A few years back, the best gaming microphones were simply the ones that would come along on your headset. And surprisingly, that would suffice. But, now that the times have changed with the advancements in audio tech, a good desktop microphone is a must-have for your gaming setup.
And why shouldn’t you, just for the sake of better quality sound? Tell me something, how many times has a friend popped up on voice chat, only to bark gibberish that sounds like nothing but a cat howling from another end of a wind tunnel? Good gaming mics will give you a one-up in a competitive setting, especially when communication is crucial.
HyperX Quadcast
HyperX Quadcast has secured its position as the best gaming microphone, thanks to its exceptionally well-implemented features and excellent audio quality. The four recording modes allow the microphone to be adapted with a single audio source and multiple voices with ease. Apart from that, the QuadCast adds the aesthetic to your gaming setup with its slick and study design.
Mal Fletcher
A dramatically red light illuminates the Quadcast, while this feature is further improved with the S version, which comes with the RGB lights. You can easily tap on top of the microphone to switch it and the lights off. Another great thing about the quad cast is that it comes with a very sturdy shock mount. So, you don’t have to worry about deafening your friends when you accidentally knock over the microphone of your desk every once in a while.
Blue Yeti X
It’s no surprise that yet another one of Blue’s microphones has made it to the list of the best microphones. The Yeti x is an amalgamation of the hybrid model of the nano, and the original yeti (Blue users will know exactly what I’m talking about). The microphone has a front-lit led panel that smartly monitors the volume levels, so the sound quality remains top-notch.
If you are a Warcraft fan, you might want to check out the Warcraft edition Yeti X. It comes with the same level of audio technology and features as the Yeti X, except, it’s matte black with a sleek gold trim design at the edges along with some fantasy glimpse all over the mic. With that particular edition, you can choose to voice the Warcraft races like gnomes, orcs, and more.
Elgato Wave 3
Looking for a mainstream gaming streaming USB microphone? This is the best you’re going to get! Not only that, but this mic can also work as a mixer, all thanks to the wave link software which helps in adjusting the mix of the mic and adding up to 8 channels. It is so good that it could easily take over both categories.
Anything running on your PC or Mac be it your game audio, subscriber alerts, or music, will sound properly balanced. Moreover, with the inclusion of the clip guard feature, you can efficiently swap between standard recording channels. It makes it sound very natural while avoiding the common pitfall which can be extremely annoying for streamers. And of course, it is powered with a USB type – c, along with a 3.5 mm headphone jack which is always nice to have.
Beyerdynamic Fox
Beyerdynamic is a respected name in the audio tech industry and anyone associated is very well aware of that. Their expertise in the studio and audio tech is beautifully shown in this new compact, USB microphone.
Unlike most of its competitors in this particular price range, the FOX offers hi-res 96 kHz/24-bit recording quality, which is honestly quite impressive considering the fact that it is a USB mic that you can just plugin and hit record. If you’re using it regularly on platforms like youtube or twitch, you might not need the high-end quality but if you’re streaming, podcasting, or producing music, you’ll thank god for the option to go beyond the standard CD-quality 44 kHz/16-bit.
The mic has the controls for mix, volume, and headphone minijack for inline monitoring. You will find a mute button on top along with the high-low gain toggle button at the back, which in our experience can be pretty useful as well.
As for the design, it has a sturdy metallic pop shield attached to it, which you can easily clip on without unscrewing anything and set the angle on. We can talk about its features for as long as you’d like, but it is its sheer sound quality and audio tech integration that makes it our pick for your studios.
Audio Technica AT2020
Just like Beyerdynamic, Audio Technica is yet another huge name in the audio tech industry. And it is no surprise that one other of their gaming microphones has managed to make its place in our list. When compared to FOX, it comes pretty close to matching its level of detail and warmth. However, other features including the breathiness and the pleasant high end, is what makes it ideal for spoken vocals.
It may come as a surprise to some, but with this purchase, you’ll have to buy a pop shield and a boom arm separately. Though it is fairly inexpensive, it is very strange to see the former not included already. As for the boom arm, it is recommended to people who found the tripod design wobbly. This way, they wouldn’t have to worry about knocking into it and destroying the setup while recording.
Rode NT-USB Mini
Looking for a compact gaming microphone for your setup? Rode has something to offer! You can expect all you do from a premium mic, just packaged into a small size. The features and the sound quality is something that you don’t really have to worry about, knowing that it’s coming from a Rode.
Despite its tendency of picking up some background noise, (which may be annoying for some), it sounds unbelievable to get such a solid-sounding microphone for a hundred bucks. It works great for podcasts, streams, even for the use of multiple people, and is particularly well-liked by people who hate adjusting the audio settings during a stream.
Whilst choosing a microphone, it is important to think about your use case. If you’re just looking for a microphone to chat with a dozen teammates, chances are, you really don’t need a microphone with a dozen patterns and podcast-level recording or sound quality. Gadgets like such may appeal to you, but bear in mind that it is useless to spend money on features you’ll never use.