Check out more of the year's best tech in our PC Gamer Hardware Awards 2025 coverage.
Gaming microphones have come on in leaps and bounds over the past few years, putting great vocal capture in the hands of anyone with a USB connection and a small slab of cash to spend. However, 2025 has seen the rise of several reasonably-priced contenders that can swim remarkably close to the pricier players for minimal expense, and that's the sort of development I can really get behind.
Each of the three microphones below is very well-priced for what it delivers, and also happens to be one of the best mics we've tested all year. All that's left now is to give one of our contenders the best microphone of 2025 award, so we'd better round up our nominations into one big capsule-shaped basket, hadn't we?
If you're looking for the cheapest of the cheap, look no further than the Amazon Basics USB Condenser Microphone. It might be a frill-less option with no included software, but it's incredibly difficult to argue with the sound quality it's capable of capturing for less than $30.
Still, if you don't mind spending a bit more cash for a whole lot of features, there's the NZXT Capsule Elite to consider. It's a remarkably good microphone wrapped up in a retro-themed chassis, and comes complete with a software suite full of bells and whistles, including noise cancelling.
And last, but far from least, there's the HyperX SoloCast 2. This $60 microphone has a clever trick up its sleeve in the form of a breech-like stand design, which means its just as at home on your desk as it is on a boom arm. It's also got noise cancelling software, a sleek design, and the sort of price point that makes it a tempting offer, even with the little Amazon mic being so cheap.
Best gaming microphone 2025: the nominees
Amazon Basics USB Condenser Microphone
The first thing you need to know about this Amazon Basics mic is that it's cheap. I mean, really cheap. For less than $30, I wasn't expecting a huge amount from this little microphone—but wouldn't you know it, it really delivers the goods.
The sound quality it's capable of capturing, both close up and at a distance, sounds far, far better than you'd expect given the minimal expense. It's not going to blow anyone's socks off, but if you'd told me I was listening to a $50-$80 microphone when I first heard the playback, I would have believed you.
It's also built remarkably well, with a studio-like heft to its tiny frame that suggests it can put up with some serious abuse. Other than that, the only features left to talk about are its single mute button, and its slightly odd "tilting at windmills" stand design. It doesn't come with any software, nor any frills and frippery—but what it does for the cash is still pretty impressive, nonetheless.
Read our full Amazon Basics USB Condenser microphone review.
NZXT Capsule Elite
This sizable microphone has a head-turning design, which for some will be a slight turn off. Those that like the retro look, however, will be pleased to find a remarkably fully-featured microphone. We were, at the very least.
Our Reece was very impressed by the sound quality and noise rejection on offer when he took the Capsule Elite for a spin earlier this year, and the included software made a lasting impression, too. You can tweak this mic in all sorts of granular ways, but it's pretty darn brilliant straight out of the box as well.
On the downside, it's got quite a plastic-y chassis and controls, and the stand is a bit of a pain to put together. Otherwise, though, this is an excellent mic for $90, and it's even better if you can find it for $50, which is where it drops to regularly over the sales.
Read our full NZXT Capsule Elite review.
HyperX SoloCast 2
The HyperX SoloCast 2 is a budget microphone with a trick up its sleeve—or at least, in its stand. Crack it in half (no, not literally) like a shotgun breech, and it transforms from a regular cylindrical unit into a tilted desktop model. Yes, it's as fun as it sounds. I spent far too long messing with the mechanism.
Ahem. Anyway, the good news is, it also sounds pretty great for a budget mic, and while the desktop capture is a little quiet at a distance, you can crank up the gain to compensate in the HyperX Ngenuity software.
The noise cancelling is a little weak sauce, although it's pleasing to see it included by default in a $60 unit. Really, you're getting quite a lot of features and the odd dash of innovation for your cash here, and that's why this clever little mic had to go into contention as one of our coveted 2025 nominees.
Read our full HyperX SoloCast 2 review.
Yep, that's a bountiful selection of microphones alright. We'll be picking the eventual winner out of these three sonic stunners on New Year's Eve, so make sure you join us then for the final result. I haven't tested any of them for champagne-popping resistance yet, but I'm sure we'll find out how they perform on the night.
