A good headset is the cornerstone of modern gaming
. It's the one extra thing, aside from a good controller, in which we definitely recommend you invest to enhance your gaming experiences.
But investing doesn't necessarily mean spending every morsel of cash you have. There's a HUGE market for cheap gaming headsets, with everyone from Turtle Beach to
producing great options for under £50. Which brings us to Venom, a leading creator of budget gaming accessories, and their Sabre stereo gaming headset.
BUY NOW:
Get this universal stereo gaming headset for under £30 at Amazon
We love Venom's products, from the
PS4 controller docking station
to the
Xbox One controller phone clip
. So how does the brand's flagship mid-range headset, the Sabre, stand up to the competition?
Here's our full rundown of the yays and nays for the Venom Sabre stereo gaming headset...
Design - Score 80
The design of the Venom Sabre headset is extremely simple, but sleek and classy at the same time.
Finished in matte black, the ear cups are emblazoned with a striking embossed Venom logo, which finishes off the clean look nicely. The partly exposed speakers are a really nice touch, too.
Simple, sleek and classy
Unlike many low-priced headsets, the Sabre doesn't come off as cheap and tacky; the design could easily have been for a much more pricey product. The cable is snazzy and retro, too, which we like.
Functionally, as well, the design of the headset is great. The ear cups are much more comfortable than many of its competitors - I was exploring a great deal of Havana in
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
with this on, and felt no discomfort or overheating like you often feel with budget (and even some high-end) headsets.
The 'tuck-away' microphone, too, is a really nice little touch to the design.
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Sound - Score 90
The sound quality of this headset is really quite good. Everything I played was loud, clear and dynamic.
For under £30, sound quality on gaming headsets can be really hit and miss. But the Venom Sabre absolutely nails the delivery of game and chat audio, even when turned right up.
Loud, clear and dynamic
I compared the sound of the Venom headset to my regular Turtle Beach 50P, which usually sells for around a tenner less, and the quality was noticeably better with the Sabre. Environments felt more open and less muffled, which is especially great for cinematic action-adventure games like
.
You should still invest in a surround sound headset for competitive
or
, but for a casual or single-player gamer, or as an everyday backup, the Venom Sabre is a fantastic all-round choice.
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Price - Score 85
The Venom Sabre gaming headset offers great value for money, there's no doubt about it.
If you're looking for a comfortable headset with decent audio quality, a retractable mic and a stylish design, then you could do much worse than this. It also comes with a splitter for PC players.
The Venom Sabre stereo gaming headset is
right now for under £30.
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The best cheap PS4 accessories for 2020
Our Score
Pros
- Really comfortable ear cups, even for longer sessions
- Better sound quality than other similarly-priced headsets
Cons
- Some adjustability on the headband would be welcome
- It's pretty big and clunky, making it difficult for storing