The Razer Kiyo family of webcams has something for everyone

With the work-to-work culture shift so far away, a webcam has become a ubiquitous and essential component of any home office setup. As the webcam has become all the rage, brands left and right are showing off products as remote consumers look for the perfect product for those on-camera meetings and conferences. Gaming peripheral company Razer is one of the contenders, and its Kiyo line of webcams promises to fit the bill for workers, streamers, and gamers alike.

I’ve been working with the full line of Razer’s Kiyo webcams to learn more about the different models on offer, and help you figure out which webcam best suits your needs.

How is the image quality on Razer webcams?

Three are decent with one highlight

In my testing I found that the video quality on the Razer Kiyo Pro, Razer Kiyo X, and Razer Kiyo, were all very similar. All capture images at a maximum resolution of 1080p, although the original Kiyo captures still images better than the X and Pro. There is also some variation in the maximum frame rate as the Kiyo Pro is capable of shooting 1080p at a maximum of 60fps compared to the maximum 30fps found on the Kiyo X and the original Kiyo. A real step up in clarity and image quality comes in the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra, which pushes you up to 4K capture on an even bigger sensor, capturing more than 8MP. Below you will see some photos taken from these web cameras.

When choosing a webcam, you may want to consider some performance features other than just image quality, depending on your application. For example the Razer Kiyo and Kiyo X feature a fixed FOV, while the Kiyo Pro and Kiyo Pro Ultra have adjustable FOV settings for a wider or narrower view. Additionally, while both the original Kiyo and Kiyo X feature auto-focus, the Kiyo Pro and Pro Ultra feature more advanced auto-focus features that can be fine-tuned in Razer Synapse.

Related

The Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra is the best premium webcam I’ve ever used

This DSLR-quality webcam is perfect for live streaming and zooming in on meetings.

How can I choose the right Razer webcam?

Work, play, or both?

Deciding on the right Razer Kiyo webcam depends largely on how much you are willing to invest in your webcam. If you’re not interested in spending more than $100 that takes two out of the equation right off the bat. For those who take a lot of work meetings where they are looking directly at their monitors and trying to communicate with colleagues or managers, the bright light on the original Kiyo is a great tool to have. It can be easily turned off when you don’t need it, and set to brighten or dim as needed to enhance your image with just a touch of those important calls. With the ring light off, it performs equally well or better than the Kiyo X depending on whether you use it mostly for video or stills. This makes the Kiyo X completely unmistakable in the current lineup.

If you’re looking for a step up in versatility, viewing angle, and the ability to customize things like FOV, you’ll want to consider the Pro end of the program. The Razer Kiyo Pro has the same still image and video quality as the options below, but has the added feature of 60fps video capture at 1080p, which the Kiyo and Kiyo X don’t have, and 3 different FOV settings to choose from.

Finally, if your goal is to have the best webcam image quality among your cohorts, gamer friends, or coworkers, then go out and get the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra. It’s always at the top of the list, and the one I’m most impressed with, but it will cost more than the other three combined.