Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Rode launches streaming and gaming division with new mic line, software

By

Rode — the Australian company known for high-quality audio equipment for video, studio recording, and podcasting — announced today that it is launching a new division focused entirely on streaming and gaming.

Rode X, the company’s first sub-brand, will have its own specialized research and development department. The line will kick off with three products: Unify, a virtual mixing solution custom-designed for streaming; the XDM-100 dynamic USB microphone; and the XCM-50 condenser USB microphone. The new line has been in development for over three years.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Unify is a game-changing streaming studio software that allows for routing and mixing up to four USB microphones or other audio devices and up to six virtual audio sources (including game, chat, music and browser applications) in one intuitive interface. The easy-to-use software gives streamers advanced, studio-level control over the audio production of their stream. The software comes free with all RØDE X products or is available for purchase as a monthly or yearly subscription for use with any other USB audio product.

Recommended Videos

“Unify is a huge step forward for streaming and gaming audio technology,” said Rode senior product manager Chris Beech. “Throughout development, we spent countless hours researching exactly what streamers and gamers need from audio software and worked tirelessly to implement every feature while ensuring it is as simple to use as possible. From professional streamers with complex technical requirements to casual gamers who want to take their audio to the next level, Unify is the perfect solution.”

Related

The XDM-100 is a professional dynamic USB microphone that delivers rich, broadcast-quality audio with “superior rejection of room noise and keyboard or mouse clicks.” The XCM-50 is a condenser USB microphone that’s a bit smaller than the XDM-100, but still packs a punch.

Both microphones feature powerful internal digital signal processing (DSP), which can be unlocked using Unify. This allows users to add advanced Aphex audio processing to their voice –including a compressor, noise gate, high-pass filter, and more — with full granular control over every parameter for crafting their own signature sound. This feature will come with a software update in late 2022.

“The launch of RØDE X marks an exciting new era for RØDE,” said Rode CEO Damien Wilson. “In addition to these two incredible microphones and Unify, we have a suite of groundbreaking products currently in development that are going to shape the future of audio for streaming and gaming. This is just the beginning.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Sam Hill
Sam Hill
Gaming Guides Editor
Sam Hill is a journalist and the gaming guides editor at Digital Trends. He's also written tech guides for Input and has…
CES 2024: HyperX has a new line of gaming products just for kids
HyperX's mini headsets and controller.

At CES 2024, HP unveiled a suite of new products un der its HyperX brand. Some of the most interesting new accessories are the Cloud Mini Headsets, Clutch Tanto Mini Wired Controller, and Pulsefire Haste 2 Mini mouse, all of which are designed to be easier for children to use.
Smaller in design than a normal pair of gaming headphones, the wired and wireless versions of the HyperX Cloud Mini Headsets have "volume-limiting capabilities" that make them safer to use for younger players, as well as a microphone that can be easily flipped to mute. These headsets launch this spring for $50 each.
The Clutch Tanto Mini Wired Controller is equally compact, and it boasts a mobile mode switch, a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, and compatibility with the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PCs, Steam Deck, and Android phones. It will also come out sometime this spring for $40.
For children who prefer PC gaming or those who just want a really lightweight mouse, HP also introduced the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Mini mouse, which is small in size, but packs a 100-hour battery life while also featuring HyperX's 26K Sensor, dustproof switches, adaptable grip tap, and dual wireless mode connectivity. HP will release it later this month for $80. Those looking for a way to carry all of these devices around might also want to check out the Knight and Delta Gaming Backpacks that HyperX plans on releasing in February for $70 and $40, respectively.
HyperX had even more to show off at CES 2024 too, including new keyboards. We went hands-on with the upcoming Alloy Rise Gaming Keyboard, and believe "it might be the go-to gaming keyboard in 2024."

Read more
Next week, Valorant gets its first new weapon since launch
A Valorant agent holds the new sniper rifle weapon Outlaw.

Valorant Episode 8 Act 1 begins next week, and today, Riot Games revealed that it will introduce a brand new weapon to the game. A double-barreled sniper rifle called the Outlaw, it is the first new weapon to come to Valorant since Riot Games released it in 2020.

As the third sniper rifle in Valorant, Outlaw stands out from the others because it's a two-shot weapon that doesn't break zoom when fired and has different reload times depending on how many shots are left. It'll cost 2,400 credits in the pre-round item shop, which puts it between the price tags of the other sniper rifles during a match.

Read more
Unity clarifies what types of game installs count toward its new Runtime Fee
The Unity logo that accompanied the Runtime Fee announcement.

Unity angered lots of game developers earlier today when it unveiled its upcoming Unity Runtime Fee program, which takes a cut every time a Unity game is installed. It is particularly harsh for smaller developers using Unity Personal, as they will be $0.20 per install if their game makes over $200,000 within 12 months and gets over 200,000 lifetime game installs. There has been a lot of confusion over what exactly Unity defines as a "game install" in an industry full of subscription services, game bundles, and piracy. Digital Trends reached out to get clarification on what counts, and Unity responded.

When it comes to the multitude of ways players can acquire games, Unity says developers don't need to worry about fees related to trials, bundles, and giveaways. That said, developers who put their games in a subscription service like Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus Premium will need to take these fees into account."Demos, trials, game bundles, and giveaways like the Humble Bundle do not count as installs," a Unity spokesperson tells Digital Trends. "Subscription services, like Game Pass, do count as an install."

Read more