Rode has announced a new division dedicated to audio equipment designed to serve the needs of the gaming and streaming community. The Australian audio company has named this new sub-brand “Rode X,” and the lineup will launch with three products: two new microphones and a virtual mixing solution called Unify designed for streaming and gaming.

The Unify software allows users to route and mix up to four USB microphones and up to six virtual audio sources (including game, chat, music, and browser applications) through a single interface. The software can remove background noise and otherwise improve the quality of your audio with the help of compressors, noise gates, and high-pass filters. 

Unify is free if you buy a Rode X microphone (but not with products from the main Rode product line) and is otherwise available to purchase as a subscription, either monthly (AU$ 7.99 / around $5) or yearly (AU$ 69.99 / around $45). All subscriptions will be billed in Australian dollars and may not be available in all territories.

The XDM-100 is a dynamic cardioid microphone with USB-C connectivity, featuring a pop filter, shock mount, and three-meter headphone extension cable. The design includes a headphone output with level control and a mute button. Removing the pop filter reveals a red and black color scheme that will look familiar to those who endured the “edgy” phase of gaming hardware in the early 2010s. The XDM-100 is available to buy now for $249 and will require a boom arm or stand to complete the setup (purchased separately).

If you want a more affordable alternative, the Rode X XCM-50 is a compact USB-C cardioid condenser microphone with a price tag of $149. It has a boxier design and includes a shock mount and internal pop shield, and it features a built-in level control and mute button. Customers will also get a desktop tripod included in the box.

Both microphones have a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz and have a minimum operating system requirement of macOS 10.12 or Windows 10 to run.