This webcam resolution test finds out which picture sizes your camera can really send, instead of trusting the box. It asks your webcam for 4K, 1440p, 1080p, 720p and 480p in turn, opens each one, and records the size that arrives and the frame rate it holds, counted from real frames. In Chrome and Edge it also tells you whether each size comes straight from the camera or was scaled down by the browser from a bigger mode. It works with USB webcams, laptop cameras and phone cameras.
How to run the webcam resolution test
- Press Start resolution test and allow the camera. Close Zoom, Teams and other camera apps first.
- Wait while each row turns from Waiting to a result. The picture flickers as the camera switches modes; that is normal.
- Read the summary under the list: the largest size and the highest frame rate.
- Press View on any row to see the camera live at that size, and watch Noise and Sharpness.
- Press Copy results to save the list for a support ticket, a review or a returns claim.
What the results mean
| Result | What it means |
|---|---|
| Green: Sent by the camera | The camera has this mode built in. You get real detail at this size |
| Green: Works | The camera sent this size, but the browser cannot say whether it is a built-in mode. Firefox and Safari show this |
| Yellow: Scaled by the browser | The browser shrank a bigger mode to this size. It works, but adds no detail |
| Yellow: Sent another size instead | The browser gave the closest size it had. Firefox and Safari do this |
| Grey: Not supported | The camera's largest mode is smaller than this size |
| Orange: Could not open it | The camera was busy or refused this mode. Run the test again with other apps closed |
| Name | Size in pixels | Megapixels |
|---|---|---|
| 4K | 3840 × 2160 | 8.3 MP |
| 1440p | 2560 × 1440 | 3.7 MP |
| 1080p | 1920 × 1080 | 2.1 MP |
| 720p | 1280 × 720 | 0.9 MP |
| 480p | 640 × 480 | 0.3 MP |
Why a 1080p webcam shows only 720p
The camera may be fine. The size you see depends on what the app asks for and what the connection can carry.
- The app asks for less. Browsers open a camera at 640 × 480 when a site does not ask for a size, and call apps lower the resolution to save bandwidth. In Zoom, turn on HD in the video settings.
- The camera is on a hub or a slow port. Uncompressed 1080p at 30 fps needs about 124 MB a second, more than twice what USB 2.0 can carry, so 1080p webcams compress the picture. Through a busy hub or an old port, the camera may fall back to a smaller size. Plug it into the computer itself.
- Another app holds the camera. When a second app opens a camera that is already running, it often gets the size the first app chose.
- OBS or another recorder is set to a lower size. In OBS, open the camera source's properties, set Resolution/FPS Type to Custom, then pick the resolution, the frame rate and MJPEG as the video format.
Frame rate at each resolution
Many webcams only reach their top frame rate at smaller sizes. A typical USB webcam sends 1080p at 30 fps, and gaming webcams add 720p at 60 fps. 4K usually runs at 30 fps or less. Light changes the result too: in a dim room the camera lengthens each exposure and the frame rate drops at every size, so run the test with the lights on. The first rows can read a little low while the camera's automatic exposure settles.
Which resolution to use
| Use | Best choice |
|---|---|
| Zoom, Teams and Meet calls | 1280 × 720 at 30 fps. Call apps rarely send more |
| Recording a talk or lesson | 1920 × 1080 at 30 fps |
| Streaming games or fast movement | 1280 × 720 or 1920 × 1080 at 60 fps, if a green row shows 60 |
| Showing documents or small objects | The largest green row, at any frame rate |
| A slow internet connection | 640 × 480, which has a third of the pixels of 720p and needs far less data |
Pick a green row whenever you can. A yellow, scaled size uses the same bandwidth as a real one without the extra detail.
Is your webcam really 4K?
Some cameras are sold as 2K or 4K but contain a smaller sensor and stretch its picture, and some only reach 4K in their maker's own app. If this test shows 4K as Not supported or Scaled, the camera does not give 4K to the browser. To check whether a size has real detail, press View on two rows, hold printed text at arm's length, and compare Sharpness. A stretched picture gains pixels but not sharpness.
Webcam resolution is not screen resolution
This page measures the camera. If you want the size of your monitor instead, use the screen resolution test. A 1080p camera shown on a 4K screen still has only 1080p of detail, so it looks soft when you make it full screen.
What this resolution test cannot check
The browser only sees the sizes the camera offers it. A camera can have a larger sensor than any mode it offers, and Firefox and Safari cannot tell a native size from a scaled one. Frame rates above your screen's refresh rate may read low because frames are counted as they are shown. If you suspect the port, plug a fast flash drive into it and run the USB speed test: a port that tops out near 40 MB a second is running at USB 2.0 speed. For a full check of picture quality, light and camera controls, use the webcam test online, and to see the result in a real recording, try the webcam recorder at 1080p.
Webcam resolution questions
How do I check my webcam resolution?
Press Start resolution test on this page. It tries each common size and marks the ones your camera really sends, with the frame rate for each. On Windows, the Camera app also lists the sizes it can record in its settings under video quality.
What webcam resolution is good for video calls?
1280 × 720 at 30 fps is enough for most calls, because Zoom, Teams and Meet rarely send more than 720p to other people. 1920 × 1080 looks clearly sharper in recordings, streams and large meeting rooms. Above that, light and the lens matter more than extra pixels.
Why does my 4K webcam not show 4K here?
Some 4K webcams only offer 4K when they are plugged into a USB 3 port, which is usually blue or marked SS. Plug the camera straight into the computer, not a hub, close other camera apps and run the test again. If 4K is still missing, the camera's own app may need to switch the camera into its 4K mode.
Does a higher resolution make my webcam look better?
Only up to a point. A small sensor in dim light gives a grainy picture at any size, and many cameras look better at 1080p with good light than at 4K in a dark room. Compare the Noise and Sharpness readouts at each size before you choose.
How do I check my webcam frame rate?
The Frame rate readout counts the frames that really arrive each second, and the resolution check measures it again at every size. If the camera is set to 30 fps but sends 15, the room is too dark and the camera is slowing down to collect light.