It's been over three years since Razer introduced the Kiyo webcam, which promised to be more adequate for streamers thanks to its built-in ring light. One could argue the Kiyo was overdue for a refresh, and today, Razer introduced the Kiyo Pro with a handful of improvements over the original, as well as some apparent cost-cutting measures.
The Kiyo Pro substitutes the ring light with a significantly improved Type 1/2.8 CMOS sensor, backed by a technology called STARVIS. The STARVIS module is actually made by Sony, and it's designed for use in surveillance cameras, using back-illuminated pixel technology to improve image quality in scenarios with very little light available. Razer says the Kiyo Pro should provide a bright and clear image in a wide range of lighting scenarios, which is also helped by a built-in light sensor that adapts the image to different conditions.
The Kiyo Pro also supports uncompressed 60 frames per second at 1080p, or you can opt for enabling HDR support by recording at 30 frames per second if you're in a scenario with uneven lighting. It uses a 5Gbps USB 3.0 interface to support the full bandwidth of the video feed. The camera also has a field of view up to 103°, though you can adjust it to just 90° or 80°.
The Kiyo Pro comes with an L-shaped mount that can be used to attach to a monitor or stand the webcam on a desk. It's also compatible with tripod mounts if you happen to have one already.
The Razer Kiyo Pro is available from Razer's website starting today, and it costs $199.99/€209.99, double the price of the original Kiyo. That's a steep increase considering it also removes the ring light around the webcam, but the improvements to the sensor may be worth it, especially as videoconferencing and virtual meetings have become much more relevant over the past year.
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