The best gaming headset can truly enhance your gaming experience, allowing you to become fully immersed in the action and feel like you're part of the world you're exploring.
Having such immersive audio could also lead you to victory in competitive games, too, as the improved sound can keep you one step ahead of your enemy, allowing you to hear the subtle footsteps before they reach you.
Theoretically, you could use any old headphones with your gaming PC or console, but one of the best headsets for PS5 or Xbox, for instance, is generally going to possess drivers that offer extremely high-resolution audio and noise-cancelling microphones that drown out any distracting background sound.
This type of active noise-cancellation is extremely important to have because ambient sounds can interfere with what's going on around you, thus breaking your immersion. Noise cancellation is also important for communication as it's important instructions between you and your teammates are crystal clear.
So with these factors in mind, as well as how comfortable they are to wear, price, and reviews, we've rounded up a selection of amazing headsets which, in our opinion, stand out from the competition.
So, from compact devices to headsets featuring 7.1 Surround Sound, we've got everything you need to kick off your search right here. Without further delay, let's get into our list...
Best gaming headset
- Razer BlackShark V2 Pro
- EPOS Sennheiser GSP 370
- Alienware 7.1 AW510H-Light
- SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro
- Corsair HS35
Best gaming headset - Razer BlackShark V2 Pro
The Razer Blackshark V2 Pro focuses on positional audio, communication clarity, and noise cancellation, making it one of the best headsets on the market in our opinion.
Its titanium 50mm drivers really are a force to be reckoned with, with Razer's triforce technology allowing them to deliver excellent high, mid, and low frequencies. This essentially means they can provide richer trebles, brighter sound, and more powerful bass.
It has titanium-coated diaphragms as well, providing extra vocal clarity and making any callouts you receive as crisp and clear as possible.
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Razer has also paid close attention to noise cancellation. The hyperclear supercardioid mic has a pickup pattern that offers more noise rejection from the sides, unlike standard cardioid mics, for a more accurate, truer recreation of your voice.
You also get passive noise cancellation from the closed earcups that are designed to fully cover your ears. Also, these earcups are made from breathable memory foam to ensure comfort during longer gaming sessions.
So, if you're looking for a gaming headset that can deliver truly immersive audio, then this Razer pick is definitely worth considering.
Best gaming headset for travel - EPOS Sennheiser GSP 370
Battery life is one of the most important features to look for in a wireless gaming headset. After all, who wants to spend more time charging their headset than actually using it?
This is where the EPOS Sennheiser comes in. It features an incredible battery life of up to 100 hours whilst connected via its low-latency wireless pairing. This connection is said to practically eliminate any audio delay and maintain its immersive sound quality thanks to its transducers.
The long battery life also makes it great for taking travelling with, plus you can charge it via USB and still use it at the same time.
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Moreover, you can customise your sound in the EPOS Gaming suite in order to optimise your audio settings for the game you're playing. There’s also a volume wheel on the ear cup that you can use to easily adjust your audio levels mid-action.
And, when it comes to teaming up online, the headset features a noise-cancelling microphone that is said to deliver ‘broadcast quality’ audio to ensure your friends never miss an important call.
Sennheiser has also considered comfort. It comes with a split padded headband to help reduce pressure on your head, along with memory foam ear cushions and a ball-joint hinge that automatically angles the earcups to suit the shape of your head.
So, all in all, we'd say this headset is one of the best wireless options around, particularly with its long-lasting battery life and cushioning, which should make it a great option to travel with.
Best gaming headset with 7.1 surround sound - Alienware 7.1 AW510H-Light
Alienware has a habit of creating unique-looking pieces of tech, with designs that stand out with their 'futuristic' style. Their AW510H is no different and, what’s more, it offers up an incredible audio experience with 7.1 surround sound.
7.1 surround sound is essentially an eight-channel audio system, therefore adding two extra speakers compared to the standard six-channel. This results in the sound being produced from the left and right channels as well as from two rear channels for a more immersive audio experience.
The surround sound in this headset features Alienware's Signature Immersive Audio, which will allow you to hear the sound from your gameplay in every single direction, making you feel like you're right at the heart of the action.
It also has custom-tuned 50mm drivers that are designed to deliver high-resolution audio to help you hear your enemy’s footsteps as they try (but fail) to creep up on you.
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For added comfort, this headset comes with a cushioned headband and leatherette earcups that are breathable and ergonomically designed to prevent any background noise from interfering with your in-game immersion.
Speaking of background noise, it also has a retractable mic that offers further noise cancellation technology to help your friends hear you during the most critical moments within the game.
Although this headset is primarily designed to be one of the best PC gaming headsets around, you can also use it with the major consoles as it has a detachable USB connection that means you can hook it up to the Xbox Series X or PS5, for instance, via a swappable 3.5mm cable.
So, with surround sound and a brilliant feature set, there's plenty to like about this Alienware device.
Best premium gaming headset - SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is on the pricier side, but it comes with a whole host of features that we think make it worth paying extra for. These include impressive audio, active noise cancellation, and multi-system connection abilities.
'Almighty Audio' is how SteelSeries describes the sound quality of this headset... it has the Nova Pro Acoustic System to thank for that, combining high fidelity drivers with Sonar Software to create crystal clear sound.
It also has 360 degrees of spatial audio to give you the most immersive experience possible by allowing you to hear the action in your game from every direction.
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You can also customise your sound when playing with Pro-Grade Parametric EQ. This essentially allows you to adjust the volume or frequencies of specific cues. For instance, you can turn your teammates up whilst in-game audio down.
Also, with the multi-system connect function, you're able to plug in two different devices at the same time into the dual USB port, and then can switch freely between them with just a simple press of a button.
Moreover, the headset features a rather unique mic. It actually uses AI to provide 'flawless' noise-cancellation. More specifically, the Sonar Software AI algorithm helps to detect and get rid of background noise, like the annoying click-clack of your keyboard, for a clearer replication of your voice.
And last but not least, the headset features ComfortMAX, providing height-adjustable rotating earcups, as well as a flexible suspension band and pivoting hangers that give you a glasses-friendly build and the comfort to play all day long.
This headset really does offer some great features that we think make it worth the price tag. So, make sure you check out this SteelSeries bit of kit.
Best cheap gaming headset - Corsair HS35
On the other end of the scale, the Corsair HS35 is the budget pick for our list, but that doesn't mean it lacks in quality or features.
Firstly, it has custom-tuned 50mm neodymium drivers that are designed to deliver exceptional sound with a great range of frequencies.
Next up is the noise-cancelling mic. It's unidirectional, meaning it only picks up sound from one specific area, allowing it to hone in on your voice when you talk while also reducing any background noise.
This will allow your friends to hear you better, as well as allow you to pay attention to all of the noises in your game so you can stay one step ahead of your enemy.
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Comfort is a key part of any headset, and this Corsair device is no different with plush memory foam earcups that you can adjust to find the perfect fit.
The headset also has on-ear volume and mute controls to make it easy for you to adjust on-the-fly without interrupting your game.
Finally, this headset has the advantage of being multi-platform compatible, meaning you can use it whether you're into PC gaming, or have a PS4 or Nintendo Switch (PS5 and Xbox Series X aren't supported).
In our opinion, this headset proves that you can find a fairly inexpensive gaming headset that doesn't hold back on quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may still have some queries about the best gaming headsets, which is why we've tried to help you out by answering some of the most frequently asked questions about them below.
Is it better to get a wired or wireless headset for gaming?
Whether you should pick a wired or wireless headset really depends on a couple of factors: your own personal preference and what platform you're going to use the headset for.
If you're using it for PC gaming, then a wired product should be fine because, generally speaking, pretty much any wired headset should work with your PC.
On the other hand, if you want a headset for your PS5 or Xbox Series X, for example, then you'll almost definitely be better off with a wireless option because you'll likely want the freedom to move around more while you're playing without any wires getting in the way.
You should take battery life into consideration when buying a wireless headset because, the longer the battery life, the longer you can play without having to set your headset down to recharge.
It's worth mentioning, too, that the microphone quality in wireless headsets often suffers due to compression and, if you're using Bluetooth, the connection can potentially drop out and may, at times, be prone to latency.
However, most gaming headsets nowadays come with a dongle with a 2.4GHz connection, which makes them almost as good as wired headsets as they don't have any noticeable lag.
What should I look for in a gaming headset?
When it comes to choosing a gaming headset, there are a few key areas to consider to ensure you're getting the best possible product for your money.
Crucially, you'll need to take sound quality into account. Granted, this can be difficult if you're buying a headset online, but you can usually figure out how good the audio is from the reviews and spec sheet. Normally any product with custom-tuned 50mm drivers or 7.1 surround sound provide excellent audio quality.
Noise cancellation is another important feature to look for. By having it, you should find any background noise that can interfere with your immersion and stop you from hearing your enemies approaching is kept to a minimum.
And, last but not least, comfort is also up there with the most important things to consider when buying a headset...let's face it, no one wants to be put off a longer gaming session just because their headset feels like it's digging deep into their skull.
Therefore, it's best to look out for anything with padded earcups, especially memory foam ones, and you should also make sure the headband is adjustable so you can find the perfect fit.