Here’s something I’ve never understood.
There is an obsession with gaming headsets for playing FPS games to give you a competitive edge - helping you pinpoint footsteps and other sounds to figure out where your opponents are. This, I assume, comes purely down to how well the headset can recreate the stereo image.
Which is weird to me because headphones are known to be quite misleading re: the stereo image! As a producer, I would never 100% trust mixes on headphones and would need to check the imaging on studio monitors. If they are calibrated with something like Sonarworks, Dirac or Genelec GLM, the precision of the stereo imaging is second to none.
So for the sake of argument, is it true that calibrated studio monitors actually give you more of a competitive edge than headphones? Or is there something that I’m missing?
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I like headphones cuz I don’t live alone. That’s reason enough for me.
Voice echo from the microphone
It is easy for headphones to use the binaural effect. Which is easy to create in games.
You’re going to have a hard time getting something to sound like it’s behind you on speakers. Headphones offer better positional accuracy (not accounting for atmos systems).
Also have you ever tried talking in game with someone who is using speakers?
Directional audioand audial response control, along with the compatibility with microphones
2.0 on your ear with a good pair of headphones, it’s a ton of time better than any stranger speaker setup.
The amount of detail and depth you can hear is amazing. For footstep is the best solution.
Gamers live in their parents’ house and can’t make too much noise
I also use a 7.2.4 speaker setup for gaming in my media room. I don’t play a lot of coop games where I need a mic mostly adventure type stuff. I’ve tried some headphones too and agree they are amazing these days but somehow I always end up going back to the speaker setup.
Personal preference at the end of the day forsure.
Headphones allow you to hear (if you play competitive multiplayer FPS) your opponents movements. If you listen for their location, you can react accordingly. This doesn’t apply as much to other multiplayer games such as MMOs etc.
For example, I wear headphones when playing Call of Duty but use speakers when I play League of Legends (unless I am using my mic).
I also use speakers when I play Single-Player games. Lately, I have been playing Cyberpunk 2077 and it’s way more intense when the music plays during an action sequence and my subwoofer is absolutely BUMPING.
Most games dont have multi channel audio… but use software to create the sound environment so true surround doesnt get used to its full ability, and often can lead to a negative sound experience. stereo headsets on the other hand create the surround scape as the devs intend… I once paid out for a true 7.1 headset thinking it would enhance my gaming experience… cost me over £200, with movies it was crazy accurate, I remember watching Saving Private Ryan and physically dodging the sound of bullets… but i found games to quite often have issues making it difficult to identify front and rear sounds, left and right was ok… but the same game with stereo headset the front and rear became more defined somehow… later i came to understand it was down to the software coding.
Others have said it better than I could have, personally I prefer speakers now (2.1 set-up with the sub feeding the speakers) but headphones are nice especially if you are using voice chat and need to hear what your friends are saying.
I will say, having a subwoofer completely changed my experience. I have the massdrop 3xx (JBL 305 5 inch), and I added the matching sub for it… It is nice, the soundtrack to ghostrunner 1 is chef’s kiss
I have a full dolby atmos system I use for movies and games, unless the gf is sleeping in the room above I always prefer the stereo over headphones… but that’s me.