The best microphone for gaming, streaming, and podcasting is a growing necessity for the modern gamer. Whether you aspire to stream your gameplay, engage in deep and meaningful Discord conversations with friends, or finally record that podcast, these top-tier microphones will make you sound your best.
So which to buy? Well, the best microphone for gaming right now is the . It's a desktop USB mic with proper credentials from one of the most respected names in the audio industry, and it sounds fantastic. If you're looking for something cheap but most definitely cheerful, our best budget microphone is the . It's a surprisingly excellent little desktop mic for a very attractive price.
The quick list
The best overall
The Shure MV6 manages to cram a lot of the features we love about the bigger, more podcast-focused MV7 into a smaller, desktop-friendly gaming microphone. It's got great vocal pickup, a balanced sound profile, and excellent noise reduction, too.
The best budget
Yep, it's an Amazon Basics product. But before you go running for the hills, know this: it's available for under $30, and it sounds absolutely great. It doesn't come with any noise cancelling, though, but what did you expect at this price?
The best mid-range
For under $100, the NZXT Capsule Elite microphone delivers full, rich audio in a svelte design that competes with higher-end options. Well, apart from the mic body being plastic, that is.
The best USB bundle
The Sennheiser Profile Streaming Set is a great podcasting starter kit with a well-built mic and sturdy, quality boom arm, though the lack of a desktop stand single polar pattern makes it less versatile than we'd like.
The best looking
HyperX's signature microphone finds a new way to set itself apart from the competition. Spoiler: It's RGB lighting.
The best podcast microphone
The MV7+ actually manages to improve on the superb, studio-quality audio capture of the OG MV7. It's also so easy to use that even a novice can get an incredible sound out of it.
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The best for streaming
The SteelSeries Alias Pro makes streaming simple, with a powerful interface and a great sounding mic. You'll need a separate boom arm to get the most out of it though.
The best headset microphone
If you're looking for a headset mic that really delivers the goods, look no further. The ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet isn't just a great set of headphones but a great way of recording your vocals, too.
Andy's always been fascinated by sound. From his early days as a long-haired guitarist to his later years sitting on the opposite side of the glass, he's had the pleasure of using every type of audio equipment you can think of. He's also engineered and produced many a podcast—meaning that when it comes to the spoken word, he knows exactly which microphones to recommend, and which to leave well alone.
Updated July 31, 2025 to add the Amazon Basics USB Condenser Microphone in as our new best budget gaming microphone pick. It sounds brilliant for the money, and while it's light on features, you really can't argue with its sub-$30 MSRP.
Updated June 2 2025 to give this guide a once over and ensure that all of our recommendations below represent the best microphones for gaming you can get right now.
Updated April 21 2025 to add in the Nacon Rig M2 Streamstar to our also tested section, and to check over our review copy and add in updated sound clips for some of our recommendations. All of our picks were checked for accuracy, and you'll be pleased to know they're still the best mics money can buy in 2025.
The best microphone for gaming
✅ You're looking for excellent sound quality: Desktop microphones can struggle to pick up good sound, but the auto levelling here makes the MV6 much, much better than most.
✅ If you want something straightforward: Shure's Motiv Mix software is mercifully easy to use, and all the fancy features like noise reduction are enabled by default.
❌ If you're on a tight budget: It's actually very reasonably priced for what you get, but there are cheaper mics available if you don't need to go quite as premium with the sound.
❌ If you're limited on desk space: The MV6 is far more reasonably sized than the MV7, but its chunky stand does take up a fair bit of room.
The Shure MV6 USB Gaming Microphone manages to pull off a very impressive party trick. We're massive fans of the podcast-friendly , but here Shure has managed to shrink down some excellent, MV7-like vocal-capturing ability into something much more suitable to shoving on your desktop and letting it get on with the business of capturing great audio. You don't need to get it super close to your mouth to capture a great result, making the Shure MV6 the best gaming microphone we've used to date.
Let's talk about form factor for a moment. While you'll get the best results with a good microphone up close to your lips on a boom arm or similar, it's not exactly the most practical setup for most gamers. The MV6, however, is designed to sit on your desk at a more reasonable distance—capturing excellent vocals without being too precious about how far you sit from it.
It achieves this via the Motiv Mix software, which features auto gain-levelling to constantly adjust the volume, making sure you can always be heard. While it's not magic—and we'd still recommend getting reasonably close—it does an admirable job of keeping your voice consistent from a decent distance away, meaning you can focus on what's on-screen instead of perfect mic technique.
More than that, the built-in noise reduction is great at minimising ambient room noise, like PC case fans and humming radiators. It's actually a little on the aggressive side—meaning you can sometimes hear it overcompensating—but on the whole, it's a set-and-forget system that ensures you won't have to fiddle around to get a clean vocal signal.
You also get the pleasingly-named Digital Popper Stopper to minimise plosives if you do decide to get up close and personal for the full podcast-like sound. Of course, you can remove this mic from its stand and arm-mount it like other great mics, so there's real flexibility here, too.
Speaking of that stand, it's seriously chonky. There's absolutely no danger of this mic wobbling around, and it feels solid enough that you could use it as a boat anchor in a pinch. Shure has obviously learnt from its considerable live music experience and made a microphone and stand combo that feels nigh-on indestructible.
It does have a fairly considerable footprint, though. While it's much more compact than its MV7 forebearer, it's still pretty sizeable, so those looking for a more discrete solution might want to take a โปรโมชั่นสล็อต look at something truly tiny like the .
While the little Razer is great at what it does for the price, it does get outclassed here in terms of pickup and overall audio tone. In fact, so do most mics compared to the MV6, most of which aren't as svelte and as immediately useable as this one. To do better than this you'll need to spend up and get something truly professional right up in your grill, like the , which is a real gem of a mic. Here though, it's all about convenience.
The Shure MV6 is the mic to go for if you want something desktop-based, easy to use, and with excellent sound—and at $149, it's also very reasonably priced. That makes it the best gaming microphone you can place on your desk and one that'll likely keep on trucking for many, many years to come.
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The best budget microphone
The best mid-range microphone
Listen to the microphone in the test below:
.The best USB microphone and boom arm bundle
✅ You'd like a boom arm package: A good boom arm, in combination with a great mic close up, is a superb way to capture the sort of vocal recording you'd hear on a really good podcast or stream. You get it all here.
✅ You want clean, crisp sound: The Sennheiser sounds simply great. Really, genuinely great. That'll do then.
❌ You want a software helping hand: Nope, you don't get any. Bit of a shame that. While good free versions of audio streaming and sound adjustment software do exist, they can be a bit fiddly, so an included solution would have been nice.
The Sennheiser Profile Streaming Set gives you everything you need to start your podcasting or streaming journey with a great-sounding microphone and sturdy boom arm combo for less than $200. That makes it our top recommendation for the best USB microphone and boom bundle.
The Profile has two versions: the standalone microphone for $129/£129 or the Streaming Set for $199/£179. We'll take the latter, thanks, as it's a great deal for a full set that means you have everything you realistically need for great, studio-quality audio.
The volume and mix controls are well placed, and the dedicated mute button is one of those features you probably wouldn't care much about on paper but makes all the difference in practice. Having a physical button to ensure you're muted helps avoid any awkward streaming audio-related accidents. Look, Mum, I know dinner's ready. Can't you see I'm recording games for the internet over here?
More than that, the Profile is wonderfully warm in its audio quality, with a crisp level of clarity that just makes your voice sound great. Sennheiser knows what it's doing when it comes to sound, and the Profile captures your vocals beautifully, ensuring it's just down to your performance rather than too much fiddling with the dials.
Speaking of dials, on the software front, you'll be reliant on using free or paid audio tweaking software if you want to engage in sonic trickery. That being said, the sound is good enough that you shouldn't need a lot, if any, to still sound great. It must be mentioned, however, that setting up a good stream can be a fiddly procedure—and if you'd rather have something that came with an interface and software package that made it easy, it'd be worth taking a look at the below.
Other letdowns? Well, it's very much a microphone just for you rather than you and your friends, as it only has the one pattern that captures the audio right in front of it rather than the whole room. Still, chances are if you're bringing your buddies in for a group session, you'd want to use more than one mic, although it is worth pointing out that mics like the do have the facility for multiple polar patterns if you'd like some more flexibility.
Also, if you pick the boom arm version, you won't receive the desk stand. It's a bit of an omission, but again, this is designed to get right in your face and capture great audio, so a desk stand would maybe do it a slight disservice.
The boom arm itself is excellent, thankfully, and is as flexible and resilient as you like, so what you're getting here is something that you can use again and again, and probably again, too. Good boom arms can sometimes be expensive, but here, it's all part of the package.
Yep, it's a great stream companion this, or a massive boost to meeting audio, in-game voice chat or a podcast, and a very well-thought-out package that hits all the right notes.
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The best looking microphone
✅ If you want RGB, and an entertaining aesthetic: The HyperX looks fantastic on camera and luckily doesn't sacrifice audio quality to do it.
✅ You want loud and clear audio: It might be an older spec capsule, but to be honest, there wasn't a whole lot wrong with the original. There are nicer sounding mics, sure, but there's nothing wrong with the audio quality here.
❌ The software package is light: It's got software, but it's mainly about adjusting the RGB (did you see what I did there?). Some more audio-wrangling settings would be nice, but what's there is functional, at least.
The gamer-centric HyperX Quadcast S is an excellent microphone for the gamer or streamer looking for an easy-to-use, clear-sounding mic, and it takes our top spot for the best looking. It might seem a bit strange to think about looks when buying a microphone, but if you've got your audio gear in the shot, it'd be nice if it looked great as well as sounding it, dontcha think?
More than just a looker, however, the Quadcast S has plenty of features that you usually end up paying more for in other mics. The built-in pop filter works well (and contributes to the sleek aesthetic rather than covering your fancy new mic with an add-on attachment), and the top-mounted tap-to-mute button is capacitive, meaning there's no audible click when it's activated.
In terms of software, the Quadcast S makes use of HyperX's Ngenuity suite, and there are options to adjust the lighting, gain, and, err, not a whole lot else. Still, it's straightforward at the very least, but if you're expecting a lot of bells and whistles, you'll come away disappointed. Straightforward to a fault, but with all the basics covered, it will have to do.
When it comes to sound, the Quadcast S captures clear and crisp audio even on low gain settings, although it must be said it's a little plosive-prone. Still, the sound profile leans towards clarity without becoming harsh, which means it's a very good fit for anyone looking to do a bit of live streaming or podcasting.
And after all, it seems a shame to keep all that lighting to yourself. It's got a rare combination of streamer-friendly good looks and excellent audio for a reasonable price, and those looking for something both aesthetically and sonically pleasing are well-catered for here.
Of course, you could go for the standard Quadcast and get, well, almost everything advertised here without the RGB for around $20 cheaper. Still, if style is important to you as well as excellent audio, the HyperX Quadcast S is the best looking by far.
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The best podcast microphone
✅ You want professional-sounding results without the hassle: Install the software, plug in the mic, and off you go. Studio-grade sound has never been easier.
✅ You want something built to last: Shure mics are as tough as they come, and this one feels no different.
❌ You don't want a microphone in your face: The Shure is really at its best when it's mounted close to your mouth, which means you'll need a boom arm (which costs extra) to get the most out of it.
❌ You're on a budget: There are cheaper mics on this list that'll do a great job. It's well-priced for what it can achieve, but if decent audio on a budget is your goal, this may be more than you need.
When we heard the original was being replaced, our hearts sank. That was a microphone that sat at the top of this guide for a very long time, only recently replaced by the as our top gaming mic. We needn't have worried, though: its replacement, the Shure MV7+ Podcast microphone, is even better than its predecessor.
The really astonishing thing about this mic is how easy it is to get a studio-quality sound. Simply install Shure's Motiv Mix software, plug it in via a Type-C USB connection with the included cable, and begin recording. That's not just because it's a great mic. Shure's software gets to work turning on all the bells and whistles, including noise reduction, Auto Gain levelling, and a Digital Popper Stopper, from the moment you plug it in.
On that note, that was one drawback of the original Shure MV7: it was a little prone to plosives, which are percussive sounds like "puh" that can become blown out if you speak into it too forcefully. Thanks to a bit of extra foam and the aforementioned digital helping hand, however, plosives are no more with the MV7+.
It sounds superb on its default settings, with a rich warmth, pin-point accurate vocal capture, and a lovely, crispy, "hot radio" kind of sound—with no fiddling required. The MV7+ simply gets up and goes, and as a result, you don't need to know anything about audio to get a professional result out of it.
That doesn't mean there aren't caveats, however. You'll need to get it up close, like a proper pro podcaster or streamer, to get the most out of it, which will necessitate buying a boom arm. Sure, you can use it with a separate desktop stand (which costs extra) just fine, but it's right next to your face that you'll really hear the full benefits—and while Shure will sell you the appropriate stand/arm, it still doesn't come with either by default.
The other thing is the price. At $279/£269, this isn't a cheap bit of equipment. However, given just how easy it makes capturing a studio-grade result in your home, that's actually pretty fair, given that it's competing with proper professional microphones that can cost much, much more.
It'll be fantastic for streaming too, although we still recommend the for streamers, mainly because it includes a handy mixer for switching settings on the fly. That's even pricier, though, and if you don't need those controls then the MV7+ is the better pick.
So why's the MV7+ not at the top of this guide as the best gaming mic? Well, the Shure MV6 is smaller, sits on your desk, and is substantially cheaper, too. But if you don't mind getting a larger mic up close for the best possible sound—and opening your pocketbook a fair bit wider—this is the one to pick.
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The best microphone for streaming
✅ You're looking for something more than a desktop microphone: The Alias Pro performs fine on a desk, but that included Stream Mixer brings quick switching to the party.
✅ If you want to start streaming without the fuss: Streaming audio can be a pain, but the Sonar software, in combination with the flexibility of the Stream Mixer, makes it easier than most.
❌ If you're not looking to spend a lot: That extra interface comes at a cost, and that cost is, err, money. Plus an arm. Cheap, this isn't.
❌ If you're not going to use it with an arm: The Alias Pro sounds about the same as the regular Alias on a desk, which is to say, pretty good. Still, it'd be a waste not to take advantage here by getting it close up.
Setting up a stream with great audio is traditionally not easy, which is the reason we're sticking the SteelSeries Alias Pro in as our best microphone for streaming. It might be pricey, but what you're paying for here is really the Stream Mixer that comes with it, and all the streamer-friendly features that make it a fantastic buy, even if it is pricey at a $330/£330 MSRP.
That little two-dial, two-button unit contains a powerful preamp that can connect out to an XLR microphone with 48V phantom power, which means you can use this with just about any good XLR mic on the market. However, SteelSeries has provided you with one of its Alias units here, and thankfully, it's a bit of a peach. It sounds lovely, particularly close up with a bit of an adjustment, although we'll get to that later.
Once you've booted up the Sonar software, you'll discover it takes away most of the strain of setting up a load of complicated inputs, outputs and audio gear. Drop-down menus and great hardware/software discovery mean that this package does its best to make all those confusing settings as straightforward as possible, and the RGB-lit buttons and dials on the front of the interface can be programmed in a variety of ways to make streaming control easy.
More than that, the included audio-adjustment settings are simple to use. There's a compressor, ClearCast AI-noise reduction and a straightforward EQ with plenty of useful presets, which means getting a good sound out of this setup is easy. However, there is a bit of a catch.
The SteelSeries Alias Pro really, really appreciates being up close, and that means using a boom arm to get the microphone right up to your face. That'd be all well and good, except SteelSeries doesn't provide one with the package, limiting you to a desk stand instead.
It'll sell you its own version, the , for another $100—but in all honesty, it's a bit overpriced for what it is. Thankfully, the socket at the back of the SteelSeries Alias mic provided here is a standard size, so many cheaper and just as good third-party boom arms should fit.
And you're going to want one. Up close, the SteelSeries Alias Pro really shines, and great streaming audio becomes easier to achieve thanks to that software package and the quality of the 1-inch capsule provided.
It's also small and compact, which means it's not quite as in-your-face as something like the might be, although if you're looking for ultimate audio chops, the Shure still takes the crown for the best sound. It's also as simple as can be to use, although it doesn't have a mixer for switching streaming settings on the fly.
Streaming audio is difficult, and audio interfaces can be complicated beasts to wrangle. The SteelSeries Alias Pro takes as much hassle out of the process as it can, and that makes it the best microphone for streaming. Just make sure you price in an arm (or, given the cost, even a leg) to get the most out of it.
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The best headset microphone
✅ You don't want a desk microphone: If you'd like a h25 com สล็อต mic and a headset all in one without the fuss, then this combo delivers exceptional audio quality on all fronts.
❌ You're after a cheaper option: You could buy a and the for less, although the quality on offer here is well worth considering regardless.
Desktop mics are all well and good, but if you're looking for the best headset microphone, it has to be the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x STS StreamSet. With this substantial piece of gear, not only are you getting a brilliant microphone but a very good set of wired headphones all-in-one.
This headset features a proper, fully-fledged cardioid condenser mic. Don't let the relatively small size of that end capsule put you off—this unit is easily the best headset mic we've ever tested and is capable of capturing your vocals just as well as some of the other options on this list.
There's a lot to be said for having an excellent microphone built into a headset, too. For a start, you won't have to worry so much about volume changes when moving around, as once the mic distance has been set with the bendy arm, that's where it'll stay. That makes it perfect for those who don't want to think about their mic technique while gaming, as once you've got the distance right, you really don't have to think about much else.
With a range of sampling options, there's plenty of flexibility on offer. Plus, there's a monitor mode. Ordinarily, that can be pretty distracting, but we found that the version here was actually very useful for keeping an eye on your vocals while mid-stream.
Not only that, but noise-removal software shouldn't be necessary given the closeness of that mic to your speaking equipment (i.e. mouth). There it'll hover, picking up your vocal tones and not much else unless you really, really crank the gain to the guns.
There are a couple of downsides to consider. One is the lack of on-headset or on-wire buttons, which for some will be a bonus in terms of simplicity. A dedicated mute wouldn't go amiss, though. The other is the price. At $229/£169, the Audio Technica is on the pricey side for both a good mic and a good headset, although, of course, you're getting two in one. The ATH-M50xSTS really is good at two, often quite separate, roles. Together, combined, it really does excel at both.
When it comes to headset microphones, it really is one of the best we've ever used. And for good measure, the drivers themselves are absolutely brilliant, too. Pricey, perhaps, but multi-talented and built to last, to boot.
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Also tested
It's a good-looking mic and built very well. However, a lack of feedback from the onboard controls and a slight sound disadvantage compared to its nearest rivals puts it slightly on the back foot.
PC Gamer score: 67%
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