Top 5 Sound Cards for Apex Legends in 2020

Matt Pritchard
HEAR360
Published in
4 min readFeb 24, 2020

Apex Legends packs insane shooting action, vicious melees, and crazy driving sequences into one winner-takes-all stand-off. When you first start playing (with or without a sound card), you might find yourself sniped (or, if you’re a real n00b, shot point-blank) while evading enemies, collecting items, and communicating with your squad. Like Fortnite and PUBG, there’s no real pay-to-play advantage with Apex Legends. It’s all a wild combination of luck, skill, and dexterous gunslinging.

There are a few tricks on the side of your settings and software that can boost your chances of success. Like any good battle royale game, seeing AND hearing is everything. When roaming around the map in Apex Legends, any seasoned player must continually listen for enemy footsteps and gunshots. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best sound cards for Apex Legends this year. Bad sound = bad outcomes. Put on your headphones, and read this while you respawn.

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy FX Sound Card — $ 39.99

For the PC gamer on a budget, the Sound Blaster Audigy FX by Creative is a workhorse. Not only for Apex Legends, we think this sound card is a great addition to any gamers’ setup. After installing the sound card, the Sound Blaster turns your machine into a 5.1 surround sound monster, complete with advanced audio processing and built-in software.

  • Internal Sound Card
  • PC Only
  • 5.1 Surround Sound
  • Studio-grade Monitoring
  • SBX Pro Studio software integration

ASUS Xonar AE Sound Card — $ 76.99

The ASUS Xonar AE Sound Board offers a range of sound options, like 5.1 and 7.1. If you really want to stir up some chaos with your Apex Legends wrecking crew, a sound card that has 5.1 and 7.1 functionality is the way to go. This will let you experience both soundtracks within the game, and give you a range of options to change your sound. Plus, the Xonar is built by hardware and software manufacturers ASUS, so it’s backed by a reputable company.

  • Internal Sound Card
  • PC Only
  • 5.1 & 7.1 Surround Sound
  • EMI Backplate blocks static noise
  • Sonic Studio software integration

Sound Blaster Z PCIe Gaming Sound Card — $ 89.99

The Sound Blaster Z PCIe Gaming Sound Card is perfect for communicating with your teammates. In addition to great in-game audio, the sound card also provides excellent support for your team communications. Using it’s Crystal Voice technology and included beamforming microphone, the Sound Blaster can intelligently demarcate an area (or, acoustic zone) within your gaming setup, and suppress noise outside of it, enabling your call-signs and orders to be heard crystal-clear. Not like this guy.

  • PC Only
  • 5.1 & 7.1 Surround Sound
  • Crystal Voice technology
  • 3D Audio Processor
  • Beamforming microphone

Creative Sound Blaster ZXR Sound Card — $ 199.99

The Creative Sound Blaster ZXR is one of the most extreme sound cards out there. It’s a bank-breaker, but if you’re as into audio as we are, it could be worth it. Spending lots of money doesn’t always guarantee you’ll win, but at least after you lose your first few Apex Legends matches you’ll be able to take your new tech and enjoy it in other games, streaming online shows, or watching movies and listening to music with 5.1 and 7.1 audio tracks.

  • Internal sound card
  • PC Only
  • 2 soundboards and beamforming microphone
  • ACM module for adjusting levels on the fly
  • Studio grade fidelity

Audio Royale — $ 1.99/monthly
or $ 19.99/yearly

Though not a traditional sound card, Audio Royale is known to be one of the highest performing sound drivers out there. It’s like that one simple trick that no gamer wants you to know about. With AR, anybody can bypass buying and installing expensive sound card hardware completely, while still retaining the same quality auditory experience that hardware is celebrated for. It’s got its own software suite,

  • PC Only
  • 5.1 & 7.1 channel support
  • Works with any headphones
  • Visualizer shows position of audio sources
  • 10 channel EQ

When shopping around for a sound card for Apex Legends, it’s best to get a product that is affordable, provides exactly what you need, and offers a range of options and customizability to make sure you hear the game how you need to in order to get the upper hand. Don’t have time to get to the store to grab a sound card but want to try 5.1 and 7.1 sound on Apex Legends today? Visit getaudioroyale.com.

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