Elgato Facecam MK.2: Review, Pros & Cons

Summary

A 1080p60 webcam for streamers and remote workers who want manual camera controls, settings that stay on the device and a hardware privacy shutter. Check your audio setup before you buy: there is no microphone by design.

Strengths

Uncompressed 1080p60 video over USB 3.0 with strong low-light subject retention.
DSLR-style manual controls — shutter speed, ISO, white balance, 2D/3D noise reduction — in free software.
Settings persist in the camera’s own flash memory across reboots and computer swaps.
Light at 90 g without the mount, and low-profile on a monitor.
Built-in sliding privacy shutter, a genuine upgrade over the original’s detachable cap.
HDR genuinely helps high-contrast window-backlight scenes.

Weaknesses

No microphone by design: calls and recordings need a separate mic or headset.
Camera Hub is heavy: 1.6–2 GB of RAM in PCMag’s testing versus ~200 MB for OBS.
HDR is capped at 1080p30 and divisive — extra brightness at best, visible noise at worst.
AI effects are locked to an NVIDIA RTX 2060 or better, excluding AMD and Intel GPU owners.
The privacy shutter’s tab is small and stiff; three reviews called it fiddly.
The all-plastic chassis feels cheap, and fixed focus won’t track a moving subject.

Verified specifications

Model	Elgato Facecam MK.2, SKU 10WAC9901 (released March 2024).
Sensor	Sony STARVIS CMOS, 1/2.5-inch.
Max capture	1080p at 60 fps, uncompressed over USB 3.0; also 1080p30, 720p120, 720p60, 720p30, 540p120, 540p60 and 540p30.
USB 2.0 fallback	compressed MJPEG only.
Lens	fixed focus, f/2.4, 24 mm full-frame equivalent; focus range 30–120 cm (11.8–47.2 in).
Field of view	84° diagonal per Elgato; several outlets measured 82°.
HDR	up to 1080p30; 720p120 capture disables it.
Microphone	none, by design.
Privacy	built-in sliding shutter over the lens.
Connection	USB Type-C (UVC 1.5); Elgato recommends a direct USB 3.0 port, not a hub.
Mounting	detachable monitor clamp plus standard 1/4-inch thread.
Settings	saved to the camera’s on-device flash memory.
Software	Camera Hub, free for Windows 11 and macOS 13.3 or newer; AI effects need an NVIDIA RTX 2060 or better.
Power	bus-powered with a custom heat sink, designed for continuous 24/7 use.
Dimensions	3.3 × 1.5 × 2.4 in (84 × 38 × 61 mm); 90 g (0.2 lb) without mount, 136 g (0.3 lb) with mount.
In the box	webcam, monitor mount with 1/4-inch thread, USB-C to USB-C 3.0 braided cable, 180 cm (70.8 in).
Warranty	no US period published; elgato.com purchases carry a 60-day return window.

Full research notes and sources

Video quality, HDR and manual controls

The reason to buy this camera is uncompressed 1080p60 over USB 3.0: footage stays clean and holds up when you edit it. PCMag praised the 1080p detail — “individual hairs in my beard” — and strong low-light retention of the subject, though its auto color temperature leaned cool. Tom’s Hardware found auto-exposure skewed underexposed and auto white balance ran warm, the opposite impression; treat both as scene-dependent quirks rather than flaws. PCGamer liked that the fixed focus never hunts, with the trade-off being a 30–120 cm sweet spot that will not track a moving subject.

HDR is capped at 1080p30 and 720p120 capture disables it entirely. PCGamer called HDR “excellent” against window backlight and PCWorld called it “quite useful” for high contrast; PCMag found it made the picture “a bit brighter and more vivid” but not compelling, while Tom’s Hardware found HDR “noticeably noisier and fuzzier” and mostly preferred SDR. Reviewers are split, so treat HDR as a bonus rather than the reason to buy. One caution from PCGamer: strip-office lighting produced visible flicker in both 50 Hz and 60 Hz modes — a single-test observation, not a confirmed defect.

Manual control is the real draw. Windows Central praised the DSLR-like controls and PCWorld called Camera Hub “truly excellent”.

Software, build and upkeep

The catch is weight: PCMag measured 1.6–2 GB of RAM for Camera Hub against ~200 MB for OBS, and described the app as awkward to navigate. Firmware updates are delivered through Camera Hub.

The body is all plastic: Tom’s Hardware and PCGamer called it cheap-feeling, and PCWorld found the plastic “smoother than I’d like” for a monitor grip. It is light, though, and the low-profile clamp sits unobtrusively on a monitor. The custom heat sink lets it run continuously and stay only mildly warm. Lens care is a microfiber cloth only — no paper towels or detergents — and Elgato’s quick start guide says to plug directly into a USB 3.0 port rather than a hub.

The built-in sliding shutter is a genuine improvement over the original Facecam’s detachable cap, but its tab is small and stiff: PCMag, Tom’s Hardware and PCGamer each called it fiddly. Elgato publishes no US warranty period for this model, and no long-term reliability data exists in the sources read.

Value and running costs

There are no subscriptions and no required software beyond the free Camera Hub. Elgato’s product page lists the Facecam MK.2 at $119.99 (2026-10-19), down from its $149.99 launch price in March 2024. In April 2024, Best Buy listed it at $119.99, Origin PC at $149.99 and AntOnline at $132.77. PCMag at MSRP preferred the 2K Dell Pro Webcam at $99.99, and Elgato’s own Facecam 4K sits at $199.99 in PCMag’s comparison.

The real extras are a separate microphone or headset — there is no mic by design — and, if you want the AI effects, an NVIDIA RTX 2060-class GPU, since backgrounds, face tracking and eye contact are locked to NVIDIA.

Is it worth it?

At Elgato’s $119.99 it is a reasonable buy for a streamer or remote worker who already has a microphone and wants manual control at 60 fps; at the old $149.99 launch MSRP from March 2024, PCMag’s and PCWorld’s value objections carry weight. Buy it for uncompressed 1080p60, settings that survive computer swaps and the hardware shutter. Skip it if you need an all-in-one calling camera — the missing mic is the one complaint every review makes.

Which model this is

This page covers the Elgato Facecam MK.2, SKU 10WAC9901, the March 2024 revision of the original Facecam with a redesigned lower-profile body. The Amazon listing is ASIN B0CW1S7XP5.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Elgato Facecam MK.2