It makes no difference whether you’re playing on a PC or a console; the sound is crucial when it comes to gaming. If you’re playing a third-person shooter and can’t hear what’s going on around you or where the enemy is, it’s time to upgrade your sound system.
I got it. I got it. You’re not looking for a pair of headphones, but something else to make your gaming experience even better. For you, I have the ideal solution and that’s a Soundbar.
The best gaming soundbars deliver massive, realistic sound for true audio immersion, giving you an advantage over other gamers. These bar-shaped loudspeakers, which are mounted just beneath your screen, are great for both gamers and audiophiles.
In this article, I will introduce the best gaming soundbars to give you that competitive edge and stop the suffering of hearing the TV audio or your terrible desktop speakers.
Without wasting time further, let’s get going.
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Budget  | battery | 10 | Check Latest Price |
Best Wireless  | 8.6 | Check Latest Price | |
Best Premium  | 8.5 | Check Latest Price | |
Best Bass  | 8.8 | Check Latest Price | |
Best Overall  | 8.6 | Check Latest Price |
Top 5 Best Gaming Soundbars
5. Redragon GS560 – Best Budget
Let’s hit it off with a sound bar that comes at an incredibly low cost. Don’t rush it yet. Although it is quite cheap, it doesn’t mean it is bad, after all, it is RedDragon.
RedDragon is a manufacturer that is known for challenging the big dogs with their extremely cost-effective devices. I have to commend them for providing gamers with gaming equipment at low prices while maintaining high quality.
This sound bar from RedDragon comes in a simple black design that has visible grills where you can see both speakers. It measures 15.75 x 2.76 x 2.76 inches and weighs 2.2 pounds.
The star of the show here must be the RGB lights. RedDragon is known in the industry for their flashy products. For example, 90% of their products have RGB lights. Not a bad touch at all. I think most gamers are with me on this one, we sure like the RGB show. It will fit any gaming setup you like.
You can connect it pretty much to any device with a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB input, be it your phone, tablet, PC, console, etc.
As for sound quality, if you expect premium-tier sound bar quality as you get from Bose, you are in the wrong place. The sound-quality leaves so much to be desired, but when you think of the price it comes with, you will not continue this topic further. To conclude, the sound quality is good enough for the price you pay.
It has a full-range 2.0 channel with 4 watts of power that produces decent sound for gaming, music, and movies.
It simply does the job it was set out to do, and its definitely the best soundbar in its category.
Why Should You Buy It?
If you simply want to give a gaming soundbar a chance and don’t feel like wearing headsets all the time, this is an option that you must consider. It also has RGB lights which will make it easy to fit into any gaming setup.
4. Panasonic SoundSlayer – Best Wireless
It has a cool-sounding name and it comes from Panasonic.
I guess the Panasonic SoundSlayer SC-HTB01 just ticked some key boxes.
This is a sound bar that will give gamers a boost in audio performance. However, it doesn’t come at an entry-level price tag like the previous option.
I would place it mostly in the mid-range spectrum.
If you are a gamer that has limited space, then the Soundslayer is for you. It is a compact soundbar that measures 18.5 x 7.5 x 2.5 inches and weighs only 1 pound. This implies that it will fit seamlessly under your TV and even your PC monitor.
What I like about this one is how optimized and feature-rich it is when it comes to gaming. It offers immersive 3D sound and an incredible cinema and music experience as well. It has surround sound too, which will let you enjoy your games to the max. Surround sound can really step-up your gaming experience if you play RPG games.
You get to pick among 3 gaming sound modes, from RPG mode to FPS mode.
All modes will provide enhanced sound effects in their nature. For example, the FPS mode will make it easier for you to pinpoint your enemies, hear their footsteps, shots fired, etc. Voice mode, on the other hand, will enhance human voices or dialogs.
I also love the fact that Panasonic decided to give this soundbar Bluetooth connectivity, if you hate when cables get messy you can simply use the Bluetooth connectivity. However, note that you will always get better sound performance when you wire it.
It has a built-in dedicated subwoofer, which will boost the bass of your soundbar. Most soundbars in this price range don’t have a dedicated subwoofer, so that’s a big plus.
This soundbar fit the saying of good sound in a small package so well. It offers a very detailed and clear sound quality, be it gaming or simply enjoying some movies. It won’t be a problem for the soundbar to fill a whole medium-sized room, just be careful of waking up the neighbors since it can get very loud. When it comes to wireless ones, this is probably the best soundbar out there.
Why Should You Buy It?
It’s a mid-range soundbar with a ton of features. While it is not cheap, it is also not expensive, and the functions it provides are sufficient to cover all its drawbacks. The sound quality is top notch and won’t disappoint you.
3. Sonos Arc – Best Premium
With its release, the Sonos Beam took the market by storm. Sonos is a well-known manufacturer of high-quality speakers. You might be familiar with Sonos Move, a prominent portable speaker.
Anyway, it appears that Sonos is attempting to make a statement with the launching of Sonos Arc.
This is a massive soundbar, both physically and metaphorically. It is desperate to be seen and to show that it is superior to its brothers.
It is 45 x 4.5 x 3.4 inches in size but only weighs 13.78 pounds. So, despite its size, it’s light enough to be transported and put up by one person.
Despite its size, it remains discreet. Your wife will not complain, allowing you to play your games in peace.
Not only that, but it also sounds fantastic and has a lot of sound-related functions. From Dolby Atmos to 3D sound, it has it all. The surround sound feature will also come in handy when you play games, watch movies or listen to music.
Furthermore, it has excellent frequency separation, and the sound does not change as you move about the room. At high volumes, it gets loud and sounds fantastic. The sound quality itself is as you would expect from sonos, it has impressive sound.
Some say that if you listen to Sonos Arc once, there’s no going back.
Why Should You Buy It?
I am well aware that for a soundbar it comes at a painful price. If you have the money and are a Sonos fan, this is one of the best soundbars on the market right now, thanks to its precise tuning software and Dolby Atmos support. The audio quality and surround sound feature is great too!
2. Razer Leviathan V2 – Best Bass
If you own the original Razer Leviathan, you should be aware that a successor is now available.
If you liked the Razer Leviathan, which I believe you did because it was a fantastic soundbar, the V2 will well exceed your expectations.
What’s new? Well the THX Spatial Audio is a great addition, and the bass response from both the subwoofer and the soundbar is still present but even more impressive.
It still has Razer’s distinctive snake-like logo on the front. As expected, the build quality is excellent, with a fully plastic finish. However, don’t be fooled by the plastic; it doesn’t feel cheap in any way because it is constructed out of high-quality plastic that is not so common. The subwoofer, on the other hand now has a pure cube shape, which is the most major design change.
In general, it has the same well-constructed design as its predecessor.
The newly added RGB lights distinguish the V2 from its brother. It has 18 zones of Chroma RGB illumination that can be configured via the Razer Synapse.
The sound quality is simply Razer tier.
Good sounds are taken for granted here. It has a very detailed and crisply clear sound signature. The bass heads, on the other hand, will love the bass the dedicated subwoofer will produce. Oh, yeah, your neighbors will also love this speaker, if you know what I mean *wink*. It also features advanced 7.1 surround sound, which is probably the best one in this list.
Why Should You Buy It?
If you only need a soundbar for your PC, this is the one to get; the audio performance of the Leviathan V2 is simply unrivaled for a PC soundbar at the moment. The 7.1 surround sound takes things to a whole new level.
1. Sound Blaster Katana V2 – Best Overall
If there was a competition between cool names, the Panasonic SoundSlayer and the Sound Blaster Katana would undoubtedly be the winners.
However, I’m curious as to how things will pan out in terms of performance.
The fact that I put it as the best overall one says a lot about it.
If you’ve used the previous version, you’ll know that Katana is a fantastic soundbar for gaming designed specifically for that purpose, since the predecessor was well received by the gaming community.
Obviously, the same goes for its predecessor, the Creative V2.
The Creative Sound Blaster Katana V2 soundbar for gaming comes in an all-black design, with top-mounted buttons, a front-mounted LCD screen, and metal grills that protect the mid-range and tweeter speakers.
It measures 23.6 x 3.74 x 2.44 inches and weighs 16.70 pounds, which is a little heavy but nothing offensive. What matters is that it fits under your television or computer.
Sound-wise, it delivers.
It can get so loud that you will be forced to keep it at 60% volume. I think that it might even hurt your ears if you go at 100% since the subwoofer also tends to get really loaded.
However, note that it might struggle in a large room due to it swallowing up the sound, but it should not bother with small and medium-sized rooms.
The backlighting adds a nice touch, so you get a terrific all-arounder that sounds splendid, looks great and improves your gaming experience.
Why Should You Buy It?
It pretty much ticks all the boxes a gamer can seek out in a gaming soundbar. The cost is also reasonable, it has a lot of features, a cool name, great audio quality and a cool design. What more could one ask for?
Why a Gaming Soundbar?
You’re probably asking why I’d spend the money on a gaming soundbar when I could just get a pair of speakers like the Logitech G560. That is, indeed, an excellent choice, I like the RGB show that those speakers offer, but hear me out on why a soundbar is more preferred in this scenario.
A soundbar for gaming creates a realistic soundscape by combining numerous surround sound channels, making you feel like you’re right in the heat of the battle, this is something that speakers find challenging to accomplish.
Simply put, Soundbars are meant to immerse you in high-quality audio for a more immersive gaming experience.
The Advantages of Gaming Soundbars?
Soundbars provide a number of features that can help you get the most out of your games, like adjusting sound effects for specific settings, optimizing other game variables, and so on. So, let’s take a look at the benefits that a gaming soundbar may provide.
Functionality
A soundbar for gaming will provide you with the same sound experience whether you’re playing on a console or a desktop, as I indicated at the start. Heck, you could even grab it and enjoy some movies in the evening. It’s a very useful tool that will pay off sooner or later, so if you’re thinking about getting one and you have the funds, go for it.
Brilliant Design
I’m not going to lie, I was sold on the aesthetic bar design the moment I saw the first soundbar for gaming. The best soundbar for gaming are available in a range of sizes and styles. Additionally, great add-ons like LED lights can be bought to complement your gaming gears.
Splendid Sound Quality
I don’t want to come across as pushy or make this seem like a sponsored article, but the sound quality of a soundbar is unrivaled when compared to other speakers. You will become completely immersed in the game, hearing lovely tones and amplified basses in 3D.
How to Choose the Right Gaming Soundbar
There are a few things to consider when purchasing a gaming soundbar.
First and foremost, find out how much room you have. It would be easier to locate if it was under your television. If it’s under your computer, you’ll have fewer options, so take measurements.
Another thing to think about is connectivity and set-up, although I don’t think that will be an issue because they are really simple to set up.
If you despise it when cables clump, you can get a soundbar for gaming with wireless connectivity to avoid all the mess.
Lastly, would be the price. Thanks to the crowded offerings, now you can get a gaming soundbar even without hurting your bank. But yeah, always try to stay within your limits.
Final Words
None of the soundbars listed above are awful because they’re from well-known manufacturers that have proven their worth.
But, if you were to ask me which is the best, I would say it depends on your choices, needs, and money.
It’s simple to buy a soundbar for gaming. It’s also quite simple to put it together. However, you don’t want to buy something rashly. You may end up purchasing a soundbar for gaming that is too large to fit beneath the monitor. Then you will be forced to relocate it, and it will lose the point of a soundbar, which is immersive sound.
So take your time, do your homework, and then buy.
Further Reading
If you are done with your gaming speaker, you can check out some great headphones for watching movies and TV. There are also some headphones for Smule if you like karaoke.
If you are unlucky and have big ears like me, there are also some headphones for big ears.
If you need a floor-standing speaker, I have a bunch of them, for example, there’s a list of floor standing speakers under $300, floor standing speakers under $500, and even floor standing speakers under $2000, feel free to pick based on your budget.
This is it for today, until next time, enjoy.
Sound Technician
I’m a sound technician, ensuring that your events and shows are heard loud and clear. Crafting audio broadcasts, studio recordings, and live mixes with finesse to provide the best quality sound experience.
