Best Voice Chat For Gaming Apps
It’s pretty hard to pin down the best voice chat for gaming. There are plenty of options out there, each with their own quirks, benefits, and ease of use. We narrowed down the choices to 7 of the best gaming voice chat apps out there so you never have to spend hours looking for the perfect one. Read on to find out what works for you.
7 Best Voice Chat For Gaming Apps You Should Have
1. Discord
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgRZHUuhWGi/
Discord has become potentially the best free voice chat for gaming app that tons of gamers around the world are using. A lot of online gaming fans swear by this particular app. It works like a classic chat room, but with voice options. It prides itself as an app that is made by gamers for gamers. You can split your gaming friends into groups, one for each game if you so wish. You can also make groups for other interests, as Discord does not restrict its services to just gamers.
One of its many incredible features is its encrypted servers. No undesirables will be able to log into your groups if they do not have the invite link. In-game overlay is also available, wherein you can see the icons of the people within your group on the top left corner of your screen. No longer will you have to guess which voice is whose, because the app tells you exactly who it is. There are also programmable bots available for Discord. These bots offer everything from queuing music, reminding you to stay hydrated, and a bot that looks for the best memes and posts them on your Discord server.
2. Mumble
The next Bytesized app is almost ready. Turn your Streambox into a voice chat server using Mumble. pic.twitter.com/NxGfaf9kKt
— Bytesized (@bytesizedboxes) March 2, 2015
If gaming voice chat apps were students in a classroom, then Mumble would be your super-smart classmate who has complicated tables for all his math problems. Mumble has become the voice chat for gaming app for MMO players. People who value their Internet speed go for Mumble because it does not take up too much of their bandwidth. This makes it especially attractive to MMO players, where internet speeds are a matter of life or respawn.
Due to its open-source nature, Mumble is completely free. Users have added nifty features like in-game overlay options, with the ability to switch it on or off depending on the game you’re playing. The only downside, however, is that you will need your own server to host your Mumble group. Thankfully, Mumble rents out its servers to users for a minimal fee.
3. TeamSpeak 3
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj0DBHxjFIi/
TeamSpeak has been a mainstay among gaming voice chat programs for a long time. It is one of the oldest and most reliable voice chat apps and is still going strong today. The voice quality is sublime and doesn’t eat up too much of your bandwidth. It features several free servers for people who don’t want to go through the steps of creating their own server. It is available on multiple platforms, from desktops to mobile devices. They even support Linux systems!
A lot of MMO players still use TeamSpeak, especially those MMOs that have survived for a while (such as World of Warcraft and Guild Wars.) If you play any MMOs, you might want to check TeamSpeak out.
4. Ventrilo
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If you loved TeamSpeak but found it too complicated to manage, meet Ventrilo. Its longevity gives it a place in this list of the best voice chat for gaming apps available today. Its functionality is very similar to TeamSpeak’s, but it is considered a more basic tool. This is not a bad thing as it uses far fewer resources than most gaming voice chat apps. Ventrilo is a great option for anyone who doesn’t own an extremely powerful PC since it frees up a lot more processing power so your games don’t lag too much.
It’s very stingy with bandwidth usage as well, reducing lag with online games. If you don’t feel like talking, Ventrilo has a text chat option. It also comes with a handy tutorial to get you running if you’re a first-time user. The only downside to Ventrilo is it does not support Linux. Ventrilo requires private servers to function, and they rent out these servers for a small fee to its users.
5. Overtone
OT Release #5 is here and look who’s talking! No really, here are some of our nifty new features:
🚪 Join / Leave Voice Indicator
📢 Who’s Talking Indicator
💬 Who’s Typing IndicatorLatest version & release notes here: https://t.co/ybIrX4v3DI #ovrtn pic.twitter.com/k7tXKEu4IW
— OVERTONE (@OvertoneApp) July 26, 2018
Overtone is a relatively unknown app, but it still holds its own in this list of best voice chat for gaming apps. Its streamlined and high-function design is intuitive to use for all ages. Inviting people to your server is very easy. To do this, you just need to send them an email containing a link to your server. It’s a great starter tool for gamers who want a simple, no-nonsense voice chat for a gaming app.
6. Google Hangouts
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You probably didn’t expect to see this on the list for best voice chat for gaming apps. But, Google Hangouts is a great alternative to all of the gaming voice chat apps listed here. It’s free, runs on your browser, and is pre-installed on Android devices. It might be an option for you as a voice chat program for gaming, especially if you are playing virtual tabletop games. It is also a great option for people who like to play games on their mobile phones, as Hangouts is primarily used for mobile devices.
It features screen sharing, which can be used to broadcast your game to your buddies. Its voice quality is great, as long as your Internet speed can handle it.
7. Skype
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbutFSkD7hp/
When all else fails, Skype will be there for you. It has proven itself to be a highly reliable voice chat app, even if it’s a bit heavy on the bandwidth. It isn’t optimized for gaming per se, but it does its job. It can run conference calls so you and your group can hop on and talk away. However, it does not support an in-game overlay. You may find yourself having to guess which voice is whose, but otherwise, it’s a good enough app to make it on this list of best voice chat for gaming apps.
NCIX Tech Tips presents a great video on a few more of the best voice chat for gaming apps that weren’t included on this list:
Now that you know the best voice chat for gaming apps, it’s time to pick one! Typically, you would pick the one app where all your friends already are. If not, any of these apps will serve you and your team’s purposes. Make sure you have a good set of headphones and a decent mic so the quality doesn’t drop. Happy gaming!
What features would you like to see in a gaming voice chat app? Let us know in the comments section below!
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