'This is the only webcam I'll ever need to use' — here's why the Obsbot Tiny 3 is a true upgrade for any desk

Obsbot has made quite a name for itself when it comes to webcams, and it's now further cemented its brand with Obsbot Tiny 3. Jumping on video calls is par for the course in my line of work (as it generally is for anyone behind a desk), but I never knew the advancements I was missing out on until plugging in this tiny camera.

From its superb 4K at 30 fps video quality to its ever-impressive head, body and object tracking, this PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) webcam excels at being your trusty desk companion to keep you looking sharp and in focus. Oh, and to help you sound great, too, thanks to its largely upgraded triple-mic system and multiple audio modes. Even better, it's smaller, lighter and more compact than ever.

It's also pricier than its predecessor, the Tiny 2, making this quite a costly purchase — especially for the average remote worker who won't make full use of its plentiful features and customizations. That said, for pro-level, high-quality video for business meetings, streaming, content creation and more, this is top brass.

The Obsbot Tiny 3 is easily one of the best webcams I've tested (I mean, it even supports Nintendo Switch 2 and Stream Deck), but is it worth it for you? Let's dive into the details.

Obsbot Tiny 3: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A premium 4K/1080p PTZ webcam with AI features.
• Who is it for? From at-home office workers to professional content creators, this webcam suits all.
• What does it cost? The Obsbot Tiny 3 is available for $349 at Amazon and Obsbot's website, and it will set you back £349 at Amazon U.K. Although it's priced at £299 on the Obsbot store.
• What do we like? The upgraded and stunning image quality, incredibly accurate body and object tracking with AI Tracking 2.0, impressive mic system and lengthy list of customization options.
• What don’t we like? Prepare to pay a premium price, and don't expect a huge upgrade over its previous model.

Obsbot Tiny 3: Specs

Obsbot Tiny 3: The ups

The Obsbot Tiny 3 comes with everything you'd want in a teeny-yet-premium webcam for your laptop, desktop and more, whether that be high 4K detail, smooth 120 fps, magically accurate body and object tracking or amazing audio capture.

Tinier, mightier

Not that it really needed to be, as previous models are already fairly "tiny," but the Obsbot Tiny 3 is even smaller than its older sibling, the Obsbot Tiny 2 ($299). In fact, at 1.4 x 1.4 x 1.9 inches and weighing 2.2 ounces, it's 48% more compact and 34% lighter.

Not only does it make it flexible enough to place in an ideal spot on your desk or PC and carry around (sturdy carrying case included), but thanks to its magnetic mount, it can also easily be attached to a laptop (like I've done with my MacBook Air M3) or monitor for a desktop.

Yet, Obsbot managed to fill its Tiny 3 webcam with even more premium specs. Packing an upgraded 50MP CMOS with a 1/1.28 image sensor for even finer definition and quality, a staggering 12,800 dual native ISO to capture even more light in darker environments, along with DCG (Dual Conversion Gain) HDR tech to minimize motion blur and ghosting, this is a welcome step up over the Tiny 2.

That's not to say its predecessor couldn't capture flawless details, but the Tiny 3 offers a more premium look to all your video calls or recordings. That's when recording in 4K at 30 fps or 1080p at a super-smooth 120 fps, too.

A quick look at the difference in lighting conditions this webcam nails to achieve shows the visual quality it can capture, and it looks even better in motion.

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Against the Tiny 2, that's twice the maximum ISO, and a decent 37% larger sensor for more detailed imagery. I've noticed far less visual noise than my MacBook Air's 1080p webcam, and I'd say the quality beats other 4K webcams, including the Insta360 Link 2C ($149) and Logitech MX BRIO 705 ($199).

It's a major visual boost for the meetings I jump on, especially seeing as my at-home desk setup is right next to a window with sunlight blaring through during the afternoon. It means the Tiny 3 can adjust lighting to make sure I'm not engulfed in, well, light.

But I can also imagine this level of detail to be a perk for professionals, whether it be a streamer or content creator after high-end image quality or a professional looking to point out info on a whiteboard during a presentation. Speaking of, the Obsbot Tiny 3 has just the tools to keep what you need in frame.

'AI' like a hawk

Bringing over its AI-powered prowess from the Tiny 2, but with a slight level up with AI Tracking 2.0, the Obsbot Tiny 3's head and body tracking is second to none. I'm amazed at how well the webcam immediately picks up what's in frame, and swivels around like a magnet no matter how fast I moved.

Along with gestures and voice control, I can easily raise one hand with an L-shaped sign (strangely like calling someone a "loser," so I'd probably refrain from doing this with my boss on the other end of the line) to have it zoom in and out, while putting two up brings Dynamic Zoom to get a precise close up. Plus, simply raising my hand allowed the Tiny 3 to lock on and track me.

Can't be bothered with gestures? You can just ask the Tiny 3 to do your bidding instead. You can say "Hi, Tiny" to wake it up, or "Sleep, Tiny" to turn it off, along with "zoom in closer/further" or "track/unlock me." The webcam immediately picked up what I was saying, and was very efficient at carrying out tasks without a hitch.

I wouldn't say it's a significant leap in what the Tiny 2 could already do, but AI Tracking 2.0 also brings object tracking into the mix. Whether that be a toy car moving or a drone flying around, the Tiny 3 will keep its "eye" locked onto it.

Throw in the wide selection of options (more on this soon) to track in single or group mode, auto zoom on a particular part of your body, from full body and upper body to close-up and even headless, and even change tracking speeds from slow to fast, and the Tiny 3 will let you fine-tune your image to your heart's content.

Now, reiterating what my colleague Erin Bashford said in the Tiny 2 review, this is more of a machine-learned autofocus system rather than "AI-powered." Devices with cameras, like smartphones, have had this for years, so it's taking advantage of technology that you've more than likely already used.

In any case, the Tiny 3 compiles all this to the nth degree, so while it may be stretching "AI" a bit far, its features are still just as wonderful to utilize.

Customization to boot

I generally use a webcam for video calls, from Zoom to Google Meet, and WhatsApp, and the Tiny 3 is able to be your designated webcam for them all. You don't even need to open the Obsbot Center app, but when you do, you'll be treated with a wealth of settings to tinker with.

Upon opening the app, you can choose between a basic Lite or Pro mode. The former would be best suited for my general day-to-day, but it still offers plenty of ways to adjust auto zoom, tracking and filters. However, moving over to Pro mode, the amount of customization that can be done is staggering and almost overwhelming.

I'm able to move the gimbal manually, add presets to an angle I prefer, adjust exposure, change the ISO's upper and lower limit, switch anti-flicker to 60Hz and completely control the white balance, contrast, saturation, color hue and sharpness to hit the image I want. There are even global hotkeys for customizable key control shortcuts!

There's a whole lot more, including the Beauty tool to adjust background blur and switch filters, along with touching up my face with make-up (there's weirdly a simply-named "MAN" option to, I suppose, make me look more like a man?). Having these options to mess around with is a great tool to have to record the shot you're after, and that especially comes in handy for video creators.

The Obsbot Tiny 3 also comes with support for the Elgato Stream Deck, offering one-touch camera control, and the Nintendo Switch 2 to record gameplay. That makes it a great shout for game streaming.

An audio delight

One of the bigger upgrades the Tiny 3 introduces is a built-in three-mic system over the Tiny 2's dual omnidirectional mics offering noise reduction. Yes, the Tiny 3 also offers noise reduction as standard, but with its one omnidirectional and two directional mics, you'll find it can record 360 degrees of audio — and even pinpoint where audio is coming from to prioritize it.

Impressively, with the mic array's Spatial Stereo Capture, it can pick up sound with left-right separation and positioning. So, if you're making precise directional sounds (like in an ASMR video) or chatting on different sides while running a podcast, the mics will translate this into your earbuds or headphones. Something the AirPods 4 or AirPods Pro 3 can take full advantage of.

There are a few other modes, too, including Pure Audio Mode for focused recording of raw sound, Smart Omni Mode to capture noise from different directions, which is perfect for group settings, and Dual-Directional Mode for those one-to-one chats.

As a nice touch, the Tiny 3 also includes voice tracking. This means the camera will track and put into focus the person who is speaking. That's a valuable tool for professionals who often find themselves in one room during a video meeting, as it automatically puts the person who's speaking in view.

In my testing, I was able to hear myself with full clarity without the background noise of a train passing by my home. Having this one-two punch of pro-level video and audio in a single webcam is a boon for creators of all kinds.

Obsbot Tiny 3: The downs

For all the wins the Obsbot Tiny 3 achieves, the cost of it all is considerably heavy. And for the features that it delivers over the Tiny 2, it may not be worth the price hike for some.

Not-so tiny in price

With the high-end specs and wide array of features the Tiny 3 offers alone, it hardly surprises that this webcam is costly. However, at $349, not only has this seen a $50 price hike over its Tiny 2 predecessor ($299), it's also one of the most expensive webcams we've tested (except for the $2,000 Insta360 Connect, that's on a whole other level).

You'll find many webcams can offer up 4K quality at 30 fps for less, including the Insta360 Link 2C ($149) and Logitech MX BRIO 705 ($299). They don't quite offer the same level of features that the Tiny 3 musters up, but for those in need of basic, great-quality video, the more affordable option becomes appealing.

At the very least, though, Obsbot offers a trade-in program, meaning you can get up to $75 off for the Tiny 3. Every little bit helps, and it's a good way to keep the price down on this pricey webcam.

Smaller improvements

Aside from the upgraded AI tracking, ISO range and compatibility options, those who purchased the Tiny 2 won't see major changes with the Tiny 3. Yes, it's smaller and lighter, but not by a significant amount that will change the way it's used.

Obsbot previous model already knocked it out of the park with its tracking and image quality, and the Tiny 3 refines this. The real upgrade is its mic system for better audio recording, and if that's important for your setup, then that's a good reason to grab the latest webcam. Otherwise, for users who won't need the full suite of features, the Tiny 2 is still a fantastic choice.

Obsbot Tiny 3: Verdict

Webcams have become far more than just a simple camera to show your face online, and the Obsbot Tiny 3 stands as a testament. Whether you be a office worker booked into far too many meetings, a remote teacher after tools to nail presentations, a streamer looking for excellent image quality or a content creator in need of a high-quality video and audio combo, this compact 4K PTZ webcam checks all the right boxes.

Its AI Tracking 2.0 tech is snappier and more responsive than ever, the upgraded image quality and ISO mean being able to shoot in various lightning conditions with high quality, the triple mic array system captures audio as it should sound and customization is near-limitless.

Is it one of the best webcams I've tested? Yes, but it's also one of the priciest at $349. Good thing there's the option to trade in to keep that cost down, but those with the Tiny 2 won't need to rush to grab this upgrade. Regardless, for top-quality video meetings, streaming or content capture, the Obsbot Tiny 3 will make sure you look your finest.