If you’re looking to upgrade your current webcam or you’re buying your very first one, prepare to be overwhelmed by options. Webcams come in all shapes, sizes, and prices, but not many of them are worth your money. If you just want a few pointers to get better video quality than your average plug-and-play webcam can likely provide, we’ve got you covered.
This webcam is built different
Why the Opal C1 is a great choice, plus some other options
Why the Opal C1 is a great choice, plus some other options
is an editor covering deals and gaming hardware. He joined in 2018, and after a two-year stint at Polygon, he rejoined The Verge in May 2025.
In this video, we dig into exactly why the Opal C1 is a great webcam if you’re someone who values good video quality. What sets it apart from other webcams is its reliance on software and machine learning — not just hardware — to provide a good picture. It’s close to being the ideal gadget for those who can’t put down several hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on a high-end DSLR-turned-webcam. It’s $300 and currently available through invite-only.
Though, if that’s still too much, some of the other options we cover cost less, including some that cost less than $10 — assuming you have an Android or iOS phone or tablet laying around.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
