Good audio might save your life someday. OK. That’s a bit of a stretch, but if we’re talking PC gaming (and when are we not), a good audio setup will make your game more immersive, interactive and yes, might even keep you alive longer. Plus, good audio, whether we’re talking headphones or a mic, just sounds better. Don’t believe us? Imagine the last movie you saw. Now imagine it playing through your laptop speakers.
There’s absolutely no excuse for bad audio in gaming, whether that’s communicating your next shot or listening for instructions on your next moves. Here are four ways good audio can enhance your experience and improve your game.
You sound better
If you sound like you purchased your mic from a dude on a street corner, your friends won’t be able to hear you. And if they have trouble hearing you or communicating with you, they might not want to play with you. That’s not a great feeling. You might be the best player on the planet, but if you’re bringing the team down with a bargain-basement mic, you might be in search for a new team, often. Here’s a tip: Buy yourself a ModMic. It’s a high-quality microphone you can easily attach to your headphones. You’ll love them, your teammates will appreciate you, and you won’t be a lone wolf constantly in search of a team.
Better communication during the game
Gaming is more than mindlessly shooting or running (for the most part), it’s about communicating with your friends so you can stay one step ahead of your opponents. And if you want to communicate clearly without interruptions, outside noise, or need to hear a crucial conversation over rapid gunfire, you’re going to need audio equipment that doesn’t get in the way. There’s no time for second guessing, asking a teammate a dumb question (“Did you say move to the left or right?”) because you didn’t hear it the first time, or not hearing the conversation at all. Hearing and talking strategy and, yeah, trash-talking with your crew, is half the fun! Make sure you can hear them and they can hear you.
Not sure what to say? Check out our guide to better callouts.
Good audio keeps the enemies at bay
Do you have bad audio? Well, your opponents don’t. They have great audio and love the fact that you can’t hear your teammates, keep asking questions, and can’t hear them sneak up on you. Here’s the deal: They can hear you, stomping around, walking on broken glass, looking for their hideout. It gets worse. Bad audio won’t give you the option of hearing them come from behind and letting loose with a barrage of gunfire as you try to run away. Good audio can help keep you alive during your game. Get some decent headphones.
You’re more comfortable
We’ve hassled you over how you sound but don’t forget it’s important how you hear. Stop using that pair of free headphones the airline gave you on that long flight last summer. You’ve probably noticed that you can’t really hear anything and worse, they start to hurt quickly. A bad pair of headphones will do that. A good pair? You won’t even notice. They should fit nicely and produce great sound.
You don’t need to spend your bitcoin fortune on new equipment so you can hear great and sound better. Check out the ModMic 5 before you make a purchase.
Your friends thank you in advance.
Want more pro tips? Check out our guide to becoming a pro communicator.