GoPro turns the Hero 8 Black into a $249 webcam – TechCrunch

The GoPro Hero 8 action camera can now be used as a webcam thanks to a software utility. The software, which is still in beta, lets users connect a Hero 8 camera through USB and use it as a webcam. Without this utility, owners had to use a combination of dongles and HDMI cables to use the camera with their computers.
The GoPro app comes as most camera companies have released similar utilities for their latest DSLR cameras Sony is the notable exception. TechCrunch has a running list right here.
With this new software from GoPro, owners can use their Hero 8 camera and its handy wide-angle lens in video chats with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Discord, and many others. And if used through Chrome, the camera will work with Webex, Skype, Slack, and others.
The work-from-home aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a shortage of webcams. As the global economy shifted to home offices, webcams from Logitech and Microsoft quickly sold-out. The few HDMI adapters that allowed DLSRs to act as a webcam sold out, too. Camera companies suddenly started retooling their software to allow their cameras to work as a webcam through USB instead of HDMI.
This move from GoPro is smart. At a new low price of $249, the GoPro Hero 8 Black is one of the least expensive routes to use a real camera as a webcam. Right now, the software solution only works with Macs. GoPro says a Windows version is in the works. To use a Hero 8 as a webcam, download the latest firmware from GoPro and snag GoPro’s new Webcam Desktop Utility app.

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