Are 4K webcams worth it? The pros and cons to consider

I always thought that buying a 4K webcam was only something streamers and influencers should worry about. I mean, how much better am I Real Am I going to watch when I have a Teams call with my editors, or a Skype call with my mother? It seemed kind of silly to think about it.

But I’ve played with different webcam options to see what difference they actually make to everyday video calls and meetings – and it turns out there are some real positives to 4K webcams. There are also some negatives. (And I don’t just mean that suddenly everyone can see that pimple you didn’t bother to hide.)

Here’s what I learned about why 4K webcams might be worth buying (and why they might not), depending on your needs and usage scenarios.

Related: How we test webcams at PCWorld

Pro: 4K image quality is indeed better

I know, amazing look here… but bear with me.

Yes, 4K webcams clearly look better than their 1080p or 720p counterparts, and that’s thanks to more detail captured in their images. The improved sensor quality in 4K webcams makes a huge difference in how you and your surroundings look on camera.

Check out my selfie shots below, which were taken with three different webcam resolutions, all in the same lighting conditions. The first shot is from the built-in 720p camera on a 2019 Acer Predator Triton 500 laptop. The second is from a 1080p Logitech C920s Pro. The third is from a 4K Logitech MX Brio.

Jon Martindale/IDG

These were taken with ambient light, with the two main sources being the window (behind me) and a static ceiling light (above me).

It’s fair to say that the 4K webcam looks significantly better than the 720p option, and even quite noticeably better than the 1080p alternative. It has a much wider field of view, plus more detail and clarity. The colors are more natural and nuanced, and it can better handle the contrast of a bright background (the window) with a darker foreground.

Sure, moving from a 720p built-in webcam to a 1080p standalone webcam still presents the biggest bump, but an argument can certainly be made that the image quality of a modern 4K webcam stands out.

Related: Why are laptop webcams so bad?

Disadvantage: 4K webcams are ridiculously expensive

Since most laptops – and even some monitors – come with their own built-in webcams, it can seem silly to spend money each money on a separate webcam, let alone a lot of of cash. But if you’re thinking of buying a 4K webcam, you should shall have to spend quite a bit for it.

The Logitech C920s Pro webcam (1080p) I used in these comparisons is available for about $70 at most retailerswhich is quite affordable and perhaps even justifiable. But the Logitech MX Brio webcam (4K) does sold for about $200. That’s…not cheap.

Add to that the fact that anyone spending that much on a webcam should also consider some sort of external lighting (see below) and the price to look good on camera starts to seem pretty crazy, especially if you’re only using it to interact with relatives to chat or for your virtual D&D game.

Pro: Software tweaks make a big difference with 4K webcams

Jon Martindale/IDG

With a 4K webcam you actually get more than just the physical hardware for your money. The Logitech MX Brio, for example, comes with a range of software features that make it (more) worth it.

Also keep in mind that with 4K resolution you have more pixels to work with – and that means digital zoom is much more capable. You can zoom or crop to any shape and size without sacrificing image quality. Meanwhile, zooming in on a 1080p video is quite noticeable, and don’t even think about zooming in on a 720p image. (Many built-in webcams don’t even have this functionality.)

In the case of the MX Brio – and some other 4K webcams – you can also adjust exposure (automatically or manually), enable HDR mode, enable low-light compensation, adjust color balance and temperature, and even change focus manually . That can be great if you don’t want the autofocus to overreact every time you adjust your positioning.

Downside: A non-4K webcam can be just as good with the right lighting

Remember when I said it was worth purchasing an external light to use with your webcam? Well, it turns out that even with a cheaper webcam you can take a pretty nice photo, as long as you have good lighting.

That’s because cheaper cameras skimp on areas like low-light compensation and high dynamic range. If you can provide enough light for the webcam to work, and if you position those lights so that they illuminate you appropriately, your webcam will produce a much better image.

The best part? The price of a good lighting installation plus a modest webcam is usually cheaper than a high-end webcam.

Jon Martindale/IDG

See above for a comparison of my three webcams, only this time I’m using a Logitech Litra Beam to better illuminate myself.

To be fair, the 4K webcam still looks the best, but the gap between the 4K and 1080p picture is now much smaller, surprising considering the C920s Pro costs less than a third of the price. Even the built-in 720p laptop webcam looks noticeably better with improved lighting.

Of course, the Litra Beam is an expensive streaming light and a complete overkill for most people. You can just as easily get one cheap ring light for $20 to get a similar result, and that would make the total package much cheaper than buying an expensive 4K webcam.

Pro: Build quality is better in 4K webcams

A $200 webcam has better build quality than a $70 webcam? Ha! That shouldn’t surprise anyone. But it’s true.

Sarcasm aside, Logitech’s MX Brio is a much nicer device than the C920s Pro. It’s made of aluminum (and low-carbon aluminum, too) instead of plastic for a premium feel, and the housing doesn’t bend or crack when you apply pressure or move.

The holder is also excellent and has a magnetic attachment instead of a thread. Combine that with a tilt mechanism for the camera, which allows you to… point it towards your desk to show off documents and trinkets, and you have a clearly superior option. It’s just easier to maneuver the camera into the desired position.

Related: The best webcams that are really worth buying

Disadvantage: Higher bandwidth costs are a concern

While some of you are undoubtedly living your best lives with Google Fiber and 10Gbps up and down, some of us aren’t so lucky. We have to worry about data limits and bandwidth limits.

If you’re like me, you power you can easily upload 5 Mbps 1080p webcam video while your kids stream Netflix in the other room. But if you upgraded to a 4K webcam, you’d suddenly be transmitting 20 Mbps upstream – and that could be a real internet bandwidth choke.

The problem is even worse if you ever plan to use the 4K webcam on the go, where your 5G signal might be too weak to stream properly, where roaming charges might add up, or where public Wi-Fi just isn’t suitable for handle your 4K webcam.

It also goes both ways. Your own internet may be great, but what about your grandma’s internet? She may not be able to handle the barrage of video data from your 4K webcam. How much time do you want to spend solving problems for her the next time you call together?

I’ll keep it, but I’m not sure I’d buy it

Whenever I write about my own experiences about something and some of the hardware was provided for me, I have to base my opinion on the fact that I didn’t actually spend my own money on it.

Which begs the question: Would I pay money for it?

Well, the 1080p Logitech C920s Pro webcam is something that I did actually buy it myself, and I would 100 percent buy it again. It’s much, much better than the built-in webcam of any laptop I’ve used – and it’s not just about the image quality, but also the ability to move and even disconnect the webcam when I need extra, guaranteed privacy . That alone is enough for me to recommend it.

The 4K Logitech MX Brio is undoubtedly the better webcam, and I am I’m glad I have it because I look better on conference calls and virtually D&D sessions. But would I pay 200 euros for it? Probably not. An external light and a 1080p webcam are good enough for me.

Further reading: What to do if your webcam is on for no reason

Revelation: For full transparency, let me say up front that some of the hardware discussed in this article was provided by third party sources. Specifically, the MX Brio was sent to me by Logitech and the gaming laptop was provided by another publication I write for. I bought the C920s Pro myself.