There’s so much to search for in the very best gaming headset. You want nice sound high quality, strong connectivity, good consolation, and an reasonably priced value. Gaming headsets provide a number of gimmicks, however few of them truly influence the way you play video games. These are the gaming headsets we have examined that carry out exceptionally effectively.
A few of the headsets on this information excel at one factor—a giant cause we just like the Kraken X at its value—whereas others provide an excellent steadiness between every thing we worth. Our high decide, the Razer Blackshark V2, is a sturdy, $100 headset with nice sound high quality. The wi-fi model is a bit more expansive, and you will find it in that information. Alternatively, if you wish to go wi-fi and have the cash to spare, we additionally advocate the HyperX Cloud II Wireless.
For under the very best wi-fi picks, try our information to the best wireless gaming headsets. That is the place you will discover a extra expansive lineup of cable-free cans. For now, although, onward with the very best gaming headset suggestions out of your neighbourhood PC Gamer editors.
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Greatest gaming headset
Dethroning the HyperX Cloud Alpha from final 12 months’s the highest spot was no straightforward feat. Razer’s Blackshark V2 gaming headset manages to just do that by providing killer audio high quality, nice value, and easy-to-use software program.
The 50mm TriForce Titanium drivers are designed with discrete ports to separate bass, mid, tremble tones from interfering with one another. The result’s a richer sound and retains it on par with HyperX’s 50mm dual-chamber neodymium driver headset.
The $100 value level will not be a giant monetary ask for anybody who desires a high quality gaming headset. The Blackshark V2 Pro’s recent release provides gamers a wi-fi possibility although, $180 appears a bit steep.
Learn our full Razer Blackshark V2 review.
Bearing the fruits of HyperX Cloud’s lengthy legacy of excellence, the Cloud IIs presents wonderful sound and construct high quality with the important options executed effectively and no feature-flab inflating the worth. This closed-back design’s stereo soundscape is punchier within the low finish than we would often go for.
Nonetheless, the additional bass would not intervene with general readability—and admittedly, in video games and music environments, it sounds nice. The 53mm with neodymium magnets is meant to provide low, medium, and excessive frequencies house to resonate with out interfering with one another, and also you do get a way of that whereas listening to them.
Elsewhere it is the standard spectacular construct high quality, beneficiant padding, clear mic, and excessive consolation ranges over longer play classes that the Cloud II design has at all times supplied.
Learn our HyperX Cloud Alpha review for a extra fashionable, wired various.
Best gaming keyboard | Best gaming mouse | Best gaming chair
Best VR headset | Best wireless gaming mouse | Best graphics cards
As an inexpensive various to the tricked-out Razer Kraken, the Kraken X is a budget-friendly possibility that excels on PC for one easy cause—digital 7.1 encompass sound. Obtainable through an app, this elevates the headset’s already good audio due to superior depth, readability, and definition. It additionally makes going again to the X’s customary audio mode tough.
While you throw in enviable consolation and a classy, understated design, this model of the Kraken provides super worth for cash. There are niggles to dampen the occasion, in fact (a non-detachable mic being chief amongst them), however you’ll be able to’t complain while you’re getting wonderful 7.1 sound for such a low value.
Learn our full Razer Kraken X review.
Epos is regularly shifting away from its Sennheiser previous and starting to gather its personal lineup of nice gaming headsets. The H6PRO is a giant a part of that, as the corporate’s first go at a real flagship product with out Sennheiser’s stamp throughout it.
The H6PRO provides a very high-grade headset expertise. There are fancy new 42mm drivers to maintain them sounding nice, which have been tune to supply a extra balanced and straightforward on the bass profile than your ordinary gaming headset. It additionally provides an excellent sounding microphone that delivers the advantages of each flip-to-mute and removeable designs.
General, we’re fairly impressed by the Epos H6PRO, so for those who’re out there for one thing a bit extra fine-tuned by means of audio, these are our advice.
Learn our full Epos H6PRO review.
We like finest concerning the Arctis 9X as a result of you’ll be able to simply neglect it’s a wi-fi mannequin when you’re utilizing it. There’s not one of the muddiness or audio artifacts which have traditionally ruined the occasion for wi-fi headsets. The added Bluetooth compatibility signifies that you should use this headset in your cell gadgets, too, good is you propose on gaming in your telephone or pill.
The good battery life clocks in at over 20 hours out of the field; you’ll be able to preserve taking part in when you cost, too, just by connecting the headset to your PC with a USB cable.
The distinctive ski goggle headband is absolutely efficient at maintaining the load of the headset away out of your head, and even after taking part in for hours, we’ve by no means felt it digging in.
The Inventive SFXI Gamer headset is an effective headset with a hilariously dangerous title. That being stated, it should not deter anybody in search of an excellent general listening expertise. The positional audio, aka Battle Mode, is ideal for anybody trying to immerse themselves into their favourite Battle Royales like Name of Responsibility: Warzone for lower than $150.
The 50mm neodymium drivers present some good bass between each stereo and with encompass sound modes. The microphone works effectively for aggressive gaming (although that pink gentle on the tip is infuriating) if you wish to be heard loud and clear.
Learn our full Creative SXFI Gamer review.
Greatest gaming headset FAQ
What does a gaming headset want?
There are some things to think about when selecting a gaming headset. A very good value and sound high quality are foremost, however consolation is up there, too. Additionally, noise-cancelling mics are essential for coms, so many of the headsets we have listed right here embody this characteristic. You need first rate voice high quality and a microphone that will not decide up each single keypress in your mechanical keyboard.
How can we check gaming headsets?
Every headset that we check we use day by day for at the very least per week. We document a pattern of our voice in Audacity and evaluate it to earlier recordings from different fashions, then head to Discord to get some suggestions from our buddies on how we’re sounding.
Throughout that week, we purpose to check every headset in quite a lot of totally different recreation genres—shooters, battle royales, and racing video games make for significantly good testing eventualities for the reason that former tends to check the low-end and reveal muddiness and distortion, whereas PUBG et al are nice for positional audio monitoring. Lastly, good racing sims characteristic a really explicit combine designed that will help you hear brake lock-up and tires shedding traction. It is typically in Undertaking CARS 2 (critically!) the place nice headsets are separated from merely good. Oh, and we take heed to a number of music, clearly.
Are wired or wi-fi headsets higher for gaming?
This actually involves all the way down to desire, however for those who’re going the wi-fi route what you need to search for is for first rate battery life (20 hours or greater). The very last thing you need to have a headset that is always needing to be plugged in as a result of the battery life is dangerous. It type of defeats the aim of being wi-fi. For wired headsets you need to ensure you the cable is lengthy sufficient to achieve your PC with out feeling prefer it’s tugging in your head.
