Today we’re going to find out whether soundbars make a difference in gaming, and why you may not want to get a soundbar if you’re only using it for games.
Nearly all of us know how it feels to game on a TV with built-in speakers, it sounds horrible and almost one-dimensional. So it’s understandable why someone would want a soundbar to add a bit more depth to their gaming experience.
The truth is that soundbars will definitely improve your gaming experience if you’re jumping straight from built-in TV speakers to a soundbar. But this may not be the best decision, and we will get into that.
Why People Want Soundbars For Gaming
Many triple-A games will actually support Dolby Atmos which adds a whole new dimension to gaming, and this will make the game significantly more immersive.
So to get the most out of these games, you will require a Dolby Atmos setup, and playing these games without such setup means you lose out on a whole aspect of the game.
The PS5 as well as the Xbox series X supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support, and many people don’t mind spending extra money to get the most out of their game console.
Especially when games such as Battlefield 2042 and Call of Duty Modern Warfare support Dolby Atmos, the additional height dimension may add a competitive edge that can help you in tight situations.
Games That Support Dolby Atmos:
- Battlefield 2042
- Call of Duty Modern Warfare
- Assassin’s Creed Origins
- Far Cry 6
- Halo Infinite
- Forza Horizon 5
- Metro Exodus
- Overwatch
- Rocket League
- Cyberpunk 2077
Are Soundbars Good For Competitive Gaming?
When it comes to competitive gaming, audio plays a huge role in success, you need to competently hear and pinpoint where enemies are to effectively get the upper hand on them.
If you’re like me and like to play FPS games, hearing footsteps is the primary way to prepare and get yourself ready for enemy confrontation, and one of the best sound devices for this is a headset.
I’d much rather use a headset for competitive gaming as you can hear more, and hear footsteps more clearly, this is important if you’re extremely competitive with your gaming.
Also, if your house is particularly noisy, it can easily make things harder to hear, this is unideal in a competitive scenario as 100% focus is required.
But for casual games, a soundbar can make a whole room feel immersive, so if you like playing non-competitive games like Assassin’s Creed, I’d recommend a soundbar.
Soundbars Vs Speakers For Gaming
Many believe soundbars are a suitable alternative to real speakers, but this is only partly true. While the sound quality is great with soundbars, sound quality is even better with bookshelf speakers and floorstanding speakers.
Setting up a soundbar is definitely easier compared to normal speakers. There’s no worrying about where to place the soundbar as they’re made to go in one spot (at the front).
So choosing between a soundbar and bookshelf speakers for example can be difficult because you have to weigh up the pros and cons, better sound quality, or easier configuration.
Luckily I can make this decision easier for you. A soundbar is probably the better choice for gamers not looking for anything too serious, and wanting something that’s better than their standard TV speakers.
A sound setup with normal speakers can be more expensive than a soundbar setup, and it will take time to place the speakers optimally, but once done, it will sound significantly better than a soundbar.
Soundbar For PC Gaming – Is It Worth It?
For PC gamers, you may want to hook up your soundbar directly to your computer to experience how games feel on a surround-sound device like a soundbar.
Just like TVs, most monitors have low-quality speakers built into them, and some monitors don’t even come with speakers, so a soundbar can be a viable option for PC gamers.
There are a few ways you can connect your soundbar to your PC, you can use Bluetooth, Optical, or HDMI. If you’re gaming on your PC, 99% of the time, you will want to use HDMI as the audio and video are uncompressed, and it has Dolby Atmos support.
Just plug a second HDMI cable into the PC and into the soundbar, and ensure that the audio is directly routed to the soundbar, this may require tinkering to get working correctly.
Just a quick note, if you have a Dolby Atmos or DTS:X enabled soundbar, ensure that you’re running Windows 10 or 11
What Are The Benefits Of Using A Soundbar For Gaming?
The key benefits of a soundbar relate to its size, not many people want to invest in huge floorstanding speakers which take up a lot of space, so a soundbar is the next best option, they’re low profile and can fit right underneath a TV screen or a monitor.
This is also a huge benefit to those who live in a small apartment, or whose bedroom cannot accommodate large speakers. Soundbars are able to integrate into most gaming setups without being an eyesore.
Secondly, a soundbar can be pretty helpful for individuals playing story-based games, where it can be pretty difficult to hear the dialogue. A soundbar is able to enhance dialogue which by extension will enhance the immersiveness and your ability to grasp the storyline.
If you’re a hardcore gamer, wearing headphones for an extended period of time can become uncomfortable, so a soundbar is actually a decent alternative for high-quality audio.
Soundbars are significantly more powerful, and immersive compared to standard TV/monitor speakers. If you like to immerse yourself in the games you’re playing, and feel like you’re almost a part of it, then a soundbar can easily do this.
Furthermore, pairing a soundbar with a subwoofer is an easy way to boost the immersiveness of action-based video games such as Call Of Duty, and Battlefield. It will replicate the low-frequency noises better than headphones and normal speakers can.
Finally, a soundbar can add personality to your gaming setup with its sleek design. Soundbars are almost required if you’re going for a modern theme in your room. The black color is minimalistic and can fit perfectly with most setups.
Benefits Of Using A Soundbar:
- Small & Low Profile – Can fit in most setups
- Great for story-based games – easier to hear character dialogue
- Serves as an alternative if headphones get uncomfortable
- Adds personality to your minimalistic modern setup.
- High immersive audio with Dolby Atmos & DTS:X
What To Consider Before Buying A Soundbar For Gaming
It’s important that you don’t rush and purchase a soundbar, there are a few features you need to consider such as what platform you’re gaming on, what features you want, and connectivity options.
If you’re gaming on a console, then there’s not much to consider here, just ensure that your soundbar is slightly smaller than the width of the display, this is so it sounds the best, and it integrates properly.
If you’re gaming on PC, then you may want to consider a gaming specialized soundbar such as the Razer soundbars, these are typically smaller, and made to go directly underneath your monitor.
Next, you want to consider how you’re going to connect your soundbar to your device, is it going to be wired or wireless? Wired connectivity is often better as they have lower latency, and transfer higher quality Video and audio.
We recommend using HDMI for your soundbar, this is because it transfers uncompressed audio and video, and you have the option to use Dolby Atmos.
There are certain features that can be helpful for gamers such as dialogue enhancement which will make game dialogue easier to hear. There are also room correction features that will automatically configure the soundbar to work best in your specific room.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a soundbar is definitely good for gamers, there are even well-known gaming brands such as Razer making gaming-focused soundbars such as the Razer Leviathan.
There are many features soundbars have that can enhance your gaming experience. The surround sound performance can be helpful in competitive scenarios, and the subwoofer can make action-based games more immersive.
