Home PC Components and Peripherals The Best Microphones for Gaming and Streaming in 2023
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The best microphone for gaming may be a more recent addition to a PC gamer’s toolkit, but thanks to improvements in standalone microphone quality and affordability, it may be worthwhile to replace the subpar microphone that comes with your gaming headset with a high-quality streaming setup. The greatest microphone is an investment you should make if you want to be heard during a raid, online skirmish, or even a business meeting.
To produce studio-quality sound with your streaming equipment, you don’t need a Master’s degree in sound engineering. Whenever you go live, all you typically need is a USB port and a topic to chat about. Finding the right microphone for podcasting or streaming might be challenging because you won’t know how it sounds until you use it. To help, we listed some of the best microphones for gaming and streaming. See which one suits your needs the most.
If you want your voice to stand out, this mic is for you. If you don’t mind digging really far into your wallet, that is. Although some of the microphones on our list are more reasonable than others, it is true that if you want the best, you will have to pay more.
For many people, the USB Type-B Micro/XLR connector will be the main attraction. It combines the flexibility of Type-B Micro inputs for mobile recording with laptops and other devices with the adaptability of XLR (particularly if you use professional audio interfaces). Shure’s first hybrid XLR/USB microphone delivers professional sound with a minimal setup and level of technical knowledge. Although it costs more than the normal premium mic, its adaptability more than makes up for the price.
In terms of performance, the mic does an excellent job at isolating voice as it ignores the loud hums of your desktop PC, air condition, or other noise in the background
The ShurePlus Motiv software, which the MV7 makes use of, enables you to easily adjust and fine-tune your sound. From here, you may fiddle with things like limiting, EQing, and adding compression to your voice.
Especially if you’re looking for a microphone that will initially plug into a USB audio interface and subsequently be beneficial in converting to an all-XLR setup down the road, the Shure MV7 is a great-sounding XLR/USB hybrid microphone that will provide expert podcasters and streamers a major upgrade. It is intended for content producers who wish to raise their production standards to professional-grade levels but are unable or unwilling to invest the money necessary to do so. When you consider the versatility of the Shure MV7, $250 for a hybrid USB/XLR microphone isn’t that much of a stretch.
Excecllent vocal clarityVersatileEasy to use software
No mic stand includedMicro-USB isn’t for everyone
The HyperX SoloCast is the greatest new microphone available that is priced reasonably. This new breed, which prioritizes the sound above vast feature sets for an incredibly low price, offers the audio performance of its more costly brothers.
You essentially pay for mobility and convenience of use for less than $60. In terms of sound quality, you often get what you pay for, but the HyperX SoloCast aims to dispel the myth that a less expensive microphone necessarily produces inferior audio. Because it offers us the audio prowess of its more expensive QuadCast S counterpart, the HyperX SoloCast stands out above the competition.
A headphone port, gain control, shock mount, inbuilt pop filter, and, let’s not forget, that eye-catching RGB lighting are the features HyperX surrendered to the audio gods. Everything gone, replaced by the flimsy SoloCast.
It is especially painful to not be able to adjust the gain with the SoloCast on the fly because the microphone sounded a little bit too hot right out of the box. This implies that any adjustments you make must be made at the software level in your streaming programs, such as OBS or XSplit.
The SoloCast, though, can be all you need if all you’re after is higher-quality audio and you don’t want to fumble with gain settings in the middle of a recording.
Great pricePortable design
No gain control on mic
There is a reason why Blue microphones frequently appear on our list. The Blue Yeti X is a hybrid model that combines the best features of the Nano and the original Yeti. The Yeti X is still a solid recommendation for anyone searching for a great-sounding mic, even when new mics hit the market.
The durable microphone is still of the highest caliber, but it now boasts an LED-lit front screen that conveniently displays your volume levels at a glance. Gain, headphone levels, and blend modes may all be adjusted while using the built-in 3.5 mm socket thanks to the “Smart Knob” capability. This means that you can control the level of your headphones as well as how loud you sound to other people from the front of the device.
A single button on the Yeti X’s back alternates between the four available pickup patterns. There are several types of microphones: cardioid for streaming and recording, omnidirectional for large group calls, bi-directional for two-person podcasts, and stereo for ASMR. It is obvious why many seasoned podcasters and live streamers still like this microphone when it comes to sound quality. It feels like a clear representation of your voice in recordings and has an amazingly wide range.
Although this mic’s bulkiness is a drawback, the supplied stand does an excellent job of keeping it steady on a desk. Also, it does a decent job of preventing unwanted feedback from leaking through it and into the microphone. However, a boom arm with some sort of suspension will be your best choice to further lessen this.
By far the best-sounding mic Blue has to offerLED front panelSoftware offers great flexibility
Low mic standChunky design might not be for everyone
For broadcasters or gamers seeking a simple-to-use, clear-sounding mic, the HyperX Quadcast S is a great option. The Quadcast S more than makes up for its lack of sound quality compared to the Yeti X with its appearance and feature set.
The Quadcast S’s major selling point is that it has a ton of built-in functions that are typically expensive add-ons for other streaming mics. Because of the built-in shock mount, the microphone won’t pick up any inadvertent bumps that occur during a heated Warzone play or a hectic Discord chat.
The top-mounted microphone’s touch-sensitive mute button is also very good. When recording, mute buttons and switches often generate a loud click, but not with this mic. If you want to add something to your live stream, the Quadcast S is the ideal combination of sound quality, pricing, and functionality.
The HyperX Quadcast S handles all things RGB using its exclusive Ngenuity software, and that’s about it in terms of software. You can change settings like the mic level and get an explanation of each polar pattern, among other things. In contrast to the Elgato Wave: 3(opens in new tab), which includes a digital audio mixer, or the Blue Yeti X’s Blu, it has relatively few options apart from that. voice-over program with audio filtering capabilities.
Although not everyone likes the aesthetic of the sports-talk radio broadcast mic, I think it has a certain charm. In any case, I adore the dynamic RGB lights. You seem to be talking into a lava lamp. Although the RGB is spectacular and entertaining, existing Quadcast users shouldn’t upgrade since the microphone is identical to last year’s model except for the light display.
Easy to useTouch-sensitive mute buttonBuilt-in Shockmount
PriceyRGB lighting might not be for everyone
Elgato’s first microphone is designed for broadcasters who want to easily add high-quality audio to their streams. The Wave 3 is a 96 kHz microphone with a ton of features that sounds fantastic, is simple to use, and works with most desk boom arms. The Wave 3’s design strikes a perfect balance between being contemporary and still having the same vintage visual appeal.
Wave Link, developed by Elgato, functions as a digital audio mixer that lets you manage every component of your stream from a single interface. For game audio, various microphones, and even game chat, you can add up to 8 channels. Wave Link can be added as a master audio source by users of Xsplit and OBS, which is a lifesaver. The majority of streamers will agree that audio is consistently the most unpleasant and unpredictable aspect of a stream.
It’s convenient that Elgato’s Clipguard technology prevents your levels from ever hitting red. This implies that the microphone in Clipguard “automatically soothes overdriven soundwaves before transferring them to your computer” and will automatically modify your levels as you stream. So, the Wave: 3 will try its best to prevent your loud cries of defeat from blowing out everyone watching your stream, even if you’re blowing out your microphone in real-time due to a screaming fit after an unfortunate death in Fortnite.
What matters most is how great the Wave: 3 sounds. You can hear every nuance of my post-date-night hangover voice, right down to the slap of my dry lips, even with the gain set to the lowest setting.
Clear audioSimple mounting
Single polar pattern
A capable microphone that will do the job is the Rode NT-USB Mini. Although the audio is a touch gain-heavy and needs to be fixed in editing due to the lack of settings on the mic, this is a nice alternative for the money if you’re new to podcasting.
The NT-USB Mini can best be described as “short and stocky”. It has a minimalistic style and is entirely matte black. It has a single, enormous knob up front that controls the headphone gain, and it has a USB Type-C port and a headphone jack on the rear. The NT-USB Mini is a big microphone that is also somewhat heavy. You can tell you are holding something more professional because the plastic and metal structure feels wonderful in your hand.
On a mount that can swivel 360 degrees, the microphone floats. This provides the Rode NT-USB a ton of versatility because it can be put on practically any stand, from a straightforward desk mount to an overhead arm. The NT-USB Mini’s included stand is adequate. Its sturdy base magnetically attaches to the microphone. However, you have to shift yourself toward the mic rather than the other way around due to its flat, non-adjustable base.
It’s sad that Rode does not include a carrying case; in fact, there isn’t even one offered for sale separately. This is because the Rode NT-USB Mini might be utilized by traveling podcasters or musicians. It would have been good if Rode had adopted a similar strategy for the NT-USB Mini as well, even though the business does make cases for its other mics.
In terms of sound quality, the NT-USB Mini generally does a respectable job of recording. Although it can’t match the more powerful studio microphones that go via an audio interface, the resulting audio is acceptable for what it is. It obviously outperforms a set of headphones or an iPhone’s built-in microphone.
Great SoundSimple compact designDecent software
Picks up background noise
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