August 19, 2025: Updated with confirmed pricing information.
A good microphone doesn't need to have a million features to make an impact. Wrap a high-quality capsule in a sturdy frame, convert the output to a USB connection, and provide a stand. That's about all you get with our current favourite budget gaming microphone, the , and it works brilliantly.
It's also roughly what you got with the original , and its replacement, the HyperX SoloCast 2, looks like much of the same—except with a redesigned chassis and some tilt functionality thrown into the mix. [[link]] We were big fans of the original, but it's pretty hard to find now, so are we looking at the return of a budget gaming mic classic?
HyperX describes the SoloCast 2 as "an all-in-one mic that doesn't ask for more", and the keep-it-simple-stupid philosophy seems to be hard at work here. It's a cardioid-patterned condenser mic with a USB Type-C to USB Type-A connection, capturing up to 96 kHz 24-bit audio through its weeny little capsule.
The stand, however, tilts. Oh, and you get a foam pop-filter built in, which is pretty much a necessity if you want to get any microphone up close [[link]] for a "hot-radio", podcast-like sound. It's also got mic arm threads underneath, which should make it a good candidate for attaching to a boom arm and getting up close and personal.
Should you wish for more, however, HyperX has also announced the FlipCast, a chonky affair that's more than a little reminiscent of our pick, the , except with a load of bells and whistles piled on top. HyperX says it's capable of "broadcast-quality" audio capture, with up to a 192 Hz, 32-bit sample rate.
It's also got a multifunctional wheel onboard for quick gain adjustments, monitor mixing, and headphone volume, complete with a tap-to-mute button and some rather shiny RGB lighting. There's also an onboard high-pass filter, which should cut out unwanted low-frequency background noises for a cleaner capture.
Both XLR and USB Type-C connections are supported, so this really seems like HyperX taking a swing at the ultra-premium microphone market. There are some big fish swimming in those waters, though, and it does make me question whether potential customers will go for a gaming-branded mic over something more established, like Shure's alternatives. It also looks a bit... fiddly. Unlike the SoloCast 2, simplicity doesn't appear to have been high on the priority list here.
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Pricing is key, and HP has been in touch to confirm that the SoloCast 2 will retail for $60, while the FlipCast will be $230. That's a pretty good price for the SoloCast 2 at least, although the FlipCast will have to work pretty hard to justify all that moolah, in my opinion. Still, if it's a genuine competitor to the likes of Shure, perhaps that pricing will make sense under review.
The Amazon Basics mic is often available for a mere $25, and while the Shure MV7+ is even pricier than the HyperX at $279, it's also one of the best close-up mics I've ever heard. It looks like I'll have my hands full with new microphones to test in the coming months—and I'll be keen to see what both of [[link]] these beasties are capable of when I hook them into my machine.
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