Razer Kiyo Pro Review

-Razer’s newest webcam a professional level of video quality and all the features a content creator may want, and then some. 

Its 1080p 60FPS streaming is a real joy to behold, and the light sensor further improves the end result.

The Good

• • Can run 60FPS at 1080p or 30 FPS with HDR quality
  • The adaptive lighting keeps the video quality crisp in almost all situations
  • Comes with a handful of cool features
  • High value for money

  The Bad

  • Would have liked the Razer Ring Light to be included

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Razer Kiyo Pro Overview

The Razer Kiyo Pro is Razer’s first attempt at a webcam that’s targeted at serious content creators and streamers. With 60 FPS 1080p streaming, high-fidelity, and its signature adaptive light sensor it holds up well even compared to some of the most popular options on the market, such as the Logitech Brio Stream. Content creation is no longer just a hobby but a potential career path for many and if you want to make it you gotta take it seriously, which means proper hardware. The Razer Kiyo Pro is professional-like but not quite there for high-end creators. If you have a large Youtube channel or a huge following on Twitch then it won’t quite cut it. However, it is an excellent, affordable option for aspiring creators that want to give a career on Youtube or Twitch a serious attempt.

What sets it apart from the competition is the Kiyo adaptive lighting that will make sure you have proper lighting and don’t look sloppy on camera. With the new Pro edition, it comes with adaptive lighting which means that the camera will adapt to the lighting in the room and automatically adjust. This is especially awesome if you stream at night or your room doesn’t have a lot of natural lighting. If you fit into any of these situations I would also recommend buying the Razer Ring Light to really make your videos or stream pop.

The Razer Kiyo Pro is very affordable when considering the stack of high-end features and high video quality and I would highly recommend it as a great starter cam for up-and-coming content creators.

Video Quality & Frame Rate

The number one most important factor when it comes to webcams is the frame rate and fidelity. And while the Razer Kiyo can’t exactly shoot quality movies it offers more than enough quality for new streamers or video creators to appear semi-professional. I would recommend the default 1080p resolution as it allows you to run at 60 frames per second. While it may sound tempting to go with the HDR 4k option, it will only run at 30 frames-per-second, which is alright but 60 fps just looks ten times more smooth. 

Whichever option you go with for your content, be it 60 fps at 1080p or 30 fps at 4k, the video quality of the Razer Kiyo Pro is fantastic for its price range. 

The Kiyo Pro also has lower resolution settings such as 320p and 480p that only run at 30 fps which I found quite odd. I suppose it makes sense if you want to take up as little memory space as possible but still want a cam in your video. Nevertheless, it seems clear that the Kiyo Pro is optimized for the two default settings; 1080p at 60 fps or HDR at 30. 

The webcam also comes with a 2.1 megapixels camera if you want to use it to take some images of yourself for your stream or even just a new profile picture for social media. Still photos are not exactly why you buy a webcam and your iPhone or smartphone will likely do a better job but it’s a nice bonus feature.

Lastly, the Kiyo Pro uses a wide-angle lens that offers adjustable field-of-view. So whether you prefer a wide or narrow-angle to your stream it has that option available. 

Quality & additional features

Much like any of the new Razer Pro products the Kiyo Pro feels like a high-quality product and seems both durable and sturdy. The webcam mount is really flexible and can be placed on pretty much any surface imaginable while still being stable. 

The lens uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3 which is incredibly strong and almost completely damage-and-scratch resistant. So unless you plan to smash a hammer into the lens, the Kiyo Pro will remain as good as new for years and years.

Privacy Cover

Privacy is a hot topic these days with companies and websites harvesting for every bit of data possible but what’s even more intrusive than data harvesting? People hacking webcams to peek into your living room. We have all heard the horror stories of people being blackmailed or threatened after some nefarious hacker peeking into our private lives through a webcam.

To combat this Razer has added a neat Privacy Cover to the Kiyo Pro that can easily be fitted onto the front of the camera whenever you aren’t using it and keeps you safe from prying eyes.

No Compression Required

The Razer Kiyo Pro uses a 3.0 USB connection that is entirely plug-and-play and has a powerful 5GB/s camera signal. This means that your video quality can remain high without any compression whatsoever.

Adaptive Light Sensor

The 2.8 ultra-sensitive CMOS sensor fitted with STARVIS technology detects the lighting in your room and automatically adjust its settings to fit the current situation. This increases the apparent quality of the video at all times and can be incredibly important if you don’t have great lighting in your room.

Final Verdict

The Razer Kiyo Pro is an ideal option for its target audience; people that want to give content creation a serious go. The quality is great and the webcam is highly affordable for the number of features and video quality it offers. 

it is also entirely plug-to-play and requires no advanced settings to set up. A great webcam for beginners that want to be taken seriously.