The Logi StreamCam has elements that cannot be activated with Logitech’s current webcam software on more recent Macs.
Logitech produces some of the most popular webcams in the world, but employing them on some of the most popular computers, such as the M2 MacBook Air or M1 Pro MacBook Pro, is a less than heavenly experience.
Logitech Capture never worked on M1 and M2 Macs, and it’s being phased out for all OSs later this year. Hitting one into any M1 or M2 Mac for a video call isn’t a problem, but if you like to tweak in-depth settings or use some of these webcams’ highlight features, accomplishing that right now ranges from uneasy to impossible.
That’s because its most competent webcam software, Logitech Capture, isn’t available on devices with Apple silicon.
Logitech switched up its software plan for people who use newer Mac laptops and desktops without making much effort to tell anyone. Instead of offering Logitech Capture, its de facto software focused squarely on webcam settings and content creation features.
It has two different and lesser Mac applications to choose from: Logi Tune and Logitech G Hub. Tune is a confusing app that lets you toggle settings for Logitech gadgets, with calendar integration added in, for some reason. G Hub was built for gamers who want to tweak RGB lighting and sensitivity settings for gaming-focused products and webcams.
Each app’s interface looks different and lets you switch different settings, so you’ve got a choice with which app you use — too much choice, if you ask me, given how limited the functionality is within each one. But neither offers as many options as Logitech Capture. For example, you can access basic settings, like the ability to zoom in for a tighter crop or make a host of adjustments to the picture settings (or set them to auto settings), but you can’t adjust the frame rate or the resolution. Likewise, people who own an M1 or M2 Mac cannot utilize its face-tracking feature or switch between horizontal or vertical orientations on an excellent, relatively high-end webcam like the $160 Logi StreamCam.
This stuff isn’t super apparent unless you’re using an affected computer. There are plenty of posts on Reddit about this, too, and plenty of people are working on solutions that Logitech hasn’t presented. Someone even succeeded with a workaround to get a previous version of Logitech Capture software working on an M1-equipped machine. It crashed on launch for me, though.
After some follow-up questions on whether these apps deliver feature parity with Logitech Capture (they don’t) and if its new software strategy was born from a technical hurdle with M1 / M2 Macs (or if this sloppiness was the plan all along), Logitech spokesperson Ciara Dixon provided this boilerplate response that didn’t provide helpful answers.
“Logitech provides multiple software options for diverse customers across multiple operating systems, including Windows and Mac. For video conferencing (including webcam, headset, and Logi Dock), we recommend using Logi Tune. G HUB offers gaming and streaming convenience and control over multiple devices, from Logitech G, Blue Microphones, and Litra Glow. Finally, Streamlabs is the all-in-one live streaming and recording software across multiple platforms including Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook.”
This software problem is an issue for newer Macs, but it’s about to be an issue for many more users very soon. As of the latest update, Logitech has sunset the Capture app entirely for Windows computers and older Intel-based Macs. Its latest patch notes for the software for Windows 10 and several macOS versions say, “This is the final rendition of Logitech Capture, and no new software updates will be available. However, Logitech suggests downloading and installing Logitech G HUB if you want to modify compatible webcam settings.” In addition, it has a support page that advises all users to download Logitech G Hub and guides users to uninstall Logi Capture.
Right now, if you own an M1 or M2 Mac, you can’t get the most out of your Logitech webcam. Unfortunately, this problem will spread — by Logitech’s choice — to Windows and other Intel-based Macs later in 2022.