Elgato Facecam A/V Sync and Latency Test

Elgato Facecam A/V Sync Test: Measure Audio Offset for OBS Streaming

Use your real streaming preset before copying any Facecam sync value into OBS. Facecam delivers 1080p at a native 60fps, and Elgato's Camera Hub software applies color correction, contrast, and sharpening per frame.¹ At 60fps, the detector receives a new frame every 16.7 ms, which keeps the clap transient inside a shorter inter-frame window than a 30fps camera.² The five-clap average gives you a practical OBS sync value for your current Camera Hub preset and microphone setup. Measured offsets vary by machine, preset, and Camera Hub state, so use your production configuration when you record the final value.

Specifications³

Connection and browser setup

Connect the Facecam to a USB 3.0 port before opening this page. Facecam uses uncompressed 1080p/60fps video, and USB-IF defines USB 3.2's inherited 5Gbps tier as part of the USB 3.x family, which gives high-bandwidth cameras more headroom than USB 2.0.⁴ Grant camera and microphone permissions in Chrome when prompted.

If Elgato Camera Hub is running, test with your production preset active, then close it and rerun the page when you need a cleaner baseline. Camera Hub applies its image processing pipeline in software on the host computer rather than in the camera firmware, so the processing load on your CPU can affect frame delivery timing; a busy system may show slightly different offsets with Camera Hub active versus closed.

Camera Hub baseline versus production preset

Closing Camera Hub entirely before the test gives you a baseline that reflects the camera hardware, USB transfer, and browser decode stage. Reopen Camera Hub with your streaming preset active for the production value, then compare the two readings to see how much your image pipeline changes the offset. Write down both values if you use both a baseline and a streaming preset, because the difference tells you whether a future update or preset change shifted the Facecam path.

OBS verification after applying Facecam offset

After entering the OBS Audio Offset value, record a short test clip and clap once near the center of the frame. Play the clip back and confirm that the clap sound lands on the frame where your palms meet. If the sound still leads the image, increase the Sync Offset by 5–10 ms; if the sound trails the image, reduce it by the same amount.

Common A/V sync issues with this model

Camera Hub presets can change Facecam offset measurements because each preset applies different image processing. Elgato lists Camera Hub controls for saturation, sharpness, contrast, shutter speed, exposure, and color temperature, so confirm which preset your OBS scene uses and test with that preset active. A heavy processing preset with multiple adjustments enabled can add a few more milliseconds of host-side computation than a flat uncorrected profile, which is why the active preset should always match the scene you stream with.¹

The other key setting is OBS capture frame rate. OBS lets you choose the resolution and framerate combination for a video capture device, and it will not display the source if the device does not support the selected frame rate.⁵ Match OBS capture to the Facecam's native 60fps output to keep the timing window consistent with the browser test. Running OBS at 30fps while the Facecam delivers 60fps means OBS drops every other frame, and the specific frame the browser measured at 60fps may be one that OBS discarded, making the correction unreliable for the recorded output.

OBS capture frame rate matching Facecam native output

The Facecam delivers 1080p/60fps natively. At 30fps capture, the inter-frame interval is 33.3 ms instead of 16.7 ms, which widens the timing window for clap detection.² Set your OBS video source capture frame rate to 60fps to match the Facecam's native output and keep the browser measurement aligned with your recording pipeline. Running the browser test at 60fps while OBS captures at 30fps introduces a mismatch that makes the measured offset unreliable for your production setup.

While you measure, keep the Camera Hub preset and capture frame rate fixed at the values you stream with. The Facecam's native 60fps delivery puts a new frame in front of the detector every 16.7 ms, so the clap transient sits inside a shorter inter-frame window than on a 30fps camera. Set the OBS video source to 60fps before you paste the value, because a 30fps capture drops every other frame and discards the one the browser timed. Rerun the test before going live after any Camera Hub or firmware update so the OBS value matches your current pipeline. Test again after every update.

What the test covers

At 1080p/60fps, the video path samples the clap at a higher temporal resolution than 30fps cameras because each frame is spaced 16.7 ms apart. The five-clap average helps expose outliers and gives you a practical value for your current production pipeline. Because the Facecam's uncompressed video stream demands more USB bandwidth than a compressed MJPEG camera, the measurement is more sensitive to USB bus conditions; a clean USB 3.0 connection with no competing devices produces the most reliable five-reading cluster.

The OBS Audio Offset value in the result panel applies to Camera Hub, your OBS capture frame rate, and your microphone. Enter the value in OBS under Edit > Advanced Audio Properties for your microphone source; the Sync Offset field accepts audio delay in milliseconds, and 1000 ms equals one second.⁶

Because the Facecam runs at 60fps, the five-reading average should be more stable than a 30fps measurement when your capture settings match the camera output. If Elgato releases a firmware or Camera Hub update between sessions, rerun the test before going live so the OBS value reflects your current pipeline.

Independent review testing found the Facecam's array of shutter speed, ISO, and color adjustments in Camera Hub give it a broad active-processing feature set even at 1080p, which reviewers noted alongside its generally strong latency reputation compared to other webcams in its class.⁷ Weighing that active Camera Hub processing against a bare C920x baseline explains why the Facecam's measured offset sits noticeably higher even without HDR in the mix.