Voice Chat Software
When it comes to multiplayer games, communication is key. Whether the game is Counterstrike, League of Legends or even Minecraft, being able to share thoughts quickly and concisely is instrumental to success. Although about every multiplayer game provides a medium for communication, it usually comes in the form of a chat text box. No matter how fast someone can be at typing, human speech relayed to the brain wins that race every time. Taking your hands off of your mouse can be fatal, especially when your team is arguing and everyone is distracted. In terms of software, there are many options available. Well known and trusted programs include Skype, Mumble, Dolby Axon and TeamSpeak. The choice to use some of these programs comes down to personal preference, but others may be more suited to a player’s setup. Let’s find out what will give you the smoothest, most reliable medium of communication.
Skype
Skype is a commonly used program that is utilized by gamers and non-gamers alike. Intuitive to use and able to host up to twenty four people in one voice chat at a time, Skype is an easy first choice for gamers, as they typically have it on hand already
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| Large Calls | Difficult push-to-talk settings | |
| Reliable Calls | Heavy load on computer | |
| Free | Heavy load on Internet Bandwidth | |
| Worldwide |
Personally, I use Skype all the time for text chatting, but not often for calls or video. I do use it while playing games with friends who don’t have other programs. It certainly gets the job done, but it takes up quite a lot of bandwidth, and enabling push-to-talk is something I have yet to discover, so anything going on in the background is picked up and broadcasted to everyone in the call.
Mumble
The software Mumble is a relatively easy program once set up, and is of a great quality. Mumble uses servers, and has rooms within the servers. Servers can be either found online, (like a public League of Legends one) or they can be purchased for a rate of $2.50 a month. Private rooms within public servers can be purchased, but the rate depends on the server. An unlimited number of people can be in a single server at a time, providing for an easy way to communicate with many people.
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| Large Rooms | Complicated to setup | |
| Reliable voicechatting | Server required for use | |
| Free | ||
| Worldwide | ||
| Simple Settings (push-to-talk) | ||
| Light load on your computer |
I recommend Mumble for anything from simple communication to hardcore gaming. For those a little less tech savvy, it can be a bit much to configure at first, but by googling for a server and how to connect to one, you’ll soon be chatting in no time. The push-to-talk and audio intake/output settings are simple and easy to use and put a very light weight on your computer in terms of bandwidth. It also has different skins that you can download should you prefer a different look than the default.
Dolby Axon
Dolby Axon is a program that feels more intuitive like Skype, but doesn’t need to be set up to servers. By adding friends’ usernames and double clicking their names, a virtual room is created that can hold up to 50 people. Once everyone is in the call, Dolby shines. Each user can pick up their icon and move it anywhere within the virtual room. You can change the direction that your icon is facing, making for some cool positioning options. Say your game requires a leader, that person can position themselves in front of everyone, while everyone else can turn to face the leader.
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| Large Rooms | Limited number of people | |
| Reliable voicechatting | Waisted time playing with directional audio | |
| Free | ||
| Worldwide | ||
| Simple Settings (push-to-talk) | ||
| Light load on your computer | ||
| Simple use |
I use Dolby for games like League of Legends quite often. I enjoy being able to position myself and my teammates in the same place our positions or lanes are in game. By ordering ourselves in terms of top, mid, bot and jungle, we can keep our comms a little more organized than having everyone’s voice be equally loud in Skype or Mumble.
Teamspeak
TeamSpeak has been around long enough to produce later versions of the software with updated settings and user interfaces. Similar to Mumble, it requires a server to function, but fewer configurations while setting up. Once you have the IP address and password to a server, you’ll be able to automatically log on to that address each time.
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| Intuative settings | Requires a server to function | |
| Reliable voicechatting | ||
| Free | ||
| Worldwide | ||
| Light load on your computer | ||
| Simple use |
TeamSpeak is another program I use while playing with friends. Visually it’s about the same as Mumble, with rooms within servers, but a tad simpler. It’s a quality program, and I have no trouble recommending it to gamers. It is pretty light on your computer and can be used internationally.
In the end, what voice chat you use comes down to personal preference, and what your friends tend to use. When it comes to voice chat, I prefer to avoid Skype and use Mumble or Dolby Axon, but Skype does get the job done when I play with friends who don’t have the latter. If at all possible, make sure you use one, being able to speak as opposed to type will help any team, no matter the game.
Robert Wery