Most of the time, the best gaming headsets aren’t “gaming headsets” at all.Although these devices are often considered a unique niche within the broader headphone market, they are ultimately Or headphones?. While it’s certainly not impossible to find gaming headsets that sound good, they tend to cost significantly more than comparable wired headsets (yes, those still exist).
If you want the most detailed sound at any given price point and don’t need something particularly portable (which is often the case when gaming), good wired headphones are still your best option. If you need to chat with friends, you can always buy an external microphone, whether it’s a USB mic, a cheaper clip-on mic, or a standalone option like the Antlion ModMic or V-Moda BoomPro. Typically, these will make your voice sound clearer and fuller than a gaming headset’s built-in microphone.
But we recognize that many people just want the convenience of an all-in-one package. So, after testing dozens of pairs over the past few months, we’ve put together a list of great gaming-friendly headphones and full-featured gaming headsets. We recommend you consider the former first, but all of them will make your gaming time more enjoyable.
What to look for in a good gaming headset
Evaluating headphones is a particularly subjective endeavor, so calling a pair the absolute “best” is a fool’s errand. At some point, whether you’re an audiophile or not, it all becomes a matter of taste.For most people, a headset with a wide soundscape and strong imaging performance (i.e. the ability to position sound correctly so you can more precisely discern where footsteps and other gaming effects are coming from) will provide the most immersive experience A gaming experience that makes you feel like your head is within given scenario.
For this, you need a high-quality pair of open-back headphones. That is, the earcups of over-ear headphones cannot completely isolate your ears from the air and outside noise. These are inherently bad at isolating you from outside sounds and preventing others from hearing what you’re playing, so their benefits are diminished if you regularly play in noisy environments. But in a quiet room, the best open-back headphones sound wider and more precise than the more common closed-back ones.
More controversial is how A good gaming headset should have sound. If you want a headset that can help in competitive multiplayer games, you might prefer one with a flatter sound signature, which prevents the game’s mix from being overly boosted in one direction and is less likely to Cover up smaller details in the game. Happening around you. A slightly brighter sound, with a slight push to the high frequencies, might also work. Open-back headphones rarely have huge bass, so you have little to worry about low-end sound confusing the rest of the signature. Viewed in this light, the fact that the vast majority of gaming headsets are closed-back and bass-heavy seems counterintuitive.
A lot of people like the bass, though. If you don’t really care about competitive gaming, some extra low-end can add a touch of excitement to action scenes or a thrilling soundtrack. You still don’t want a pair of headphones that boosts low-end performance too hard – like many gaming headsets do – but the point is, what makes a pair of headphones “immersive” to a person, It might sound boring to another person.
A quick PSA about wireless gaming headsets
most people don’t need Wireless gaming headsets. The PS5 and Xbox Series X/S have headphone jacks built into their controllers, while the Nintendo Switch and most gaming PCs still have the port. A good pair of wireless headphones usually costs more than comparable wired headphones, and most wireless models tend to offer poorer audio quality and less clear microphones. You also run the risk of introducing latency issues. (That’s why non-gaming Bluetooth headsets are a no-go here.) That said, the high-end wireless headset market has seen significant improvements in audio, microphone, and battery performance over the past few years. You still have to pay a pretty penny to get one of these options, so they’re not a great value — but if you absolutely must go wireless, you don’t have to sacrifice as much as you once did.
Honorable Mention
Other gaming headsets we’ve tested
If the Audeze Maxwell is out of stock, the Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed is another great wireless headset worth considering. It sounds better than the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless, with satisfying but more controlled bass and more accurate mids, and it’s lighter than the Maxwell. Logitech rates its battery life at 50 hours, but we found it lasted much longer at moderate volumes. However, like the Astro A50 X, the drop in treble makes it sound darker and more subtle than the Maxwell, and it doesn’t have any HDMI switching tricks to fall back on. Its microphone also doesn’t sound as natural as the Maxwell, A50 X, and Cloud Alpha Wireless. Also, while it can connect via a USB adapter, Bluetooth, or a 3.5mm cable, it can’t pair with two devices at the same time like the Audeze and Astro. Our biggest issue is the price: It’s in no man’s land in terms of value, with an MSRP of $250. However, if the price drops below $200, this is a good option.
For Xbox owners who want a more affordable wireless headset than the Audeze Maxwell, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X could do even worse. It’s another pair of bass-front speakers with a microphone that’s comparable to that of the Cloud Alpha Wireless. It offers multiple connectivity options, including Bluetooth and 3.5mm cable. While it’s marketed for Xbox, it can also connect to PC and PS5. However, its battery life of around 30 hours is much lower than the Maxwell and Cloud Alpha Wireless, and its uneven treble can cause sounds like gaming dialogue to be masked in some games.
The wired HyperX Cloud Alpha typically sells for $80 or less, making it a good middle price between the Cloud Stinger 2 and the Astro A40 if you really want a closed-back gaming headset. It’s old, but its plush earpads and headband are comfortable, and its detachable microphone, while not great, is still better than the one on the A40. However, its treble is underrated, and it sounds more “in your head” than the Astro pair.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is comfortable to wear and the microphone is noticeably clearer than the Astro A40. It also comes with a useful DAC that makes it easy to dynamically adjust the headset’s EQ and mix of gaming and chatting. But its closed-back design doesn’t offer the same sense of envelope width, and its preset sounds harsh in the treble. Like the Virtuoso Pro, it’s a bit pricey, usually hovering between $200 and $220.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is largely similar to its wired counterpart, but adds passable active noise cancellation. It’s also great to be able to hot swap the battery pack and connect to multiple devices at the same time.It is not as Still, the Astro A50
The wireless Beyerdynamic MMX 200 pinpoints in-game effects, feels solid, and has an excellent boom mic, but it doesn’t sound as clear as the Audeze Maxwell, with severely exaggerated bass and a recessed mid-bass. There’s no gaming and chat combo or custom EQ tools, which is a stretch for a $250 headset, and its 35-hour battery life is unspectacular. We also found its earpads and headband prone to sweating and clamped too tightly for comfort. However, the built-in transparency mode is nice, fits snugly, and does a good job of isolating outside noise.
The HyperX Cloud III Wireless are comfortable to wear and last up to 120 hours per charge, but they don’t sound as dynamic as the older Cloud Alpha Wireless and have less bass response. Like that product, it lacks a 3.5mm jack, Bluetooth audio support, and Xbox compatibility. The Cloud Alpha Wireless still has nearly three times the battery life, so it’s still the better choice if you want a PC or PS5 wireless headset in the $150 range.
The Razer BlackShark V2 are lightweight and easy to wear, and they sound pretty good for a $100 closed-back headphone. But it’s still not as immersive as the Astro A40, its microphone makes it sound thinner than the HyperX Cloud Alpha, and its plastic design feels cheap.
The $60 Xbox Stereo Headset sounds terrible, with over-exaggerated bass and lackluster highs that make finer details feel like they’re underwater.
This article originally appeared on Engadget: https://www.engadget.com/best-gaming-headset-130006477.html?src=rss
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