Gear

Streaming gear that earns its spot

Buy the thing that fixes your worst problem, then stop. Everything here is grouped by budget and by category so you can skip straight to what you need.

Some links on this page may be affiliate links. If you buy through one, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend gear I would genuinely consider using.

Read the full gear guide

Budgets

Three setups

Pick the tier that matches where you actually are, not where you want to be in two years.

Starter Setup

The cheapest complete setup I would actually recommend.

Microphone

Starter
Recommended

FIFINE AM8

~$50

Dynamic USB/XLR mic that rejects room noise. The cheapest mic I would actually recommend, and it still holds up in the recommended setup.

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Headphones

Starter

Razer BlackShark V2

~$60

Comfortable starter headset for long sessions. Use it for listening, not for your stream mic.

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Camera

Starter

Logitech C920

~$65

The default starter webcam. Light it properly and it is completely fine.

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Lighting

Starter

NEEWER BR60

~$26

Cheap ring light that fixes most bad webcam shots. Lighting is second only to audio.

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Stream Deck

Starter

Elgato Stream Deck Mobile

Free app

Start here. The phone app does scenes, mutes, and clips before you spend anything on hardware.

Recommended Setup

The sweet spot before the upgrades start getting expensive.

Microphone

Starter
Recommended

FIFINE AM8

~$50

Dynamic USB/XLR mic that rejects room noise. The cheapest mic I would actually recommend, and it still holds up in the recommended setup.

Affiliate link

Headphones

Recommended

Logitech G PRO X

~$130

Step up in comfort and sound for the recommended setup without going full studio.

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Camera

Recommended

Elgato Facecam MK.2

~$140

1080p60 with real manual controls. The obvious middle upgrade from a stock webcam.

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Lighting

Recommended
What I Use

Logitech Litra Beam

~$59 each

I run two of these. Key light on one side, fill on the other, and the room stops looking flat.

Affiliate link

Stream Deck

Recommended
What I Use

Elgato Stream Deck MK.2

~$150

15 keys, and what I actually press mid-fight for scenes, replays, mutes, and clip saving.

Affiliate link

High-End Setup

For someone who knows they will use the extra features.

Microphone

Premium
XLR Required

Shure SM7B

~$439

The high-end pick. Needs an interface or mixer with clean gain, so budget for that too.

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Headphones

Premium
What I Use

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80Ω

~$170

Closed-back studio headphones I run off the mixer. My pair broke, but they are still the pick.

Affiliate link

Camera

Premium
What I Use

Elgato Facecam 4K

~$200

What I use. Sharp, no drivers fighting you, and it holds up when you crop in on the face cam.

Affiliate link

Lighting

Premium

Elgato Key Light

~$180

High-end panel with Stream Deck control. Overkill until the rest of your setup is sorted.

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Stream Deck

Premium

Elgato Stream Deck XL

~$250

32 keys for people running tournaments, overlays, and a pile of scenes at once.

Affiliate link

Everything

Shop by category

Microphones

Audio is the one thing viewers will not forgive. Fix this first.

Microphone

Starter
Recommended

FIFINE AM8

~$50

Dynamic USB/XLR mic that rejects room noise. The cheapest mic I would actually recommend, and it still holds up in the recommended setup.

Affiliate link

Microphone

What I Use
XLR Required

RØDE PodMic

~$99

What I talk into every stream. XLR dynamic, built like a brick, very forgiving in an untreated room.

Affiliate link

Microphone

Premium
XLR Required

Shure SM7B

~$439

The high-end pick. Needs an interface or mixer with clean gain, so budget for that too.

Affiliate link

Headphones & Headsets

Hear your game, your alerts, and your own mix without guessing.

Headphones

Starter

Razer BlackShark V2

~$60

Comfortable starter headset for long sessions. Use it for listening, not for your stream mic.

Affiliate link

Headphones

Recommended

Logitech G PRO X

~$130

Step up in comfort and sound for the recommended setup without going full studio.

Affiliate link

Headphones

Premium
What I Use

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80Ω

~$170

Closed-back studio headphones I run off the mixer. My pair broke, but they are still the pick.

Affiliate link

Cameras

A decent webcam plus good light beats an expensive camera in the dark.

Camera

Starter

Logitech C920

~$65

The default starter webcam. Light it properly and it is completely fine.

Affiliate link

Camera

Recommended

Elgato Facecam MK.2

~$140

1080p60 with real manual controls. The obvious middle upgrade from a stock webcam.

Affiliate link

Camera

Premium
What I Use

Elgato Facecam 4K

~$200

What I use. Sharp, no drivers fighting you, and it holds up when you crop in on the face cam.

Affiliate link

Lighting

The cheapest upgrade that makes a stream instantly look more expensive.

Lighting

Starter

NEEWER BR60

~$26

Cheap ring light that fixes most bad webcam shots. Lighting is second only to audio.

Affiliate link

Lighting

Recommended
What I Use

Logitech Litra Beam

~$59 each

I run two of these. Key light on one side, fill on the other, and the room stops looking flat.

Affiliate link

Lighting

Premium

Elgato Key Light

~$180

High-end panel with Stream Deck control. Overkill until the rest of your setup is sorted.

Affiliate link

Interfaces & Mixers

Only needed once you go XLR or start juggling multiple audio sources.

Audio Interface

What I Use
XLR Required

GoXLR Mini

~$190

My mixer. Faders for mic, game, chat, and music so I can fix levels live instead of after the VOD.

Affiliate link

Stream Decks

Scene switching, alerts, and replays without alt-tabbing mid-fight.

Stream Deck

Starter

Elgato Stream Deck Mobile

Free app

Start here. The phone app does scenes, mutes, and clips before you spend anything on hardware.

Stream Deck

Recommended
What I Use

Elgato Stream Deck MK.2

~$150

15 keys, and what I actually press mid-fight for scenes, replays, mutes, and clip saving.

Affiliate link

Stream Deck

Premium

Elgato Stream Deck XL

~$250

32 keys for people running tournaments, overlays, and a pile of scenes at once.

Affiliate link

Microphone Arms

Get the mic off the desk and off camera.

Mic Arm

Recommended
What I Use

Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP

~$100

Low-profile arm that keeps the mic close to your mouth and out of the shot. What I use.

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My setup

What I personally use

The actual working setup. It survives long sessions, tournaments, and a lot of yelling.

Microphone

What I Use
XLR Required

RØDE PodMic

~$99

What I talk into every stream. XLR dynamic, built like a brick, very forgiving in an untreated room.

Affiliate link

Headphones

Premium
What I Use

Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80Ω

~$170

Closed-back studio headphones I run off the mixer. My pair broke, but they are still the pick.

Affiliate link

Camera

Premium
What I Use

Elgato Facecam 4K

~$200

What I use. Sharp, no drivers fighting you, and it holds up when you crop in on the face cam.

Affiliate link

Lighting

Recommended
What I Use

Logitech Litra Beam

~$59 each

I run two of these. Key light on one side, fill on the other, and the room stops looking flat.

Affiliate link

Audio Interface

What I Use
XLR Required

GoXLR Mini

~$190

My mixer. Faders for mic, game, chat, and music so I can fix levels live instead of after the VOD.

Affiliate link

Stream Deck

Recommended
What I Use

Elgato Stream Deck MK.2

~$150

15 keys, and what I actually press mid-fight for scenes, replays, mutes, and clip saving.

Affiliate link

Mic Arm

Recommended
What I Use

Elgato Wave Mic Arm LP

~$100

Low-profile arm that keeps the mic close to your mouth and out of the shot. What I use.

Affiliate link

Questions

Gear FAQ