Hardware Testing Guide
Elgato Facecam Test & Diagnostic Tool
Start the test below to check your Elgato Facecam, Facecam MK.2 or Facecam Pro. Elgato's cameras behave differently from most webcams in two ways that surprise people — a deliberately fixed-focus lens and a hard USB 3.0 requirement — and both are covered underneath.
Live Readout
Live Elgato Facecam Diagnostic Readout
- Camera:—
- Resolution:—
- Frame Rate:—
- Aspect Ratio:—
- Microphone Detected:—
These are the values your browser negotiated just now, not the numbers on the box. A difference between the two is exactly what the guidance below is for.
Expected Performance
Elgato Facecam Specifications & Expected Performance
All three models output uncompressed video over USB 3.0. Elgato publishes full specifications on its own support site, and the figures below come from there.
| Model | Resolution & frame rate | Optics / notes | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facecam | 1080p60, 1080p30, 720p60/30, 540p60/30 | Up to 82° FOV, fixed focus | Sony STARVIS CMOS, no built-in mic |
| Facecam MK.2 | 1080p60/30, 720p120/60/30, 540p120/60/30 | 84° FOV, fixed focus 30–120cm, f/2.4 | Sony STARVIS 1/2.5", UVC 1.5, USB-C |
| Facecam Pro | 4K at 60fps | f/1.7, larger 1/1.2" sensor | The only webcam to reach 4K60 |
None of these cameras includes a microphone — Elgato's assumption is that anyone buying one already has a dedicated mic. Settings are stored in onboard flash memory, so your configuration follows the camera between computers rather than living in the host software.
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting Elgato Facecam Issues
1. The image is soft and there is no autofocus setting
The problem: You look through Camera Hub for a focus control and cannot find one.
The fix: This is deliberate, not a fault. Elgato uses a fixed-focus prime lens specifically to avoid the focus hunting that affects autofocus webcams. The trade-off is that sharpness depends entirely on your distance. The MK.2's focus range is documented as 30–120cm, so sitting inside or beyond that window is the usual cause of a soft image. Move to roughly an arm's length and it should snap clear.
2. Frame rate options are missing or video looks compressed
The problem: The higher frame rates are unavailable, or the picture shows compression artefacts it should not have.
The fix: Facecam requires USB 3.0 to deliver uncompressed video. Elgato documents that on USB 2.0 the camera falls back to MJPEG only, which both compresses the image and removes higher-frame-rate modes. Connect directly to a USB 3.0 port on the computer — usually blue inside, or marked SS — rather than through a hub, dock or monitor.
3. Settings do not appear in OBS or the call app
The problem: You adjust exposure and white balance in Camera Hub but the change is not reflected elsewhere.
The fix: Camera Hub writes settings to the camera's onboard memory rather than to the host application, so changes should persist. If they do not, the application may be applying its own automatic adjustment on top. Disable any auto-exposure or auto-white-balance option in the app itself so the camera's stored profile is what actually reaches your stream.
Software
Elgato Camera Hub
Because there is no autofocus to manage and no microphone to configure, Camera Hub is a smaller application than most webcam utilities — almost all of it is image control.
Elgato support and downloadsFAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Guides & Tools
For a camera that follows you around the room instead of holding a fixed frame, see the Insta360 Link range.
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Going further: low-light benchmark, microphone and room acoustics, and a ranked fix plan.