Logitech's new Brio 100 webcam offers 1080p video at a lower price point

Logitech has recently launched the Brio 100, a new entry-level full-HD webcam that is designed to improve the quality of your video calls or stream quality without costing you a fortune.

The Brio 100 starts at £44.99/$39.99 and offers full HD 1080p video at 30fps, a built-in microphone, a simple privacy cover, and comes in three colours: White, Graphite, and rose. The Brio 100 is already on sale too, you can pick it up for £34.99 at Amazon UK:

• Logitech Brio 100 Full HD Webcam - £44.99 at Amazon UK

Logitech sent me the Brio 100 just before its release so I could see how the quality is myself, how it compares to other webcams at similar price points, and whether the new budget webcam is good value for money.

The Brio 100 is a very easy-to-use piece of tech, you only need to plug it into a USB-A port and slide the privacy shutter and you're good to go. The webcam itself is approximately 32x73x67mm and weighs 75g, not including the 1.5m USB-A cable that is attached to the webcam, so it's easy to move around and can sit on top of any monitor or on most laptops.

The image quality of the Brio 100 is very good for this price range. I saw a noticeable improvement using this over the 720p webcam I had been using previously. There is no autofocus with the Brio 100, so smaller objects appear blurry when placed in front of the lens, but with the camera just recording a face and background everything remains in full-HD and at a smooth 30fps even in low light.

The Brio 100's most impressive feature is the RightLight auto-light balance, which Logitech says boosts brightness by 50% and reduces shadows. Using the Brio 100 with a light bar shining on my face from behind the camera, the webcam balanced the light across the image so there are no shadows on one side of my face.

The built-in microphone on the Brio 100 is fine for video calls, and an upgrade over most built-in laptop microphones, but for streaming and gaming you're much better off using a standalone microphone or a headset microphone.

At its £44.99/$39.99 price the Brio 100 is a good-value webcam for those wanting full-HD video quality for under £50, and thanks to the £10 discount at Amazon it is already an excellent budget 1080p webcam . The ease of use, excellent auto-light balance, good picture quality, and decent built-in mic, come together in a compact and affordable package. Compared to Logitech's popular C920 webcam, which is currently on sale for £56, you only miss out on autofocus but save over £20.

If you're looking for something a bit more high-end for a stream set up, you can check out Digital Foundry's best mics, lights and cameras for streaming guide that will have you covered for when you go live. Also, make sure you follow the Deals topic on Eurogamer using the tag underneath this article so you can get notified when there are discounts on products like this one.