Top 8 Best Cameras for Gaming on YouTube and Twitch 2023

As someone who has reviewed cameras for almost 10 years and has streamed for an audience on both YouTube and Twitch, I can recommend a few really good cameras for gaming.

You’ll find the best webcams, which are a good starting point for a lot of people. But I’ll also list the best mirrorless cameras you can buy if you really want the best quality to beat your opponents.

Before we begin, remember that no matter what camera you buy, you’ll also need a microphone and good lighting to go with it. So make sure to include space for these in your budget.

Our Top 5 Picks

To make it easier for you to choose, these are our favorite five. But later on in this article will give you more options for different needs:

Webcam or Normal Camera?

Want amazing image quality? Then, use a real camera. Want a more affordable camera that you can only use on your computer? Go for a webcam.

A normal camera is how top streamers achieve the absolute best quality for their YouTube videos or Twitch live streams.

It will make a ton of difference — like night and day, I’d say:

However, bear in mind that most of your favorite content creators started with a simple webcam. That’s what I suggest. Start with a decent webcam, and if you like making gaming videos and want to stick with it, make an upgrade to a normal camera.

Best Webcams

1) Razer Kiyo Pro Streaming Webcam – Best Value

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2) Logitech C922 – Best Budget

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This is the most popular camera for gaming videos and streams. 

Its predecessor, the C920, had been the king of webcams for years, and now this is a slightly improved version that comes with some extra features for live streaming.

This is the only webcam that can truly record 1080p video. And it will look decent even if you don’t have the best lighting, although it’s still recommended that you use good lighting for your videos or you won’t be able to use this camera to its full potential.

The camera comes with a background removal function — that isn’t that good, honestly, if you don’t have a green screen.

But it is without any doubt the best cheap camera you can get for gaming. It is the minimum you should consider spending.

However, if you want the get the absolute best image quality you can get, you won’t be using a webcam. 

Instead, you’ll need a regular mirrorless or DSLR camera.

Best Mirrorless and DSLRs

Wonder how some streamers like Shroud and Ninja get that beautifully blurred background, amazing colors, and quality?

The answer is using a camera with a large sensor. Mirrorless and DSLR cameras have a much larger sensor than webcams. That’s why they look so much better.

When choosing a camera to use for streaming games, pay attention to what they offer in terms of video quality over HDMI. This is the quality that you will be able to use while gaming.

Taking into account this, these are the best gaming cameras for this year:

1. Sony a7 III – Best Quality

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The way to achieve the most intense Bokeh — or blurred background — effect, you want a full-frame sensor camera like the Sony a7 III.

This one is the most popular choice because, believe it or not, it’s one of the most affordable full-frame cameras right now.

You get the best of full-frame sensors and all the features that any professional photographer would want.

Also, full-frame sensors offer the best low-light recording quality. So even if you want to use a dim light in your room, you’ll still get a high-quality image.

The camera also comes with 5-axis image stabilization, which provides smooth video if you want to also use it for vlogging.

But be aware that it isn’t the lightest camera you could use if you want to use it also for vlogging.

The only real downside of this camera is, of course, the price.

But you get what you pay for.

​2. Panasonic GH6 – Best Resolution

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Panasonic cameras come with the smallest sensor (Micro 4/3) of all the mirrorless and DSLR cameras featured here.

This means that you won’t get the same Bokeh effect as Sony and Canon cameras. However, they offer the best image quality for the price.

If you’re willing to sacrifice the blurred background effect, you can get even better image quality (more dynamic range, and high details) with Panasonic for a cheaper price.

This camera also comes with arguably the best stabilization on the market: Dual I.S.

This stabilization allows it to use both the in-body stabilization with the optical stabilization from compatible lenses. Using both stabilization systems at the same time makes it achieve the smoothest image you can get.

This camera is HDMI 2.1 compliant, which makes it possible to offer the latest top-of-the-line quality over HDMI with C4k at 120p. It’s the best offer on the market — and it’s not nearly the most expensive camera.

However, low-light recording is not as good as a full-frame camera, like the Sony a7 III above. But it will only affect you if you want to record without any lighting on (let’s say, for playing horror games).

For reasons already explained, this camera is considered by many the best camera for video. You can’t go wrong with it unless you REALLY want that blurred background effect. and better low-light capabilities

3. Sony a6400

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This is a bit similar to the Canon EOS M50, but it offers 4k over HDMI at 30fps.

It’s not as intense as the one achieved by the a7 III’s full-frame sensor, but it’s also a lot more affordable.

So if you really want that blurred background, this Sony a6400 is a great option for the money.

The only real downside to it is that it doesn’t come with in-body stabilization. However, if you’re using it for gaming videos, you won’t move your camera around, so it doesn’t matter.

It’s only something to bear in mind if you want to use it for vlogging too.

If you want to take the camera with you and record while walking, then you’ll need a lens with optical stabilization.

If you can ignore the lack of stabilization, this camera offers a good amount of features for the price: flip screen, mic port, hot shoe, and fast, accurate autofocus, and beautiful 4k video.

4. Canon EOS M50 Mark II

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If you want a camera for both gaming videos and vlogging, the Canon EOS M50 Mark II is the best option you can get for your money. Actually, I’ve mentioned it as the best vlogging camera on the market for starters.

It is an APS-C sensor, so you get better low-light performance than Panasonic cameras but you can only use 1080p over HDMI. For most gamers, that’s enough, but if you want 4k streaming, take a look at other options.

It offers 4k recording quality with a crop, just like the Rebel SL3. But the difference is that this one comes with in-body stabilization. This saves you a headache when looking for good lenses to go with it.

It’s a camera that seems like it was made for vloggers, but it also happens to be great for gaming videos from home.

Don’t let the fact that I featured it last make you think this isn’t a worthy camera. If it made it to this article, it’s one of the best options for gaming videos.

To use it for streaming, make sure you disable Eco Mode in the camera settings. Also, disable Auto Power Off.

5. Panasonic G9

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The Panasonic G9 is a similar camera to the GH5 in many ways. But it sacrifices a little bit of recording quality for a better price.

So if you like the possibility of recording 4k video at 60fps, but the GH6 is too expensive for you, the G9 is the next good option you have. The HDMI streaming in 4k60p with 8-bit 4:2:0 quality. This is the one to come closest to the GH6’s streaming quality.

It shares most features with the GH6, like a flip screen, external mic port, headphone port, and Dual I.S. for the best stabilization possible.

But it also shares the downside that it’s a micro four-thirds sensor camera.

So the Bokeh effect won’t be as good as going for an APS-C or full-frame sensor camera (both Sony and Canon offer these larger sensor sizes).

Still, I own this camera and it’s one of my favorites, especially for its photography features too.

It comes with a 6k photo mode, fast shooting, and useful features for wildlife photography like animal eye-tracking mode — great for taking pictures of your cats, btw.

This model was aimed at photographers, but it just happens that the video features are almost just as good as the video-centric GH5.

6. Panasonic G7 

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This is the cheapest mirrorless camera that I can recommend to you this year.

The fact that it’s cheap doesn’t mean that the image quality is bad at all.

The camera can still output 4k video over HDMI with the same bitrate as the G9, but only at 30 fps.

Just like the other Panasonic cameras mentioned, this one doesn’t offer a strong Bokeh effect, but it comes with almost every video-friendly feature for the lowest price.

It’s only lacking in-body stabilization, which is common in cameras around this price. But it’s something you don’t need for gaming videos.

It comes with a flip screen, mic port, and hot shoe.

If you want high quality, but your budget is limited, the Panasonic G7 is the most cost-effective option.

Got Lost? Summary

The best gaming cameras are the ones with a larger sensor.

Webcams have the smallest sensor, but they’re also the most affordable by far. You can still get a decent 1080p video if you have good lighting.

But if you really want quality that will make people ask you how the hell your camera looks so crisp, you’ll want a mirrorless or DSLR.

These cameras come in 3 sensor sizes: full-frame, APS-C, and Micro 4/3.

Full-frame is the largest sensor available, but it’s also the most expensive. 

APS-C is a more affordable option if you want a blurred background in your videos. 

Finally, micro four-thirds are the smallest of the three and they won’t give you the Bokeh effect you may want, but they offer the best price for the highest quality.

You can also use them for streaming if you get ElGato’s Cam Link.

If you want to achieve the best-blurred background effect, get a Sony or Canon camera.

If you want the best image quality for the price, get a Panasonic camera.

There are many options in the market, but you should go for the one you can afford and that looks like the best for your particular needs.

You may also want to read: 

• The best lenses for vlogging
• The best microphones for YouTube
• The best lighting for YouTube videos.