Wearing one of the best gaming headsets can make a real difference to your gaming experience. Not only does it give you better quality sound for improved immersion in whatever game you’re playing, but a comfortable fit can let you game for longer, and a quality microphone can make all the difference when it comes to communicating with your team.
A SteelSeries Arctis 7 gaming headset, taken on March 9, 2017. (Photo by Olly Curtis/PC Gamer … [+]
Right now, we consider the SteelSeries Arctis the best gaming headset for most people, offering a great all-round audio experience with an affordable price and solid platform support. It has well-balanced audio, with a comfortable fit and it looks pretty good too. Sadly, it only works fully wirelessly on PC and PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. If you have other consoles and devices, you can upgrade to the excellent Steelseries Arctis Pro, or opt for one of the many other excellent gaming headsets recommended below.
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SteelSeries has long been one of the top players in the gaming accessories world, and for good reason. The SteelSeries Arctis 7 is a well-balanced headset that offers a sleek design, extremely comfortable fit and wireless connectivity (only on PS4, PS5 and PC, cable required elsewhere) that should retain a good connection for the length of your gaming session. The headset has a hefty 24-hour battery life, too.
Many people swear by SteelSeries sound, which prefers turning down the bass to more easily invite other subtle sounds into your ear. Although a little flimsy feeling, the retractable microphone is also one of the best you’ll find.
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Razer’s BlackShark V2 gaming headset upgrades the original design in a number of important ways, making it one of the best gaming headsets you can buy today, and easily the best wired headset under $100. It packs powerful triforce titanium 50mm drivers in each earcup, allowing for individual tuning of the highs, mids and lows for better sound. It also has a super comfortable design with gel-cushioned earcups and virtual 7.1 surround sound for immersive movies and gaming.
That sound can be tuned through Razer’s cloud-based hardware configuration tool: Synapse 3. That lets you bring your configurations with you wherever you go, making this the perfect headset for someone who games on different systems in different locations — a LAN party lifesaver.
It’s also available in a variety of colors, so if you don’t like the classic Razer black and green, you can opt for bright yellow and blue, or even white versions too. If you’re happy to spend a little more, there’s also a wireless version well worth considering.
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The DAC-less, far more affordable alternative to the Steelseries Arctis Pro Wireless, the standard Arctis Pro is still the best wired headset you can buy and it’s now at a much more competitive price. It enjoys high-quality, hi-res speaker drivers which deliver a rich sound for music, games and movies, with twice the frequency range of most gaming headsets.
Supremely comfortable with foam cushioned ear cups and a ski goggle-style headband, this headset gives just about anyone a snug, comfortable fit without putting undue pressure on their head or ears. The steel and aluminum frame is light and doesn’t creak when you move your head.
The ClearCast microphone is Discord Certified and provides incredibly clear audio for your teammates, so they’ll never miss a call from you again. That goes hand-in-hand with the Steelseries ChatMix dial which lets you tune the mix of game audio and voice communications with friends and foes alike. That way, you can turn up your game audio when playing alone and focus more on your teammates when that’s more important.
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For the ultimate in wireless versatility, check out the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless. Building on that award-winning Arctis sound, this gaming headset is one of the few on the market supporting hi-res audio with DTS Headphone:X 2.0. With a wide open frequency range, you’ll get crisp, clear sound over a lossless 2.4GHz connection. You can also use the Bluetooth connection to simultaneously listen in on another device, like your smartphone—great for quick switching between devices, or pulling from multiple audio sources at once.
The included base station has an OLED screen and physical nobs for dialing in your perfect volume and game balance, plus myriad audio ports for routing in your various sound systems.
That’s also where you’ll charge one of two included removable batteries, a choice design for those who worry about its longevity. They’ll last 10 hours each, and you won’t need to stay tethered when it’s time to top up. Add in a retractable noise-cancelling microphone and a steel headband with premium comfort straps, and the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless more than earns its lofty price tag.
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You’re not doomed for having a meager budget with headsets like the HyperX Cloud Stinger Core. Its design is sharp, but unassuming, and HyperX makes the most of its 40mm drivers with excellent tuning. The adjustable boom microphone is one of the best in its price range, to boot.
This platform-agnostic headset works on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and mobile, offering a comfortable fit and good sound quality whatever platform you play on. Its microphone is impressive considering the price, ensuring your teammates will only hear you and not all the background noise, wherever you are—a great benefit in particular for LAN parties or competitive tournaments. It’s quite a big, plasticky design, but the understated black color scheme helps hide its more affordable construction.
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If the Arctis Pro Wireless is too much for you, the SteelSeries Arctis 7P is less than half the price, but still delivers solid wireless sound. Designed to work with both PS4 and PS5, the Arctis 7P features the same steel frame (decked out in a slick blue-on-white colorway) and high-quality retractable microphone. You’ll also get better battery on a single charge at 24 hours, but you’ll need to recharge it with a cable.
With standard 40mm SteelSeries drivers, you won’t get the same level of sound the much more expensive option provides, but they get close enough. Besides, if you’re on PS5, you’re still getting a headset compatible with Sony’s Tempest 3D Audio, which heightens the realism of spatial audio in supported games. SteelSeries includes a USB-C dongle in the box that makes it compatible with Android devices, PC and Nintendo Switch, too.
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Microsoft absolutely nailed the design of its Xbox Wireless headset, releasing not only the best gaming headset for the Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, but one of the best headsets for PC in a single package. This wireless headset supports both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, offers high quality sound and has an extremely customizable EQ that lets everyone and anyone tweak the audio to their liking.
The only real downside is that you have to make those adjustments to make the most of it. The default sound isn’t quite as good as most audiophiles would like with a little too much emphasis put on bass, though that’s hardly uncommon with modern headphones. The companion app lets you create multiple sound profiles for different games and uses, so you can easily tweak them to what you’re playing and switch out when you change games.
Some users have also reported that the mic monitoring/side tone volume is too low, which could be a problem for streamers. For most users who want to focus on the game and their teammates, that’s a relatively minor issue.
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Bang and Olufsen is a premium speaker and headphone manufacturer, so it’s perhaps no surprise that its first foray into Xbox gaming headsets is the most expensive one on this list. At more than $400, you would expect a premium audio experience, and the Beoplay Portal certainly delivers—though there are more affordable headsets which get pretty close.
Where they can’t compete, however, is in the overall fit, look and feel of the Portal headset, which has a fantastic build quality and a supremely comfortable fit. It supports the latest AAC and aptX audio codecs when operating over Bluetooth, and enjoys full support for Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless system. Dolby Atmos adds depth to all supporting games and movies, and battery life can last all day under the right circumstances. Active noise cancelling is a nice touch too, making this a good headset for those trying to game in noisy households.
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If you like to play games wearing a headset for long periods of time, a comfortable fit is almost as important as sound quality. If you want the ultimate in long-term comfort without sacrificing audio, the HyperX Cloud II headset is one of the best options. It features a heavenly foam padding in the headrest and thick, leatherette-covered earcups that rest gently around your ears. This is one headset you can wear for hours at a time without it wearing on you.
The build quality on this headset is excellent too. The all-aluminum frame means there is absolutely zero creaking when you turn your head, making this a great option if you play on multiple monitors, stream while you game or want to substitute the stock headphones on your VR headset. The microphone isn’t the best, but it’s more than adequate for most gamers. Not a fan of wires? There’s also a wireless option, though it comes at double the price.
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Wireless headsets can be far more expensive than their wired cousins, but they don’t have to be. The Roccat Elo Air is an entirely wireless virtual surround sound headset priced under $100, making it less than a third of the price of our favorite wireless gaming headset. Even with such a steeply cut price, it offers decent sound quality, great battery life and a comfortable fit.
There are a collection of controls on the headset itself for turning it on, adjusting volume and managing sidetone, with a greater array of customization options available in the capable Roccat Swarm software. There, you can tweak the earcup LED color and lighting effects as well as the headset’s EQ if you like a particular kind of sound for your gaming sessions.
One of the most impressive features with this headset is its battery life. Able to last a whole 24-hours with the LEDs turned off and around two thirds of that with them on, it’s not a headset you’ll constantly need to have plugged in for charging.
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Capable gaming headsets all offer good sound and a comfortable pair of earcups, but some headsets have something that others don’t. In the case of the Corsair HS60, that’s a unique rumble function which delivers a new way to enjoy your games and music. It gives you a way to feel them.
Where rumble effects have been part of gamingcontrollers since the late ’90s, its inclusion in headsets is a relatively novel concept. Other headsets have done it before, but none quite as well as Corsair. The HS60 Haptic employs rumble motors in the earcups that provide a physical response to heavy bass with music and movies, and to specific low-frequency notes in games.
The effect is immersive and you can dial the intensity up and down as you see fit, so you can find the perfect head-rattling rumble for your play style. It adds a new layer of immersion that just isn’t present with other gaming headsets, making the HS60 Haptic one of the best gaming headsets for a unique gaming experience.
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Logitech is one of the best makers of wireless PC tech, and that reputation has only strengthened with the G Pro X Wireless. With its proprietary Lightspeed wireless protocol, the headset delivers audio with near-zero latency up to 43 feet. Logitech packs its best 50mm Pro-G drivers, which support DTS Headphone:X 2.0 surround sound positional audio. The microphone is of high quality as well, and it’s detachable. Both are customizable to find the perfect balance for your specific needs in Logitech G Hub.
The G Pro X is certainly the most stylish headset we’re featuring here. A steel headband holds a pair of matte oval cans with a brushed silver Logitech G cherry on top. The memory foam padding is generous and looks the part as well, with reviewers swearing by this headset’s comfort. The Logitech G Pro X works on PC, PS4 and PS5; not the longest list, but it’s one of the best headsets you’ll find in this range if that’s all you’re gaming on.
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Switch gamers should give this unique version of the Astro A10 a try. It’s black with golden print inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. A dapper presentation isn’t the the only reason you’re buying it though. It’s really affordable, and you’d be surprised how well the 40mm neodymium magnet Astro Audio drivers sound for the money. Like the big brother A50, the Astro A10’s flip-to-mute microphone carries your voice in powerful fashion.
This headset attaches to your Nintendo Switch (and almost any other console or mobile device) over a standard 3.5mm connection, and if you want Switch Online voice chat mixed in with your game audio, Astro includes a splitter cable in the box.
Picking a headset can seem a bit tricky, as even professional reviewers have their own biases and personal tastes which may not be the same as yours, and even sound quality can be a matter of individual taste. Fortunately, there are some considerations with gaming headsets that are more universal.
This is a difficult one as it really can depend on your ears and your personal tastes, but in general, more expensive headsets with bigger drivers usually leads to better sound quality. It’s not a pure dollar consideration though, as there are some diamonds in the rough at more affordable prices. Double check a few reviews before buying, as there are some headsets which are extremely bassy, and if that’s not a sound you like, you’ll want to look elsewhere.
Wired headsets typically sound slightly better and offer a reduced latency, but wireless headsets are more convenient—and most modern wireless headsets employ special wireless tech to reduce latency anyway.
You do have to factor in battery life on wireless headsets, with some coming with hot-swappable batteries to keep you gaming as long as you like, where others will require plugging the headset in to ensure it stays charged up.
If you own just one gaming device, you can get away with highly specialized options like the Logitech G Pro X, which is one of the best available but only works with PC and PlayStation. As a general rule of thumb, wireless headsets tend to work on either Xbox or PlayStation, but not both. Planning to play on multiple consoles and mobile? Make sure the one you’re getting can easily move between everything you own.
You’ll also want to think about whether your headset has a retractable microphone or a removable one. Ditto for the cable if it’s wired. No matter how well you care for your headset, these components can degrade in time. With removable options, you can skip the annoying warranty process and replace them for far less money than it’d cost to replace the headset entirely.
Most modern headsets feature mono-directional microphones to reduce transmission of unwanted noise to your teammates, but not all do. A good microphone is a must if you plan to play a lot of cooperative games.
A headset can make you feel like you’ve traveled through time and space to the very setting of whichever content you’re consuming, but that doesn’t mean much if you can’t stand to wear it more than an hour. As a general rule, over the ear headphones can make your ears and head hot compared to in ear or on-ear alternatives.
Generally speaking, you can expect the most expensive headsets to have the best sound, but that doesn’t mean the sound coming out of lesser options is bad or that the most expensive options sound the best.
Most gaming headsets from reputable manufacturers sound great no matter the cost, especially with many using the very same drivers as the costlier upgrades, just dropping a few quality of life features to cut costs. Much of the difference in cost for gaming headsets is attributed to material and build quality, extra features and wireless connectivity.
The big differences will be found between the $30 budget options and the $100+ more premium alternatives. Once you get over $200, the differences between them and the $500+ professional headphones and headsets becomes negligible.
This can vary quite widely. Some pro gamers wear headsets that are their favorite, whereas others wear a headset because it’s part of a sponsorship deal. Some pro gamers who primarily stream by themselves or compete in solo games actually wear headphones instead of headsets.
For the most part though, pro gamers wear the same mix of mid-tier to high-end gaming headsets that are available to the general public. These include the likes of the Steelseries Arctis Pro, Sennheiser HD 650 and HyperX Cloud Alpha.
This very much depends on which Razer headset you’re talking about. Razer does make some excellent headsets, including its popular Kraken range and the immersive Nari range of wireless headsets. Its most popular headset in 2022, though, is the Razer BlackShark V2, which offers strong sound quality and excellent comfort. Whether you have a limited budget and need a more affordable headset or want to spend hundreds of dollars on a high-end set, Razer’s range of gaming headsets offers something for everyone.
