Checklist · 10 picks · 4 categories
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Ready to stop just watching streams and start your own? Streaming from a console means a capture card, which sends your gameplay into your PC so OBS can broadcast it; PC Gamer picked these, from a no-fuss 1080p card to one that keeps your 144 fps intact.
Next comes a face-cam; GamesRadar+, whose hardware editor streams and runs his own channel, picked the webcams and stream controllers. A controller like the Stream Deck+ puts your stream controls and audio mix on physical keys and dials. For lighting, PC Gamer picked a key light for your face and a lightstrip for background glow. Need a mic too? Our Podcast Starter Kit and Gaming Setup lists have expert picks. Each card shows the drawback the reviewers called out.
Who this is not for. Skip this if you want a TV streaming stick for Netflix; the Movie Night list has streaming sticks, soundbars and projectors.
Tell me what you can spend. I pick a tier for every item, essentials first, and show what is left. The first amount covers everything you need at the cheapest tier.
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Estimates based on typical prices, checked Oct 31, 2026. Prices change; see the store for today's price.
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| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elgato Game Capture Neo | budget | $100-150 | console streamers just getting started in OBS | 1 outlet |
| AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S GC553Pro | mid | $150-200 | recording and streaming 4K gameplay | 1 outlet |
| AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 | splurge | $300-500 | high-refresh gamers who won't give up frames to stream | 2 outlets agree |
Best capture cardbudget pick · External
Best for console streamers just getting started in OBS
PC Gamer's best budget capture card: simple, straightforward 1080p capture with minimal fuss.
Heads up. Capture tops out at 1080p 60 fps, and passthrough is limited to 60 fps
1 outlet. PC Gamer best budget capture card.
$100-150
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mid pick · External
Best for recording and streaming 4K gameplay
PC Gamer's best capture card for streaming and recording: 4K 60 fps capture and passthrough, with HDR, for serious bang for your buck.
Heads up. The full 4K features need AVerMedia's Streaming Centre app
1 outlet. PC Gamer best capture card.
$150-200
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splurge pick · External
Best for high-refresh gamers who won't give up frames to stream
PC Gamer's best 4K 144 fps capture card: it records 4K at 60 fps while passing up to 144 fps through to your monitor.
Heads up. Expensive, with a bright light strip and firmware that's still a work in progress
2 outlets agree. PC Gamer best 4K 144 fps capture card. GamesRadar+ best capture card for pros.
$300-500
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| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logitech StreamCam | budget | $100-150 | a smooth face-cam for your first streams | 1 outlet |
| Insta360 Link | mid | $200-300 | art and published streams, with a mode that shows your desk | 1 outlet |
| Razer Kiyo Pro Ultra | splurge | $300-500 | streamers who want a camera-level face-cam | 1 outlet |
Best webcambudget pick · 1080p
Best for a smooth face-cam for your first streams
GamesRadar+'s best 1080p webcam for beginners: silky smooth 1080p at 60fps, with backlight correction and center framing.
Heads up. Performance depends on your PC, and it draws a lot of power
1 outlet. GamesRadar+ best 1080p webcam for beginners.
$100-150
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mid pick · 4K
Best for art and published streams, with a mode that shows your desk
GamesRadar+'s best webcam with AI features: a tiny 4K cam with the most natural AI face tracking it has seen.
Heads up. Pricey, with a few software limitations
1 outlet. GamesRadar+ best webcam with AI features.
$200-300
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splurge pick · 4K
Best for streamers who want a camera-level face-cam
GamesRadar+'s best webcam overall: excellent 4K footage and the best low-light picture it has seen from a webcam.
Heads up. Expensive, and it can't do 4K at 60fps
1 outlet. GamesRadar+ best webcam overall.
$300-500
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Best stream controllermid pick · Desktop
Best for switching scenes and audio from one box
GamesRadar+'s best all-in-one streaming controller and mixer: eight keys, a touch bar and four dials run both your stream and your audio mix.
Heads up. Fixed position and a steep price point
1 outlet. GamesRadar+ best all-in-one streaming controller and mixer.
$200-300
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splurge pick · Desktop
Best for consolidating your setup into one device
GamesRadar+'s best jack of all trades: a capture card, audio interface and stream controller in one box.
Heads up. No HDMI 2.1, and it lacks some 4K extras
1 outlet. GamesRadar+ best jack of all trades.
$300-500
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Best stream lightingmid pick · Desk-mounted
Best for lighting your face so the cam looks crisp
PC Gamer's best key light: super bright for its size, with lots of ways to control it.
Heads up. You could save even more with some ultra-budget lights
1 outlet. PC Gamer best key light.
$50-100
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mid pick · Light strip
Best for a colorful glow behind you on camera
PC Gamer's best lightstrip: full-range colors and whites with excellent gradients, and it reacts to sound.
Heads up. Hard to reconnect, and the Govee app is a mixed bag
1 outlet. PC Gamer best lightstrip.
$50-100
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means three independent outlets recommend a pick, means one, and limited evidence means none has yet. I research these picks. I have not tested them myself. How I pick · Broken link, wrong price range or an outdated pick? Tell me
For console streaming through a PC, yes. GamesRadar+ notes you can start by streaming straight from a console without one, but a capture card lets you stream and record through OBS. PC Gamer's budget pick, the Elgato Game Capture Neo, works by plugging it in, opening OBS and selecting it as your source.
GamesRadar+'s hardware editor says the mic is the most essential gear and the one place not to save money. For the camera, its beginner pick is the Logitech StreamCam, and for a controller it suggests the Stream Deck+ to beginners who want fewer devices.
GamesRadar+ calls the Stream Deck+ its best all-in-one streaming controller and mixer, since its dials also control your audio, but notes the steep price. If you want a capture card, audio interface and controller in one box, it points to the Rode Streamer X.