Mac and Windows operating systems (OS) treat USB Video Class (UVC) webcams differently. UVC "plug and play" drivers started getting support on Windows platforms in OS XP SP2 and on Mac OS 10.4.11.
The tables below compare OS support for the various webcam controls and features one by one.
Webcam controls available on macOS vs. Windows OS
macOS | Windows OS | |
Plug and Play (UVC) | Plug and Play (UVC) | |
Pan and Tilt | No | Yes |
Zoom | No | Yes |
Manual Exposure (Auto override) | No | Yes |
Manual Focus (Auto override) | No | Yes |
Low Light Boost (Auto override) | No | Yes |
Brightness | No | Yes |
Contrast | No | Yes |
Hue | No | Yes |
Saturation | No | Yes |
Sharpness | No | Yes |
White Balance | No | Yes |
Backlight compensation | No | Yes |
Current versions of macOS don't expose the webcam controls listed above on a global application basis. With some restrictions, webcam controls for a proprietary application (ex. Logitech Webcam Software) could be implemented, whereas it isn't possible to make these controls available for applications such as Skype or QuickTime.
Webcam features available on macOS vs. Windows OS
macOS | Windows OS | |
Plug and Play (UVC) | Plug and Play (UVC) | |
Low Light Boost (Automatic Mode) | Yes | Yes |
RightLight (Automatic mode) | Yes | Yes |
RightSound (Automatic mode) | Yes | Yes |
Autofocus (Automatic mode) | Yes | Yes |
Face tracking | No | No |
Logitech Video Effects | No | No |
NOTE: Developing a driver doesn't necessarily result in additional benefits for the webcam when in use. See answer 360023240894 for more information about the Mac operating system and Logitech webcam drivers.
Frequently Asked Questions
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