TEST Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra: the webcam that borders on perfection!

If the Taiwanese manufacturer sometimes indulges in offering original (not to say questionable) things such as the Razer Zaphyr filter mask or, more recently, an electric scooter, the fact remains that its range of accessories for gamers full of quality products. The Kiyo webcam, with its integrated light ring and especially the next model, the Kiyo Pro, with its more than beautiful HDR image, are part of it. Razer has just proposed an evolution called Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra and we have been using it on a daily basis for more than a month. Here is our verdict.

With the help of a built-in AI, the face tracking is impressive and the image remains sharp even if you are the type to gesticulate a lot in front of the lens.

The Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra is, like models before it, a webcam that comes in the form of a camera lens. If it physically resembles its big sister, it is however much thicker and wider to be able to carry “the largest sensor ever integrated into a webcam and thus offer 4K image and sharpness worthy of a DSLR camera”. Let’s be clear, we are totally a fan of her look. It can be placed on the desk or on top of its screen via the removable metal L-foot provided.

Thanks to the certain weight of the latter, the camera is easily positioned, remains really stable and does not move at the slightest movement or touch of the wire. as too often happens with plastic models. It can also be fixed on a tripod or a support thanks to its integrated screw thread in the format of those of cameras or microphones. In short, full box with regard to the look and the positioning.

The Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra is totally plug and play and can be used directly without more quibblesapart from installing the software Synapse. As on a camera, it is thus possible to adjust the brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness, white balance, gain, focus, exposure, field of vision (76 or 82° ), the zoom (x4), the pan (which allows you to change the framing without touching the camera) or even the tilt of the image. By default, everything is automatic and works really well, you just have to make sure that the HDR option is checked to get the best possible image. Technically, the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra is at the top of the basket by offering a native video signal up to 4K (30 fps) through 1440p (30 fps), 1080p (60, 30 or 24 fps) and 720p (60 or 30 fps), all with a signal (YUY2 or NV12) uncompressed.

If the visual quality offered by its big sister was already exceptional, here we are well above, partly thanks to the large sensor Sony Starvis 2 CMOS of 8.3 megapixels which is of a formidable efficiency and allows you to have a more than clean image even in difficult conditions such as low light, backlighting or even rapid changes in light atmosphere. Its disengageable autofocus system is very fast and reacts instantly. With the help of a built-in AI, the face tracking is impressive and the image remains sharp even if you are the type to gesticulate a lot in front of the lens. Focusing is fast and if you need to focus on an object to show, adjustment will only take a few seconds and will offer a slight bokeh (blur in the back) as a bonus.

To date, this camera is the best we have been able to test and we can only recommend it.

For the price, the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra is equipped with a good quality microphone which, with good settings via capture software, can do the job for anyone who has not yet invested in an external microphone.. Our tests, sitting on our armchair in streaming condition with the camera resting on the monitor, gave a clear sound, without echo and without cavernous effect.

Small bonus wanting to be safe, compared to its big sisters, the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra can be made “blind” via an integrated mechanical shutter which engages by turning the outer ring of the camera. Small flat, however, this manipulation does not cut the video stream, which then continues to display a black image, or even the sound. In short, this option is ultimately quite a gadget and disconnecting the USB cable is always the best solution to avoid the risk of being unknowingly observed by an evil hacker when not using our Webcam.

In conclusion, the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra totally won us over. Even if the capture in 4K and 1440p is limited to 30 frames per second, the quality of the image without compression sent is so qualitative that this detail fades into the background. Talking about the camera, instead of webcamwill never have been so justified as it is possible to take beautiful shots. The many settings offered by the software Synapse, admittedly still sometimes capricious, really allow to obtain a bluffing result including in low light. In short, to date, this camera is the best we have been able to test and we can only recommend it.

You will find the Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra at the price of 349.99 euros on the manufacturer’s official website.