Best Microphone For YouTube Gaming and Streaming in 2022
Let's find the best YouTube microphone for gaming!
Looking for the best YouTube microphone that will also meet your needs as a streamer? After spending 48 hours researching, testing, and evaluating 14 different microphones, we’ve concluded that the Razer Seiren Elite is the best microphone for YouTube Gaming and streaming this year. Not only that this has the best sound quality but it’s also the easiest to use. It may come as a surprise but yes, the Blue Yeti isn’t our pick. Read on to find out why.
Our Top Picks
The Best Microphones for YouTube Gaming and Twitch Streaming
In-depth Review
Razer Seiren Elite
Razer Seiren Elite
Like the rest of the peripherals Razer had released, the Razer Seiren comes with a premium build, a premium design, everything… premium.
But like Achilles and his left heel, this has a weakness. Let’s talk about that shortly.
The moment we had it out of the box, we were welcomed by the “cult of Razer”. Everything underneath was packed professionally.
Keep in mind that this is a condenser microphone, which means, it requires a phantom power. However, it’s also a good thing to note that this is a USB microphone. This means you can do without a need for a phantom power.
Looking at the physical aspects and build, you could tell that this has a very elegant symmetry. It has two knobs conveniently located at the front (below the Razer logo). These knobs are the volume control (located below) and the pattern selector (located above).
The pattern selector allows you to choose between the 4 presets:
- Cardioid – for personal recording and ideal for streaming.
- Bidirectional – for interviews.
- Omnidirectional – for conference or podcasting.
- Stereo – for music recording and such.
Now looking at the back, here’s where you’ll see the feature that separates it from the norm:
- OLED display – showing the directional pattern and volume levels.
- Headphone volume control – lets you hear how you sound real-time, thanks to the zero latency monitoring.
- Mute controls – that lights green when it’s off and lights red when it’s on.
On to the quality of the audio.
We recorded a lot with this microphone and got stunned by the high-quality audio output. Clarity is on point and there’s no compromise – thanks to the 4.5mV/Pa (1kHz) sensitivity.
Up your experience with the Razer Seiren Pro if you want the 12.5 mV/Pa (1kHz) sensitivity. It also comes with a high-pass filter that can lessen frequencies that’s below
We thought there won’t be any forms of flaws with the microphone but we were wrong…
The cost of all these premiums come at a price – literally. If you’re willing to spend a hefty $200++ for a microphone you could use for YouTube gaming or streaming, this may be too much, especially for entry-level streamers.
However, if you’re main concern is all about the highest possible quality for YouTube commentary, or perhaps you just want the best microphone for streaming, this is your stop.
Get this and there will be no complaints from your viewers, ever.
Blue Yeti Pro
Blue Yeti Pro
Here comes the older brother of our popular pick – the Blue Yeti Pro.
Professional YouTube gamers and hardcore streamers will find this perfect and great. The entire design and purpose of this build are specifically designed to meet the needs of these professionals.
Right off the bat, this requires a separate phantom power but since this can be powered using USB, you can do without one.
The build is basically similar to the Blue Yeti but this has more up its sleeves. One of it is that it’s heavier than the regular Blue Yeti.
Looking at the front, sides, and back, it seems everything is just the same.
At a glance, you’d see nothing different between the two because they both share the same physical traits.
If you look at the front, you would see the mute button that flashes red if it’s muted and a steady red light if it’s off. Just below that is the volume knob.
At the back of the Blue Yeti Pro, you’d see the gain knob for the microphone’s audio pickup and the pattern selection:
- Stereo
- Omnidirectional
- Bidirectional
- Cardioid
Looking at the bottom, there you would see one of the two major differences between the two. The Blue Yeti Pro has a 5-pin socket that can be utilized as an external recording equipment. Of course, with the help of the XLR adapter.
Now that we have that pointed out, let’s talk about the audio pickup output and quality.
The second major difference between the regular Yeti and the Blue Yeti Pro is the recording resolution. The Pro has a 192kHz 24-bit resolution while the regular Blue Yeti has way lower than that. We’ll have this covered in detail below.
Overall, the Blue Yeti Pro screams premium like the Razer but is more inclined towards streamers who just don’t play games but also streams music. Moreover, this is also great if you want to up your recording experience with the included XLR adapter.
Blue Yeti
Blue Yeti
If you wish to go all professional but your budget is limited, then the Blue Yeti is the microphone for you.
For starters, this is a condenser microphone. However, a need for a separate phantom power can be avoided since this is a USB microphone.
This also shares the same physical traits and aspects as the Blue Yeti Pro.
At the front, you have the mute button and the volume knob. At the back, you’d see the gain knob and the polar pattern knob.
It’s great that this isn’t compromised, considering how cheap this is compared to the Pro.
The polar pattern adjustments at the back are the same as the Pro:
- Bidirectional
- Omnidirectional
- Stereo
- Cardioid
There are two things you won’t find in the regular Blue Yeti.
First, the regular yeti doesn’t have the 5-pin socket at the bottom of the microphone. It’s actually a great thing because if you don’t have the luxury to get the Pro or perhaps you won’t need it anyway, you have the regular Blue Yeti.
The second thing that the regular Blue Yeti doesn’t have is not physically visible. It’s the fact that this has a recording resolution of 48kHz 16-bit.
It may seem that big of a difference but it’s still preferred by popular streamers and professional content creators because of how great it picks up audio. With a little time with Audacity, chances are that you’d come up with a stunning voice output.
Stream-wise, there’s nothing we could complain about it. It just does it perfectly with the guarantee that your viewers will have no problems with it.
With that in mind, we personally recommend the Blue Yeti if you want the best output possible for a price that won’t break your bank.
Audio-Technica AT2020
Audio-Technica AT2020
The Audio Technica AT2020 is claimed to boast a better audio output than the Blue Yeti. After we did some test, we have this confirmed.
But before you decide to get this, there are some key features that you need to know about.
Let’s talk about the good things first.
This has a very durable build that we all were impressed. In fact, we dropped the mic twice by accident and it still works perfectly.
There are a lot of microphones out there that died out on their first drop. In fact, we did have one that we also dropped by accident and died out.
In terms of audio quality, this is slightly better, if not, way better than the Blue Yeti.
If you’re wondering why it’s better than the Blue Yeti but this sits at the 4th place, it’s because you can’t power this with a USB. More of this later.
Out of the box, you’ll only see 4 things:
- The Audio Technica AT2020 Microphone
- Pouch
- Metal Microphone Mount
- Manuals and Documentation
On to the details of the flaws.
As long as the build is concerned, there’s nothing you can really do about the AT2020, unlike the rest of the microphones we have covered above. You only have the microphone – that’s it.
This doesn’t have knobs to adjust the gain or volumes and no buttons that you can press.
This is your ordinary condenser microphone.
Unlike the three above, this is not USB-powered and you will need a separate phantom power for this to work. This is the reason why this has better audio output compared to the Blue Yeti.
Aside from that, you will need a separate microphone cable since this doesn’t have one out of the box.
Keep in mind that this is a cardioid microphone and you have to face the right direction or you won’t be heard by your viewers.
Overall, this is a solid microphone that we would personally recommend if you already have a cable and a stand/arm to experience high-quality audio pickup and output.
Razer Seiren X
Razer Seiren X
The Razer Seiren X is yet another product made by Razer and it packs up a lot of features for its price.
Looking at the build of the microphone, it’s not something that you can expect to last because it has a plastic feel on the outside. After all, this is specifically built for on-the-go streamers.
It’s light and compact design makes it possible for you to travel with it and have no compromise throughout the travel.
Looking at the front of the microphone, you have a headphone volume knob and a mute button. Keep in mind that the volume knob is for your headset.
Thanks to the zero-latency monitoring, you can hear your voice real-time to see how you sound like from your viewer’s end.
In order for you to adjust the gain of the microphone, you have to do it via your computer’s microphone settings. The mute button emits a green light if it’s on and a red light if it’s muted.
Looking at what you can see below, you have a port for your computer and a 3.5mm jack for your headphones.
As long as the audio pickup or pattern is concerned, this is different from all the contenders on the list as this has a super cardioid polar pattern.
Though this comes in at a cheaper price of less than $100, we were baffled by how great the audio quality and output is for the price.
If you’re going to use this as a gaming mic, it’s going to be worth your investment. Personally, we recommend you get a boom mic so your viewers won’t hear as much keyboard typing noise compared to just using the stand that it comes with.
Overall, this is a great mid-level gaming microphone that does a great job at producing quality sound output. If this still doesn’t fit your budget, the next one should.
Final Word
So there you have it: all of the above selections are contenders for the title of best microphone for YouTube, as well as gaming commentary and streaming. Which YouTube microphone you pick is ultimately up to you and your particular needs, but if you can afford it, we think that the Razer Seiren Elite is the best of the bunch, with the Blue Yeti Pro close behind. The Blue Yeti Pro works best if you stream not just games but record musical instruments on the side. This has a 5-pin socket that can be used to hook up your guitar or any musical instrument. With the aid of the included XLR adapter, you can then use it as external recording equipment.
If you want to go with the best, one that does perfectly great right out of the box, then get the standard spec Blue Yeti will give you good value for your money.
In case you already have a separate arm stand and you just wish to upgrade from an entry-level microphone like the Fifine K058, then get the Audio Technica AT2020. It has a decent output that’s on par with the Blue Yeti but lacks an arm stand.
Now that it’s all up to you, what are you going to get? Tell us down the comment section!
Have you tried one of these? Share your experiences!