briley0407 Wrote:why have headsets when you have a volume meter
Gasp!
1) Gaming Experience.
For PC and console gamers, a gaming headset can up your total experience. They automatically give you an edge up in games. When you get right down to it a high performance monitor and high quality sound are the two most important aspects of your gaming experience.
2) The Competitive Edge.
If you want the competitive edge over other gamers you cannot depend on any basic speaker and mic. Today’s games support audio that is high quality and offers surround sound. For games requiring first person play, positional sound is imperative. Positional audio is effective in all types of gaming situations. From war games to adventure, positional audio places you in the game environment and gives you the edge you have been looking for – you can hear everything. In fact, you no longer have to turn your head, you can hear without looking.
3) Design.
The latest design additions in gaming headsets are sleek and hi-tech. The majority of headsets are composed of molded plastic and rubber. Headphone cups are padded with foam. As with most products, the more you pay, the more you get. For example, the basic surround sound gaming headsets come with foam padded headphones. The comfort of gaming headsets is vital. The last thing you want in a five hour gaming marathon is a headache from your headphones. As you go up in quality, and price, you will find models with comfortable and durable memory foam padding headphones. In addition to comfort, the memory has the advantage of blocking out ambient sound. For many gamers this makes it worth the price.
4) Sound Quality.
The biggest selling point for gaming headphones is sound quality. The headset might look state of the art and have a wealth of options, but if it doesn’t have sound quality it is not worth your money. Many recent headsets include Dolby technology and offer surround sound. For anyone playing first person or immersion games this is very important. Another new trend in headsets is the positional audio. With this option gamers will hear the enemy before they see the enemy. It gives anyone wearing the headset the ability to pinpoint action and sounds without looking. Bass levels and stereo sound are also important in headsets. The device should work over different platforms – games, music and movies – with the same great sound.
If you have ever played against someone who seemed to sense your every move you may have marked it down to excellent game play or too many hours in front of the console. When you put on gaming headphones you might discover the secret for yourself. When you use a headset you will immediately hear what you never knew existed in the playing field. You will hear people running, jumping, and breathing. It is impossible to rate how important these audio clues are for gaming situations. If you are not able to see your competitor how can obliterate him? With gaming headsets you can use audio cues to find out where your enemy is, often before he knows you are there.
And The Big Deal Is?
When you begin using the headphones you will hear new noises that can be used later as geo-markers. Gaming headsets have added an extra level to most PC and console games. Does a grunt mean someone is crawling under brush? If you know this audio clue you can quickly corner your opponent in a known brushy area by sound alone. Remember, your opponent may or may not have gaming headsets. When your opponents have the new headsets you even the playing field. When you come across someone who is using older headsets you have a definite advantage.
At least that's how I feel about it.