AVerMedia Live Streamer CAM 313 review: Start me up

If you’re in the market for an entry pro-level webcam, AVerMedia Live Streamer CAM 313 will get you the picture quality, customization, and silliness you need.

When Sony and Microsoft were discussing the ways that you (yes, you) could stream gameplay through their PS4 and Xbox One consoles, specifically, both companies glossed over just how restrictive and closed off their platforms are for streamers. Having a good streaming setup requires hardware and accessories beyond the winning personality, and a good webcam will go a long way.

Enter the AVerMedia Live Streamer CAM 313; a $79.99 MSRP webcam designed for the aspirational entry-level live streamer looking for a dependable video source without breaking the bank. A step up from a standard HD webcam, this device provides adaptability, craftiness and a tinge of silliness with its software in a slender package. As long as you’re using it strictly for video.

As a product, the Live Streamer CAM 313 is a 2 megapixel, fixed focus camera that loosely affixes itself to the top of your monitor with a claw-like stabilizer or into a tripod. It only requires a USB 2.0 connection to provide a robust, crisp 1080p and 30FPS video, and the five feet of cable is just enough to satisfy most dual-monitor setups, reaching the furthest monitor from my PC tower.

Positioning is everything for a webcam, and the Live Streamer CAM 313 offers a ton of options thanks to its swivel capabilities. It can rotate 360 degrees horizontally, tilt a little bit to the sides, and holds well when tilted just a bit forward. It even provides a privacy shield, allowing you to maintain game capture while covering your camera in a way that doesn’t affect the lens.

The AVerMedia proprietary software enriches the lighting, contrast and balancing options available, and the camera’s face recognition is fairly excellent considering the option to overlay silly filters with a simple download available within the software.

As an $80 entry point, the Live Streamer CAM 313 serves as an excellent starting camera for the gaming enthusiast hoping to get set up on the relatively cheap. Its 1080p resolution is a step up from the base, and its versatility in physical movement plus the vibrancy of its color pallet when customized correctly elevates your options for getting into the business.

I used the camera to record footage of the Man of Medan preview, and as you can see from my strategically-placed red Roots hoodie and my green-and-gold Green Bay Packers mini-helmet, it does well to pick up bright colors and make them pop. With a basic room light setup, however, it definitely did not accentuate the dark blues of my sweater.

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More importantly, for those who want an all-in-one camera that suits their streaming needs, the Live Streamer CAM 313 will not be sufficient. Audio is very tinny, picking up sounds with its dual-mono microphones. It works okay enough if you’re live-conferencing or are part of a panel group, but will not suffice if you’re using the camera for proper live-streaming purposes.

The lack of an auto-focus lens may be enough of a detraction, but the low-light support for late-night streaming is relatively strong to the point where my face and most of my body gets picked up if there’s just one monitor with a white light source in a dark room. When I say this webcam is versatile, I do mean it.

While there are more expensive options on the market that provide 4k capturing, strong internal mics, directional backlighting or 60FPS, the AVerMedia Live Streamer CAM 313 does a great job at covering most of the bases while adding a touch of flexibility. With the use of even a Blue Snowball-sized mic, you have a solid kit needed to take your stream to a suitable quality without breaking the bank.

A sample product was sent to App Trigger for the purpose of this review. Click here to read more about our Review Policy.