Mutalk is a Strange VR Mic Built to Prevent Sound Leaks

Tired of your VR microphone picking up audio other than your voice? Mutalk is a new VR audio solution built to prevent sound leaks — and it looks a little bizarre in practice.

The product comes from Shiftall, which has had a busy CES 2022. The tech company is expanding its presence in the metaverse with a suite of innovative products built in collaboration with Panasonic. The Mutalk is part of a product line that includes the MeganeX VR headset and the odd Pebble Feel “personal air conditioner.”

The Mutalk is a Bluetooth microphone that can be used with VR. Rather than looking like your average mic, it more closely resembles a VR headset itself. It’s a white box that can be attached to a player’s face via a wrap-around strap. It looks a bit like a horse feedbag when worn.

The idea is that the microphone can reduce sound leakage for VR users. That means that ambient noise won’t be picked up, so a player’s voice can come in cleaner. Shiftall also implies that it can muffle the user’s voice so that other people in their house can’t hear them loudly talking in VR. The Mutalk can last at least 10 hours on a charge.

While it’s built with VR and the metaverse in mind, the microphone can be used in any context. Those who want to use it in a Zoom meeting can simply hold it to their face instead of strapping it on. It only requires a basic Windows, iOS, or Android connection.

The Mutalk is expected to launch sometime this summer and retail for around $200.