What is the gaming headset with the best mic? New headsets are coming out left, right, and center, but that doesn’t simply mean that the latest headsets are the best. Quality microphones are often overlooked when it comes to choosing a headset, with the overall audio quality taking top spot for both consumers and companies alike. It can be hard to know which ones to go for, and that’s where we come in.
In this list, we’ve picked out a selection of gaming headsets that not only boast excellent mics to put to use in the best multiplayer games, but also incredible sound quality that will bring the best games to life. As a result, these represent a good handful of the best wired gaming headsets and best wireless offerings. While we’ll note any compatibility issues, many of these devices will also work on all platforms, serving you well no matter where you play – whether you’re on the best gaming console or PC.
The gaming headsets with the best mic are:
- EPOS H6Pro – best mic
- SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro – best luxury option
- SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless – best wireless option
- Razer BlackShark V2 – best mid-range option
- Corsair HS55 – best budget option
- Turtle Beach Recon 70 – cheapest option
1. EPOS H6Pro
The gaming headset with the best mic.
EPOS H6Pro specs:
| Drivers | 42mm |
| Frequency range | 20-20kHz |
| Weight | 322g |
| Wired or wireless | Wired |
| Battery life | N/A |
Pros
- Great removable microphone
- Superb build and audio quality
- Open and close-back options
Cons
The EPOS H6Pro is by far and away the gaming headset with the best mic. So, let’s start with the star of the show. The H6Pro features a fully detachable, lift-to-mute boom arm microphone. Why’s that important? Well, it means it’s easy to mute at a moment’s notice, whether you’re gaming with friends or livestreaming. It also means that you can remove the mic entirely when not in use. Even though the mic is slimmer and less obtrusive than a lot of other headsets, it’s still great that you can detach it when it’s not needed. This also means you can easily replace the microphone if it gets damaged, so you won’t have to fork out for a brand-new headset.
Unlike many headsets, quality is not sacrificed for ease of use. Not only is the mic incredibly convenient to use, but it also sounds superb for those listening on the other end. It won’t beat a standalone microphone (though you’d be hard-pressed to find a headset that could), but it’s best-in-class. The mic provides superb clarity that avoids the common symptom of making your voice overly nasal or tinny. Furthermore, it’s also great at removing background noise so you won’t be annoying others with button presses, hums, and other noises.
The best thing about the EPOS H6Pro, however, is that you not only get an excellent mic but also an excellent pair of headphones, all in one device. Thanks to the 42mm drivers, you’ll no doubt notice the wide, detailed soundstage that results in vivid audio no matter what game you’re playing. Most importantly though, the soundscape is well-balanced, with strong bass to add impact to every explosion and crash without drowning out the treble. This result is effective audio imaging, making for directional audio that’s easy to pinpoint – a quality that will certainly help in the best battle royale games.
The high-quality construction certainly makes the EPOS H6Pro feel like a premium product to back up the premium price. For true audiophiles, there are even open-back and closed-back options. Open-back headphones offer the best audio quality thanks to a wider soundstage, but they also let in more background noise. If you’re often playing in a noisy environment, we recommend choosing the closed-back option instead. No matter which one you choose though, you’ll get the best headset mic and stellar sound.
2. SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro
The best luxury gaming headset with a great mic.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro specs:
| Drivers | 40mm |
| Frequency range | 10-40kHz |
| Weight | 298g |
| Wired or wireless | Wired |
| Battery life | N/A |
Pros
- Great, posable mic
- Excellent build and sound quality
- Included GameDAC
Cons
- Compatibility issues – PS5/PS4 and Xbox version
- Expensive
SteelSeries is renowned for its high-quality audio products, and the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro takes it up another notch. This wired headset offers a much more natural-sounding mic than previous SteelSeries headsets while maintaining the market-leading sound and build quality that put the brand on the map.
The Arctis Nova Pro uses SteelSeries’ ClearCast Gen 2 tech in a fully retractable boom mic to offer up crystal-clear voice clarity that provides a more natural tone than most other headsets, including past SteelSeries products. Unlike most other headsets, this mic won’t be tinny or flat. While the mic isn’t removable like the EPOS H6Pro, it is retractable – so much so that it blends seamlessly into the earcup and is out of the way when not in use. That’s not all though, as SteelSeries has gone all in on natural sounding noise-reduction that doesn’t hamper overall mic quality, no matter what platform you’re on.
While it’s still a great choice for console players, it’s actually even better on Windows 10 and 11 PCs, as it benefits from Sonar Software’s AI algorithms to cut even more background noise without damaging voice clarity. The included GameDAC Gen 2 not only lets you tweak the EQ settings (more on this later), but also mix game and party chat. Are your friends too quiet compared to your game? Turn party chat up or game audio down to strike the perfect balance, all without having to head into in-game or system menus.
Alongside an excellent mic for a gaming headset, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro uses a relatively standard set of 40mm Neodymium drivers to produce impressive audio that rivals the EPOS H6Pro. You can easily pinpoint enemy footsteps or gunshots in the best FPS games, hear the heavy rumbling of car engines on the starting line in the best racing games, and all the immersive ambient noise in the best RPG games. As mentioned above, the included GameDAC Gen 2 kicks this up another notch. On console and PC, you can tweak the EQ settings of the headset on the fly to change the audio spectrum, such as amping up the bass, mid-range, or treble. There are even preset profiles if you’re not confident making your own.
However, we have to point out the compatibility issues with this headset – which is more an issue with marketing than the headset itself. There are, in fact, two versions of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro: a PC and PS5/PS4 version, as well as a PC and Xbox version. While the PlayStation version won’t work on Xbox, the Xbox version actually works on both Xbox and PlayStation. If you’re looking to use these headphones on both consoles, make sure to purchase the Xbox version to be able to use it on all consoles and PC.
3. SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
The strongest wireless gaming headset with the best mic.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless specs:
| Drivers | 40mm |
| Frequency range | 10-40kHz (22kHz in wireless) |
| Weight | 339g |
| Wired or wireless | Wireless |
| Battery life | Up to 20 hours |
Pros
- Great, posable mic
- Excellent build and sound quality
- Included Base Station
Cons
- Compatibility issues – PS5/PS4 and Xbox version
- Poor battery life compared to other wireless headsets
- Expensive
Continuing SteelSeries’ mastery over audio products is the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. Almost identical to the wired version, this headset boasts a great mic and excellent audio quality, this time without the need for a wire. If you’re frequently moving around or simply don’t like wired headsets, then the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is the one for you.
Due to it being a wireless headset, you will lose some clarity compared to the wired version of this headset. Despite that, it still has one of the best mics around for a wireless gaming headset. Like the wired version, the mic isn’t removable but it is fully retractable so that it blends seamlessly into the earcup. For wireless headphones, this is an even more important feature for many users. As mentioned, the mic is great, although it is less clear and slightly more tinny than the wired version. Admittedly, that’s par for the course with wireless headsets. Thankfully, the wireless version still boasts the effective noise-canceling of the wired version, even on console. SteelSeries’ Active Noise Cancelation tech uses four mics on the earcups to remove outside noise, which is perfect when chatting with friends or playing competitive titles like Apex Legends that all but demand clear communication to win. PC users will further benefit due to the Sonar Audio Software Suite which offers even better noise cancelation and mic tweaking, though this isn’t available on console, at least not yet.
Like its wired alternative, the SteelSeries Nova Pro Wireless gaming headset also boasts an incredibly rich soundscape. The 40mm neodymium drivers with a 10-22kHz frequency band in wireless (upped to 44kHz when used wired) produce deep but clear bass tones that don’t muddy the rest of the audio profile. The Wireless Bass Station, akin to the GameDAC of the wired version, gives you access to a 10-band equalizer. With this you can configure everything from bass to treble to your own personal taste. If you enjoy a wide variety of games, you can quickly change the soundscape to match the type of game you’re playing. Playing an action-packed shooter like Call of Duty Warzone or Destiny 2? Try tuning the bass for even more punchy explosions and gunshots.
As you might expect though, having such high-quality tech packed into this headset does eat up battery life. From a full charge, you can expect this gaming headset to last around 18-20 hours when using the full suite of capabilities in wireless mode. However, thanks to the inclusion of a second battery pack in the box, you can charge a backup battery while in use, effectively doubling the battery life if you’re always charging your batteries.
Much like the wired version, the SteelSeries Nova Pro Wireless repeats the same compatibility issues by having a separate PC and PS5/PS4 version, and a PC and Xbox version. As with that device, we also recommend purchasing the Xbox version here if you plan to play on an Xbox console as well as a PlayStation and PC, as the Xbox version works on all platforms.
4. Razer BlackShark V2
A gaming headset with a great mic on a mid-range budget.
Razer BlackShark V2 specs:
| Drivers | 50mm |
| Frequency range | 12-28kHz |
| Weight | 262g |
| Wired or wireless | Wired |
| Battery life | N/A |
Pros
- Posable mic that can be removed
- Excellent build and sound quality
Cons
If you’re on a mid-range budget, you really can’t do better than the Razer BlackShark V2, which comes with a solid mic and audio quality well beyond its price range. It’s not the cheapest option (more on that later) but it is certainly the best value for money if you’ve got some cash to splash.
The mic is by no means the best headset mic, far from it, but it’s great for the price you’re paying and the headset as an overall package punches well above its weight. The mic lacks depth and occasionally clarity as a result, but it’s more than serviceable for chatting to friends or using in-game voice chat support. Moreover, it’s also posable so you easily get it into the best position for you, and it can even be removed entirely – a handy feature shared between this and the luxury EPOS H6Pro on this list.
The audio quality, however, rivals that of the significantly more expensive SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro series. While the mic is about what you’d expect for the price, the large 50mm drivers are capable of amazing audio quality, particularly when it comes to audio imaging, which is handy in competitive shooters. Paired with the comfortable breathable memory foam cushions (even when wearing glasses) and sturdy construction, the Razer BlackShark V2 offers stiff competition to even higher-end headsets.
5. Corsair HS55
The best budget gaming headset with a great mic.
Corsair HS55 specs:
| Drivers | 50mm |
| Frequency range | 20-20kHz |
| Weight | 273g |
| Wired or wireless | Wired |
| Battery life | N/A |
Pros
- Affordable
- Good audio quality
- Microphone quality
Cons
- Microphone volume
- Pleather cushions
With the HS55, Corsair knocked it out of the park by creating a very competitive headset at a remarkably affordable price. Though the HS55 is almost entirely plastic with a simple rubber cable, it feels surprisingly solid; the cups don’t feel like they’ll snap just by rotating them or messing around with the size of the headband.
Most impressive, however, is the mic quality. For such a budget headset, the Corsair HS55 boasts a mic that keeps up with higher-end headsets thanks to great clarity and natural sound. However, like most budget headsets, the mic isn’t removable or even retractable, but it can be flipped up when not in use (which will also mute the microphone). This isn’t a deal-breaker, especially at this steal of a price, but it does lack the convenience of more expensive alternatives, including the only slightly more pricey Razer BlackShark V2. As with most budget headsets, it is also prone to background buzzing at times, though this won’t matter too much when you’re chatting with friends or using game chat.
Continuing the theme of remarkably good quality for the low price, the Corsair HS55 also has exceptional audio quality. The large 50mm drivers are bigger than most headsets at the price and offer powerful audio. The stock tuning by Corsair takes this up even further, with a well-balanced audio profile that doesn’t sacrifice either end of the spectrum as many other budget headsets unfortunately do. The treble is clear and detailed, and the bass is punchy without being overpowering. As a result, you’ll have the best of both worlds, delivering everything from hearty explosions, roaring engines, detailed footsteps, and immersive ambiance right into your ears.
Overall, the Corsair HS55 is a remarkably high-quality headset in all regards, with an exceptionally low price. Though we would recommend the Razer BlackShark V2 over the HS55 if you can afford the slightly higher price, it’s no doubt the best headset in this low price range.
6. Turtle Beach Recon 70
The cheapest gaming headset with a great mic.
Turtle Beach Recon 70 specs:
| Drivers | 40mm |
| Frequency range | 20-20kHz |
| Weight | 309g |
| Wired or wireless | Wired |
| Battery life | N/A |
Pros
- Incredible value for money
- Good sound and mic quality
- Great colors
Cons
- Uncomfortable after a while
- Requires a 3.5mm audio jack
Looking for a great gaming headset but really don’t have the budget? The Turtle Beach Recon 70 is no doubt the cheapest option that’s still competitive, though you should expect nothing less of Turtle Beach. It also comes in several great colorways, which is a rarity for headsets in general outside of generic black or white variations. For example, we tried out the lavender style, but there’s everything from black or white to blue or green camo, silver, and red. Chances are, there’s a pattern you like.
As for the microphone, it’s a similar affair. It’s clear though not all that natural sounding, often coming across with less depth than ideal. As such, it’s not the best microphone on a gaming headset, but it is the best at this price. It’s even retractable for when you’re not actively using it and not all that obtrusive when it is flipped down and in use, which is a rarity at this price range. For a headset under $50, you can’t ask for much more, and it will serve you well in all of the new PS5 games or new Xbox games on the horizon.
What brand of gaming headset has the best mic?
The brands with the best gaming headset mics are often EPOS, SteelSeries, HyperX, and Corsair, with several Razer offerings also being great options. Astro also offers several great headsets, though these are often not as good value as the ones we’ve highlighted.
As respected brands in gaming tech, headsets by these brands typically come with great mics with built-in noise-cancelation, well-balanced audio, and a great overall build quality, though not every model, even by these brands, is made equally. For example, the SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ is one of the best PS5 headsets, and the Arctis Nova Pro is one of the best headsets around. Likewise, the Razer BlackShark V2 is not just one of the gaming headsets with the best mic, but also one of the best Xbox headsets.
How do we test gaming headsets and mics?
We test our gaming headsets and mics on several factors to evaluate the overall value of the product, including:
- Price: Gaming headsets are often very expensive products, though there’s also an overwhelming selection of budget options that make matters even more confusing. We look for products that strike a fine balance between quality and price to offer the best value gaming headset, no matter the price range.
- Mic: It’s common for gaming headsets to focus perhaps a little too much on audio quality, sacrificing the mic quality in return. We test these mics to find the headsets that balance these two important features well.
- Comfort: If you’re like us then gaming for hours on end isn’t uncommon, and the last thing you want is an uncomfortable headset – no matter how great the audio might be. There’s no reason to splash out on an expensive headset if you don’t want to use it. We put the build materials, size adjustment, and overall design to the test.
- Compatibility: it’s becoming increasingly common to own several different gaming devices, from Xbox to PS5, Switch to PC. To save money, you’ll want a device that has you covered no matter where you want to game. We test compatibility across the major platforms and highlight any potential issues you might run into.
Read our how we test page to find out more about how we put this list of gaming headsets with the best mics together.
That covers the gaming headsets with the best mics for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. We recommend testing them out in the best co-op games and the best open world games. If you’re also looking to get into streaming and content creation, take a look at the best Stream Deck and the best camera for streaming right now to get started.
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