Find out why SteelSeries' Alias Mics captured our hearts, as well as our audio, in the Best Gaming Accessory vote.
Earlier this year, SteelSeries took a big step into the desktop mic space with the SteelSeries Alias line. Between the Alias and the Alias Pro, these mics build an outstanding sound design into a ridiculously compact package. In fact, one of us was even using the Alias during our Shacknews GOTY deliberations this year and has been using it for livestreaming and online conversations since it first came out.
The SteelSeries Alias begins around a sound capsule that is three times larger than that found in most desktop microphones. From there, SteelSeries technology in the Alias mic creates a bubble in front of the mic that satisfactorily catches your sounds and conversation incredibly well, even as you move (as we often do when games get intense). The mic is confined to a cardioid polar pattern in its audio pickup, but the sound quality you get from being anywhere within three to five feet of the front of the mic is simply incredible.
The SteelSeries Alias becomes even more impressive when you add SteelSeries Sonar to the mix. From there, you can create sound profiles for five different channels, including game, chat, media, auxiliary, and the mic itself. This allows you to separate what’s picked up based on what you want. You can mute yourself in game chat while your livestream picks up your voice, for instance. In all cases, you can also mix a multitude of features to find the voice profile that fits your needs best.
Perhaps one of the best features of the Alias and Sonar is its AI-powered noise cancellation. If you switch this feature on, it studies your voice overtime. Eventually, it figures out how to cancel out noises that aren’t your voice. This is great if there’s a lawnmower outside, ruckus elsewhere in your home, or simply outside noise you can’t control. It’s an impeccable feature and one of the first of its kind in desktop microphones.
These features come in very lightweight packages that outclass mics like the Blue Yeti in terms of compact size and even beat out the smaller mics like the Razer Seiren Mini in terms of high-quality options, features, and functionality. All of these things together made the SteelSeries Alias Gaming Mics our Shacknews Best Gaming Accessory of 2023.
Be sure to read over the rest of the Shacknews Awards in our Year of the Games: 2023 feature.
TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.
