A lot of the time, the perfect “gaming headset” isn’t a headset in any respect. Whereas many individuals have a look at gaming headsets as their very own area of interest, they’re in the end simply headphones with a growth mic, some fancy branding and (often) an inflated price ticket hooked up. Whereas the final high quality of these headsets has improved over time, an excellent pair of conventional wired headphones — which, sure, nonetheless exist — nonetheless are likely to ship richer, extra detailed sound. If you want to chat with pals, you’ll be able to all the time hook them as much as a devoted microphone and obtain superior audio high quality there as properly.
That stated, it’s an more and more wi-fi world, and we all know that many individuals simply need the comfort of a headset with a mic inbuilt. So, after researching the market and testing dozens of contenders over the previous few years, we’ve rounded up the perfect gaming headsets and headphones for gaming that we’ve tried. Every one ought to make your sport time somewhat extra pleasant, whether or not you play on a PlayStation 5, Xbox, PC or Nintendo Change.
Desk of contents
Finest gaming headphones for 2025
Finest gaming headsets for 2025
Different gaming headsets we have examined
Observe: It is a choice of noteworthy gaming headsets and headphones we’ve put via their paces, not a complete checklist of every little thing we’ve ever tried.
PlayStation Pulse Elite (and Pulse Discover)
The PlayStation Pulse Elite is an affordable various to the Turtle Seaside Atlas Air for PS5 homeowners, because it means that you can change quantity, swap between totally different EQ presets, modify the game-to-chat combine and mute the mic proper from the console’s native UI. It’s just like the way in which AirPods combine with iPhones. This pair additionally permits you to hook up with a second system over Bluetooth on the identical time, and the planar magnetic drivers — a rarity for $150 headphones — do a good job of reproducing smaller particulars. The sound profile as a complete is narrower and extra uneven within the bass and treble than the Atlas Air, nonetheless, whereas the all-plastic design is snug however flimsy-feeling. It additionally doesn’t do a lot to dam exterior noise, regardless of being closed-back, and the management buttons are awkward to succeed in.
We additionally examined Sony’s in-ear model of those headphones, the PlayStation Pulse Explore, however discovered it too uncomfortable to put on over prolonged periods. That one is restricted to roughly 5 hours of battery life, too.
Astro A50 (Gen 5)
The Astro A50 (Gen 5) is successfully the identical headset because the A50X, simply with none HDMI ports on its base station. It prices $80 much less, so it’s a worthy various to the Audeze Maxwell should you primarily play on one platform and desire a superior microphone. However the potential to robotically swap between consoles is the factor that makes the A50X value shopping for within the first place, in order that comfort remains to be value paying for should you sport on a number of units.
Corsair Virtuoso Professional
The Corsair Virtuoso Pro is one other one of many few devoted gaming headsets with an open-back design. It has a comparatively darkish sound with principally underemphasized treble and elevated upper-bass, although the highs are clearer right here than they’re on the Astro A40, and it nonetheless delivers a wider soundstage than most gaming headsets. We most popular this signature over Astro’s pair with some video games, although in others it felt much less balanced. The Virtuoso Professional’s mic is decidedly much less muffled than the A40’s however nonetheless sounds pretty skinny, so it’s merely respectable in comparison with the broader headset market. Its headband adjustment mechanism feels low-cost, too, and you’ll’t detach the mic with out swapping cables out fully. Its spherical, breathable ear cups and manageable weight do make it straightforward to put on, although, and it comes with a sturdy journey case for defense. In the end, it’s a good purchase, however it’s laborious to justify over the extra featured and easier-sounding Atlas Air.
HyperX Cloud Alpha Wi-fi
The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless can final properly over 300 hours at average volumes, which is remarkable and by far the perfect of any wi-fi mannequin we’ve examined. It’s gentle and never too cosy on the pinnacle, and its highly effective bass lends an actual sense of pleasure to in-game motion. However it blunts extra element than the Atlas Air, Maxwell and A50 X, and its mic isn’t nearly as good. A number of users have additionally reported latency issues when utilizing the headset with HyperX’s Ngenuity software program, and there’s no Xbox, Bluetooth or wired audio help. Nonetheless, if battery life is paramount, you might be able to look previous all of that.
Logitech G Professional X 2 Lightspeed
If the Audeze Maxwell is out of inventory, the Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed is one other high quality wi-fi headset value contemplating. It sounds higher than the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wi-fi, with satisfying however extra managed bass and extra correct mids, and it’s lighter on the pinnacle than the Maxwell. Logitech charges its battery life at 50 hours, however we discovered it to final for much longer at average volumes. Nonetheless, just like the Astro A50 X, a dip within the treble makes it sound darker and extra veiled than the Maxwell, and it doesn’t have any HDMI-switching tips to fall again on. Its mic additionally sounds much less pure than these of the Maxwell, A50 X and Cloud Alpha Wi-fi. Plus, whereas it could actually join over a USB dongle, Bluetooth or a 3.5mm cable, it could actually’t pair to 2 units without delay like Audeze’s and Astro’s pairs. Our largest problem is the value: Worth-wise, it’s in one thing of a no man’s land at its MSRP of $250. It’s a positive alternative if it dips beneath $200, although.
Razer BlackShark V2 Professional
The wi-fi Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is tremendously snug and has an excellent mic, however its boomy sound is much less refined and detailed than the Audeze Maxwell. As a closed-back headset, it additionally lacks the width of the Atlas Air. There’s no help for wired audio both.
Logitech G535 Lightspeed
The Logitech G535 is an impressively gentle (0.52 kilos) and cozy wi-fi headset that’s usually out there for $100 or much less. It has a comparatively impartial sound signature: not flat, however not beholden to large, thumping bass. It may make particulars within the mids sound skinny, and if something it might use somewhat extra sub-bass, however it’s an agreeable hear general. Nonetheless, its mic is not particularly full, and its 35-or-so-hour battery life is a major drop from our high suggestions. It doesn’t work with Xbox’s wi-fi protocol or Bluetooth both, and it forces you to crank the quantity to succeed in a listenable degree. However should you don’t need to spend a ton on a wi-fi headset, it’s a positive worth.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X
Xbox homeowners who desire a extra inexpensive wi-fi headset than the Audeze Maxwell might do worse than the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X. It’s one other bass-forward pair, and its mic is similar to that of the Cloud Alpha Wi-fi. It gives a number of connectivity choices, together with Bluetooth and a 3.5mm cable. Whereas it is marketed for Xbox, it could actually additionally hook up with PCs and PS5s. Its 30-ish-hour battery life is properly in need of the Maxwell and Cloud Alpha Wi-fi, nonetheless, and its uneven treble could cause issues like in-game dialogue to sound masked in sure titles.
SteelSeries sells a less expensive Arctis Nova 5X mannequin with longer battery life, although we’ve not been capable of take a look at that one but, and it does not help wired connections.
HyperX Cloud Alpha
The wired HyperX Cloud Alpha usually goes for $80 or much less, and at that value it’s a good center floor between the Cloud Stinger 2 and Astro A40 should you actually desire a closed-back gaming headset. It’s previous, however its plush earpads and headband are cozy, and its removable mic, whereas not very good, remains to be higher than the one on the A40. Its treble is underemphasized, nonetheless, and once more it sounds extra “in your head” than Astro’s pair.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Professional
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is a snug wired-only headset with a noticeably clearer mic than the Astro A40. It additionally comes with a helpful DAC that makes it straightforward to regulate the headset’s EQ and game-to-chat combine on the fly. Nonetheless, its closed-back design can’t present the identical enveloping sense of width, and its default sound can sound piercing within the treble. It’s additionally pricier, usually hovering within the $200 to $220 vary.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Professional Wi-fi
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is essentially just like its wired counterpart however provides a satisfactory degree of lively noise cancellation. With the ability to hot-swap battery packs and hook up with a number of units without delay can be good. It’s not as handy for multi-console play because the Astro A50 X, although, and it is often not less expensive than the Audeze Maxwell, which sounds higher, has a superior mic and lasts longer on a cost.
Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Professional
There’s nothing notably dangerous concerning the Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Pro: It makes use of the identical drivers because the DT 900 Professional X, its velour earpads are cozy and its mic works properly. It’s simply laborious to advocate spending $300 on a wired-only headset when the Audeze Maxwell gives wi-fi performance and equally wonderful sound — with barely much less spiky treble and extra even bass — for a similar value. The MMX 300 Professional’s mic isn’t removable both, and the closed-back design retains it from sounding as extensive because the DT 900 Professional X.
HyperX Cloud III Wi-fi
The HyperX Cloud III Wireless is cozy and might last as long as 120 hours per cost, however it sounds much less dynamic than the older Cloud Alpha Wi-fi, with weaker bass response. Like that pair, it additionally lacks a 3.5mm jack, Bluetooth audio help and Xbox compatibility. The Cloud Alpha Wi-fi nonetheless will get almost 3 times the battery life, too, so it stays a greater purchase if you’d like a wi-fi headset for PS5 or PC gaming within the $150 vary.
Sennheiser HD 490 Professional
The Sennheiser HD 490 Pro are studio-focused open-back headphones that additionally work properly for gaming. They arrive with two units of ear pads, one which barely elevates the bass and one other that bumps the midrange, although they ship spectacular width and element both method with out pushing too laborious in a single course. They’re additionally a pleasure to put on over lengthy durations, each lighter than the DT 900 Professional X and fewer stiff than the HD 560S. That stated, they’re often priced near $400, and their sound profile is extra of a pleasant various to our high picks than one thing clearly extra pure or resolving. Most individuals don’t must pay the premium.
Finest gaming headsets and headphones: What to search for
Evaluating headphones is a very subjective train, so calling one pair absolutely the “greatest” is one thing of a idiot’s errand. At a sure level, whether or not you are an audiophile or not, every little thing turns into a matter of style. For many, a headphone with a large soundscape and robust imaging efficiency — i.e., the flexibility to place sounds accurately, so you’ll be able to extra exactly inform the place footsteps and different gameplay results are coming from — will present probably the most immersive gaming expertise, the type that makes you are feeling like your head is inside a given scene.
For that, you desire a high-quality pair of open-back headphones. That’s to say, an over-ear pair whose ear cups don’t utterly seal off the ear from air and outdoors noise. These are inherently horrible at isolating you from exterior sound and stopping others from listening to what you’re enjoying, so should you usually play video games in a loud setting, their advantages might be blunted. However in a quiet room, the perfect open-back pairs sound considerably wider and extra exact than extra widespread closed-back fashions.
Extra up for debate is how an excellent gaming headphone ought to sound. If you’d like one thing that’ll assist you to in aggressive multiplayer video games, you might favor a headphone with a flatter sound signature, which’ll maintain a sport’s combine from being overly boosted in a single course and is much less prone to masks the smaller particulars of what’s occurring round you. A barely brighter sound, one which pushes the higher frequencies a tad, may work. Open-back headphones nearly by no means have enormous sub-bass, so that you not often have to fret about low-end sounds muddying up the remainder of the signature. On this gentle, the truth that an awesome quantity of gaming headsets are closed-back and bass-heavy appears counterintuitive.
Plenty of folks love bass, although. And should you do not actually care about aggressive play, some additional low-end can add a contact of pleasure to motion scenes or rousing soundtracks. You continue to don’t desire a pair that enhances the low-end too laborious — as many gaming headsets do — however the level is that what makes a pair “immersive” to at least one individual could sound boring to a different.
Latest updates
April 2025: We’ve up to date this information to make sure our suggestions are nonetheless correct and eliminated our testing notes for the Beyerdynamic MMX 200, which is now not out there. Wanting ahead, we’ve our eyes on a number of different headsets and headphones for our subsequent replace, together with the Sennheiser HD 550, Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro, ASUS ROG Delta II, Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Headset, SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X and Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3).
January 2025: We’ve regarded over this information to make sure our picks are nonetheless correct and added notes on a number of extra headsets we’ve not too long ago examined, together with the PlayStation Pulse Elite, Astro A50 (Gen 5) and Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Professional.
November 2024: We have up to date this information with a brand new suggestion for the perfect devoted gaming headset, the Turtle Seaside Atlas Air, and reorganized our picks accordingly. We have additionally added notes on different gaming-friendly headphones we have examined, together with the Sennheiser HD 490 Professional and Razer BlackShark V2 Professional, and eliminated a few write-ups on headsets which can be now not out there.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/best-gaming-headset-130006477.html?src=rss
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