Best Streaming Gear for Beginners
A professional-looking stream comes down to four things: clean audio, soft light, a decent camera, and a way to get it all into your PC. Here's the gear that covers each — without the streamer-tax markup.
Lighting · Reviewed
Elgato Key Light
★★★★★
The light you see in half of all Twitch setups. Edge-lit softness, app control, clean desk mounting.
Audio · Reviewed
Shure SM7B
★★★★★
If your stream has one premium piece, make it the mic. Unmatched voice clarity and room rejection.
Capture · On the test bench
Capture cards & stream controllers
We're currently testing popular capture cards and macro keypads for stream control. Full reviews coming soon.
The beginner streaming stack
- Microphone — audio quality is what keeps viewers. Start here.
- Key light — one soft light transforms a webcam image.
- Camera — a mirrorless camera over clean HDMI, or a good webcam to start.
- Capture — a capture card if you're bringing in a camera or console.