Sensor, Lens and Light Beat Headline Resolution

A streaming webcam is judged on how it handles a real desk at night, not on the resolution printed on the box. Sensor area, lens quality and how aggressively the camera applies gain in dim light decide whether your face looks clean or grainy. Two cameras quoting the same 1080p output can look nothing alike.

The other half of the picture is your upload line and the platform. Live video is re-encoded on the way out, so a 4K sensor mostly buys you a cleaner downscale, room to crop and reframe, and better recordings, rather than a sharper live stream.