The "Tiny Titan" put to the test: Why the OBSBOT Tiny 3 is my new favorite toy

Drumroll, please! If you know me and my work at TutKit.com, you know: I'm an absolute freak when it comes to hardware. When a new gadget hits the market that promises to make my daily work easier or my videos sharper, I'm usually the first one shouting "Here!" That's how it was with the new OBSBOT Tiny 3 4K PTZ Webcam.

I had the pleasure of testing this nice piece of kit in advance. And what can I say? My desk has received a massive upgrade. Here is my detailed report on why this little technological marvel gets almost everything right.

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1. 4K quality that is almost frighteningly sharp

Let's start with the obvious: the image quality. The Tiny 3 delivers 4K, and not that "shoddy 4K" that some cheap cameras promise. The image is so crisp that in the morning call you almost have to wonder whether you should have shaved after all. The sensor captures details that my old webcam simply swallowed. Whether in daylight or in the rather dim "creative cave" in the evening – the colors look natural and the contrast is top. If you want to look (or have to look) professional, you really can't get around this resolution anymore.

2. AI Tracking 2.0: My private cameraman

The real highlight, however, is and remains the PTZ feature (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) combined with artificial intelligence. The Tiny 3 uses the new AI Tracking 2.0. In plain terms, that means: the camera follows me like a loyal dachshund, no matter where I move.

I'm someone who likes to jump up while explaining or pace back and forth in front of the whiteboard. In the past, I always had to readjust manually or live with the fact that half of me had disappeared from the frame. The Tiny 3 now handles this completely silently and so smoothly that viewers don't even notice a machine is at work. It almost seems as if a real cameraman were sitting inside my monitor, anticipating my every move. That's not only cool, but also really saves nerves in everyday use.

Also cool: I can say certain commands for how the camera should behave, even if it should switch off. Unfortunately only in English, though (e.g. Sleep Tiny ... then it switches off).

3. Design: Why "Tiny Titan" is the perfect name

The hardware itself is tiny. When you unpack it, you briefly wonder: "Is that all?" But that's exactly the point. It takes up no space, doesn't get in the way on the monitor, and also looks damn stylish. But don't let the size fool you – this little housing packs the power of a tank. The build quality is first-class and you notice immediately that you're not holding a plastic toy in your hand.

4. The matter of sound (and why I stay relaxed anyway)

If you're going to walk around the room and present something, use the very handy wireless microphone. At first I found the volume far too quiet, until I found the option in the menu to increase the volume. So really cool, and the range went beyond 10 meters in my test.

Now we come to the point "honest feedback". I'm a fan of calling things by their name. The Tiny 3 comes with an "Immersive Stereo Mic System," which already sounds decent in principle. But: in my test I noticed that the suppression of echo and reverb still has a bit of room for improvement. If you're sitting in a room that isn't exactly wallpapered with acoustic foam, you can still hear it a little.

But no need to worry! I asked the developers at OBSBOT directly. The good news: the problem is known and they're already working on a solution. It was confirmed that this is to be massively improved with an upcoming firmware update. Since the microphone hardware (two directional and one omnidirectional mic) is top, this is purely a software settings matter. I  immediately tried a comparison with the Tiny2, and the noise was actually gone with the 3 version, unlike the Tiny 2. So that's already really great. If the room reverb now disappears via AI as well, I'll be perfectly happy!

5. Smart features for the play instinct

What I also think is awesome: the camera now even has avatar options. So you can transform yourself into a virtual character. Do you need that for the serious client conversation? Probably not. Is it fun when you do a relaxed stream or want to surprise colleagues in the team meeting? Definitely!

On top of that come the proven gesture controls. Raise your hand once like a Jedi and the camera zooms in or starts tracking. It feels a little like the future every time.

Also brilliant: in the software, you can blur the background with one click, and in such a way that it really looks almost like it came from a DSLR and not so artificial, where the edge around yourself has artifacts. Really good!

My conclusion: Buy or wait?

Perfectly clear: the OBSBOT Tiny 3 is currently the benchmark in the field of compact PTZ webcams. The image quality and tracking are absolutely unrivaled in this size class. That the sound still falters a bit with reverb is a small bitter pill, but since the firmware update is already in the pipeline, I'm completely relaxed about it. By the way, all the webcams I've used so far have been weak in this discipline, but the fact that the Tiny already removes noise really well is great!

A little tip for all owners of NVIDIA graphics cards: here you can use the Broadcast app to remove reverb/noise from the sound with one click, or even, if you have a halfway decent NVIDIA card, switch it to studio quality:

I'm extremely satisfied and the camera has definitely secured its permanent place in my setup. If you're looking for a professional solution for meetings, tutorials or streams, you should go for it.

What do you think? Would such a "thinking" eye on your monitor be something for you too, or will you stick with the good old 720p potato camera? Let me know in the comments!

You can buy the camera here for 379 euros.

Best regards

Stefan