How to Fix Latency in My Gaming Headset Mic

Even the best gaming headsets experience technical difficulties from time to time. When you know how to fix each issue, you might save some money on repairs. Some gamers notice latency with Bluetooth headsets that is less common with USB-dongle headphones, leading to questions such as “how to fix latency in my gaming headset mic.”

Read on to find out more about headphone latency or delay. You may also be interested in learning how to fix static in a gaming headset.

Steps to Repair a Gaming Headset with Latency

If your gaming headset lags or suffers from low quality, you may need to restart or reset your device, activate a certain mode, or perform troubleshooting on your system software. This issue is prevalent in wireless headsets, which lack a physical connection to your console, laptop, or computer. Wired headphones have significantly fewer issues with lag or delay than wireless headsets.

Before sending your headphones in for repair or replacing them, consider trying the methods described below and eliminating Bluetooth devices within your headset’s range. Also, check out our article on how to fix the cord of a gaming headset to solve sound quality issues.

Method 1: Restart or Reset Your Headset

• Time to Complete: 3 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Tools Needed:
  • Gaming headset
  • Pin or paperclip
  • User’s manual (optional)

STEP 1

Turn your headphones off if they’re wireless. Unplug the cable from the audio jack if you are using a wired headset. If your device won’t turn off, hold down the power button.

STEP 2

Wait ten seconds before powering on the headset. This wait permits the headset to reset completely. You may be able to reset it without waiting, but most brands recommend waiting ten seconds in between when experiencing sound issues.

STEP 3

If these steps haven’t helped, find the reset button on the bottom of the ear cup. You should notice a small hole about the diameter of a paperclip. If you can’t find it, check your headphone user’s manual.

STEP 4

Use a pin or paperclip to depress the switch for several seconds until the headset resets.

Method 2: Activate Samsung Gaming Mode

• Time to Complete: 1 minute
• Difficulty: Easy
• Tools Needed:
  • Smart device (phone, tablet, or computer)
  • Samsung earbuds or headphones

STEP 1

Download the Galaxy Wearable app if you haven’t already. This process works for gaming on a Samsung device, like a phone, with specific Samsung headphones.

STEP 2

Open the app and tap “Earbuds settings.”

STEP 3

Select “Labs.”

STEP 4

Flip the switch for Gaming mode, which minimizes delays in the audio stream. This option should help reduce lag in the audio and microphone and improve your audio quality.

Method 3: Troubleshoot Sound Problems on Windows

• Time to Complete: 10 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Tools Needed:
  • Gaming headset
  • Computer or laptop

STEP 1

Right-click on the speaker icon in the Windows Task Bar. This sound icon provides access to different sound settings and the output and input Device Manager.

STEP 2

Click on “Troubleshoot sound problems.” A system window will pop up that shows the progress of your troubleshooting. Then, if any problems are found, you should see options for steps to take. Go through all of them.

STEP 3

Open the “Device Manager” under the Windows Control Panel. If troubleshooting does not solve your problems, you may need to uninstall and reinstall your headset’s drivers.

STEP 4

Select “Audio inputs and outputs.”

STEP 5

Find your device and right-click on its name to bring up the device’s menu. Check for updates to the audio drivers before doing anything else. If your drivers are out of date, you might experience these issues.

STEP 6

Uninstall the driver for your headphones using the uninstall button. Wait for the device to uninstall completely before continuing. Corsair recommends disconnecting the headset, restarting your computer, and repeating once before moving on. Some brands don’t include those steps, so it could work without this repetition.

STEP 7

Access your headset brand’s website to find the current version of your drivers. If you aren’t sure what brand your headphones are, you can usually find a logo or name on the ear cups, in the user’s manual, or on the box.

STEP 8

Download the most recent drivers. Most brands will only list the latest version, but others include previous software for older systems.

STEP 9

Install the software before trying your headset again. If you want to be sure that the changes will take, restart your computer before connecting your headset.

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