Razer has debuted its latest webcam, the Kiyo Pro Ultra. It has “the largest image sensor ever used in a webcam” (Razer says). The Kiyo Pro Ultra is the company’s first his 4K webcam with AI-powered face tracking and HDR mode. Currently, on Razer’s website he’s available for $299.99. It’s expensive, but it’s comparable to his other similarly equipped 4K webcams.
Kiyo Pro Ultra uses a Sony 1/1.2 inch Starvis 2 sensor with a pixel size of 2.9 micrometers and features an F/1.7 aperture lens to let in more light. I had a chance to see the Kiyo Pro Ultra in action at Razer’s CES suite, and the photos looked pretty good (that too As good as all 4K webcams are in my opinion), not amazingly bright compared to the low light performance of other 4K webcams.
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It’s a big webcam, though Razer was quick to point out that it’s not as big as the Elgato Facecam Pro, but it’s got the same rounded, lens-centric look as its predecessor, the 1080p Kiyo Pro, one of the best webcams. Features a design. Like the Kiyo Pro, this webcam comes with a physical dust cover that easily slides over the lens to protect it from dust and scratches.
Unlike the Kiyo Pro, the Kiyo Pro Ultra incorporates a physical privacy shutter, located behind the glass that opens and closes by twisting a ring that surrounds the lens. I’m a paranoid, so I love seeing physical privacy shutters. This is nicely integrated into the webcam design.
Kiyo Pro Ultra records 4K video at 30 frames per second (fps) or 1080p video at 60 fps and uses a “state of the art processor” to record cinematic 4K at 25 fps and 30 fps at 30 fps. 1440, or 1080p at 60 fps while streaming. You can’t record 4K video at 60 fps, so the Elgato Facecam Pro is the only webcam that can record at that resolution.
It features AI-powered face tracking designed to keep your face centered in the photo while blurring the background with a bokeh effect. Notably, Razer says this requires no additional software. This suggests that you don’t need his Synapse for that functionality. When using Synapse, the Kiyo Pro Ultra has many settings that can be changed via software such as pan, tilt, ISO and shutter speed.
It also supports High Dynamic Range (HDR), but only at 30 fps. Razer says the camera can correct overexposure or underexposure and adjust lighting and contrast on the fly.
