Month: November 2019

Choosing the best streaming headset can be a headache when there are so many options in the market today. We’ve long reached a point where headsets are integral to our everyday lives regardless of what we’re doing. Just take a look around you. I can guarantee you’re going to be seeing at least someone wearing one.

Gaming headsets are no exception. It is without a doubt a must for the hobby but also if you’re planning to venture out into live streaming or recording. It lets you communicate both with your viewers and fellow players while also providing that audio clarity that is important for staying competitive with any game you’re playing. 

If you’ve stumbled upon this post, there’s a good chance you’re using a stock headset that came in free with a different tech peripheral purchase or you’re probably looking to upgrade for a better overall experience. In this blog post, we will cover all the bases from features to look for, to recommendations per price category, even compatibility with various devices. Our main goal is to help you with all these things which hopefully aids your decision in your purchase if it ever comes to that.

Features to look for in a streaming headset

I personally have an audiophile/headphone enthusiast background but I’m surprised how similar they eventually are with gaming and streaming headsets. The list comes in no particular order and you may value some of them more than others which is perfectly ok. To each, their own as pundits like to throw around.

Comfort and Build 

It all starts with these two. What’s the use of all the bells and whistles if you can’t stand wearing it for more than an hour or worse, can’t make it last for just a year? Thankfully, these are two qualities manufacturers are getting right more often than not these days. 

Comfort can be quite subjective as it very much depends on the size of your head, preference in materials (you like leather from dead animals or synthetic), and really just how you define ‘comfort’ as a whole. I know people who like a more snug fit but also know a handful who like things a little loose. Then there are other things to consider like do you find cables cumbersome enough for you to start looking into wireless options? Those and many others are things that you’ll have to decide for yourself.

Build quality, on the other hand, is more than just the materials the headset is made of. Something that’s built from aluminum or metal feels nice but there are a lot of plastic-made headsets that really feel durable. In the end, it’s worth exploring reviews from other users too since nothing can quite surpass real-life experience (this is a common theme in this review btw).

Sound features

We can probably all agree that having a good sounding headphone is a must. That, and the fact that audio quality can be quite subjective means only you will know what a good sounding headphone is for you. Perhaps a touch more thump in your bass, or more warmth in the midrange, or some sparkle up top? This one’s all on you.

Setting that aside, one specific feature you need to look into here is surround sound. Whatever it is you’re playing, getting good positional audio gives you a real advantage against the competition. Without that, you might as well just use a normal set of portable speakers.

Diving deeper to surround sound brings us to its two types namely virtual and true surround. As the name implies, virtual means simulating real spacious audio via software optimizations. There are many proprietary standards here such as Dolby, DTX, Creative, you name them.

The “true” in true surround sound, on the other hand, is the physical driver attached to the earcups. Unlike the virtual way, this setup literally lets you hear audio from various positions simulating a full speaker setup experience. One may argue this is overkill especially since not all games support Surround audio, but definitely having this gives you that immersive experience that you won’t simply get in a virtual setting. 

Microphone

Microphones in gaming or streaming headsets are often an afterthought, but it’s important to give it a key consideration when shopping around especially since you’ll be using this for streaming as well. Remember, a good microphone is important for high-quality live stream audio.

Do you see yourself using the microphone in the headset as your main one? Or is it more for on-the-go where you’d want to have it detachable so you can remove it when not in use? If it’s going to be the main one, then it’s important to ensure its quality is good and you’re also able to easily maneuver it. You’d be surprised by how adjusting things by an inch or two can make a huge difference in your voice quality. 

Finally, does the software that comes with it give you all the controls you need? Or does it even come with software that allows you to adjust things? You may not need these customizations if you’re just starting your streaming career, but they are handy to have as you progress.

Noise Isolation

This one is maybe not as necessary as the others in this list, but it’s handy to have for sure. How much noise isolation you want is up to you, but one thing to keep in mind is there’s a correlation between isolation, seal, and sound quality. Remember surround audio and the positional imaging it brings? It diminishes if the headset is poor at isolating noise. 

Another factor that can be related to this is the seal the headphone creates. Does the shape of the earcup contour well to your ears? Or is the headband fit snuggly to your head? Those are things that vary from person to person which is why reviews can differ a lot in this regard.

Tl;dr – This one’s gonna come up a lot, but if you can go to a physical store and fit the headset, do it. You’ll save yourself some headaches down the road.

Look & Aesthetics

You’ll be streaming, potentially in front of hundreds, hopefully, thousands of viewers. Of course, you want to look badass. One may argue this isn’t really needed because people will barely see or care about you on screen but let me ask you this, even if you’re just playing a game, do you not want to look dope? We gamers buy pretty stuff all the time even if it’s just for us so why skimp on your gaming headset? 

Now how you want the headset to look in your head is, again, completely up to you. Coming from the audiophile world, my taste is quite different but this one is surely gonna be in line with your personality and how you want yourself to come across. 

Imagine your keyboard, mouse, and rig lighting has some blue accents in them. Do you want your headset to be yellow and orange? You know the answer.

Streaming Headsets per Price Category

I wanted to preface this section by saying the headphone market as a whole is getting more and more competitive and the differences between a budget model compared to a super high-end one boil down either on the extra features or build materials (e.g. real leather pads vs pleather). With all of that being said, it will be hard to go wrong with any of the gaming headsets suggested in this list but there is no substitute still for visiting a local brick and mortar store and trying them out physically. And finally, the good old “your mileage may vary” disclaimer is something to keep in mind as well while reading our recommendations below.

Budget Headsets (Sub $100)

Corsair HS60 Pro

You think of a $50 headset and you immediately have your reservations about it. It probably sounds tinny, has a build that’s as flimsy as grandpa’s ankles, and is likely just unappealing to look at. Except it’s not. 

Corsair HS60 Pro probably has one of the more reserved aesthetics but it surely delivers more than its price on departments that matter. It even has a virtual surround and while you’re not gonna mistake it for a real surround spacious experience, it’s handy to have for $50.  

Check out the HS60 Pro on Amazon.

HyperX Cloud Stinger

HyperX is a household name for reasonably-priced peripherals. Their Cloud Stinger headset is apt for that billing. 

They both have the stereo and 7.1 surround sound variants and I highly suggest you upgrade to the latter for $30 so you get the full experience. Just like the Corsair HS60, you’re getting a lot of value and quality for the price.

Check out the Cloud Stinger on Amazon.

Razer Kraken Tournament Edition

Any list that’s about gaming peripherals won’t be complete without any mention of a Razer product, and for this one, it’s the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition.

Feature-rich, unparalleled comfort, decent audio quality, and a look that’s catered to mainstream gamers. Can’t go wrong with this one especially at its current price point.

Check out the Razer Kraken on Amazon.

Sub $200

Steelseries Arctis Pro

They both have the wired and wireless versions of this headset but unless you really want the convenience of not having a cable, the former is more than capable of doing the job.

While it doesn’t have that big 50mm driver of some of its counterparts, Arctis Pro more than makes up for this with an added DAC (digital to audio converter) which makes for some of the best lossless music listening experience for this type of headset. What else does it provide? DTS X 2.0 for an immersive and spatial audio experience, a high-quality microphone for unparalleled voice clarity, and a luxurious comfort thanks to premium materials and good design choices.

Check out the Steelseries Arctis Pro on Amazon.

Logitech G Pro X

One of the more expensive Logitech cans, the G Pro X is ostensibly towards a competitive gamer. Someone who’s probably into esports, hence the Pro name in it. This headset has everything you’re looking for in a modern streaming headset. It looks good, sounds good, quite comfortable to wear for long hours, and is on-par with most of the more expensive items here feature-wise. 

The best feature for me though? The masterful microphone definitely takes the cake. It is comparable to most standalone desk microphone and also gives you a ton of software control through their G Hub software. Thanks, Blue!

Check out the Logitech G Pro X on Amazon.

$200 and beyond 

Sennheiser GSP 600

Want your audio big and bouncy? Sennheiser’s humongous GSP 600 headset delivers just that. If you don’t mind its heft, polarizing look, and its price, Sennheiser GSP 600 easily ticks all the boxes. 

While not as feature-rich as some in this list, it nails the ones that truly matter. High-quality microphone with automatic muting, check! Superb audio quality, check! Good comfort and noise isolation, check! Hard to go wrong with this one. 

Check out the Sennheiser GSP 600 on Amazon.

Astro A50

The most expensive gaming headset in this list, Astro A50 comes with everything we’ve listed here plus more. The command center software gives you complete control with both the audio and voice experience. It has a USB sound card function that allows audio access on your PC with no optical cables needed. Heck, it’s even mod kit ready, allowing you to customize the headband and earpads rather easily. 

For years, Astro has been quite synonymous with gaming headsets. While there are now more players in the market, their A50 headset remains competitive for the ultra-high-end category. 

Check out the Astro A50 on Amazon.

Last Words

We hope you enjoyed this article. But more importantly, learned a thing or two in choosing your next streaming headset (especially those at crossroads). If you’re already using one that you’re happy with, then maybe you can share your thoughts.

No gaming headphone or headset is perfect. Yes, we vouch for all the headsets included here but this is far from an exhaustive list, and that’s fine. Maybe you’ve tried or using a different headset that you think is really good but is not getting any credit. Or perhaps your experience with one of the headsets that we listed above is not good at all, even nightmarish! Whatever that is, we’d love to know. Tell us your thoughts on the best streaming headsets in the comments section or hit us up XSplit on socials.

Happy listening fam!

Editor’s Note: Whether it’s Hearthstone, Gwent or the granddaddy of them all Magic: The Gathering, Digital CCG games have never been more popular. From cracking packets to skillful deck building, these titles have become a pillar in esports and Twitch live streaming, with top tier prizes, celebrity pro players and tentpole announcements at events such as Blizzcon.

But what if you want to go back to the routes of CCG, broadcasting real head to head matches within your own community. Jeri Reyes, an active member of his own M:TG community has provided a round-up of helpful tips and content ideas for whether you want to stream Magic: The Gathering or any number of other popular collectible card games.

If you’ve been around and aware in the mid-1990s and early 2000s, chances are you have witnessed a crowd of people intently watching a certain card game. Heck! You may even have a couple of friends who got hooked on that card game, cutting classes just to hang out in an LGS (local gaming store/shop), whiling away their time, flipping and tapping expensive cardboard. 

That card game is Magic: The Gathering, recently dubbed as “the world’s most complicated game” and…wait, what? What’s Magic: The Gathering? Well, for starters, it’s a popular card game which is the brain-child of Richard Garfield and published by Wizards of the Coast. You essentially role-play as a Plainswalker and build 60 card decks with spells, creatures, and artifacts to duel your opponent with and there are lots of ways to achieve victory, besides hammering down your opponent’s life from 20 to 0, milling out their decks, locking down their resources (STASIS LOCK!), and so forth and so on. Anyway, as I was saying, despite numerous points in time where doomsday prophets announced its demise, M:TG has been going pretty strong decades after the fad was supposed to die out into obscurity like their other contemporary CCGs/TCGs (Collectible/Trading Card Games). Sure, the local community is no longer as numerous and influential as it was back in the olden days (I started playing back in ’96) but there is still a solid following as new sets roll in and new players replace old ones… ones who strayed far from the ways of the Plainswalkers. 

The advent of technology may have altered the definition of “hobby” as traditional tabletop games gave way to MMOs, MOBAs and other online/mobile games. Similar to other trends that endured, M:TG assimilated technology and gave us M:TG Arena, an online, micro-transaction laden game that mirrors what online games generally are these days. Social media has also made the hobby very accessible, both for those looking for information and updates as well as those seeking all-powerful pieces for their physical decks. In line with this, however, I would like to point out a generally “untapped” (cheers! If you got the reference) online resource in the local community: Live-Streaming. 

Though M:TG Arena has no shortage of those; well, you know, being an online game and everything, actual live casual tabletop duels, multiplayer pods and similar activities are generally limited to local gaming stores and/or private venues. Soooooo… please allow a self-styled, veteran Plainswalker discuss further. Shall we? 

Live Multiplayer EDH Pods

EDH or Elder Dragon Highlander or, simply, Commander, is a format in M:TG wherein you’ll construct a deck of 99 Cards around one Legendary Creature, your designated “Commander.” Imagine playing an online, PC or console RPG which allows you to customize your character’s creatures, resources, equipment, spells, etc., and you will get the feel of constructing and playing with an EDH deck. EDH sub-formats include Duels and Oathbreakers and everything in between, but the true challenge, in my opinion, lies in the multi-player format. EDH is a newer format that is not yet around when I started playing back in my day (HA! I bet you read that in an old-timey voice) and I find it quite appealing and refreshing. After all, it’s always good to explore something new and stored knowledge about the basic mechanics makes the transition a breeze. Anyway, I played my custom deck in a few pods against 3 to 7 players and I can attest that there is always something new to learn and see and something that will surprise even hardened veterans. 

The very unpredictability of the format can actually be an entertaining live content as come-from-behind victories, early turn kills and unleashing ultimate, game-winning/changing, infinite combos are all regular fare even for casual EDH pods. I am pretty sure there are local stores who had done this before and, perhaps, doing it now during their tournaments or casual games but never on a regular basis as tournaments are far in between and casual pods are, well, casual. Raw, unedited and unregulated humor and interaction during casual games can be a bit too much for social media maybe? 

The length of an EDH pod may vary as well, sometimes it takes an hour or so unlike the more commonly live-streamed Standard and Modern duels that resolve quicker. Minor issues aside, I see an opportunity here to inform and educate enthusiasts on how EDH works. Live-streaming an EDH pod regularly can actually be a nifty, little marketing and/or advertising stratagem that can encourage new and old players alike to try the format since not everyone has the time to hang-out in an LGS to watch an EDH pod of Plainswalkers throw down their gauntlets LIVE. EDH Deck-building can also be discussed and explored during live-streamed pods and also a few informal commentaries by the actual players to discuss their Commanders, cards being played and their interaction with the board as well as combos. 

Live Box or Pack Cracking

Though box-opening videos are not really something new across a lot of different hobbies – action figures, statues, video games, shoes, gadgets and what-not – Live box-cracking is something I rarely see in the local M:TG community. Big name YouTube sites like Alpha Investments, Bad Boy Gaming, Openboosters, to name a few, have made their names in the worldwide M:TG community doing box opening videos for their patrons or personal collections of M:TG expansions and special edition sets. Discussion of card values, strengths and weaknesses of the sets, speculations and chase cards are just some of the most common topics during unboxings. 

It would be awesome to participate in or even regularly sponsor an actual live-streamed local box- opening video that the audience can actually participate in online. There is a certain level of interaction that a live-streamed box-opening video can receive from its audience that is not present on the edited, more polished ones that are uploaded on YouTube. 

Setting it up is also very simple to execute as opposed to live-streaming actual games but the level of interest and interaction can be, arguably, much higher than live-streamed pods. As any person who has experience opening random stuff in hopes of finding something of value (Hell! maybe even a priceless treasure!) will attest to, there is a certain charm in opening sealed booster packs with hopes of pulling a high-value chase card or an out-of-print gem. That excitement carries over to the audience as evident on the high viewership and subscription base of the aforementioned famous M:TG YouTube channels. A live-streamed box-opening video can be a very effective marketing tool for a local store or local trader/seller since there is always that hope of pulling-out “THE” card that everyone’s going crazy about and hunting for their decks or collections; especially from a newly released set, that will hold your audience’s attention and will keep them glued to the stream. 

As I have mentioned, discussion on the financial value of the cards during box-openings are also commonplace so it is also a good way to inform and update the audience about current market price, spikes and speculations on the next big thing. The audience can even comment and discuss the expansion with the host in real-time and maybe even place their dibs or trade offers on some of the cards, well, if it’s a selling live-stream that is. Hey, speaking of selling… 

Fire-Sales

Everybody loves a good bargain and it is instinctively human to buy cheap stuff, even those we don’t really need at the moment sometimes, HA! most of the time! Bargains are a test of willpower and the enduring balance between needs and likes. As it is, live-selling on Facebook is old news by now. 

Clothes, accessories, toys, gadgets and any other brand-new or pre-loved items are, one way or another, being regularly sold Live. The premise is very simple and straightforward: Seller shows or, in some cases, wear an item; seller names an asking price then any viewer can haggle and/or call dibs on the item. One of the most awaited and highly-anticipated promotional stunts or activities in local M:TG communities are Fire-Sales which are usually conducted regularly by individual sellers or stores alike. Participation is generally high since there is a chance to get some mid- to high-value cards for a considerably lower-than-regular-market price. Generally, this is done on Facebook pages or groups but doing a Fire-sale live-stream is something that is rarely seen in the local community. Fire- sales are favorite hang-outs of casual players, collectors, pros and even resellers so you can be sure to have a decent number of audience, most of which are there to purchase/participate. 

There are a lot of other things to discuss and opportunities to explore regarding Live-streaming in the world of tabletop gaming in which Magic: The Gathering is just one of many. Vanguard, Final Fantasy TCG, Warhammer, Pokemon and maybe even HeroClix, well, I think the last two are still alive and kicking. A potential hindrance to that opportunity though would have to be the limited online mobile access of a fair chunk of the target market but then there are always workarounds on such issues. Looking closer, I can still name a few more activities in the tabletop gaming industry that are ripe for live-streaming such as Booster Drafts, Pre-Release events, Collection showcases, etc. I feel we have just barely scratched the tip of the iceberg. 

The fighting game community or FGC has grown tremendously since the release of Street Fighter IV in 2009. With Riot’s fighting game on the horizon, the FGC is poised for another boom and exposure to a whole new community. This means there are many more opportunities for content creators to build their audience with FGC content. XSplit has all the tools you need to create unique FGC content

Streaming Online Matches

By far the easiest way to start creating FGC content is by streaming your online matches, especially ranked mode to show how you stand against the best players in the world. If you want to stay focused on your matches and not have to worry about a complicated stream setup, then XSplit Gamecaster is the perfect choice. All you need to do is login with your streaming platform of choice and XSplit Gamecaster will help you configure your perfect stream with overlays and alerts already setup. XSplit Gamecaster also features an in-game overlay so you can chat, view stream event and control your stream all without leaving your game.

Creating Educational Content

Now if you aren’t planning to become the next Capcom Cup champion, there is still a huge need for people to teach fighting game fundamentals to all the newcomers. Concepts like footsies, bread and butter, and mind games are better shown through gameplay. XSplit Broadcaster offers a variety of tools to help break down difficult concepts.

The first tool is the gamepad visualizer. The gamepad visualizer allows you to display the inputs from the controller you’ve connected. It also has skins for different controller types like arcade sticks and hitbox.

Another important part of educational content is review specific points of a match to teach things like option selects or explore match psychology and decision making. There’s two methods of doing this with XSplit Broadcaster. First you can record your matches using local recording and then play the recordings within XSplit. Combine this with XSplit Broadcaster’s whiteboard source and you can do really detailed analysis of footsies and other tactics.

If you’re looking to take a quick look back at the end of a round or a short moment, then that’s where the replay sources comes in handy. Just add the replay source to a scene and set the length of the replay and a hotkey to trigger it. Now anytime something hype happens, you just have to hit the hotkey to display the replay. 

FGC Podcasts

Sometimes, the best way to start creating content is with friends and colleagues. One of the best parts of the FGC is the diverse set of voices from all over the world telling their stories. XSplit Broadcaster gives you powerful tools for creating high quality podcasts. For the best quality, it is recommended to use skype, which has integrated NDI technology. When you start a video call on Skype, if you have enabled NDI you can add each video independently as a source in XSplit. This will give you more flexibility in positioning each guest’s video feeds, especially if you plan to use lower thirds and other graphics.

If you are using other VOIP software, then you can use XSplit’ screen capture to capture different video feeds from the call.

Finally, audio is extremely important for podcasts, especially if you will be uploading your archives to audio only platforms. XSplit Broadcaster’s audio mixer extension is extremely helpful in making sure you have proper audio levels. The audio mixer will give you accurate decibel levels for your system sound and microphone devices, so just make sure one level isn’t higher than the other and that your audio isn’t clipping or going over 0 db.

FGC Tournaments and Event Production

Possibly the most popular use of XSplit has been for live stream production of FGC tournaments and events like EVO, Final Round, and CEO by crews like Team Spooky and Ten/o productions. Now covering the ways to setup an FGC stream with XSplit can be its own separate blog post, so I just want to cover some important tools and features XSplit has for FGC events.

First and foremost is the projector mode! Projector mode let’s send video from your live scene or any other scene you have to each one of the outputs on your video card. So one projector output can be for the live audience, one output could be a raw gameplay feed for recording and one output for your commentary team. 

Next is enabling adaptive bitrate, especially if you will be broadcasting in a variety of venues where stable internet isn’t a guarantee. You can find the option for adaptive bitrate in the advanced encoding settings of your broadcast plugin.

Finally make managing audio easier with the per scene audio extension. This extension will allow you to set audio levels for microphone and system sound for each scene. This will help avoid issues like when you are playing a video ad while your commentary team is still talking. 

Creating and Manage VOD Content for the FGC

Just because you’ve streamed doesn’t mean you are done creating content. You can repurpose your archives into highlights or VODs to upload to YouTube or on your social media.

As mentioned before, XSplit has a local recording function, but if your PC doesn’t have the juice to stream and record, then you can use the carbon copy function. You can enable carbon copies being generated via the broadcast settings plugin. Just note that these carbon copies will reflect any frame drops that happen during the broadcast.

Next you can use the free Express Video Editor to make highlight reels of your clips. For even faster editing, cue points are automatically generated every time a scene is switched. You can also insert your own cue points with a hotkey.

Finally XSplit’s media manager will allow you to upload your videos directly to YouTube! Go to file > my recordings, right click on your video and upload to YouTube!

That about wraps up all the tools you can use to create fighting game content with XSplit for Twitch, YouTube, Mixer, Instagram, wherever you want to build your digital empire! If you have any questions about this let us know in the comments!