A lot of gamers do themselves a great injustice when it comes to the headsets they use. No one wants to hear you talk into your cheap headset, because chances are it can hear you mouth-breathing and will pick up all the extra syllables you feel the need to stress when talking to others while playing games. While it is nice and convenient to buy a gaming headset with both a microphone and headphones built into it—at some point you owe it to yourself and to your team mates in the games you play to have a microphone that won’t fill the air with static and distortion every time you try to talk.
So we’ve done some digging around and have found what are probably the best microphones for gamers and livestreamers who desire something that offers better and more in-depth audio quality than anything that gets passed off as a gaming headset at Best Buy or Gamestop.
Take a look at what we think are the best microphones for gaming in 2021
Comparison Guide Of The Best Gaming Microphones
| Image | Model Name | Features | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Blue Yeti Pro USB Condenser Microphone | Advanced recording settings. 4 pattern settings. (stereo, cardioid, omnidirectional, bidirectional) | 4.1 | $$ |
 | Blue Snowball iCE Microphone | Ideal for creating podcasts. Easy to set up - plug and play. | 4.4 | $ |
 | Audio-Technica AT2020USBi Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone | Comes with Tripod desk stand with folding legs. | 4.5 | $$ |
 | Audio-Technica ATR2500-USB Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone | Built in headphone jack - ideal for home recording / podcasting. | 4.3 | $ |
 | CAD GXL2400 USB Microphone | Perfect for podcasting & skype. Comes with Akos capsule which gives full range studio fidelity. | 4.5 | $ |
 | MXL Mics MXL-TEMPO-KR Condenser Microphone | Plug in and play. Easy to set up. Comes with 16-Bit resolution, 44.1-48kHz sampling | 4.0 | $ |
 | Samson Meteor Mic USB Studio Microphone | Comes with 16-bit, 44.1/48kHz resolution. | 4.4 | $ |
 | XIAOKOA Professional Condenser Microphone | Ideal for podcasting, singing recordings and general broadcasting. | 3.9 | $ |
 | Antlion Audio ModMic Attachable Boom Microphone | Quick & extremely easy set-up. Ideal for multi-player gaming. | 4.0 | $ |
 | Zalman Zm-Mic1 High Sensitivity Headphone Microphone | High sensitivity mic. Nice compact design. | 3.6 | $ |
Blue Yeti Pro USB Condenser Microphone
Blues makes absolutely stellar audio equipment, which might explain why they’ve got several items on this list. This product in particular, however, is their golden god. This microphone houses three custom condenser capsules and four different polar pattern settings: Cardioid, Stereo, Bidirectional, and Omnidirectional, meaning this microphone will get the absolute best results it possibly can under any kind of recording situation.
Blue claims the Yeti Pro is the world’s first USB-microphone that combines 24-bit/192 kHz digital recording solution with analog XLR output, meaning it can capture digital audio with up to four times the clarity found on commercial CDs. Featuring a built-in headphone amplifier for zero-latency monitoring and direct controls for headphone volume, pattern selection, mute, and microphone gain, this microphone has got you covered whether you’re just trying to talk to your team mates or you’re trying to record a commentary to talk about how awesome you are.
Blue Snowball iCE Microphone
This microphone is not intended for professional recordings, but for our purposes it serves as an excellent standard to hold other microphones to. Featuring a tripod design which allows for easy placement anywhere, which is actually incredibly useful as it prevents the microphone from getting in the way of the screen the way other microphones might would.
This microphone has in it a Cardioid pick-up pattern that helps eliminate background noise and ensures the capture of crystal clear audio with its custom condenser capsule and professional quality 16-bit, 4.1kHz sound. Requiring no driver installs to use, gamers can just plug it in and be ready to communicate, strategize, and talk trash with other gamers.
Audio-Technica AT2020USBi Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone
Being around for over 50 years has allowed Audio-Technica to carve out a pioneer status in the audio industry. Being packaged with a pivoting stand and combining high-resolution audio with a multitude of connectivity options, this mic from Audio-Technica adds a new level of sound-quality and convenience to plug and play microphones. This digital output mic comes featuring an A/D converter with a 24-bit/96 kHz sampling rate that delivers crystal clear audio with its integrated gain control and volume control.
The microphone comes standard with both a USB cable and a Lightning cable for straight out of the box use on both PC and Mac, but let’s be honest, no one who is serious about gaming is really playing on a Mac.
Audio-Technica ATR2500-USB Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone
Audio-Technica rarely falters with their top of the line products, and this microphone is no exception. Identical to the AT2020, the AT2500 is another plug and play microphone that captures amazingly high quality audio with its A/D converter and 16 bit, 44.1/48 kHz sampling rate. This microphone features a side-address condenser for easy connection to your computer and a built-in 3.5mm headphone jack for monitoring your levels.
The microphone’s low-mass diaphragm design provides excellent frequency response, and it comes with a pivoting tripod stand mount for convenience. However, if there is one negative aspect of the microphone that all the user reviews seem to agree upon, it is that the microphone’s sensitivity will pick up all manner of unintended sounds, including the worst of them all, keyboard clicks.
CAD GXL2400 USB Microphone
This microphone from CAD is an excellent choice for gamers or livestreamers looking for something new and fresh. This CAD GXL2400 uses a Cardioid system setting. This audio pick-up system will help to distinguish and isolate your voice from background noises, which is an absolute necessity when it comes to gaming as no one wants to hear your keyboard clicks or loud breathing. Featuring a frequency response of 20Hz to 18kHz, this USB mic provides high quality performance with its large Diaphragm Studio Condenser and A/D converter ensuring full range studio fidelity. Coming with a shock mount, desk stand, and USB cable for instant use, this microphone is an excellent choice for gamers looking to upgrade their equipment without being overwhelmed.
MXL Mics MXL-TEMPO-KR Condenser Microphone
This microphone from MXL Mics is unique, aesthetically-speaking. Being offered in three color schemes (Black/Red, White/Red, Silver/Black), it might just be the prettiest microphone available on the market. Beyond that, these MXL Mics offer more of the same with a Cardioid audio pattern for eliminating background noise, combined with a 40Hz-18kHz frequency response and a 44.1kHz-48kHz sampling rate, making it an excellent choice for gamers looking for stress-free communication. The integrated high-fidelity headphone output gives users the ability to monitor themselves while using the microphone, making sure nothing interferes with their voice while gaming or streaming to provide the best experience possible.
Samson Meteor Mic USB Studio Microphone
Samson has been around perfecting their audio equipment since the 1980s. Samson’s Meteor USB Microphone not only stuns users with its beautiful chrome plating and built-in tripod for easy use, it also stuns users when listening to the high quality recordings this microphone can produce. Featuring a 16-bit, 44.1-48kHz resolution and a smooth, flat frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz that helps eliminate all latency, this microphone is perfect for gamers with its built-in Cardioid audio pattern that helps create one of the best user experiences for a USB plug and play microphone.
XIAOKOA Professional Condenser Microphone
This microphone from XIAOKOA is a simpler type of microphone for gamers. While still plug and play, this microphone comes with an adapter for using a 3.5mm connector instead of a USB connector. That might be the biggest difference from other microphones, as it still captures rich, full-bodied sound using a Cardioid audio pattern without any sort of distortion or static. Coming with a built-in tripod, but designed for portability, this microphone comes with an adjustable professional dual-layer acoustic filter to prevent popping and to improve overall vocal recording quality. Gamers looking for a simple plug and play microphone should look no further.
Antlion Audio ModMic Attachable Boom Microphone
This microphone from Antlion Audio is different from most other microphones you’ll find marketed towards gamers and amateur audio engineers. Instead of being a standalone microphone that takes up space on your desk, this mic prides itself on being a nimble attachment that you add to your existing headphones while boasting some of the audio quality other standalone microphones do.
Featuring precision Cardioid audio patterns and a standard 3.5mm jack for immediate plug and play compatibility, this microphone is an excellent attachable boom for any headphones you already own that will eliminate any unwanted background noise and provide you with pitch-perfect audio quality. Coming with a magnetic clasp for attaching, the flexibility this microphone offers is perhaps its biggest drawing point.
Zalman Zm-Mic1 High Sensitivity Headphone Microphone
Continuing with the options for attachable microphones, this mic from Zalman is perfect for gamers. An attractive and compact design that helps keep it out of the way of gamers with its three mini clips, this high sensitivity microphone is great for gamers not wanting a large microphone cluttering their desk. Easy to use, compact with excellent sound quality and adjustable input levels, not to mention having over a ten foot long cord for flexibility while using, this microphone is a great choice for gamers looking to say goodbye to their old, amateur-style headsets.
All of these microphones would be excellent choices for gamers or livestreamers seeking an improvement on their current gaming headset. Sometimes the convenience of having a microphone built into your headphones is great, but a lot of the time you sacrifice high-quality audio levels for that convenience, which is why any of these microphones would be excellent replacements for any gamer looking to get an edge on the competition.
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