Best gaming headsets with good microphones

Gaming headsets bring a lot of value to the table. They’re simple solutions to a problem often more complicated than it should be: the need to talk and hear clearly in a video game. Many of them come with all sorts of doodads and perks, like surround sound, customizable LEDs, and multiple input options. However, oddly enough, something many of them often just can’t quite nail is the microphone. Truly great gaming headset microphones are genuinely pretty hard to find, and there aren’t really any good indicators of quality for them — outside of, you know, using them, at least.

Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered! We’ve reviewed a lot of great gaming headsets, and more than a few of them have excellent microphones. Read on for our picks of the best gaming headsets with good microphones.

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The Razer BlackSharv V2 Pro (2023) has the best microphone for most people

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) stands out as a top gaming headset under $200, offering significant upgrades from its predecessor. It excels with its excellent microphone quality, extended battery life of up to 55 hours, and the addition of USB-C and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, making it versatile for remote work, gaming on PC, PS5, or Nintendo Switch, and online hangouts. Key highlights include superior comfort, custom audio/mic EQ settings on the headset, and notable improvements in sound isolation and quality. However, it has its drawbacks, such as the absence of Xbox compatibility, no 3.5mm connection, and the requirement to use Razer Synapse on a PC for tuning, excluding Mac and mobile users. Despite these limitations, its superior mic, comfort, and battery life make it an ideal choice for gamers and remote workers, except for those on Xbox or looking for a wired connection.

If you want a great mic without stretching a cord across the room, look to the Corsair Virtuoso Wireless SE

The Virtuoso Wireless SE is the most premium gaming headset Corsair has ever released. Featuring aluminum construction, comfortable ear pads, RGB lighting, and a generous selection of included accessories, the product aims to deliver a high-end gaming experience for people willing to spend nearly $200 on a headset.

As its name implies, this gaming headset supports wireless connections via its included 2.4GHz USB dongle, which is compatible with the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PCs. Plus, it has a 20-hour battery life, which means that you’ll never have to worry about this headset dying out on you mid-game.

In regards to playback sound quality, the Corsair Virtuoso Wireless SE won’t please everyone. Under-emphasized bass notes, like kick drums and bass synth lines, will come across as too quiet for EDM and hip-hop fans. However, it handles sound effects, dialogue, and musical scores with ease, delivering a listening experience that is ideal for gaming.

Looking for something you can just plug in and play with? Get the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 4

For less than $100, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 is a great gaming headset with an even better microphone, especially catering to PC gamers who also desire multiplatform compatibility. Its key strengths lie in the SteelSeries GG software, which allows extensive customization of sound profiles and spatial audio. This is particularly beneficial for FPS gamers who require specific sound settings for different gaming environments. Additionally, the headset’s comfort is enhanced by memory foam ear pads and a fabric suspension strap, making it suitable for extended gaming sessions.

Connectivity is another strong point of the Arctis Nova 3, with both USB-C and 3.5mm options, supplemented by an extension cable. This makes it adaptable across various platforms, including PCs, gaming consoles, and mobile devices.

In terms of sound, the headset’s frequency response is optimized for gaming but may not be as pleasant for certain types of music, with an under-emphasis on the sub-bass and a boost in the bass and higher treble ranges. The headset’s isolation is adequate, though it won’t entirely block out external noise. Overall, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 is a solid choice for gamers seeking a headset with a high-quality microphone, customizable sound profiles, and multiplatform functionality.

The Razer Barracuda X (2022) is an excellent affordable gaming headset

Razer took its already good Razer Barracuda X made it even better. For only $99, the Razer Barracuda X (2022) features Bluetooth, 2.4gHz, and wired connectivity options, good sound quality, long battery life, and a great microphone. You can use the Barracuda X (2022) with pretty much any device you can play a game on, and it’s light at only 250g, so you can comfortably game anywhere you want. In our testing at a consistent audio output peaking at 75dB(SPL), we found that the battery lasts 59 hours and 53 minutes, so you can reliably game throughout the week without charging the headset.

The frequency response varies from ours in the highs and lows quite a bit, with the mids being quite close to our consumer curve. This might not be ideal for some music, but for gaming, it’s perfectly fine. The isolation isn’t the best either, but it’s pretty typical for closed-back headsets. Don’t expect this headset to block out noise roommates or vacuums, but it should at least dampen some higher-pitched sounds like a fan running.

For a great-sounding, no-frills headset, check out the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 MAX

The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 MAX is a comfortable, straightforward wireless gaming headset that connects to PCs and consoles alike via a 2.4GHz wireless USB dongle. The dongle has a switch on the side for alternating between Xbox and USB modes. It has rock-solid audio output, comfortable memory foam ear pads, and a great mic that can fold into the headset. The battery life of the Stealth 600 Gen 2 MAX is also fantastic, lasting 78 hours and 23 minutes in our testing.

The frequency response of the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 MAX does deviate from our consumer curve in the lows, as well as some areas of the highs. You can EQ the sound a bit via the controls built into the headset. The isolation isn’t the best, but higher-pitched sounds should be reasonably quieted. And the microphone’s response is just as accurate as you could hope to get from a gaming headset.

The Audio-Technica ATH G1 is a decent wired headset

The Audio-Technica ATH G1 gaming headset brings the straightforward build and stellar sound this company’s become known for to the gaming space. It lacks the bells and whistles of a lot of the other headsets on this list, but that’s a small price to pay for raw audio quality.

This 3.5mm gaming headset works well with anything that supports TRRS plugs, which is basically everything in the gaming space. You’ll need to use its included splitter if you want to use the microphone for games other than Fortnite and Warframe on Nintendo Switch, though. The headset’s 45mm dynamic drivers output very good sound, though they’re definitely tuned to match an Olive-Welti curve rather than the neutral frequency response you’d find with Audio-Technica’s studio headphones.

How is the Corsair HS65 Surround for Gaming?

The Corsair HS65 Surround is a good gaming headset overall, though most of what it offers isn’t that special or notable. The microphone is the absolute best part about it, with very clear audio and great noise suppression. It even quiets echo and reverberation from room reflections well. Whether you’re chatting on Discord, in-game chat, or doing a video call for work, everyone will hear you perfectly well with this headset.

Other aspects of the headset include 7.1 virtual surround sound capability through Corsair’s iCue software and lots of sound profile customization as well. The base sound profile is a bit wonky, with a big boost in the bass and high frequencies. But for gaming, this isn’t bad, and iCue has sound profile options for different types of games that help a ton. The headset connects using a 3.5mm TRRS connection, but it also comes with a USB-A dongle for PC, which is needed for the software to work with the headphones.

Is the Logitech G Pro X a good gaming headset?

The Logitech G Pro X is overall a great gaming headset, with good sound quality, multiple connectivity options, and comfort standing out as key features. The headset does, however, rely a lot on software, making it less ideal for console gamers. The Logitech G Hub app is only available on PC, but it helps you by giving you a surround sound feature and letting you change the EQ of the headphones, as well as modifying the microphone with Blue VO!CE.

Should you get the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid?

The EPOS H3PRO Hybrid is a high-quality gaming headset with a versatile set of features. The detachable microphone and relatively accurate sound make it ideal both for gaming and for daily wear, while the variety of connection options make it ready for anything.

The H3PRO delivers excellent playback sound quality, hitting very close to what we consider the ideal frequency response curve. The bass and low mids are slightly emphasized, with some minor roll-off to notes below 40Hz (nearly inaudible). This makes it great for both gaming and music listening. It also works with different surround sound solutions, including the PlayStation 5’s new 3D Audio and Windows Sonic in wired mode. The microphone is quite good, too, as you can hear in this standardized sample.

This headset also features active noise canceling (ANC), making it a standout option for people playing games in louder environments or shared living spaces, as well as on the go. To complement this, you can adjust the microphone’s noise gate using the app. It sports a wide array of connectivity options, including wired and wireless USB options, a 3.5mm cable, and Bluetooth 5.2.

Considering EPOS’ previous effort, the H3 Hybrid, the H3PRO, is an exciting step up in quality that performs admirably in nearly any instance. If the price isn’t a deterrent to you, this is one of the best options on the market.

Should you get the HyperX Cloud III Wired or Wireless headset?

The best gaming headsets with good microphones: Notable mentions

• Audeze Mobius ($279 at Amazon): This premium gaming headset is quite expensive, but it offers features such as 3D audio, 7.1, and stereo audio settings, and its sound quality is unmatched. The microphone accurately relays vocals all along the frequency spectrum.
• Audeze LCD-GX ($899 at Amazon): Though incredibly expensive, this headset boasts one of the best mics out there for gamers.
• Beyerdynamic Tygr 300 R ($199 at Amazon): Though this is one of the pricier gaming headsets out there, its mic quality bridges the gap between gaming and podcasting because it’s just that darn good. It also has great sound quality, is easy to use, and has comfortable velour padding on its ear pads.
• Bose QuietComfort 35 II Gaming Headset ($279 at Amazon): Not only does this headset have a great microphone, but it is a true luxury pair of headphones equipped with active noise canceling and a super comfortable fit. If you have money to spare, this is a great choice.
• Corsair Void RGB Elite ($89 at Amazon): If something wireless is what you’re after, but the Thresher Ultimate is just too steep, have a look at the Corsair Void RGB Elite. It’s a little bit looser than I’d like, and it over-emphasizes the bass like nobody’s business, but this headset is a very solid choice for anyone aiming for under $100.
• HyperX Cloud Flight S ($279 at Amazon): This wireless headset is compatible with PC and PS4. Its microphone quality is pretty good, but only for people with relatively high voices. It offers surround sound technology, has a great battery life, and the sound quality is very good.
• Logitech G733 Lightspeed ($139 at Amazon): Just like the Logitech G Pro X, the microphone’s hardware by itself on this headset is only average, but it comes with the Blue VO!CE app, which can dramatically improve the sound quality. If you don’t need Blue’s software, you can save a few bucks with the G435 Lightspeed.
• Razer Kraken V3 ($63 at Amazon): For gamers wanting a wired headset at a reasonable price point, the Razer Kraken V3 is an excellent option. Featuring the same Razer Synapse features as the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, the Razer Kraken V3 includes THX Spatial Audio and EQ settings. A solid detachable microphone combined with good sound quality makes for an excellent choice. If you want the same headset with haptic feedback, check out the Kraken V3 HyperSense.
• Roccat Syn Pro Air ($76 at Amazon): A wireless gaming headset with a great microphone, solid audio, and a comfortable, lightweight build for $150 — What’s not to like? The only thing really keeping this headset out of the main picks of this list is that its software is still in beta and only partially functional right now, which puts a bit of a damper on the whole experience (At least on PC).
• Turtle Beach Recon 70 ($39 at Amazon): Turtle Beach has made something of a habit of putting accurate microphones in just about all its gaming headsets. The Recon 70 sports a microphone that sounds great, plus it’s comfortable and runs for about $40 — pretty much any Recon headset will scratch this itch just as well, but this one’s the cheapest.
• Turtle Beach Stealth Pro ($329 at Amazon): This is an excellent headset, but it narrowly misses our “best” title because of somewhat less-decent audio quality. The mic is quite good, however.
• HyperX Cloud Core ($69 at Amazon): This is a great affordable gaming headset option. The sound profile is pretty close to our consumer curve, except for some deviation in the sub-bass and the highs, but the frequency response is great for gaming. The headset is also super simple to use since it only connects via 3.5mm, so there’s no extra software or setup required. You can just plug it in and play. If you’re looking for an easy-to-use headset, this is it.

What you should know about gaming headset microphones

There are some things to bear in mind when you’re shopping for a gaming headset with a good microphone. The first is mic type. Different kinds of mics have different pick-up patterns. Most gaming headsets use cardioid and hyper-cardioid microphones, which primarily pick up sound coming from in front of the microphone. Gaming headset microphones are pretty much all meant to pick up one source of audio (you) from about three inches away, so this makes sense — picking up sound from the room you’re sitting in can negatively impact call quality.

Some headsets come with an omnidirectional microphone, which probably isn’t ideal if you’re just looking for something to wear sitting on your couch or at your computer. If you’re having problems with getting enough level, there are ways to boost your mic audio on every platform.

Why you should trust SoundGuys

When it comes down to it, we don’t just review gaming headsets because we’re passionate about good audio. Pretty much everybody at SoundGuys has been a gamer our whole lives. You name it, we’ve probably played it. We know what kind of audio features are important for different kinds of games and, maybe more importantly, which ones aren’t.

The gaming headset space, much like many other parts of the audio industry, is rife with exaggerated language and gimmicky features that often don’t add much of anything to your experience. It’s easy to get caught up in the flashy lights and promises of immersive audio and bass so intense it’ll rupture your eardrums (in a good way, somehow), but most of that stuff flat-out doesn’t matter. When we’re talking about gaming headset mics in particular, there’s a lot of guff out there. Too many gaming headsets run into the same problems and pitfalls, all while boasting clear, undistorted audio. That’s why we review headsets and why we have lists like this.

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