Question / Help How to get PS4 headset mic into OBS?

BlitzGirl

New Member
I have started streaming on Twitch just a few months ago, and finally bought the Elgato HD60S capture card since not all of my games were streaming well with PS4's built-in Broadcasting. I simultaneously installed OBS as many people online stated it was better than the software that came with Elgato products. So far, it does seem to make the video quality MUCH better, but the only downside is I can't get the mic built into my headphones into my stream. I got game audio in by buying Elgato's Chat Link cable, but OBS only recognizes the (awful) built-in mic on my laptop as an option. If I choose that, it then picks up any sounds going on around it, such as tapping my laptop keys, moving the mouse, etc - all sounds I DON'T want in a stream. My headphones are Logitech and the mic works perfectly when I've simply streamed with PS4 Broadcasting. It would be a shame if I had to buy a second mic that will just end up taking more space and more wires, and make my headphone mic pointless.

Other details: I have Windows 10 and the most recent version of OBS. My laptop is from the last few years and has the 7th gen processor. Not sure how important this info may be, but I'm providing it just in case. I'm not a techy person at all!
 

BlitzGirl

New Member
This is the documentation from Elgato that explains how to use the chatlink cable on an Elgato HD60S with software like OBS Studio. It also contains screenshots of OBS settings, so it's actually and really working.
https://help.elgato.com/hc/en-us/articles/360027964412-Elgato-Chat-Link-Manual-and-User-s-Guide
The manual doesn't explain how to get the mic that's built into my headset to work. With the Chat Link cable, I get the game audio into OBS and the Twitch stream with no issue (I always play my video games with headphones, as my TV has really crappy speakers, and I don't get to bother anyone while I play).
 

koala

Active Member
Oh, that's correct. I always thought, that cable is a complete solution, but apparently, it's not. It's actually in the fine print below the first schematics:
To record your voice, you will need a separate microphone connected to your computer [...]
So this is the solution by Elgato: Use a second microphone.

If you don't need the mic for voice communications over the ps4, you can as well just plug in the mic plug of your headset into the mic input of your PC instead of into the chatlink cable. This way the ps4 has no mic but your PC has it.

If you need the mic for voice communications over the ps4, it's tricky. If you have a desktop PC, you have enough output connectors, so you can do the above but additionally route the mic audio from the pc to the chatlink cable with an additional standard audio cable. Use an output connector where usually some speakers or PC headset is connected.
You can make it so that the audio from the mic is output on that output connector and nothing else. The somewhat tricky part is to make Windows output only your mic audio to that output connector and nothing else.
With a laptop, you have less output connectors, so it might not be achievable.

I'm quite sure there are guides for this out in the internet. You're not the first one who wants to do this.
 
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