrast. Comparing it to my Logitech C922, the Logitech's image for both photograph and video looks more than washed out. Even without the ring low-cal activated on the Kiyo.

Video wise, the Kiyo shoots 1080p video but it'due south limited to 30FPS. If you're pushing out a 60FPS stream and want your webcam to match, you accept to drop the resolution to 720p. If you're only using it in a small box on stream though, even 720p is overkill. But the facility is there.

And if yous'd rather not have information technology hanging off your monitor (more on that beneath), there's a standard tripod mountain on the bottom. Although you'll accept to supply the tripod (unlike with the Logitech C922).

What you'll hate about the Razer Kiyo

Razer Kiyo

This thing is huge. It covers an entire tab in my spider web browser with the slice that hooks over the front of the monitor, and it's an all-around behemothic. It isn't particularly heavy, at least, but it's huge. This is less of an issue if y'all're using it on a tripod, simply it'due south quite the thing to mountain on your monitor.

What'southward as well disappointing is that Razer hasn't hooked upwards the Kiyo to its Synapse application. There are no software controls for the Kiyo whatsoever, and so you lot can't zoom, pan, tilt, or accommodate white balance and exposure. Any tweaks have to exist done in your applications, like XSplit or OBS.

The congenital-in microphone is pretty tranquillity, which for a streamer isn't the end of the globe. But if you don't take an external microphone, or even if y'all're using this in a pinch for something real-world like a conference call, folks on the other end may struggle to hear yous.

There's as well a pretty aggressive auto-focus. You never want to exist out of focus, so it's great the Kiyo is adequately fast, only in my testing even but minor movements can trigger the automobile-focus, so you see that shifting movement. It isn't the end of the globe only if yous do move around a lot, it's something to bear in mind. Especially since at that place's no companion app to set manual focus with.

Bottom line on the Razer Kiyo

Razer Kiyo

For the target audience, streamers, the Kiyo is a great choice. Even if you have external lighting, the ring light illuminates your face evenly in even the darkest of situations, so you'll ever be seen on your stream. The prototype quality is decent, and fifty-fifty though it isn't leagues better than competing devices, it'due south more contrasty and I think better looking than something like the Logitech C922.

There are drawbacks, mostly pocket-sized, like the sheer size of the matter if it's going to be mounted atop your monitor.

The biggest criticism is that at that place's no companion software, so you have very limited control. Apps like XSplit can adjust brightness and contrast equally well equally tint, only they can't pan or tilt the photographic camera feed, and they tin't enable manual focus. Considering Razer has Synapse for a ton of its hardware, information technology feels like a misstep not to take something for the Kiyo.

Just for streamers, you could do a lot worse and if yous're tight on space that ring light will really aid out. It's super bright so you don't demand it on total all the time, especially if you're quite shut to it, just it does a fantastic job. You may wait a fiddling saturated if it's too bright, so brand sure to adjust things a little in your streaming software.

It's less like shooting fish in a barrel to recommend to a non-streamer, especially at $100, and if that'south not your matter probably look elsewhere. Merely for who it's meant for, it'south a solid choice.

See at Amazon

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