SwitchBot
SwitchBot Outdoor Pan/Tilt Cam 3K
- Native integration
- Local control
- Wi-Fi
Prices verified September 2026
See more cameras picks on our Amazon storefront →Our verdict
At £89.99 this is £30 more than the indoor Pan/Tilt Cam Plus 3K already on this list, and the premium buys what you'd expect for a garden or driveway camera: IP66 weatherproofing rated to -20°C, a wired Ethernet option alongside Wi-Fi, and microSD support up to 512GB against the indoor model's 256GB ceiling. The headline feature, though, is the AI Event Alert system — instead of a bare 'motion detected' push notification like Reolink or Ring give you, it writes a plain-English summary ('a delivery van dropped off a parcel', 'a fox crossed the driveway at 11pm'), which is a genuine step beyond motion-only alerts. The catch: that natural-language layer runs through SwitchBot's cloud and AI Guard Premium subscription (from £3.99/mo) — RTSP streaming into Home Assistant or Frigate for local person detection is free and always available, but the clever sentence-writing isn't. Buy this over the indoor Plus 3K if the camera is actually going outside; buy the Plus 3K if it's watching a hallway and you don't need the weatherproofing.
What can Home Assistant control on the SwitchBot Outdoor Pan/Tilt Cam 3K?
| Control | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Live video stream | Camera | RTSP main stream (3K/5MP) or a lower-bitrate substream; add via HA's generic camera platform or the ONVIF integration once the app-side Camera Account is created. |
| Pan/tilt control | Service (ONVIF PTZ, unverified completeness) | Exposed through the ONVIF integration's PTZ service if supported; SwitchBot's ONVIF PTZ compliance is documented as incomplete on the sibling indoor Plus 3K and was not independently confirmed as fixed on this outdoor model — verify before relying on it in automations. |
| Person/vehicle/motion detection | Derived (via Frigate) | No native HA motion entity from the camera itself; feed the RTSP stream into Frigate for local person/vehicle detection binary sensors and event clips, no AI Guard subscription required. |
| Camera Account credentials | Config (app-side) | A local username/password pair created in the SwitchBot app's camera settings, required before RTSP/ONVIF ports open on the LAN. |
As with the indoor Plus 3K, local streaming isn't exposed by default — you need to open the camera's settings in the SwitchBot app and create a Camera Account (its own username/password) before RTSP (port 554) or ONVIF responds on the LAN. Point HA's generic camera platform at the RTSP main stream (rtsp://<ip>:554/live0, or the lighter live1 substream) for reliable video, and add the ONVIF integration alongside it for device discovery. Treat ONVIF PTZ pan/tilt commands from HA with the same scepticism as the indoor Plus 3K until proven otherwise on this specific outdoor model — SwitchBot's ONVIF implementation has a track record of incomplete PTZ coverage across the range, so drive pan/tilt from the SwitchBot app and keep HA's role to viewing and automation triggers. The wired Ethernet option is a genuine advantage over the indoor model for anyone whose outdoor Wi-Fi signal is marginal at the mounting point. As a real RTSP source it feeds straight into Frigate for local, subscription-free person/vehicle detection — the AI Guard Premium subscription is only required for SwitchBot's own natural-language event summaries in its app, not for local HA/Frigate use.
Specs
| wifi | 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, plus wired Ethernet option |
|---|---|
| power | mains, USB-C cable with A/C adapter (5V/2A) or wired Ethernet; no internal battery; SwitchBot's solar panel accessory is listed for the separate Outdoor Spotlight Cam and is not confirmed compatible with this Pan/Tilt model |
| storage | microSD up to 512GB (not included), optional cloud storage, AI Guard Premium subscription from £3.99/mo for AI event summaries |
| pan tilt | 360° horizontal / 90° vertical, AI-powered motion auto-tracking |
| ip rating | IP66 (dust and water resistant), rated to operate down to -20°C |
| placement | outdoor |
| streaming | RTSP + ONVIF (camera account required, same mechanism as the Plus 3K range) |
| resolution | 3K 5MP, f/1.6 aperture, 110° wide-angle lens |
| night vision | colour + IR night vision, 4x IR LEDs + 4x white LEDs for full-colour low-light viewing |
| field of view | 110° diagonal (wide-angle lens) |
| two way audio | yes, high-sensitivity microphone and speaker |
How does the SwitchBot Outdoor Pan/Tilt Cam 3K compare?
| Product | From | Protocol | Local control | Integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SwitchBot Outdoor Pan/Tilt Cam 3K (this product) | £89.99 | Wi-Fi | Yes | Native |
| Aqara Camera E1 | £48.98 | Wi-Fi | Yes | Native |
| Aqara Camera Hub G3 | £119.99 | Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Matter | Yes | Native |
| Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro (Wi-Fi) | £159.98 | Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Thread, Matter | Yes | Native |
Frequently asked questions
- Does the SwitchBot Outdoor Pan/Tilt Cam 3K work with Home Assistant locally?
- Yes. The SwitchBot Outdoor Pan/Tilt Cam 3K is controlled locally in Home Assistant through a built-in Home Assistant core integration (generic_camera), so it keeps working if your internet connection or the SwitchBot cloud goes down. Control and state updates stay on your own network.
- Which protocol does the SwitchBot Outdoor Pan/Tilt Cam 3K use, and do I need a hub?
- The SwitchBot Outdoor Pan/Tilt Cam 3K uses Wi-Fi. To pair it with Home Assistant you need no hub — it joins your Wi-Fi network directly. SwitchBot's own hub is not required when you integrate through a built-in Home Assistant core integration (generic_camera).
- How much does the SwitchBot Outdoor Pan/Tilt Cam 3K cost in the UK?
- The lowest price we have listed for the SwitchBot Outdoor Pan/Tilt Cam 3K is £89.99 at SwitchBot UK. Prices were last checked in September 2026 and change often, so confirm on the retailer's page before buying.