Are Bluetooth Speakers Good For Gaming?

There are many Bluetooth speakers on the market, and these Bluetooth speakers come in all shapes and sizes. Some Bluetooth speakers have built-in batteries while others require to be plugged in.

Some Bluetooth speakers can be carried around with ease, Bluetooth speaker systems designed for outdoor settings (picnic), Bluetooth home theatre system, Bluetooth earpiece, Bluetooth loudspeakers/stereo speakers, etc…

When it comes to choosing a Bluetooth speaker for gaming most people ask:

Are Bluetooth Speakers Good For Gaming?

The answer is yes and no. The problem comes from the Bluetooth connection because Bluetooth doesn’t support high-quality audio when a microphone is in use. So if you want to speak into your headset’s mic while listening to music, playing a game, or watching a video on your PC Bluetooth isn’t suitable for you.

Bluetooth headsets aren’t as reliable as wired headsets and they are generally more expensive than wired models, not to mention they also require charging from time to time.

However, if you are not so picky with audio quality and you are looking for a wireless headset to casually chat with your friends with, Bluetooth headsets might work for you just fine.

What are Bluetooth speakers and how do they work?

A Bluetooth speaker system is a wireless speaker that doesn’t require any cables to work. A Bluetooth speaker works thanks to Bluetooth technology, just like Bluetooth headsets do.

When you buy a Bluetooth speaker it comes with its own Bluetooth adapter that has the same function as the Bluetooth adapter on your PC – it connects two Bluetooth devices.

Most people use their Bluetooth speakers for listening to music but they can come in handy during gaming too. However not all Bluetooth speakers are suitable for gaming or at least not if you are looking for high-quality audio output since some low-quality Bluetooth speakers have really bad sound quality.

The Bluetooth adapter on your PC will work only within 10 meters, so if you go beyond about 25-30 meters you might experience some issues with wireless interference. A Bluetooth headset’s range is usually limited to about 10 meters but in most cases even less than that depending on lots of factors like the Bluetooth version and the quality of your device.

The good thing about Bluetooth is that it doesn’t use a lot of power so you don’t have to change batteries very often. Most Bluetooth headsets will provide up to 8 hours of talk time and a few hundred hours on standby before needing a recharge.

However some low-quality Bluetooth headsets have really bad battery life, they might only last 3-5 hours before having to recharge them so keep that in mind if you want a Bluetooth headset for gaming or all day long gaming sessions.

Pros and cons of using a Bluetooth speaker for gaming

As we mentioned already, most people use Bluetooth speakers to listen to music and not for gaming. That doesn’t mean that Bluetooth is bad for gaming but rather that they aren’t designed for gaming.

Some of the pros and cons of using a Bluetooth speaker:

Pros:

  • Wireless connection (unlike wired headsets).
  • No latency (Bluetooth technology enables almost zero latency, with some exceptions like A2DP which has about 50-80ms latency).  The delay between video and audio with A2DP can be as significant as 20 ms.
  • Easy to set up since you don’t have to plug anything into your console or PC. You just need to turn on both devices that support Bluetooth and you are good to go.
  • Works with almost any Bluetooth-enabled device (PC, Mac, consoles, etc…)
  • Battery life is usually better than wired headsets (depends on the quality of your Bluetooth headset).

Cons:

  • Bad sound quality if you don’t use a high-quality Bluetooth speaker designed for gaming/music playback. Low-frequency response Bluetooth speakers tend to have really bad bass so keep that in mind while choosing a Bluetooth speaker for gaming since most people prefer heavy bass while playing games or listening to music.
  • If you are playing a game that uses console Bluetooth support, the Bluetooth adapter on your PC will not work at all. You might experience audio lag with some games if Bluetooth is enabled so keep that in mind before enabling Bluetooth on your PC while gaming.
  • The range can be limited since Bluetooth has a range of about 10 meters, so if you have other Bluetooth devices in your home you might get interference if they are within 10 meters of each other.

Choosing the right Bluetooth speaker for gaming

As we already said, not all Bluetooth speakers are good for gaming due to their sound quality but some are better than others when it comes to producing high-sound output. Some low-quality Bluetooth speakers have really bad sound quality or they might not work well with consoles so keep that in mind while choosing a Bluetooth speaker for gaming.

As far as Bluetooth speakers go, there are some high-quality Bluetooth speakers which have been designed for gamers and music lovers. Wireless Bluetooth speakers range between $20-$3000 but you don’t need to spend money on an expensive Bluetooth speaker to enjoy the benefits of Bluetooth technology, there are some cheap Bluetooth speakers like this one which can be purchased for around $20 if your budget is limited.

What you should look out for when purchasing a Bluetooth speaker is:

Build quality

The build quality is important since you want a durable speaker, especially if you are using your Bluetooth speaker outside. Durable speakers usually last longer and they can handle all kinds of weather conditions, you don’t want a speaker that will fail on you after getting wet or dropped.

Sound quality

The sound quality is another thing that most gamers look for when searching for the right Bluetooth speaker to use while gaming. Gaming Bluetooth speakers should produce high-quality sound with heavy bass so keep that in mind before purchasing a Bluetooth speaker since not all Bluetooth speakers have great bass.

You can always connect Bluetooth speakers to your console or PC via aux cable so the sound quality won’t matter as much as having a Bluetooth connection but if you are planning on using your Bluetooth speaker only then does the sound quality become more important.

The sound quality varies between each Bluetooth speaker, the cheaper Bluetooth speakers might sound bad but there are also some high-quality Bluetooth speakers out there which can produce great sound for gaming and music.

Make sure to check the specification of your Bluetooth speaker before purchasing it since some low-quality Bluetooth speakers don’t have good mid-range frequencies which result in low bass response so keep that in mind before making a purchase.

Overall design

The final thing you need to look out for when searching for the right Bluetooth speaker for gaming is its design. You need to make sure that your Bluetooth speaker is easy to carry around and it’s not too big since most gamers will play on their consoles while seated on a couch.

Size

Size can be really important when looking for the right Bluetooth speaker for gaming, some Bluetooth speakers are bulky and don’t have an integrated handle or any other feature that makes them perfect for carrying around so keep that in mind while shopping.

Luckily, there are Bluetooth speakers designed specifically for carrying around from one place to another and Bluetooth speakers have been made with portability in mind.

Battery life

Another important thing to consider when looking for the perfect Bluetooth speaker is its battery life, usually, Bluetooth speakers have a battery life of about 10 hours but some are better than others.

Bluetooth speakers with good battery life support up to 20 hours or more of continuous playback time so make sure to check out your Bluetooth speaker’s specs before making a purchase.

Price

As far as prices go Bluetooth speakers range from $20-$3000. The price of a Bluetooth speaker varies depending on its build quality, sound quality and battery life so make sure to check out your Bluetooth speaker’s specs before making a purchase.

Bluetooth speakers for gaming are affordable since some good-quality Bluetooth speakers can be purchased for under $100 these days.

Some low-quality Bluetooth speakers don’t work well with consoles or they produce bad sound quality which makes them not suitable for gaming but some high-quality Bluetooth speakers produce great sound and have an awesome battery life which makes them perfect for gamers and music lovers alike.

Conclusion

If you’re in the market for a Bluetooth speaker, there are many options to choose from. When choosing which one is best suited for gaming, it’s important to consider the advice mentioned above.

As we said before, Bluetooth is good for gaming (and music), but do keep in mind that some low-quality Bluetooth headsets have really bad sound quality or they don’t work very well on consoles so make sure that you check out some reviews first before purchasing a Bluetooth headset/speaker for your console if you like to use Bluetooth technology when playing games on your console or PC.

Hope this blog post has helped you guys decide whether Bluetooth speakers are good for gaming or not and if you need any more advice feel free to comment below.

Thanks for reading!