Disclosure: I was asked to use VCam by XSplit, and provided a Logitech C922 webcam + One Year Premium XSplit license. So #Sponsored content ahead! It’s good, I promise 😉

For those of you that stream, XSplit released a green screen application, VCam that lets you have a virtual greenscreen or background image instead of needing a physical green screen. For a lot of streamers, a physical green screen isn’t practical or you just don’t have the space or money to spend anywhere from $40 to $150 or more. VCam gives you a no-cost option to have the same effect without having to clear a lot of space or spend a lot of money.

How to use this handy app: If you’re already using XSplit as your stream software, go over and grab the installer: https://www.xsplit.com/vcam and save your scenes in XSplit before proceeding. If you’re not using XSplit Broadcaster, get that too and install it. The most current version as of this post is 3.6.1811 and has better stability than the prior production version. 

Here’s the tricky part, you cannot have your webcam in some scenes and VCam in others. It’s a one or the other deal, which I found out when VCam kept coming up with Logitect C920 (which I was using prior to copping a C922 in a sale). So make sure all your scenes have your current cam deleted. 

You can choose to delete the background (chroma key) or replace an image. You can see below where I’ve added an image. You can also see the one thing I have had a problem with in VCam.


Overall review:  Definitely get VCam if you are already using XSplit Broadcaster. If you’re looking for a stream software, try out Broadcaster + VCam especially if space and or cost is an issue. One suggestion is to have plenty of light in your stream area, and if you need a webcam, a 6 month XSplit license is currently included with a LogitechC922 webcam purchase. I got two of them from Amazon during a black Friday deal, and again in full disclosure; XSplit sent me another one along with a 12 month Premium license. 

While the C922 does have green screen software meant to work with the cam, I found it cumbersome to install and it never worked for me. It showed only a green square instead of my face with the background chroma key’d out. Even with the slight flickering, I prefer VCam, especially if I am streaming from the road and I have no option for a physical green screen. 

One problem I encountered that you can see in the image above, the artifact and halo’ing around my head and mic were fixed with the updates to XSplit and VCam. However at first, it was pretty bad, and you could see whole swaths of the couch behind me when I chose to Remove Background and Hide chair. It seems that in the newest iteration, removing chair helps with this and the artifacting has gone away entirely when gaming. Not so much when using it when the streamer is the focus on an IRL or Just Chatting stream. You can see it in action in a recent stream where I start in Just Chatting and switch to gameplay later. 

One last recommendation is plenty of light, as part of my problem could be tied to not enough or bright enough light in my streaming area. I’ll continue to putter around with my settings, and set up to work on the flicker when using the Remove Background option. I’ve listed my set up below and settings are shown in the screenshot earlier in this post.

My set up:

  • Logitech C922 webcam x 2
  • 24″ Dell Monitor
  • 27″ Samsung curved monitor
  • 19.5″ LG monitor
  • Echo Gear 3 Monitor Curved stand
  • Ryzen 8 Core CPU
  • 32GB DDR4 RAM
  • El Gato HD60 internal capture card
  • Avermedia Ultra Gamer external capture card
  • 4TB internal HDD
  • 1TB SSD (OS & some programs)
  • Ars Technica 2020 USB mic
  • Logitech G933 Artemis Dolby wireless headset
  • El Gato Stream deck
  • Logitech 5.1 surround sound speaker system
  • Anker 10 port USB 3 powered hub

Published by cypheroftyr

Tanya DePass is the founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a non-profit organization based in Chicago, which is dedicated to better diversification of all aspects of gaming. I Need Diverse Games serves the community by supporting marginalized developers attend the Game Developer Conference by participating in the GDC Scholarship program, helps assist attendance at other industry events, and is seeking partnership with organizations and initiatives. Tanya is a lifelong Chicagoan who loves everything about gaming, #INeedDiverseGames spawn point, and wants to make it better and more inclusive for everyone. She founded and was the EIC of Fresh Out of Tokens podcast where games culture was discussed and viewed through a lense of feminism, intersectionality and diversity. Now she’s a co-host on Spawn on Me Podcast. Along with all of that, she’s the Programming Coordinator for OrcaCon, she often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at multiple conventions throughout the year. Her writing about games and games critique appears in Uncanny Magazine, Polygon, Wiscon Chronicles, Vice Gaming, Paste Games, Mic, and other publications.