You need a high-quality headset to build team cohesion or talk smack in multiplayer games. The top gaming headsets we’ve tested let you communicate with ease.
A good gaming headset is vital for enjoying game audio and voice chat without bothering people around you. Lucky for you, PCMag knows gaming headsets as well as we know gaming laptops, gaming keyboards, and gaming mice. Each headset on this list has been put through a battery of tests and ongoing use to evaluate its quality and value. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is our top pick for wireless headsets thanks to its excellent sound quality, active noise cancellation (ANC), support for two USB audio sources, and hot-swappable battery. On the wired side, the Razer Blackshark V2 is affordable, sounds great, and has a fantastic microphone. These are just two of our top picks for the best gaming headsets, and many more are included in the list below.Why We Picked It
This is the best, most flexible wireless gaming headset available, and the only one with swappable batteries. The Arctis Pro Wireless features a desktop wireless transmitter with a handy control knob, two USB-C ports for connecting to your computer and the compatible console (PlayStation, Xbox) at the same time, and a charging slot for the included second battery. It also sounds good, feels good, and has surprisingly effective active noise cancellation.Who It’s For
Gamers with deep pockets. If you’re willing to spend a fair amount on a wireless headset, this is the one for you. It’s expensive, but its features and quality justify the high price. Why We Picked It
If you want to spend $100 or less on a gaming headset, you’re probably going to settle for stereo audio, or rely on separate surround processing. Fortunately, the Razer Blackshark V2 offers spatial audio through its bundled USB sound card and audio software, all in one affordable, wired package.
The V2 is an analog headset that connects to a 3.5mm jack just like the Astro Gaming A10, but it’s meant to be plugged into the included USB audio adapter that provides surround sound audio processing. The card also automatically enables the THX Spatial Audio app through Razer’s Synapse software platform, offering surprisingly strong directional imaging thanks to clever mixing between the drivers.
As an added benefit, the sound card enables audio tweaks through Razer Synapse that aren’t available on headsets connected only through a 3.5mm cable. It enables many headphone and microphone audio tweaks, so you can get the best sound in both directions. That said, the V2 sounds excellent out of the box.Who It’s For
Most of the V2’s features are enabled through the USB sound card and Razer’s Synapse software, so this headset is mainly for PC gamers looking for an excellent wired experience for under $100. The spatial audio works really well, and the different customization options for sound performance are welcome. And, since the USB card is separate from the headset, you can still use the headset on its own with any other gaming device with a 3.5mm headset jack.Why We Picked It
Most gaming headsets are digital in some way, connecting either wired over USB or wirelessly over Bluetooth or a separate USB transmitter. However, this doesn’t mean that there isn’t plenty of room for an analog gaming headset. As long as you have a headset jack (or separate headphone and microphone jacks), you can use a simple wired headset. As long as it sounds good and feels comfortable, that’s really all you need.
The second-generation Astro Gaming A10 is the follow-up to Astro Gaming’s long-running wired headset, and this model is superior both in build and audio quality. It sounds excellent, with a clear boom microphone and nicely padded, fabric-covered earcups that you can comfortably wear for long periods of time.
The A10 is also the least expensive headset in this list. You can find other wired headsets for less than $60, but this one simply offers the best experience for the price.Who It’s For
The A10 is best for gamers who can push a bit past the $50 mark to get excellent quality. As an analog wired headset, it’s compatible with every gaming platform available besides smartphones that lack headphone jacks. It works with PCs, the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode, and the current- and last-generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles through the headset jacks in their controllers. It’s an ideal entry-level headset. Why We Picked It
The Razer Barracuda X isn’t the fanciest or most luxurious-feeling gaming headset, but it’s one of the most inexpensive and flexible in terms of delivering high-quality audio. The 2022 model uses a nearly identical USB-C transmitter to its predecessor that lets it work with any PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, or Android phone with a USB-C port (Xbox isn’t supported), and has the same 3.5mm wireless connectivity. Razer added a big feature to this version, though: Bluetooth connectivity. You can pair it with your phone (or Nintendo Switch, since Nintendo added Bluetooth audio) and listen to music without the transmitter, making it work as a standalone pair of wireless headphones.
All of that flexibility doesn’t matter if it feels or sounds bad, and fortunately the Barracuda X punches above its weight class in those categories. It’s light and comfortable, with excellent audio performance and a clear, detachable mic.
