Video game streaming on platforms such as Twitch, Discord, and YouTube is becoming increasingly popular among those who want to interact from the comfort of their homes Most gaming laptops have built-in cameras, but most do not meet expectations in terms of image quality

This is where the recently released Razer Kiyo Pro webcam comes in

The original Razer Kiyo is a great choice for an affordable webcam and is also our pick for our Best Webcams roundup As we explain in our review of the Razer Kiyo Pro webcam below, Razer's new webcam builds on much of its predecessor's success However, it also features slight design changes and significant performance improvements, offering a more premium version of Razer's flagship webcam

The Razer Kiyo Pro webcam will be available on February 23, 2021, at a current price of $19999 Its premium status spares it from the recent webcam shortage that has affected more affordable options, such as the $80 Logitech C920

The Kiyo Pro also offers some significant performance improvements over the original Razer Kiyo, which is still available at Razer for $9999

The main attraction of the Kiyo Pro is its ability to deliver 1080p video at 60 frames per second without sacrificing image clarity This is a significant improvement over the regular Kiyo, which can record 720p video at up to 60fps or 1080p video at 30fps; the Razer Kiyo Pro also offers HDR video, although it drops to 30fps

The image quality of the Kiyo Pro is a significant improvement over most gaming laptops' built-in cameras; when compared to images produced by the Logitech C920, the Razer Kiyo Pro handles image exposure very well and retains detail that is not possible with the C920 This is a significant improvement over the image produced by the C920 at 1/25mm This is achieved through the Kiyo Pro's STARVIS technology, which is driven by a 1/28" sensor and larger f/20 aperture, allowing the webcam to ensure a consistent light range

In the images below, you can see this in action, especially in the sharpness of the background shadows and the even light coverage of my face; the overall image taken with the Kiyo Pro is a bit darker than the image taken with the Logitech C920, but the objects appear more clearly The object is more clearly visible

When using the computer's camera app, the Razer Kiyo Pro produced excellent results for both photos and video However, when trying to use the Kiyo Pro in a Twitch stream while playing Dead by Daylight, the stream stopped at the Kiyo Pro's maximum 1080p/60fps setting However, when I downgraded to 720p, 30fps, the stream smoothed out

Not surprisingly, running video games on one monitor and streaming software on the other consumed considerable computing power on my 2019 Razer Blade 15 Quartz laptop

Razer does not specify the minimum or recommended system requirements needed to run Kiyo Pro while streaming at the highest settings This is understandable given that there are many factors to consider, such as hardware and the configuration of the game being streamed However, Razer does recommend connecting the Kiyo Pro to a USB 30 port

Another nice feature Razer included is an adjustable viewing angle that can be changed from three presets: "Narrow" (80°), "Medium" (90°), and "Wide" (103°) Users can change this using the Razer Synapse software, allowing for a lot of flexibility when they might want to change things up

The "Wide" preset is particularly impressive, allowing the webcam to capture much more space that would otherwise be lost in a narrow field of view

The Razer Synapse software is very intuitive and easy to use It includes a variety of features and allows the user to adjust basic camera settings such as brightness, contrast, saturation, and white balance Under "Advanced Settings," there are more controls for sharpness, gain, power line frequency, aperture, tilt, etc

One notable issue we experienced while testing the Razer Kiyo Pro was the autofocus feature This proved to be problematic, as leaning back in one's seat or moving around the desk would often cause the webcam to lose focus for at least a few seconds This was easily solved by setting the webcam to manual focus However, this problem may be more critical for those whose streams contain a lot of movement, especially since it persisted in both bright and dark lighting

The Kiyo Pro's microphone is also an improvement over most laptop built-in microphones While it tends to pick up ambient noise, such as mouse and keyboard clicks, it is definitely usable enough for streaming and during Discord calls If this is a concern for you, we suggest you take a look at our summary of the best microphones currently available

The Kiyo Pro has the same bulky circular design as the original Kiyo Measuring 85 x 7 x 45 inches, it is considerably larger than the Logitech C920 What is immediately noticeable is that, compared to the Kiyo Webcam, the Kiyo Pro's design does not have a built-in ring light However, thanks to the Kiyo Pro's adaptive sensor, it can capture images in low light, so you won't miss it much

The webcam has a plastic clip system that can be propped up on a desk, placed on top of a computer monitor, or mounted on a standard camera tripod for a choice of setups The webcam also comes with a privacy cover

The Razer Kiyo Pro webcam has an incredibly durable design: thanks to Corning Gorilla Glass 3, the lens is scratch-resistant However, you won't be able to throw the controller at it

Overall, the Razer Kiyo Pro webcam is a great premium option for game streamers who want to take video quality to the next level With 1080p video capabilities up to 60 fps, the Kiyo Pro accomplishes just that goal

However, I did experience some stuttering issues when using the Kiyo Pro at its highest settings This was likely due to my gaming setup not having enough processing power to run the game, streaming software, and HD webcam at the same time

Still, anyone with a more powerful setup than mine would have no problem taking advantage of the Kiyo Pro's sharp image and smooth frame rate while streaming Also, if you're looking to upgrade your telecommuting setup with the best webcam available, the Kiyo Pro is a great choice