Best Gaming Headsets of 2. A good gaming headset doesn't just help you lose yourself in your favorite titles. It can also help you play better by determining exactly where the enemy is coming from. After testing several headsets from multiple brands in different price ranges, our top pick is the Steel. Series Siberia Elite Prism.
This slick headset offers excellent sound, comfort and customization, which are all essential for serious players or anyone who simply wants to enjoy immersive audio without waking up everyone in the house. Gaming headsets aren't one- size- fits- all, and we're not just talking about comfort. The myriad of headsets on the market includes budget- friendly options for the frugal fragger, such as the Logitech G2. Astro A5. 0. The best headsets are more than just gaming peripherals, too. In some cases, they offer enough crisp highs and satisfying bass to double as worthy headphones for music and movies.
Learn more about all our recommended headsets below. How We Test. Gaming headsets are among the most personal and subjective peripherals out there, and as such, much of our testing involves wearing the devices for hours on end and playing lots of games. We typically test headsets with a mix of shooting, fighting and action/adventure games. Games such as Halo and Titanfall give us a sense of how accurate each headset's directionality is in a multiplayer setting, while titles such as Mortal Kombat X and Batman: Arkham Knight help us evaluate how well each peripheral captures a game's sense of impact and atmosphere. We also listen to music and watch movies with each headset in order to size up its usefulness for consuming multimedia. For wireless headsets, we keep a log of how long the peripheral lasts before the battery completely drains. We generally wear each headset for at least two full days to assess comfort level. We always get a second opinion from someone else on staff, as what's comfortable to one gamer could be unbearable to the next.
. we take a look at the best PC headsets based on your price range and purpose. Xbox One; Xbox 360; PS4; PS3. The 7 Best PC Gaming Headsets. We pick the best budget gaming headset and the best overall headset for your PC gaming pleasure. Most decent wireless gaming headsets will run you $200. Best Gaming Headsets for PC. Best Gaming Headsets for PC, Xbox and PlayStation 2016. like ‘Best Gaming Headset for PC’ or something like that. The best PC gaming processors; The best microphones for gaming and livestreaming. The best gaming headsets. PC Gamer Jan 12, 2016. SHARES. PC Gamer newsletter. . and this year’s crop is the best we’ve ever tried. Best Gaming Headsets Maximum PC Staff Aug 26, 2014. Page 1 of 2. Maximum PC newsletter sign up. I.
Look at all of our PC gaming headsets, the best gaming headset with USB. Dolby 7.1 Channel Surround Sound Amplified PC Gaming Headset. Ear Force Recon 320. COMPARE. The best PC gaming processors; The best microphones for gaming and livestreaming. The best wireless gaming headsets. Phil Iwaniuk Apr 28, 2015. SHARES. What's the best PC gaming headset for your. And that’s great news for pc gamers. Best gaming. Of all the gaming headsets we’ve tested over the past. Here are the best gaming headsets available for PCs, Xbox One and PS4, including wireless options, budget picks and 7.1 channel models.
A best- in- class product combines style, functionality and innovation, and that's exactly what the Steel. Series Siberia Elite Prism does for headsets. With fantastic sound, an ultra- comfortable fit and some of the best software in the category, the Elite Prism provides a great experience for PC gamers of all stripes, whether they like to immerse themselves in sprawling action/adventures or competitive first- person shooters. A clear, retractable microphone lets you coordinate with your teammates, and the headset's crisp highs and beefy lows make it excellent for music and movies. The earcups light up in a variety of pretty colors, too, which is an unusual but attractive feature in a headset. Wireless headsets often compromise on sound quality, wireless fidelity or affordability, but the Logitech G9. Artemis Spectrum does not fall victim to any of these traps.
This $2. 00 headset with full RGB backlit earcups provides phenomenal sound for both video games and music, flawless wireless listening for up to thirty feet and up to 1. This big, comfortable headset features a retractable mic, as well as a handful of different wires for USB, 3. If you have a smaller setup, the $1. Logitech G6. 33 Artemis Spectrum offers similarly fantastic sound with a wired connection.
If comfort is your priority, Kingston's Hyper. X Cloud II is the current king in the sub- $1. The Cloud II's memory foam earcups and headband are the ultimate cozy companions for your next binge- gaming session, and form a stylish design that defies the headset's affordable price. Kingston's latest headset delivers on the audio front, with virtual 7. If you don't need all the bells and whistles of a fancy headset, you can get something perfectly good for less than the price of a moderately fancy dinner.
The Logitech G2. 30 has no software, no flashy lights and no equalization options. It also has no problem delivering good sound for both games and music alike.
Since the headset uses audio jacks rather than a USB connection, setup is both trivial and foolproof. Plugging into a high- end gaming PC or a smartphone is equally simple. The G2. 30 also features incredibly comfortable swiveling earcups, a decent microphone and an attractive red color scheme. MORE: Best Gaming Mice. The $1. 29 Plantronics Rig Flex LX is one of the best- sounding, coziest and most versatile headsets you can get for Xbox One.
The Flex's rich bass lets you feel the impact of every punch, kick and explosion, while its sharp highs make it easy to pinpoint where enemies are coming from. The headset's audio adapter makes the Flex a true standout, as it allows you to finely adjust both game and chat volume, flip between audio presets and even play some music from your mobile device via its extra 3.
Factor in its comfortable, lightweight design, and you've got an Xbox One headset that you'll be happy to wear all day. For those not on a budget, the Astro A5. The A5. 0's stylish, lightweight design will keep you comfortable through a full day of nonstop gaming, with a battery life that lasts just as long. Offering engrossing 7. A5. 0 is more than immersive enough for playing competitive shooters, getting lost in a solo adventure or just kicking back and enjoying a movie. The Astro A4. 0 Tournament Ready takes the A4.
This pro- level headset supports Astro's optional modification kits, meaning you can swap between different types of earcups, headbands and speaker tags to suit your comfort and style preferences. The included Mix. Amp Pro TR audio mixer lets you tweak a wealth of input and output parameters, and is designed to provide the most interference- free experience possible. Both the Xbox One and PS4 versions of the A4.
TR are fully compatible with PC and Mac, allowing you to enjoy immersive, wireless 7. Compatibility and What to Consider.
Before rushing to buy a fancy headset, it's important to make sure it works with your platform of choice. Most headsets are designed primarily for a single type of hardware (PC, Xbox One or PS4, for example), but are rarely limited to those machines.
Any headset with a 3. PC, PS4 controller, Xbox One controller (newer models have a headphone jack, older ones require an adapter) or mobile device. Some PC- based headsets only connect to your computer via USB, while others have optional USB dongles that provide physical volume- control buttons. MORE: Best Gaming Keyboards. If you're an audiophile who loves to tweak, you might lean toward headset accompanied by software.
Programs such as Logitech Gaming Software and Razer Synapse 2. You'll also have to consider whether you want to go wired or wireless. Wireless headsets free you from staying glued to your monitor, though the risk of interference and a draining battery might compel competitive gamers to stick to wired sets.
The best gaming headsets of the year. The next great peripherals war is being waged over your ears. After every company on the planet put out a gaming mouse and then a mechanical keyboard, now it's time for headsets. So many headsets.
We've been steadily accruing headset reviews at PCWorld for a while now, but it can be hard to sort through all the chaff and the star ratings when all you want is a simple answer: “What's the best gaming headset I can buy with my hard- earned dollars? This page holds the answer you seek. We'll be updating our recommendations periodically as new products come in and supplant the old ones, based on the following criteria. Design/comfort: Obviously you want a headset that fits well without snapping in half the first time you put it on.
Headsets are tested with our vigorous and ultra- scientific “I bent it a lot and saw if it seemed durable” method, as well as against the internationally recognized “I wore this for eight hours and it didn't give me a headache or make my ears feel like sandpaper” baseline. Sound: There will always be the people who say, “Why buy a gaming headset when you can buy a decent pair of headphones and a standalone microphone?
And those people are right, but they're sort of missing the point. There's something to be said about a product that performs just as well when watching movies/listening to music as it does while playing games. After all, I assume most people want one pair of headphones for their PC, not multiple pairs for different tasks.
With that in mind, we test headsets at PCWorld in various games (Battlefield 4, Rainbow Six Siege) but also listening to music and watching videos, to make sure you're getting a decent all- around experience. These aren't necessarily studio- quality headphones, but that doesn't mean it should sound like all- bass- all- the- time. Price: How much are you willing to spend on a gaming headset?
That's a purely subjective question, but it's something we try to keep in mind. Our best all- around option is a bargain at $8. Astro for a pair of A5. Our 2. 01. 5 headset recommendation remains pretty much the same as our 2. The Kingston Hyper. X Cloud. Or, if you're feeling a bit fancier, the Cloud II.
It's comfortable, it sounds great, and (best of all) it's relatively inexpensive. What else could you want in a headset? Kingston's Hyper. X Cloud came out of nowhere to steal our best all- around headset category. True to its name, the Hyper. X Cloud is one of the most comfortable headsets on the market.
It's hefty, with a solid- metal construction that belies its cheap price, but sits feather- light on the head. The faux- leather earpieces are generously padded, oversized, and form a good seal without squeezing too hard. And it sounds excellent. As I said in our review, this isn't a studio- quality set of headphones.
It's got the typical gaming- centric bass boost and a slick high end, but both are subtle enough that the Hyper. X Cloud competes favorably with headsets twice its price. There's no Kingston- provided means to adjust the sound, given that the Hyper. X Cloud connects through standard 3.
It sounds pretty damn great. The only real downside is the microphone.
It's very flexible, which I appreciate, but has a tendency to pick up background noise and plosives while leaving your voice nasally and hollow. Our only real complaint about this affordable headset is the mic. The slightly- more- expensive Hyper.
X Cloud II is, I think, more a lateral move than an improvement over its predecessor. It swaps the 3. 5mm connection for a 7. USB soundcard with better in- line controls and a bit of noise cancellation on the microphone, but you wouldn't notice a huge difference between the two iterations and I'm not sure the increase in cost is worth it. Regardless, either model is an excellent choice for a gaming headset. In an increasingly crowded market, the Hyper. X Cloud nails pretty much every major category with few significant compromises. I hope the next model improves on the microphone, but for $8.
Note: This category is “best low- end wireless” but it could just as easily have been titled “only low- end wireless. Most decent wireless gaming headsets will run you $2.
Corsair's Void Wireless is priced at a mere $1. Not phenomenal, mind you, but at this price it's a bargain. I wasn't really sure what to make of the Void's weird, diamond- shaped earcups but after some use I'm actually pretty pleased. The Void Wireless sits a bit forward on the head, with the band resting just above your forehead. It takes some getting used to, but the end result is less tension on the jaw and more on the back of the head where it's less noticeable.
I wouldn't say it's as comfortable as the more traditional Hyper. X Cloud, but В without a doubt I like it more than its predecessor, the H2. The on- headset controls are fairly intuitive, with a volume rocker on the bottom of the left ear, plus oversized buttons for power and mute on the side.
And it's got 1. 6. RGB lighting, if that's your bag. The Corsair Gaming Void Wireless is decently priced at $1. The biggest design issue is that the Void Wireless is heavy. It's not a problem when sitting up, but if you look down or look up the headset has a tendency to slide around.
I don't know whether it's because of the battery or the metal- augmented construction, but your neck gets a workout with this headset. Sound- wise, the Void Wireless still needs some work. It sounds passable, especially while gaming, but throwing on some music sets the Void Wireless's limitations into stark relief. The low- end is muddy and distorted, and the whole range of mid- to- high- end frequencies sounds slick, like you've applied too much compression. You can adjust the headset's sound in Corsair's software, but Corsair's software is still a bit unwieldy. Better than last year, I think, but still not on par with Razer/Steel.
Series/Logitech. Also, some users have reported problems with firmware updates—not a great sign. This doesn't sound like an incredibly positive review,” you might say. And you're right, it's not. The Void Wireless is not an incredible headset, as I said up top. But it is the best wireless gaming headset under $2.
PC at any given moment the convenience of cheap wireless might be worth sacrificing a bit of sound quality. But if you want a really good wireless gaming headset for your PC.. Best splurge: Astro A5. Steel. Series Siberia 8. Tie). Should you spend $3.
No. Probably not. I've long maintained that for that amount of money you could snag a great pair of headphones and a decent microphone to fill the same gap in your life.
But there's no denying that the A5.  and Siberia 8. 00 are top- of- the- line, as far as headsets are concerned. Wireless, above- par construction, above- par sound quality—they're a step up in every category, even if they're exorbitantly priced at $3. The Astro A5. 0 is one of the best wireless headsets out today and it's priced appropriately. The A5. 0 is the standard recommendation, given Astro's reputation. And it edges out the Siberia 8. Actually, that last bit is the A5.
For a wireless headset, the A5. The volume knob is easily locatable on the bottom of the right earcup, Astro's mixamp tech is built into the side, there are multiple EQ presets accessible by shifting a switch, and the microphone flips up to mute. Easy. The main drawback: The battery lasts only. В 8- 1. 0 hours, at which point you need to plug in a Micro. USB cable until you're charged back up. Also, the charging cable that comes with the headset is only about six inches long, which is absurd. I ended up stealing one from an old phone charger as a substitute.
This is where the Siberia 8. Sure, the sound quality is slightly less impressive than the A5. However, Steel. Series has devised an incredible removable battery system that I wish more wireless headsets offered. The headset comes with two removable 2. The Siberia 8. 00 was formerly known as the H Wireless. As for controls, the Siberia 8. Instead there's a single clickable wheel—by default used for volume, but which can also navigate menus on the base station's OLED screen.
It's great, giving you a bit more control over your tweaking and more options than the A5. On the other hand, it's not too useful if you've stashed the base station somewhere you can't readily see it. Both are neck and neck in terms of comfort, too. The A5. 0's slightly- elongated earcups are a better fit for me, but the felt gets really hot and sweaty during long play sessions, especially in the summertime.
The Siberia 8. 00's faux- leather stays marginally cooler, though the round earcups aren't a great fit and the headset has a tendency to clamp tightly on the jaw. It's a toss- up. Again, I think you'd be better off spending your $3. A5. 0 and Siberia 8.