My 2026 streaming setup, piece by piece
Camera, microphone, lights and the one cheap upgrade that made the biggest difference to my stream.
People ask about the setup every stream, so here is the whole thing in one place, with what I would buy again and what I would skip.
Audio comes first
Viewers forgive a soft picture but not crunchy audio. A dynamic microphone close to your mouth beats an expensive condenser across the room every time.
Light the room, not just your face
One soft key light and a coloured lamp in the background add more depth than any camera upgrade.
The cheap upgrade
A second-hand stream deck. Scene changes and sound alerts without hunting through menus mid-conversation.