Logitech MX Brio preview: the company's most powerful webcam to date

The Logitech MX Brio is the latest product in the Master Series of products, meaning it should have the highest quality possible by this company. Recently, I had a chance not only to sit in on a conversation about this product but also to try it out myself. I was personally blown away by how good this webcam looked compared to the previous Razer Kiyo models I owned before setting this one up.

As someone who not only works from home but streams seven days a week, having a quality webcam is vital. That’s why I was very much interested in diving deeper into the 4K Logitech MX Brio. It offers some truly interesting features that a wide assortment of content creators can get behind.

What is the Logitech MX Brio?

The Logitech MX Brio is the latest webcam on offer from Logitech, and it features the highest quality I’ve ever experienced on a webcam. It’s been a few years since Logitech has dropped something new like this, but it was worth the wait. When you see “MX” on one of their products, you know it’s something special, and this particular product was no exception.

The MX Brio itself is an Ultra HD 4K webcam with an 8.5-megapixel image sensor. You can get 4K 30 FPS on it easily and 1080p at 60 FPS. That’s nothing to sneeze at on a $200 USD webcam. Even in the worst lighting conditions, you can get a solid picture from this webcam. Logitech also paired it with its Litra, which offered me unparalleled lighting quality.

This product feels like it was aimed at me—my streaming setup has never had solid lighting—the overhead light just doesn’t do it. However, I could stream in a dimly lit setup, thanks to a combination of the Litra and the AI-enhanced webcam. I always had a crisp, clean visual, which you’ll see across the clips in this review.

As someone who isn’t incredibly tech-savvy when it comes to serious camera controls and details, I was glad the Logitech MX Brio felt very approachable. It has a very simple design, and the AI enhancements made it easy to always get a good visual presentation, no matter the purpose of my content.

One of the big features is the Show Mode on the MX Brio

As a streamer, I’m always looking for something new and interesting—something to make my life a bit easier. That was definitely on display here with the MX Brio’s new Show Mode. I can see this being incredible for someone’s hand cam on Call of Duty, Gunpla streamers who want a camera to easily aim down and show off what they’re doing, or card game streamers who want to crack packs, seeking valuable cards to have graded.

As you can see in the video above, I recorded that this morning to show off exactly how the mode works. All you have to do is aim the camera down at your desk, and the frame automatically shifts to your perspective. Now, it’s a simple matter of showing off some of the Magic: The Gathering cards I opened; in this case, from the Return to Ravnica Remastered and Murders at Karlov Manor, two recent MTG sets.

The only real downside to this feature is that it can be incredibly hard to get the framing perfect. The magnetic mount doesn’t give users a ton of flexibility when it comes to aiming their Logitech MX Brio down at their desks. It will probably be more forgiving in a setup that isn’t as weird as mine.

How does the Logitech MX Brio perform?

With Litra (Left) and Without Litra (Right) (Image via Sportskeeda)

As you can probably see in the clips shown above, the color balance is sharp, and the visual presentation is top-notch. Above, you’ll also see a pair of screenshots taken from my OBS: one with the Litra and one without. Even without the lighting, in this dimly lit room, it is easy to see me, even if everything else around me is dark.

It’s night and day compared to the other webcams I own. You could clearly see items in my background as easily as you could me. Whether it was that I needed to trim my mustache or that there was occasionally a water bottle peeking out somewhere on my desk, the Logitech MX Brio offered incredible, sharp visuals.

Sadly, I cannot say the same for the microphone. It’s fine for casual use, like chatting with family on Zoom or Discord, but I would not recommend it for streaming. It was clear enough but did not do much to hide background noise, compared to my current microphone.

Since I stream, I had access to Logitech G Hub for the MX Brio, which allows users to adjust color tone, exposure, and the overall framing of their camera. It doesn’t appear to blur your background automatically, so bear that in mind. You can still do that sort of thing on apps that allow for it, though.

Verdict

The Logitech MX Brio is the best webcam I’ve ever used. Some webcams edge it out on the market, but they also cost at least $100 dollars more than this. For $200 USD, you are more than getting your money’s worth for this camera. It has its faults, many of which are minor, such as how forward-heavy it feels while in Show Mode, but the positives more than offset these minute issues.

Picture quality is top-notch, especially when paired with the Litra. Logitech has stated that people who purchase the camera through their website receive the Litra free while supplies last, and it’s frankly the perfect pairing. If you’re like me and often have poor lighting, or simply want a webcam you don’t have to constantly fuss with the settings on, this is for you.

Logitech MX Brio

Developer: Logitech (Hardware provided by Logitech)
Resolution: Ultra HD 4K (30 FPS), 1080p (60 FPS)
Image Sensor: 8.5-megapixel Sony Starvis
AI Image Enhancement: 2x better face visibility with finer image details in difficult lighting conditions
Manual adjustments: Exposure, tint, vibrance, field of view, and more using Logi Options+, Logi Tune, and G HUB software
Microphones: Dual beamforming noise-reducing microphones to minimize background noise via AI
Privacy: Built-in privacy shutter
Dimensions: 44x98x36mm
System Requirements: USB-C port supporting USB 3.0, Windows 10 or newer, macOS 10.15, ChromeOS, Linux
Certifications: Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet. Also works with Chromebooks and Streamlabs software
Warranty: One-year-long limited hardware warranty