If you’ve ever looked into becoming a Twitch streamer, you’ll know that finding the right accessories isn’t always easy. Not only do the best microphones and webcams come at a premium price point, but pairing your choices with the right tripods, mic arms, and lighting requires careful research. While well-known brands like Logitech, Elgato, and Razer make exceptional products, few companies provide an all-in-one solution that includes everything you need to stream online. Enter Streamplify – an affordable new range of gaming PC gear that aims to kit out budding content creators with a complete streaming setup.
Developed by Pro Gamers Group, the same company responsible for brands like Noblechairs, Streamplify provides both tools and knowledge to aspiring creators and streamers. At a glance, the range appears to be an array of budget accessories that cost significantly less than branded alternatives. This is certainly the case, but each product goes beyond cheap and cheerful by packing respectable specs and additional extras that will save you heading to Google in a panic.
Streamplify kindly let me try out its complete bundle, which includes an RGB microphone, 1080p webcam, two ring lights, and a green screen. It’s worth noting that while I’ve dabbled with streaming Steam games in the past, I actually felt empowered to get back into Twitch content creation. In fact, even though I’m certainly not going to be the next Pokemaine, both the range’s accessories and easy setup helped me feel more confident and effectively re-opened the door to a previously shelved hobby.
The entire Streamplify brand takes a straight-talking approach to accessories, with products hammering home simplicity with names like ‘CAM’ and ‘MIC’. Yet, each package actually features much more than a single peripheral, with various bits and bobs to help keep you on the beating path of your setup journey.
For example, there are actually two versions of the RGB microphone, one comes with a desktop tripod and the other a mic arm. Just like other options out there, both ring lights come with their own stand, but there’s a notable difference in adjustability and quality. Not only does this help anyone building a setup from scratch save a few pennies, but it’ll means you probably won’t need to go hunting for a mounting solution with additional functionality.
As for actually putting everything together, Streamplify also has you covered, as each box features an ‘assistant’ QR code. This handy little square wisps you off to a comprehensive collection of information about your chosen product, including tutorial videos. Ultimately, this makes it feel like Streamplify has your back and cares about you successfully crafting a perfect setup.
That’s not to say the bigger brands don’t care about your success too, but helpfulness seems to be baked into Streamplify’s design language. Sometimes it’s subtle things, like the fact the Streamplify Cam has a built-in privacy shutter that physically switches off its mic. However, there are other touches that exemplify that aforementioned commitment to accommodation, like including an all-in-one shock mount and pop-filter with the RGB mic.
Helpful tutorials and inclusions aside, it all goes for nothing if the product they’re attached to isn’t up to par. Thankfully, Streamplify’s range of stuff boasts exceptional build quality and surprisingly great specs, especially when you consider its price point. To put things in perspective, the Streamplify Cam can handle 1080p 60fps capture, just like the Logitech Streamcam, but it comes in at just $69.99.
It feels like Streamplify has your back and wants to help perfect your setup
Sure, Logitech’s high-end electric eye comes with fancy features like AI-powered auto-tracking, which is reflected in its $169.99 price tag. But, at less than half the price, the Streamplify cam pulls its weight where it matters, particularly when it comes to the image quality and spec required to put on a good Twitch show.
Quality seems to be consistent across the entire Streamplify collection too, with the likes of the RGB mic consisting of metal and nice feeling plastics, all while producing clean audio. Admittedly, the mic’s ring of multicoloured lights isn’t spectacular, but it still adds flare to the device without driving up the price. And let’s be honest, even a basic touch of colour matters when it comes to streaming aesthetics.
Video and audio are undeniably integral when it comes to making content, but good lighting can transform something passable into a professional production. That said, you don’t have to pick up Streamplify’s duo of ring lights alongside its webcam and microphone offering, but they personally helped me easily address one of the biggest issues with my hobbyist streaming sessions – shadowy, grainy images of my face.
Naturally, I could have simply hopped onto Amazon and picked up some cheap LED lights to prevent me from looking like Nosferatu while playing Dead Space, but the whole affair seemed like a hassle at the time. My desk cabling already resembled a squiggly child’s drawing, and wading through specs and features felt like a chore. Yet, using Streamplfy’s ring lights feels like an instantaneous solution, one that barely required any effort to get up and running.
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You can opt to either pick up either the USB powered “LIGHT 10” or the higher wattage “LIGHT 14” on their own, but they complement each other perfectly both in terms of setup and results. The bigger 14-inch light comes with two USB sockets on the back, meaning you can link up to two smaller ring lights together and power them all from a single wall socket. Both models have camera screw mounts on their centre, allowing it to serve as a place to pop your webcam or even a smartphone if you happen to use yours as a makeshift webcam.
It’s needless to say that both PC gaming and Twitch streaming are expensive hobbies, which makes Streamplify’s ambitions all the more worthwhile. Its collection won’t instantly transform you into the next big internet sensation, as you’re unlikely to achieve that through decent spec’d hardware alone.
Nevertheless, as someone who grew up in a working-class environment with not much money to spare, I can say first-hand that quality equipment at an approachable price helps facilitate creativity, and Streamplify could help many people kickstart their Twitch streamer journey. It might be something of a pipedream, but I’d love to see more new faces earn affiliate status by using Streamplify’s gear, as it’d prove that great things can happen when learning curves and knowledge barriers are removed.
