Razer Kiyo Pro On macOS Essential Setup Guide

The RAZER KIYO PRO (from here on simply referred to as a proper-noun Kiyo) is a beloved (eg: PC Mag: 4/5, Tom’s Guide: 4.5/5, DCW: 4.5/5, Amazon: 4.4/5 on 4,514 ratings) and fairly priced (Amazon: $80USD) webcam. Although Kiyo is unsupported on macOS using the proprietary software package Synapse3, Kiyo mostly works out of the box. With some preparation and reflection however you can get it working exactly how you like.

You need to update Kiyo’s firmware because it is out of date. On top of that, on older firmware the auto focus doesn’t work! Here is what to do next.

Synapse3 runs on Windows 10 or Windows 11.

If you don’t have a Windows computer then:

• Borrow a friend’s because you only need to do this once
• Run Bootcamp on your Mac (it worked for me)
  • If you don’t have Windows
    • Windows 10 has a free download that doesn’t require a license.
• Note: Synapse3 doesn’t work under Windows 10 on VMware Fusion Pro on Mac

Connect Kiyo you Windows computer (could be a PC or Mac at this point).

Install Synapse3. Don’t create an account because it isn’t required. Verify that it detects Kiyo. After its detected, open its profile to verify that Kiyo works as expected. Quit Synapse3 now.

Download the latest firmware and install it

Run the Camera app to verify that Kiyo works as expected.

Auto focus should work correctly now.

Kiyo has two settings that you can only change using Synapse3. Here are the settings along with the default value indicated by the superscript^{Default}

• Field of View: Narrow, Medium, or Wide^{Default}
• HDR: On^{Default} or Off, Dark Room^{Default} or Bright Room

The default value means that when you reset Kiyo it reverts back to these default settings. This is a common step when you are fiddling around with the configuration of Kiyo and you want to start over from scratch.

If you do need to change these from the default then you can only use Synapse3 to configure Kiyo, you can’t use aftermarket software for it on your Mac, and there is nothing more to do here.

If you don’t need to change these from the default then you can use aftermarket software to configure Kiyo on your Mac. If that is the case then please read on.

Clarification: In order to narrow down these two settings I transcribed a list of every configuration option available in the Synapse3 and CameraController applications and compared them. There were only two differences.

CameraController (sic) is the best aftermarket software for configuring your Kiyo. Here is how to set it up.

• Connect Kiyo to your Mac
• Run the Photo Booth app to verify that Kiyo works as expected
  • Close Photo Booth
• Visit the homepage
• Go to the latest release
• Download, install it, and run it
• In the Camera drop-down select “Razer Kiyo Pro”
• You should see whatever Kiyo is pointed at right now
• Select the tab Preferences → Application → Open at login
• Select the tab Basic
• Under the Profile area, click the dropdown “Camera Default” and click Apply
• Under the Profile area, click Save Profile, type in “My Kiyo Profile”, click Save
• Under the Profile area, click the dropdown “My Kiyo Profile” and click Apply
• Now play around with the configuration
• When you want to save your changes make sure that “My Kiyo Profile” is selected under the Profile are and click Update Profile
• Run the Photo Booth app to verify that Kiyo works as expected with the settings and tweak them as needed
• This workflow of loading the profile, making changes, applying them, and save changes back to the profile is the bread and butter of this app (and all apps like this)

Setting up the Razer Kiyo Pro On macOS is simple, but not simplistic.

More labor is required then anyone would expect.

More thinking is required than most would expect.

For users who want a zero-effort webcam experience on the Mac I don’t recommend using this webcam. Go with a camera supported on the Mac instead.

However if you are up to do the work you will end up with a great camera for a great price.