Whether you’re playing with teammates online or doing a game commentary for others to enjoy, recording good audio is crucial. After all, you want your teammates and your viewers to understand what you’re saying — especially when you’re screaming in excitement. The analog mics on your webcam, earphones, or cheap headphones have inferior sound quality, so you’ll eventually have to get a USB or XLR microphone.
If you’re going all out and looking for the best microphone for gaming, or at least considering the upgrade, we have it for you. In fact, we’ve listed several, so you can choose which one suits your setup and meets your audio needs the most. But first, let’s look at the qualities that you’ll need to look for in a good gaming microphone.
Qualities of a Good Gaming Microphone
Here are several basic qualities you’ll need to look for in a gaming microphone. A good mic won’t help you play like a pro overnight, but a better audio experience can help improve the quality of your teamwork, gaming videos, and live streams.
Great Sound Quality
There are many types of microphones to choose from — but you’re better off choosing either a dynamic or condenser microphone (much like the microphones used for podcasting) that’s specifically designed to pick up the intricacies of a person’s speaking voice and does so without delays. It’s also ideal to choose one with a tight bi-directional (figure 8) or cardioid pattern. Both effectively cancel out background noise from the sides, including keyboard and mouse clicks.
Suits Your Game
While studio microphones are best for recording voices, they’re not always the best for every gamer. Before heading to the audio store, figure out the kind of microphone you need for the kind of games you play and how often you play.
While it’s always beneficial to upgrade to a studio-quality mic, you don’t always have to make that investment. Many real-time strategy (RTS) and adventure gamers prefer a good quality headset or pair of headphones for their affordability and convenience. But if you’re going to be live streaming and sharing your gaming videos, you may want to complement your gear with a good-looking microphone.
Easy to Set Up
What gamers really need is great audio recording quality, and they would always prefer one that’s much easier to set up. Some studio microphones need additional components such as audio interfaces, preamplifiers, phantom power supply, and extra cables to maximize its features. Depending on your experience in audio devices, you may want to go for plug-and-play USB mics that only require you to plug your mic into your computer for recording and your headphone jack into the microphone for monitoring.
Cost-Efficient & Budget-Friendly
Fortunately, there are good quality microphones that go for under $100. Obviously, the quality increases further as you decide to spend more, but you definitely won’t have to go way beyond $200 for one that is suitable for more serious gamers, streamers, and podcasters.
Best Microphones For Gaming
Below you’ll find our list of the most popular and well-loved microphones for gaming. Some of them may not be ideal for recording singing or music, but each of them have been tried and tested by thousands of gamers to meet your game recording needs.
Samson Go Mic Portable USB Condenser Microphone
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The Samson Go USB microphone is a great choice if you want both quality and portability without the heavy price tag. Believe it or not, it’s only less than 3 inches long and can easily fit in your pocket. It even comes with a zippered carrying case, aside from the clip case that doubles as a mic stand. Setup is also pretty simple with the Samson Go—it can be connected to your computer via a USB cable and has a standard audio jack so you can monitor your recording with a good pair of headphones.
The microphone has a switch for three different recording settings: omnidirectional for 360-degree audio coverage (best for multiple speaking voices), cardioid for recording only from the front of the microphone, and -10dBb for lowering the gain so you eliminate ambient noise. To use the latter, you’ll have to move in closer, which also means you’ll need a separate pop filter to eliminate distracting plosive sounds. And while its small transducer doesn’t do well with singing voices, the Samson Go is definitely good enough for gamers who want clear voice recordings.
Key Specifications:
- Recording Resolution of 16-Bit, 44.1 kHz
- Frequency Response of 20 Hz to 18 kHz
- Switchable Cardioid and Omnidirectional Polar Patterns
- 1/8-Inch Headphone Jack
- Zero-Latency Monitoring
- Clips to Laptop, Integrated Desk Stand
- Windows & Mac Compatible
- USB Output
Sony ECM-CS10 Omnidirectional Stereo Lavalier Microphone
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The Sony ECM-CS10 omnidirectional lavalier microphone is the advanced version of the Zalman ZM-Mic1, which is incredibly popular among gamers. It can also be plugged directly into your PC and clipped right onto your shirt so it only really captures your voice.
The major edge of this inconspicuous microphone over the Zalman lavalier mic is that it offers stereo channels, which means it records in left and right channels. This adds dimension and creates a fuller, more realistic sound that helps provide your listeners with a more immersive listening experience. The build is also much better, which makes the Sony ECM-CS10 all the more worth the price difference. It’s also the cheapest on this list, so it’s definitely an ideal choice for gamers on a budget.
Key Specifications:
- Omnidirectional Polar Pattern
- Lavalier-Style Hands-Free Recording
- L-Shaped Mini Plug for Portable Recorders
Blue Microphones Snowball iCE USB Condenser Microphone
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The Blue Snowball ICE is a fairly affordable and highly popular USB condenser microphone that’s widely used by both gamers and podcasters. It features a custom condenser capsule and a cardioid pickup pattern to effectively capture clear vocals while eliminating other sounds. It’s admittedly not at par with higher-end microphones when it comes to audio quality, but it’s favored by many for its cost-efficiency—not to mention its cool aesthetics.
Another great feature is that it’s super easy to set up. It even comes with its own USB cable and a small tripod stand to keep the mic in place near your computer. The Snowball ICE is available in many different colors (silver, blue, black, green, purple, pink, orange), so you can either match your current color scheme or make it a standout feature of your gaming rig.
Key Specifications:
- Recording Resolution of 16-bit, 44.1 kHz
- Frequency Response of 40 Hz to 18 kHz
- Cardioid Polar Pattern
- Adjustable Base Stand
- Windows & Mac Compatible
- USB Connectivity
Samson Meteor Large Diaphragm USB Studio Microphone
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Samson’s Meteor is another cool microphone that looks out of this world. With its chrome finish and adjustable legs that make it look like a spaceship, this microphone can definitely make a good-looking addition to your gaming setup. It also comes in other shades: Brushed Nickel and Titanium Black, both of which make it look all the more expensive. What’s even better is that it’s a plug-and-play USB microphone that you can use in an instant.
As for the recording quality, the Meteor has a large 25mm diaphragm that helps it capture deeper vocal tones, which is a plus for many gamers who want boosted bass and a better-sounding voice in the final audio.
Other standout features include the cardioid pickup pattern, latency-free monitoring, a headphone volume control, a mute switch, and compatibility with your iPad (using a Lighting-to-USB camera adapter or 30-pin Camera Connection Kit).
Key Specifications:
- Recording Resolution of 16-bit, 44.1/48kHz
- Frequency Response of 20Hz to 20kHz
- Cardioid Polar Pattern
- Headphone Volume Control
- Microphone Mute Switch
- 1/8-Inch Headphone Jack
- Zero-Latency Monitoring
- Compatible with iPad
- USB Connectivity
CAD U37 USB Studio Recording Condenser Microphone
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The CAD U37 is a handy condenser microphone that looks professional and pricey, except it goes way under $100. This CAD Audio mic can capture the warm, rich tone of your voice, making it great for both gaming and podcasting. Its cardioid pickup pattern helps isolate your voice from other ambient noises and may even rid the need to edit your final audio.
For its price, it already records at 16-bit 48kHz resolution and has a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz, which puts it near the top with many other more expensive, high-end microphones. And like the previous microphones, this one also comes with a stand, so you can place it right next to you and your computer when you’re all set to record.
Key Specifications:
- Recording Resolution of 16-bit, 48 kHz
- Frequency Response of 20Hz to 20kHz
- Cardioid Polar Pattern
- Low-Frequency Roll-Off Filter
- Windows & Mac Compatible
- USB Connectivity
Blue Yeti USB Condenser Microphone (Black Edition)
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If you’ve been recording for a while now, you’ve probably already seen or heard of the Blue Yeti USB condenser microphone. Heck, you might even already own one! This incredibly professional and affordable microphone is highly recommended for gaming as it features three condenser capsules that greatly improve its sound pick-up and recording quality.
Aside from offering basic features like gain control, a mute button, and latency-free monitoring, it allows you to choose from stereo, cardioid, omni, and bi-directional recording modes. You definitely can’t go wrong with the Blue Yeti, especially since it works well with both Windows and Mac computers and plugs in easily via USB. Then again, if you have a few extra bucks to spare, you can choose to go with the upgraded Pro version, which you’ll find near the end of this list.
Key Specifications:
- Recording Resolution of 16-Bit, 48 kHz
- Frequency Response of 20Hz to 20kHz
- Tri-Capsule Array
- Cardioid, Omni, Bi-directional, Stereo Polar Patterns
- 1/8-Inch Headphone Jack
- Zero-Latency Monitoring
- Instant Mute Button
- Gain Control
- Windows & Mac Compatible
- USB Connectivity
Samson G-Track USB Condenser Microphone
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This USB condenser microphone is just more proof that Samson makes some of the best digital microphones that ensure both quality and affordability. The Samson G-Track, in particular, is a slightly more advanced and larger piece of equipment that has a 19mm diaphragm and a supercardioid pattern for improved noise cancellation. This one also supports 16-bit audio with 48kHz resolution, which gives your audio just enough definition and keeps the mic reasonably priced.
This versatile microphone also features two outputs: a 1/8-inch stereo mini output for devices like mp3 players and a second 1/8-inch stereo headphone jack for latency-free monitoring while you record. But perhaps our most favorite feature is that it has a supecardioid pickup pattern, which allows it to work like a small shotgun mic with a narrow recording field to really eliminate noise from the sides and the back of the mic. Not bad at all for an affordable microphone.
Key Specifications:
- Recording Resolution of 16-bit, 48kHz
- Frequency Response of 20Hz to 16kHz
- Supercardioid Polar Pattern
- Gain Control
- 1/8-Inch Stereo Mini Input
- 1/8-Inch Stereo Headphone Jack
- Zero-Latency Monitoring
- USB Connectivity
Audio-Technica AT2020USBi Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone
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For those who are familiar with the Audio-Technica brand, you can be sure that the AT2020USBi can offer you superior quality recording. Despite its affordable price, it is definitely one of the best microphones on the market for gaming and streaming. In fact, it would be difficult to find another microphone with the same quality in this price range.
Like the AT2020, it features an A/D converter and has a 24-bit/96kHz sampling rate to be able to capture high-resolution audio with all the highs and lows and intricacies of your speaking voice. Use this to record beautiful vocals on any computer, iPad, or iPhone (Windows 7, Mac 10.6, iOS 7.02 and newer). As long as the microphone is facing you, its cardioid pickup pattern will take charge in eliminating background noise.
Key Specifications:
- Recording Resolution of 24-bit, 96kHz
- Frequency Response of 20Hz to 20kHz
- Cardioid Polar Pattern
- Gain Control
- Windows, Mac, and iOS Compatible
- Micro-HDMI Output
- USB and Lightning Connectivity
Blue Yeti Pro USB Condenser Microphone
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For those who have been waiting for it, here is the advanced version of the Blue Yeti. The Blue Yeti Pro may look a lot like the previous model, but it sports more professional features and a heftier price tag. It has the same polar pattern settings: cardioid, stereo, omni, and bidirectional (best for gaming). It’s also got the built-in headphone jack for latency-free monitoring and features the usual controls such as headphone, mute, gain, and pickup pattern selection.
The main differences? This one can record at 24-bit 192kHz resolution (compared to the former’s 16-bit 48kHz resolution) and features an XLR output (aside from the standard USB output) so you can use it as a standalone stereo mic as long as it is connected to a mixer or audio interface. These give the Blue Yeti Pro the versatility that a serious gamer and other professionals need to be able to record or produce high-quality audio.
Key Specifications:
- Recording Resolution of 24-bit, 192kHz
- Frequency Response of 20Hz to 20kHz
- Tri-Capsule Array
- Cardioid, Omni, Bidirectional, Stereo Polar Patterns
- Zero-Latency Monitoring
- Instant Mute Button
- Gain Control
- Compatible with Windows and Mac
- USB and XLR Outputs
Rode NTG-2 Condenser Shotgun Microphone
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As we reach the end of the list, we feature a microphone that may be over many gamers’ budgets, but can still be considered if you’re determined to look for the best of the best in terms of gaming microphones. Featuring the Rode NTG-2, this microphone looks a lot different compared to all the others as it is a shotgun mic, which means it has a narrower coverage when recording what’s in front of it to really cancel out other sounds and noise.
This special shotgun condenser mic will give you broadcasting sound quality and would be well worth the investment if you’re also doing podcasting or regular game reporting for a wider audience on the side. It’s definitely out of the ordinary, thanks to its cool aesthetics, rugged metal construction, and supercardioid pickup pattern. We suggest that you test it out to hear the high-quality audio output yourself.
Key Specifications:
- Recording Resolution of 24-bit, 48kHz
- Frequency Response of 20Hz to 20kHz
- Supercardioid Polar Pattern
- 3.5mm Mini Headphone Jack
- Phantom (48V) or Battery (1.5V) Powered
- XLR Connector
