Best gaming headset 2022. What is the best headset for pc

The headset connects via the 3.5mm jack, but still supports Windows 10 surround sound, which is quite rare. It really covers almost all of the basics, whether you’re a fan of FPS or RPG – for $ 49.99, you can do a lot worse.

Best Gaming Headset 2021

We often think about the quality of the game in terms of resolution, frame rate and how high we are able to choose our graphics settings. While the visuals on gaming monitors are important, so is what we hear through our headphones. Few things can ruin a feeling as deep as a bad sound. An over-compressed movie can still be watched if the audio is clear, but try watching a clear movie with the audio that is clipped or out of sync is much worse. Things only get worse in games where a bad audio experience can hurt your ears with sounds that suddenly turn towards explosives or enemies that you can’t hear until it’s too late.

A high-quality gaming headset can ensure these audio issues aren’t your concern. The best wired and wireless headsets use high-quality materials to ensure clear and clear sound. Some offer custom equalizers and surround sound so you can really fine-tune your audio experience for a gaming edge. We’ve collected the best gaming headsets from budget to premium and wired to wireless so you can find the best option – and click here to find them in the UK.

TL;DR – These are our picks for the Best Gaming Headsets:

Best Gaming Headset

Compatibility: PS4, Xbox One, PC / Mac, Nintendo Switch, mobile devices | Connectivity: wired | Drivers: Planar 100 mm | Surround sound modes: 7.1 | Battery life: 10 hours | Weight: 368g

There’s only one trade-off you have to make when you buy the HyperX Cloud Orbit S: it’s wired so you won’t be able to roam like you would with the wireless option, but it makes up for it in a number of ways. Cloud Orbit S was built in collaboration with Audeze, a company with a talent for stunning sound using planar magnetic transducers. And that’s what Cloud Orbit S uses for sound. You’ll get impeccably precise sound and a wide range of frequencies – good luck using your ordinary headphones just to listen to podcasts or the news.

HyperX provides these headphones with support not only for standard 7.1-channel virtual surround sound, but also for Waves NX technology. There is also a built-in position tracker that works on a computer, so the sound changes depending on the orientation of the head. It also offers some fancy tricks when set up in software, such as being able to use head gestures for in-game controls, such as tilting your head for in-game tilt.

Featured IGN Deals: Best Gaming Headset Deals

It’s very expensive, especially when compared to the Virtuoso Wireless SE, but the added aptX HD Bluetooth support makes the Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT one of the most versatile high-end gaming headsets.

Razer BlackShark V2

The best gaming headset is the Razer BlackShark V2.

In a movie, sequels are rarely better than the original, but the opposite is true for technology. The BlackShark V2 is much more than an iterative upgrade to the 2012 original, being one of the most impressive pairs of Razer gaming headphones we’ve seen. It builds on the same foundations that have been praised by the esports community, wrapping up great sound, a crisp microphone, and a sleek, professional look at a staggering under $ 100 price point.

Its new 50mm TriForce Titanium drivers work overtime to separate the bass, mids and highs, knocking our previous master, the HyperX Cloud Alpha, down.

In fact, Razer has mastered almost all markets with its latest design, as those looking to spend a little more can opt for the BlackShark V2 Pro Wireless, and those on a tighter budget can forgo the detachable microphone and bundled USB sound card by grabbing the BlackShark V2 X There really is something for everyone.

What we like
Detailed 50mm TriForce Titanium drivers on all models
The best value
Strong and stunning design

Razer BlackShark V2
The drivers	TriForce Tytan 50mm
Frequency range	12 Hz – 28,000 Hz
Libra	262g

HyperX Cloud Alpha

Our previous best gaming headset is the HyperX Cloud Alpha.

Perfecting everything Cloud II has done well, Cloud Alpha offers an even more immersive experience at the same price, which is why it was previously considered the best gaming headset on this list. The drivers are impressive, offering frequency ranges that rival the Razer Threshers for $ 250. Here we are talking about the sound quality “almost, but not entirely, of a studio reference handset.

The noise-canceling microphone has been upgraded, specially tuned to block out the sound of HyperX’s own alloy keyboard and the famous piercing sound of the Cherry MX blue switches. The Cloud Alpha headphones also have noticeably improved noise isolation so that the conversations around you can’t ruin your listening experience.

HyperX Cloud Alpha offers great design, durability and quality at a fantastic price. Kingston took his time redesigning the Cloud headset, and for good reason. The HyperX Cloud II needed something totally spectacular to justify the redesign, and that’s exactly what they’ve delivered with Cloud Alpha. The only reason it was dethroned is a slightly higher asking price than the Razer BlackShark V2 at the time of writing.

What we like
Stunning sound quality
great price
Durable construction

HyperX Cloud Alpha specification
The drivers	50mm
Frequency range	13 Hz – 27,000 Hz
Libra	298g

Read the PCGamesN HyperX Cloud Alpha review for the full verdict and score.

Compatibility: PS5, Xbox Series X / S, PC / Mac, Nintendo Switch, mobile devices | Connectivity: wired | Drivers: 106mm Planar Magnetic | Surround sound modes: 2.0 | Weight: 454g

If nothing but the absolute best will do, look no further than the Audeze Mobius

In a world of unlimited budgets, the Audeze Mobius is basically the best wired gaming headset on the market. Mobius is the first gaming expedition from the luxury audio company Audeze, the Mobius has top-notch audio, with 100mm planar magnetic drivers that accurately reproduce sound across the entire frequency spectrum without too much bass boost.

With memory foam pads and a super elastic strap, these headphones are a pleasure to use. They have no problem blocking out most of the home sounds you’ll encounter and the memory phone adjusts to your head over time. Additionally, the headset supports almost every conceivable connection method, with a 3.5mm cable, USB and Bluetooth 5 compatibility.

Additionally, Audeze has teamed up with Waves Nx to bring 3D audio to Mobius. In addition to the 7.1 virtual surround sound that the game supports, you can enable 3D audio to simulate the speaker environment in your headphones. Tap a button to set an anchor point, and it will always sound like things are coming from that direction, no matter how you turn your head. It’s not a big thing about games, but it makes music and movies different in a really cool way.

Ultimately, the headset does everything that is reflected in its price.

The SteelSeries Arctis 7P is great for setups where wires get in the way

The predecessor of this headset held this spot for a long time due to its easy cross-platform connection methods, and the SteelSeries Arctis 7P is a big step forward in this regard. Using a USB-C dongle, the headset adds the Nintendo Switch (docked and undocked) and smartphones with USB-C ports to the list that already included PCs, PlayStation 4 and 5, and everything else with a headphone jack.

The Arctis 7P is also a more reliable wireless device than the regular Arctis 7, with nearly double the battery life at over 27 hours. It has the same super comfortable design, retractable microphone and nice sound – now in a white and blue color scheme to match the PlayStation oriented brand. It doesn’t provide built-in surround sound, but almost every platform nowadays does.

The innovative design has two microphones, a magnetized detachable boom microphone that can be muted, and a microphone built into one of the earpieces that can be used without a boom, and the boom works very well when set up; the on-ear microphone also helps with boom noise attenuation.

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless

Best High-End Wireless Gaming Headset

Compatibility: PS4, Xbox One, PC / Mac, Nintendo Switch, mobile devices | Connectivity: USB, 3.5mm audio cable, optical | Drivers: 40mm Neodymium | Surround sound modes: DTS Headphone: X v2.0 | Weight: 348g

SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless is a complete package; well-made, super comfortable wireless headset with 7.1 surround sound with the possibility of connecting up to three devices. If you’ve planned everything right, you can connect this gaming headset to your computer and console at the same time. Moreover, this gaming headset also supports Bluetooth, allowing you to pair it with your smartphone to listen to something else while gaming.

It also happens to fit your head thanks to a super comfortable “ski goggle” strap and earpieces made of breathable fabric. You can even buy replacements in a variety of colors and designs to customize things a bit. The microphone is also excellent and slips into the ear cup when not in use. The icing on the cake is a wireless hub that not only allows you to connect your devices out of sight, but also recharges a spare battery, so you can play wirelessly almost continuously.

All in all, the Arctis Pro Wireless has virtually every feature we could wish for in a gaming headset, and they’re all wrapped in a discreet package that’s both sophisticated and comfortable all day long. When it comes to gaming headsets, it really doesn’t get any better than this.

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2

High-End Gaming Audio at a Discount

Compatibility: Xbox Series X / S, Xbox One, PC, Mac, mobile devices | Connectivity: Xbox Wireless, Bluetooth | Drivers: 50mm | Surround sound modes: Windows Sonic | Battery life: 20 hours

Turtle Beach makes audio more affordable, and that’s high-end gaming audio for the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2. These gorgeous headphones are priced at $ 150 and deliver impressive sound. Moreover, they are wireless headphones that provide additional flexibility in their use.

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 can connect directly to your Xbox console or PC via the Xbox Wireless Adapter for high-quality gaming audio with low latency. They can also connect via Bluetooth to many other audio sources, and can make an Xbox wireless connection and a Bluetooth connection at the same time. You can play with your friends on Xbox by chatting with them on Discord on your phone or tuning into your favorite Spotify playlist – there’s even a volume knob for each audio source. This wireless connection will give you 20 hours of battery life, giving you plenty of time to play before needing to charge.

Pulse 3D is about more than just gaming on PS5. It also works wirelessly with PS4, PC and Mac. Additionally, thanks to the USB-C or 3.5mm audio cable, it can also support a wide range of other devices. The fact that Sony is selling the option for only $ 100 makes it a pretty strong offer.

VZR Model One

So I didn’t find them uncomfortable for hours. The headphones use a 3.5mm connector for wired connection to a wide range of devices (other than the latest smartphones) and include both long and short cables with single or dual 3.5mm ends. There is also a semi-hard case to carry the headphones and their cables, pleasant to the touch and almost expected in this price range.

The included microphone is simple, but outperforms most wireless alternatives; when it comes to wired audio, it’s nothing special and can sound a bit distant if it’s not right in your mouth. Fortunately, the sound coming out of the headset compensates for this, with a smooth and detailed signature that works well for games without becoming too tiring. The soundstage is relatively wide for closed-back headphones, so it was relatively easy for me to locate enemies by their footsteps in Counter-Strike, while the noise isolation ensured I wasn’t distracted. This was also true of other use cases; It’s rare to get a gaming headset that can withstand more critical listening to music or movie as well, but that’s exactly what the Model One provides.All in all, I am very impressed – and hope to see wider retail availability.

Turtle Beach Recon 500

60mm headset with excellent passive noise isolation and excellent imaging

If you’re looking for a simple wired headset to get the essentials, the £ 70 / $ 80 Turtle Beach Recon 500 is a great shout out. In our tests, we found the lightweight headset to be comfortable to wear for a long time, even with glasses, with excellent passive noise isolation. The remarkable dual 60mm drivers produce surprisingly detailed audio with good imaging, making them perfect for identifying enemy positions in games like Apex Legends or CS: GO. The detachable microphone is only suitable for a wired headset, but still outperforms almost all wireless headsets we’ve tested. The Recon 500 also seems to be quite well built, although its simple appearance and mostly plastic construction do not attract attention in the black color we tested – although an arctic camouflage version is also available. The Recon 500 uses a 3.5mm connection.

Turtle Beach makes audio more affordable, and that’s high-end gaming audio for the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2. These gorgeous headphones are priced at $ 150 and deliver impressive sound. Moreover, they are wireless headphones that provide additional flexibility in their use.

Best headset under $100 with Bluetooth

Corsair HS70 Bluetooth gaming headset

Being able to monitor your phone (or other audio) via Bluetooth with the headset while using a separate, lag-free connection for gaming is a useful feature, but it often adds to the price. By adding Bluetooth to a wired headset – typically only available on wireless models – Corsair manages to avoid this pitfall. The Stereo HS70 supports USB for laptops and desktops, as well as 3.5mm analog cabling for connection to all consoles. The battery lasts approximately 30 hours and the noise-canceling microphone is detachable. Proprietary iCue app for Windows or MacOS to access equalizer settings or adjust mic and side tones levels. Although it’s not that expensive,like most side-mounted Bluetooth gaming headsets, it’s relatively expensive for the entry-level model. And oddly enough, the HS70 Wireless.

Best wireless gaming headset for audiophiles

Epos H3Pro Hybrid

Overall, it can be a slightly controversial choice, but even many who dislike Epos gaming headphones in general agree that they have great audiophile-quality stereo sound. Given the epos related to the veteran audio Sennheiser – and unfortunately, the high prices on a Sennheiser level – you can’t expect less.

However, I really like the H3Pro Hybrid for gamers who don’t need surround sound. They have basic support via software (or a paid external sound card), but lack many of the capabilities of most true 7.1 headsets, such as Dolby Surround or DTS Headphone: X compatibility that you would expect for the price of using proprietary surround sound technology. That’s the plus of only the dongle’s signal retention satisfactorily – it gives me trouble sometimes, starting at about 16 feet, roughly half (or more) the distance from other headsets, but there doesn’t seem to be any lag when gaming – these are the only two problems i have with him. But these aren’t minor issues, so they can be killers for many people.The software is weak too.

But they have a really wide set of functional features. They include the same flexibility to connect to anything the Arctis 9X does: you can’t use two Bluetooth connections at the same time, but any other wired and / or wireless pairing works. Unlike many other headsets I have tried, you don’t need to keep plugging in the dongle, and when they disconnect or go into standby, they reconnect immediately.

The innovative design has two microphones, a magnetized detachable boom microphone that can be muted, and a microphone built into one of the earpieces that can be used without a boom, and the boom works very well when set up; the on-ear microphone also helps with boom noise attenuation.

There is also a small microphone in the ear cup to improve the noise cancellation, and the active noise cancellation works pretty well; The earcups filter out a lot of noise even without ANC (although these are leather-covered memory foam which can make your ears sweat.

They’re really comfortable to wear for extended periods and on the lighter side considering everything inside (10-11oz / 288-309g depending if the boom is fitted) at least on my head and with glasses on and the battery lasts for relatively long time and does not wear out quickly when not used for a while. And they are much less bulky and nicely venison than many of their competitors.

There are cheaper models in this line, the wired H3 for $ 99 and the wireless H3 Hybrid H3 for just $ 179

The BlackShark V2 is by far one of the most comfortable headsets we’ve ever tested. It has soft foam earpads and a plush headband, which ensures comfortable gameplay for a long time.

Notable Mentions

• SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless: The SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless is a suitable alternative to the Astro A50 Gen 4 Wireless 2019 if you are looking for more versatility in your headphones. They support Bluetooth and have better overall battery performance. However, their non-Bluetooth wireless latency is high. See our review
• SteelSeries Arctis 7P Wireless: The SteelSeries Arctis 7P Wireless is a comfortable gaming headset compatible with SteelSeries Engine. Their microphone performance is not as impressive as the SteelSeries Arctis Pro. See our review
• SteelSeries Arctis 7 2019 Edition Wireless: SteelSeries Arctis 7 2019 Edition Wireless is a suitable cheaper alternative to the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless but without a docking station. See our review
• ROCCAT Elo 7.1 Air Wireless: The ROCCAT Elo 7.1 AIr is a wireless gaming headset with virtual surround sound. Unfortunately, they are not Bluetooth compatible, have inconsistent sound delivery, and don’t block out many ambient sounds. See our review
• Logitech G933 Wireless Gaming Headset: The Logitech G933 is a wireless gaming headset with very good boom microphone performance and lots of customization features in the companion software. However, they have shorter continuous battery life and higher latency unrelated to Bluetooth technology. See our review
• HyperX Cloud 2 / Cloud II: The HyperX Cloud 2 / Cloud II is a very well-built wired gaming headset that is impressively comfortable, but doesn’t sound as good as the other options on this list, and is not customizable. See our review
• Logitech G935 Wireless Gaming Headset: The Logitech G935 Wireless Gaming Headset has great features and customization options. However, the boom mic doesn’t perform as well as the 2019 Astro A50 Gen 4 Wireless, and is not as comfortable. See our review
• HyperX Cloud Alpha S: The HyperX Cloud Alpha S is an exceptionally well-built and impressively comfortable wired gaming headset with a great mic. The design is less versatile than the Logitech G533, and they only have a bass slider that isn’t as helpful as the full graphic equalizer. See our review
• HyperX Cloud Stinger: The HyperX Cloud Stinger are affordable gaming headphones with a comfortable fit and amazing microphone performance, but not quite as customizable as the Logitech G432. See our review
• The SteelSeries Arctis 1: The SteelSeries Arctis 1 are affordable gaming headphones with a detachable boom mic, but aren’t as comfortable or customizable as the Logitech G432. See our review
• Audeze Penrose Wireless: Audeze Penrose are wireless flat magnetic gaming headphones. Their wireless USB dongle provides low-latency audio transmission, but they are also Bluetooth compatible. That said, their detachable boom mic doesn’t perform as well as the 2019 Astro A50 Gen 4 Wireless, and they’re not quite as well-built. See our review

jan 10, 2022: SteelSeries Arctis 9X Wireless has been replaced with Arctis 7X Wireless as some users have reported issues with audio stuttering on the 9X. The Razer Kaira Pro Wireless has also been renamed the Xbox “Bluetooth Alternative’.

december 17, 2021: The picks were checked to represent the best recommendations and the products are in stock.

All Reviews

Our recommendations above are what we think are the best gaming headphones right now that you can buy for most people at any price point. We take into account the price (cheaper headphones win with more expensive ones, if the difference is not worth it), our guests’ opinions and availability (no headphones that are hard to find or almost unavailable everywhere).

If you want to choose for yourself, here is a list of all our headphone reviews, sorted by their wireless gaming performance. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There are no perfect headphones. Personal taste, preferences and listening habits will play a greater role in your choice, especially if you don’t care about a microphone or wireless functionality.