Elgato is highly regarded for its game capture devices and other equipment for streamers like the HD60 X and Stream Deck, but has yet to hit its stride for webcams. At $79.99, the FaceCam Neo is the company’s most affordable webcam thus far and is intended for entry-level streamers. Its 1080p picture quality is fine in good lighting, but it doesn’t particularly impress, and like Elgato’s higher-end FaceCam Mk.2 ($149.99) and FaceCam Pro ($299.99), it doesn’t have a microphone. For $20 more, the Obsbot Tiny SE has better video quality, a solid microphone, and mechanical pan and tilt with automatic tracking capabilities, so it remains our Editors' Choice winner for affordable webcams.
Design and Resolution: Simple All Around
The FaceCam Neo has a friendly and very simple design. It’s a white, pill-shaped camera measuring 1.3 by 3.5 by 1.6 inches (HWD), with a tripod screw mount on the bottom and a sliding switch for the physical privacy shutter on the top. The lens sits in the center, while a large indicator LED can be found to the left of it. The fabric-wrapped cable is permanently attached to the back of the camera and terminates in a USB-C plug. A wide, simple monitor clip that screws into the bottom of the camera is included.
As part of the budget-priced Neo lineup, the FaceCam Neo is a bit scaled back from the FaceCam MK.2. It shares the pricier webcam’s 1080p60 resolution, but uses a larger, unbranded Type 1/2.9 (also called 1/2.9-inch) CMOS sensor rather than the MK.2’s Type 1/2.5 Sony Starvis CMOS sensor. It also has a narrower 77-degree field of view versus 84 degrees, and lacks the 720p120 and 540p120 high frame rate modes of the MK.2. Its aperture is 50% brighter at f/2.0 from f/2.4, but the smaller sensor undermines any benefit from the increased amount of light it lets in.
Audio: No Sound Included
Like the other FaceCams, the Neo doesn’t have a microphone, so you have to use a headset or separate USB microphone to get any audio to go with its video. Elgato says this is because webcam mics usually sound bad due to the distance from your mouth, and that’s largely true. Still, we’ve seen plenty of webcams that are at least passable for video calls (though not for recording or streaming), and the lack of any mic is a bit of a nuisance. Elgato suggests using its cheapest model, the Wave Neo microphone, but at $90, it’s more expensive than the webcam itself.
Similar Products
Obsbot Tiny 2
Obsbot Tiny SE
Dell Pro Webcam
Logitech MX Brio
Logitech StreamCam
Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra
Creative Live! Cam Sync 1080p V2
Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K
Poly Studio P5
Software and Features: The Elgato Camera Hub
Elgato’s Camera Hub software for Mac and Windows offers extensive adjustment options for the FaceCam Neo. There are manual exposure, white balance, and noise processing settings, and you can use automatic or manual focus. You can also use digital zoom and even digital pan and tilt with face tracking, though this will reduce the 1080p picture to lower resolutions. If you have a compatible Nvidia GPU, you can also use a variety of AI backgrounds and blurring effects, and even without one, you'll have access to a slightly unnerving eye contact feature that makes it look like you’re staring right at the camera no matter where you’re actually looking.
Picture Quality: Good in Bright Light
The Elgato FaceCam Neo can record video at 1080p, 720p, or 540p, at 30 or 60 frames per second. Its 77-degree field of view, f/2.0 aperture, and Type 1/2.9 CMOS sensor are all fairly standard specs, almost identical to the Obsbot Tiny SE.
In a well-lit environment, the FaceCam Neo delivers a fairly sharp picture for a 1080p webcam. The hairs of my beard and the stitching of my shirt can be easily discerned. Flat surfaces like bare walls in the background show a surprising amount of noise for the lighting, though, especially in contrasting areas like the shaded underside of my counter. Its automatic exposure settings also look a bit overly cool and washed out, though you can easily fix this through the software’s exposure settings.
The picture quality is comparable with the $59.99 Creative Live! Cam Sync 4K, an even cheaper webcam with a 4K resolution and a microphone. Default test captures from the Obsbot Tiny SE look much better, with fine details appearing sharper, much less noise, and more natural exposure.
Noise gets much worse in low light. With only the light of my monitors and ambient light behind my TV, test captures look notably grainy across the entire frame. Oddly enough, my skin looks a bit more natural in these shots, probably from the software compensating for the blue ambient light rather than the neutral white overhead light.
Again the Tiny SE surpasses the FaceCam Neo here, as it's able to pick up more light from my monitors and retain much more detail in my face under the same conditions.
Verdict: Unimpressive, Even for the Price
For a sub-$100 1080p webcam, the Elgato FaceCam Neo offers a decently sharp picture in a well-lit environment. It hardly excels, though, and noise starts fuzzing up the picture as soon as the lights dip. It also lacks a microphone, an omission Elgato has maintained since its first FaceCam. For just $20 more, the Obsbot Tiny SE outshines it in picture quality, has a decent microphone, and features a gimbal for mechanical pan-and-tilt with automatic tracking. It’s simply a better webcam across the board, so it remains our Editors' Choice.
The FaceCam Neo is Elgato's most affordable webcam, but its low price doesn't compensate for its poor low-light performance and lack of a microphone.
Like What You're Reading?
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking the button, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Sign up for other newsletters
