Written by Mark
Edited on
28 August 2024
·
12:58
What's the difference between stereo and surround sound gaming headsets?
The sound reproduction of a game differs per headset. With a stereo signal, you only hear the difference between left and right. With a surround sound headset, you hear spatial audio. We're happy to help you make the right choice for a gaming headset. That's why we've listed the differences between the sound reproductions for you.
What's stereo sound?
With a stereo gaming headset, you can hear sound from 2 sides. It comes from both the left and right. Most basic gaming headsets have stereo sound. Is not bothering others with in-game sounds most important to you? Stereo gaming headsets are enough.
What's surround sound?
Do you want to level up your gaming experience? A gaming headset with surround sound is what you're looking for. These headsets ensure you can better hear where your enemies and their shots are coming from. This gives you an advantage when you game online. While playing singleplayer games, you experience your games more realistically.
The best sound experience
A gaming headset with surround sound often has multiple properties. For example, the gaming headset drivers have 2 sizes. Gaming headsets with 50mm drivers produce more powerful sound than 40mm drivers. Surround sound headsets also often have extra technology in the headset. These technologies ensure you experience sounds more spatially. The combination of these 2 properties creates the best experience.
Gaming headsets
Is surround sound better than stereo sound?
No, not necessarily. Stereo gaming headsets have 2 speakers and are suitable for competitive shooters, but virtual surround sound is much better for shooters. Thanks to the algorithms, you can hear where enemies and shots are coming from even better.
Which surround sound technology suits me best?
Virtual surround sound and true surround sound differ greatly in the number of speakers. Virtual surround sound has 2 speakers, while true surround sound has 5 or even 7 speakers. Virtual surround sound focuses more on the direction of the sound and is perfect for shooters. If you enjoy singleplayer games like Assassin's Creed or Far Cry more, true surround sound ensures a movie theater experience thanks to the multiple speakers.
What's 3D audio?
Sony developed 3D audio especially for the PlayStation 5. It's a surround sound technology and the experience is comes closest to virtual surround sound. In the settings of the PlayStation 5, you can also choose which tones best suit your wishes.
What's Dolby Atmos?
Dolby Atmos is a new surround sound technology which is only available for Xbox consoles. This technology has 50 sound channels. The experience you get with Dolby Atmos is most similar to true surround sound.
Article by Mark
Gaming Expert.
