Elgato Facecam MK.2 review: Crystal clarity at a reasonable price

Elgato is one of the most well-known brands in video game accessories, especially when it comes to products relating to content creation. These accessories often come at a premium cost which should reflect the quality of the product. The reasonably priced Elgato Facecam MK.2 delivers a top-performing webcam at a fraction of the cost compared to the likes of the Elgato Facecam Pro version.

It can be debated whether or not it’s worth taking the plunge and stumping up the cash on a new external webcam. After all, if you’re a laptop user, why would there be any need to upgrade from the built-in camera, and that’s a fair question to ask. Yet, as you’ll often find after parting with your hard-earned money, it can be a worthy purchase and the Elgato Facecam MK.2 would justify such a plunge.

The Elgato Facecam MK.2 is plug-and-play. However, I’d recommend using the USB 3.0 port if you have one to make the most out of the camera's overall quality, especially when it comes to using the Elgato Camera Hub but it is USB 2.0 friendly straight out of the box, so fear not. I previously reviewed the Streamplify CAM FHD Webcam, which is a fantastic accessory for the price. But the Elgato Facecam MK.2 comes with a host of added benefits including the free Camera Hub software, which sets this camera apart from other rivals.

The Elgato Camera Hub brings a ton of settings that you can tweak to your heart's content which Elgato says gives you a DLSSR level of control. You can move the frame around in the app to get the perfect angle. It has a selection of snazzy backgrounds to choose from which includes videos and AI software that gives the appearance that you’re always looking at the camera and AR framing that keeps you centred, even when you’re moving about. However, to make full use of the AR feature and backgrounds, it is recommended that your PC has a NVIDIA RTX 2060 or better.

Of course, you get all the contrast, saturation, brightness, noise reduction level options and more in the app or you could choose one of the various auto settings so that all the work is done for you. Speaking of auto settings, by default, the Elgato Facecam MK.2’s autofocus is fantastic. Not once did I need to worry about going out of focus, which works from 30cm to 110cm. What’s more, your customised settings will automatically be saved on the camera’s flash memory so it will remember your chosen preferences, even if you unplug the camera and use it at a later date.

Corsair

In terms of the specifications of the camera, depending on your settings, it can perform full 1080p and 60 frames per second uncompressed, low-latency with HDR enabled or even 120fps if you’re willing to bring the resolution down to 720p. You can go as low as 540p/30fps. For me, I preferred the crystal clear quality of 1080p HDR at 60fps. It can also take HD still images too. Handy quality of life improvements include a privacy slider over the lens, something that the previous Facecam did not have and it now has a more versatile, lower monitor mount which you can also fix on a tripod or the Elgato Wave Mic Arm - and it’s Steam Deck compatible. Sadly, I do not own or need the Steam Deck, so I was unable to test this compatibility.

The Elgato Facecam MK.2 has a launch RRP of £149.99/$149.99 or regional equivalent. It is more pricey than the Streamplify CAM FHD Webcam, but for what you get with all the added features, not to mention the very useful free Camera Hub software, the Elgato Facecam MK.2 would be money well spent whether you’re a content creator or working from home. The Elgato Facecam MK.2 is a premium quality webcam at a fraction of a premium price.

The Elgato Facecam MK.2 can be purchased from Elgato.com as well as other retailers. A review sample was provided by Corsair.