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Gaming headsets get a bad rap when it comes to their microphones, and rightfully so, as they haven’t done themselves any favors over the years. For example, some companies trying to get into the gaming space will release really cheap headsets with very poor built-in microphones on massive retail sites like Amazon.
These gaming headsets can sell for around $15, making them popular with kids who mostly play Fortnite and Roblox, as well as with parents on a tight budget. And while gaming headset microphones have come a long way over the years, they sometimes still come up short when you compare them against a decent USB microphone.
This is why when you check out your favorite streamer on sites like YouTube and Twitch, chances are they’re using a gaming headset. But instead of using the built-in microphone, they often have their microphone arm swung up on their head, choosing instead to use a USB microphone that’s mounted on a boom arm. The following are just a few of the reasons why streamers and so many others choose a USB microphone over a traditional gaming headset.
You have more options
With a gaming headset, you are essentially limiting your options for the sake of convenience. Because the microphone is built into the headset, you might get great audio, but at the expense of poor vocal clarity. This also sometimes works in reverse, lucking out with a decent microphone but getting stuck with a poor sound experience. What’s worse is that, if something does go wrong on either side, you’re stuck with half a product.
This is why a USB microphone gives you more options. Gaming headsets offer far less variety, with fewer overall models from a relatively scant number of manufacturers. On the other hand, there’s an almost endless amount of choice when it comes to selecting a headset and microphone separately. You can easily pick up a great pair of wired headphones that you can use for gaming, while also taking advantage of them for your audio enjoyment.
This also allows you to choose a USB microphone that best fits your needs, with so many options available that even Amazon offers its Amazon Basics $27 microphone that looks inspired by one from a popular gaming brand. And if you prefer in-ear headphones, having a USB microphone means you can skip the need for a bulky gaming headset altogether.
Sidestep audio quality issues
Gaming headsets might sound like a great idea in theory, but packing so much technology together leads to potential issues. This is because when you have a device doing multiple things, it becomes a jack of all trades, while being the master of none. Audio clarity issues often arise with gaming headsets, especially with their microphones. This is why you might see great reviews for a gaming headset, with the caveat that the microphone quality is second-rate.
While not all headset microphones are completely terrible, it’s clear that they are lacking overall. Jump onto any eSports stream, and you’ll know exactly which person is using a headset microphone and who is talking into a USB microphone. The gaming headset microphone often has a harsher sound, poorer quality, and if the microphone is in the earcup, the sound may be even worse.
You can find a number of Reddit threads with people asking why their microphone sounds so bad, regardless of what gaming headset they use. Time and time again, the response to that query evolves into the same advice: invest in a USB microphone to help improve microphone quality.
You gain more functionality
One advantage of having a USB microphone is having added functionality for whatever you are using it for. Even the best gaming headset microphone most likely won’t come with any way to make many adjustments on the fly, outside of volume and a mute button. With most USB microphones, you can usually expect to see a number of live adjustment knobs that include volume, gain controls, and more.
The FIFINE AmpliGame AM8 USB/XLR Dynamic Microphone is a good example of this. On top of on-microphone controls, having your device routed through USB opens up new controls and settings through software tools. If you are using a PC, you can also route your audio through an equalizer. Often, the microphone manufacturer will include such software free with the device purchase.
Other microphones offer even more features right on the device. The ZealSound Podcast Microphone, for example, includes a mute button, volume knob, microphone knob, and even an echo knob for added live effects. And if you consider using an XLR microphone with an audio interface like the MAONO PS22 Lite, you gain even more functionality in terms of control that a gaming headset microphone could never match.
Content creation
If you are strictly gaming online with some friends casually, a gaming headset might make a lot of sense. But chances are that, as you get deeper into the online space, you are eventually going to be doing more than just some casual weekend gaming sessions with the buddies. You are probably going to at least experiment with live-streaming, podcasting, and eventually creating YouTube videos of your exploits.
In all but the casual gaming sessions, a gaming headset isn’t going to cut it. The quality of a gaming headset microphone won’t fly on YouTube in 2026, an era where your little brother is capable of creating professional-quality videos with all the free tools available. That’s even more true for podcasting, as good audio quality is paramount to building a podcast that audiences want to hear.
This is why dedicated podcasting microphones exist for every budget, any of which will serve you better than a gaming headset microphone can in the world of content creation. And, even if you never plan on creating content, your friends’ ears will thank you for buying a USB microphone to play Call of Duty together.
Superior construction quality
If you look through Amazon for a gaming headset, you’ll quickly notice a throughline with most offerings. Specifically, they all seem to follow the same design aesthetic, being overly flashy and featuring lots of RGB in order to catch the eye of the wandering kid or teenager. You’ll also notice a heavy reliance on plastic shells, giving a lot of gaming headsets a cheap look and feel.
When streaming content or recording audio for YouTube, I take advantage of a Neat Bumblebee II Cardioid USB Condenser Microphone. It uses an all-metal construction, is internally shock-mounted, and features full-range 24-bit, 96-kilohertz audio. That’s pretty impressive, especially considering I picked it up on sale for $15 (it retails for $27.99) during one of Amazon’s big sale days. This thing has taken a beating and is still going strong.
The same can’t usually be said of plastic gaming headsets, and especially their microphones. They are prone to breaking much more easily, with the microphone being a particularly delicate portion of the headset. This might be why you end up seeing so many content creators using a gaming headset for listening to audio but choosing a dedicated and solidly built microphone for voice capture.
