For streaming, it's important to be able to communicate with your audience, which is where a dedicated microphone comes in. Gaming headsets are great, and the built-in microphones have improved over the years, but nothing beats a dedicated microphone for the job. Whether you're starting fresh with a small audience or are looking for studio-grade equipment, I've rounded up the best microphones for streaming.
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Best streaming microphone
Blue Yeti X
The Blue Yeti X is one of the best microphones out there with a good amount of power at an affordable price. It can be used for professional recording use cases besides gaming and streaming.
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Best value streaming microphone
NZXT Capsule Mini
- Brand
- NZXT
- Type
- USB
- Pattern
- Cardoid
- Interfaces
- USB-C
- Weight
- 314g
- Sensitivty
- 20Hz - 20kHz
NZXT's Capsule Mini is a compact microphone that can be used with its included stand or with an aftermarket solution. It's absolutely brilliant for playing games, podcasting, and then some.
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Best gaming microphone
HyperX QuadCast S
The HyperX QuadCast S is the best gaming microphone you can buy. It comes in different colors and offers many good features, including touch to mute. It's also not too over priced and has good audio quality, though not everyone will like the RGB lighting effects.
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Best XLR streaming microphone
Shure MV7
$180 $250 Save $70This powerful microphone is all you need when configuring your home recording studio. Its impressive recording capabilities are only surpassed by audiophile equipment that costs considerably more, making this a good pick for budding streamers seeking the best audio quality.
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Best compact streaming microphone
Razer Seiren Mini
The Razer Seiren Mini is one of the most affordable gaming microphones in this collection. It's also one of the most compact microphones you'll find out there.
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Best feature-rich microphone
SteelSeries Alias
The SteelSeries Alias has everything you need for a streaming microphone. It sounds great, looks the part, has some RGB lighting, and great software support. This is a good value choice for those looking for a feature-rich microphone to take their audio game to the next level.
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Best budget microphone
Blue Snowball Ice
$40 $50 Save $10The Blue Snowball Ice microphone is an affordable alternative to the Blue Yeti. It's great for a budget studio setup.
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Best-performing microphone
Audio-Technica AT2020USB-X
Audio-Technical is renowned for its audio equipment and the AT2020 series of microphones have been a popular choice for streamers, gamers, and podcasters. The AT2020USB-X is a powerful microphone with everything you'd need for a successful stream with direct monitoring.
How to pick the right microphone for streaming
Choosing the best microphone is fairly straightforward as most options available will perform well. It's only at the seriously low-budget end of the market that you will find some microphones with sub-par recording. We look at recording quality, the available patterns, and how easy the microphone is to set up and use with a variety of systems. Some devices will include stands that can be used, but if you have a boom arm at the ready, choosing one with a universal thread is the way to go.
My primary recommendation would be the Blue Yeti X. It offers incredible value for the performance on offer. It's easy to use, sounds great, and looks smart. As well as gaming and streaming, Logitech positioned this microphone for professional usage too, so you know you're getting stellar audio-recording equipment. The NZXT Capsule Mini offers the best value, at least compared to many of its direct competitors. The NZXT Relay ecosystem is also excellent with the available stand and mixer.
If you're already using other NZXT hardware with the company's CAM software loaded on your streaming rig, the Capsule Mini will be able to connect through CAM, allowing you to easily manage everything relating to the microphone. Other microphones worth mentioning in my list include the Shure MV7 and SteelSeries Alias. There are plenty of streamer-friendly microphones available, but my roundup will help you ensure your stream sounds as good as it looks.