Desktop PCs, unlike laptops, do not come with a camera, so for video calls, streaming or a facecam in the corner of your gameplay you need to add one. More resolution is not automatically better. Tom's Hardware points out that Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams do not even support resolutions above 1080p, and that lens, sensor, exposure and software matter as much as pixel count.
Forge PC has not tested these webcams. Our picks follow Tom's Hardware's best webcams guide, last updated 12 November 2026, which is based on its own testing. UK prices come from SpecPrice's webcam tracker on the morning of 13 November 2026. They are approximate, and several of Tom's picks did not have a stock-checked UK listing when we looked.
Quick list
Pick | Tom's Hardware category | Video (per Tom's) | Approx. UK price (13 November 2026) |
|---|
Logitech Brio 500 | Best overall | 1080p/30fps | no stock-checked UK price found |
Insta360 Link | Best for content creators | 4K/30fps on a gimbal | newer Link 2 £199.99 at Scan |
Elgato Facecam Neo | Best budget | 1080p/60fps | listed at £58.21 at GamingKit (stock not confirmed) |
YoloLiv YoloCam S3 | Best 4K/60fps | 4K | no stock-checked UK price found |
Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra | Best image quality | 4K/30fps | no stock-checked UK price found |
Razer Kiyo V2 | Best budget 4K | 4K/30fps | no stock-checked UK price found |
Logitech Brio 500: best for most people
Tom's Hardware's overall pick is a 1080p/30fps webcam with a flexible 90-degree field of view. Tom's says the auto white balance and auto exposure are impressive out of the box, and that it performs well in a range of lighting conditions. It is the camera to buy if your use is mostly calls with family, friends or colleagues. SpecPrice did not show a stock-checked UK listing for it on 13 November 2026, so check the big retailers directly.
Insta360 Link: best for content creators
The Link is a 4K/30fps camera mounted on its own AI-powered three-axis gimbal, so it can physically follow you around the frame. Tom's calls it overkill for most people, but says it has the best auto exposure and colour reproduction it has seen on a webcam. Scan listed the newer Insta360 Link 2 at £199.99 on 13 November 2026. That is a different model from the one Tom's picked, so read reviews of the Link 2 before you treat it as a like-for-like replacement.
Elgato Facecam Neo: best budget webcam
Tom's budget pick is a 1080p/60fps camera with a 1/2.9-inch CMOS sensor, autofocus and a physical privacy shutter. Tom's says the image quality won't blow you away, but at around US$60 it calls it a solid option. SpecPrice listed the white version at £58.21 at GamingKit from a retailer feed, but it had not confirmed stock, so check availability before you rely on that price.
If you want a step up from Elgato, the 1080p/60fps Facecam MK.2 was £129.98 at Scan on 13 November 2026. It is not one of Tom's picks in the list we read.
YoloLiv YoloCam S3: best 4K/60fps
Tom's describes this as a small, sturdy 4K camera with a large 1/1.28-inch sensor, an 82-degree field of view, AI face tracking and low-light enhancement. It comes with a magnetic monitor mount and software that supports real-time colour grading, which makes it a good fit for streamers who want 4K without a gimbal.
Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra: best image quality
The Kiyo Pro Ultra pairs 4K/30fps with an extra-large sensor and a wide aperture. That gives it a shallow depth of field, so you get a naturally blurred background without software effects. Tom's names it its image-quality pick.
Razer Kiyo V2: best budget 4K
Tom's budget 4K pick is a 4K/30fps camera with 4x digital zoom, a 93-degree field of view and built-in microphones. Tom's notes that it needs full power from a USB-C port for peak performance, so plug it straight into the PC rather than a passive hub.
Not to be confused with it, Razer's cheaper Kiyo V2 X is a 1440p/60fps model. We list it as the Razer Kiyo V2 X, and Scan had it at £88.99 to £89.99 depending on colour on 13 November 2026. It is not a Tom's pick in the guide we read.
What matters on a desktop PC
Resolution vs where it goes: if you mostly use Teams, Zoom or Meet, 1080p is the ceiling those apps support, according to Tom's. 4K matters for local recording, cropping, or streaming at higher quality.
Frame rate: 60fps looks smoother for streaming, while 30fps is fine for calls.
Lighting first: our streaming setup guide makes the same point: good lighting matters more than resolution.
Background blur and framing: Microsoft says Windows Studio Effects run on PCs with a 10+ TOPS NPU and require a device with a built-in camera, so they are mainly a laptop feature. On a desktop, use the camera's own software or GPU-based tools such as NVIDIA Broadcast, which NVIDIA says offers background blur, Auto Frame and Eye Contact on RTX graphics cards. Our NPU explainer covers what NPUs do and do not add.
USB power: 4K cameras can need a full-power USB-C port, as Tom's notes for the Kiyo V2.
Our verdict
For most people, the Logitech Brio 500 is the webcam to get. It is 1080p, which is all the big video-call apps use, and Tom's Hardware found its automatic exposure and white balance excellent. For a cheaper camera, the Elgato Facecam Neo adds 60fps. Streamers who want 4K should look at the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra for image quality or the Insta360 Link for gimbal tracking. UK availability is patchy, so several of these picks had no stock-checked price on 13 November 2026; check before you buy. We have not tested these webcams ourselves; the picks reflect Tom's Hardware's testing.
