The arrival of 2.4GHz wireless technology has revolutionized wireless gaming headsets. Now they are more reliable than ever before and some can even rival their wired counterparts when it comes to connection latency and sound quality.
There are myriad different styles, designs, and hardware inclusions — it’s enough to make your head spin. So, to simplify things, I’ve done the hard part for you by getting hands-on and putting each device through its paces. The list below only includes those that have excelled in my extensive testing.
The strike a balance between performance, usability, and extras, placing them in a league above the rest. I’m not just a tech expert, I’m also a gaming enthusiast. I’m always on the hunt for better gear to make my own experience better.
I know what gamers want. Yes, I’m looking for technologies like spatial audio and Active Noise Cancellation in my gaming headsets, too. If a product makes the cut, I want to spread the word.
If it doesn’t, I think it’s my obligation to let you know. I love to play, and I want you to have the best gaming experience as well. For a rundown on how I test wireless gaming headsets and for buying advice, you can read my article “ “ Logitech G Astro A30 Wireless – Best wireless gaming headset Pros Cons Right out of the box, this headset looks fantastic, with fashionable Astro logos on both left and right earcups and very plush leatherette coverings over cushy memory foam, which feels very soft against your ears.
As if that wasn’t enough, you can also swap out the magnetic speaker tags on the outside for pre-made designs of your own choosing, to further personalize your look. The Astro A30 also has a refined and natural sound profile, thanks to very finely tuned 40mm audio drivers. But where this headset truly shines is in the connectivity department; it features low-latency 2.
4GHz and Bluetooth wireless connectivity, as well as wired connectivity, so it can connect to just about anything, including a PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, and Mac. You can also mix and balance your different audio sources so you never have to miss a thing while playing. Gamers who want to personalize their headset’s look, but also want decent audio, great connectivity, and excellent cross-compatibility.
It’s also a great option if you like the convenience of listening to multiple audio sources as you play. If you want the convenience of having a charging cradle to charge between games, be sure to check out the Astro A30’s sibling the . This headset also sports a useful audio mixer wheel, and the cradle displays the EQ profile you’re using so that you’re never unsure what you’re set on.
Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3 – Best wireless gaming headset under $100 Pros Cons To me, the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3 feels like the first of a new wave of wireless headsets that offer more value for your money. For starters it sounds better and its battery life of up to 80 hours is a lot longer than the previous generation Turtle Beach Stealth 600 headset (Gen 2). The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3 also has excellent cross-platform compatibility.
For example, my Xbox model easily connected to my Xbox X/S, PC, cellphone, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 5. It also featured Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so that I could switch audio sources on a dime. The headset also had a lot of convenient controls on its left earcup.
Some of these, like the power and Bluetooth pairing buttons, featured multiple functions, so I always had deep gamer functionality at my fingertips. A remappable chat / mixer wheel and Mode button, allowed me to have my most used controls on hand whenever I needed them. Casual gamers who want an all-around great gaming headset with decent audio and a long battery life should go for this headset.
It’ll also suit players that like to have control of those critical audio changes they make in their headset’s companion app. Lastly, the Stealth 600 Gen 3’s price tag of just $99.99 also makes it a great option for gamers on a budget.
Another excellent option for gamers on a budget is the . It features a different design to the Stealth 600 Gen 3 with a floating headband and earcups that don’t swivel, but it’s audio sounds clear and its lighter weight and virtually non-existent clamp pressure allows you to wear it for marathon gaming sessions without feeling the slightest discomfort. Also be sure to check out the .
This gaming headset costs just $99.99 but features a solid aluminum frame, clear audio, a detachable boom microphone and spatial audio courtesy of DTS Headphone:X. Razer Blackshark V2 Hyperspeed – Best midrange wireless gaming headset Pros Cons The Blackshark V2 Hyperspeed is an esports worthy headset that costs a lot less than the premium headsets that esports players usually go for.
The standout is the headset’s microphone, which is near broadcast quality. The V2 Hyperspeed is also very lightweight — it weighs less than 10 ounces, so you can wear it for marathon gaming sessions and not feel like you need to take it off. In regard to sound, the V2 Hyperspeed sports large 50mm audio drivers that produce audio across a frequency range of 12Hz to 28KHz.
It has a low bass so sounds like explosions are particularly noteworthy in games. If you’re aspiring to start competing in esports competitions and don’t have a huge budget to drop on a $300 headset, then the Blackshark V2 Hyperspeed is just the ticket. Its excellent microphone quality also makes it a great option for players wanting to record in-game videos.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X – Best midrange wireless gaming headset runner-up Pros Cons The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X may not be as flashy as it’s pricier sibling the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro, but it easily caters to all your gaming needs, offering great sound quality, a robust metal frame, and simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity that lets you stream music from your smartphone while missing absolutely none of your game’s audio. What’s more, when it comes to comfort the 7X actually outdoes the Nova Pro — its soft mesh ear coverings just don’t get sweaty like the Nova Pro’s leatherette ones do in hot weather.
On top of that, the Arctis Nova 7X has excellent cross-platform compatibility. In fact, in our playtesting we had no trouble connecting it up to just about anything with a USB-C port. Another worthy contender in the midrange wireless category is the .
This headset gets a lot right, featuring quality audio with a rich bass presence, a clear-sounding microphone, and an onboard dongle storage compartment. Gamers who want a jack-of-all-trades headset with easy-on-the-ears clamp pressure and comfortable earcups that also won’t cost the kitchen sink. HyperX Cloud III Wireless – Best battery life Pros Cons In our testing of the Cloud III Wireless, we found it produced a deep bass and clear treble signature that allows you to pick up even the slightest audio nuances in games.
The sound is delivered via a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi signal that enables a delay-free transmission. Although it doesn’t feature Bluetooth connectivity, it does have other convenient features.
For example, the Cloud III Wireless’s microphone is detachable, so you can wear it like a pair of headphones when on the go. The Cloud III Wireless’s design resembles most other HyperX Cloud core headsets, in that it features black and red styling and plush faux-leather earcup coverings over a soft memory foam that molds to the contours of your head. The HyperX Cloud III Wireless has a very decent battery life — HyperX claims it can provide 150 hours at 50 percent volume, which means you don’t have to constantly recharge between games.
The HyperX Cloud III Wireless doesn’t have Bluetooth so it’s best suited to dedicated PC gamers. Its excellent battery life will especially suit gamers that don’t like having to frequently charge their headset. Audeze Maxwell Wireless – Best audio quality Pros Cons The Audeze Maxwell Wireless produces the kind of audiophile-grade sound you’d expect from a high-end studio headset, yet it’s expertly tailored for gamers.
Its sound quality comes courtesy of 90mm planar magnetic drivers, which are a change from the 40mm or 50mm neodymium drivers we see in most gaming headsets. The Maxwell Wireless is a very versatile device, it sports all three connectivity types: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and wired connectivity via its USB cord.
It also has solid cross-compatibility — our Xbox version worked with PC, Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Android and iOS devices. Large, round-shaped cups, instead of oval or square cups, ensure the Maxwell Wireless fits even the largest of ears. Their distinctive shape also gives this headset a unique look.
The cups are also very comfortable — they feature a luxurious leatherette material over soft memory-foam cushioning. The headband and yokes are both made from metal, and that does make the Maxwell Wireless quite heavy. Still, you can quite easily wear them for three hours straight and not feel any discomfort.
Anyone who wants the very best sound quality you can possibly get in a gaming headset. If your game has a rich and detailed soundscape, this headset will convey it better than any headset you can currently buy. Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed – Best 3D spatial audio Pros Cons Logitech’s $250 G Pro X 2 Lightspeed may carry a premium price tag but its exquisitely snug leatherette earpads, clear audio with a smooth and low bass, and stylish robust design really does elevate it leagues above many other gaming headsets.
A 50-hour battery life and good mix of wireless and wired connectivity only add to the headset’s appeal. Icing on the cake, however, is the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed’s DTS Headphone: X 2.0 3D spatial audio support.
It’s undoubtedly one of the best spatial audio technologies I’ve used and gels perfectly with the headset’s sound signature. Serious gamers who want pinpoint accuracy in the directionality of their sound will want this headset. That said, with such clear audio and a comfortable design any gamer should consider themselves lucky to own it.
Another option to explore for great spatial audio is the gaming headset. It uses THX Spatial Audio, and you can tweak the directionality of the sound in the Razer Synapse app. SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless – Best audio quality runner-up Pros Cons The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro features just about everything you could possibly want in a wireless gaming headset, including excellent sound quality, style, comfort, and a durable metal headband.
With support for 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless, as well as wired connectivity, the Arctis Nova Pro is easily compatible with your PC, laptop, or Xbox device. It also comes with a GameDAC base controller that lets you switch between your PC and Xbox One or Xbox X/S at the press of a button.
The headset incorporates technologies that elevate your listening experience, including Active Noise Cancellation, 360 Degree Spatial Audio, and Pro Grade Parametric EQ. All this functionality will set you back $349.99, which admittedly isn’t cheap.
But for a headset that sounds this impressive and can actually make you a better gamer, that could be a price worth paying. This headset is in many ways superior to most gaming headsets on the market. I’d recommend it to serious gamers who want Hi-Res audio and spatial sound in their games.
If you like experimenting with EQ settings to create audio profiles, this headset is also ideal for that. Turtle Beach Stealth Pro – Best for FPS games Pros Cons These cans look like, and can just as easily pass as, a premium pair of headphones. The cross-platform compatibility is extremely, good too — the Xbox version connects to everything except PlayStation, while the PlayStation version connects to everything except Xbox.
The Stealth Pro packs in a lot of premium functionality, from plush leatherette earpads to dual wireless connectivity (2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) and Active Noise Cancellation, you have lots of tools at your fingertips to elevate your gaming experience. The audio drivers are also especially tuned for FPS games.
Anyone who owns a bunch of gaming devices and wants to use just one premium headset across all of them. Also, since the Stealth Pro’s audio drivers are particularly well-tuned for FPS games, if that’s your jam, then this headset is ideal. Asus ROG Delta S Wireless – Best for casual gaming Pros Cons The Asus ROG S Wireless doesn’t boast deep gamer functionality, like simultaneous Bluetooth or a game chat mixer wheel, but what it does have is about as good as it gets for casual gaming.
With Bluetooth as well as 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connectivity, it connects easily to PC, Mac, PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices. The headset is one of the most comfortable you will find since it comes with two sets of interchangeable earpads in the box — a plush 100 percent protein leather pair and a cooler hybrid mesh pair.
The earcups swivel and tilt giving your head and neck plenty of space to move. The headset is also very robust, featuring a strong metal headband and yokes. On the sound front, the ROG Delta S Wireless’s 50mm neodymium drivers are extremely loud.
They produce a clear sound across the audio spectrum. Slightly less impressive is the headset’s beamforming microphone, which is located inside the headset rather than externally like a boom-style microphone. Its downside is that it can occasionally pick up background noise, which is really the only thing we would have changed about this headset.
Casual gamers — i.e. gamers who value comfort and sound quality and who want the convenience of a headset that they can simply plug in and start playing with.
Corsair HS80 Max – Most comfortable design Pros Cons It’s unusual for a premium gaming headset to show off lightweight plastic cups instead of metal ones, and mesh fabric material over the earcups instead of plush leatherette ones, but that’s what makes the Corsair HS80 Max so comfortable. Weighing in at just 12.4 ounces, and with breathable mesh fabric that keeps sweat from building up on your ears, you can wear this headset all day long and not experience any discomfort.
But comfort aside, the Corsair HS80 Max is clearly a premium gaming headset — the audio sounds neutral and warm and Dolby Atmos surround sound support gives you excellent directionality in games. The headset throws in a few sweeteners on top of its excellent audio, including a flip-to-mute mic and RGB lighting zones on each ear. While this headset allows you to connect to Bluetooth and 2.
4GHz Wi-Fi signals at the same time, true simultaneous audio isn’t possible. Still, a simple Bluetooth control allows you to switch between audio sources at will. Players who especially want a lightweight headset with mesh earcups but don’t want to lose the kind of premium audio fidelity and functionality they’d normally have to forgo to get those features.
EPOS H3PRO Hybrid – Best microphone Pros Cons The “Hybrid” in the EPOS H3PRO Hybrid’s name hints at its dual connectivity — it features both wired and wireless options, which means it can hook up to just about all your devices, be it your PC, Mac, console, or smartphone. For wireless connectivity, the H3PRO Hybrid supports low-latency Wi-Fi or Bluetooth 5.2, or you can use both of these options at the same time to voice-chat or listen to music while simultaneously hearing your game’s audio.
The H3PRO Hybrid’s audio is very refined. In our play test it delivered crisp and clear-sounding high and mid tones and balanced bass tones. We were similarly impressed by the headset’s Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) that does a respectable job blocking out ambient noise.
Additionally, our testing found that the H3PRO Hybrid’s microphones were some of the best we’ve heard in a wireless gaming headset, faithfully reproducing voices as they sounded. The detachable boom mic is also very easy to remove and replace via its simple magnetic attachment point. Gamers wanting to sound better in voice chats should consider this headset, which not only has a clear and refined sounding microphone, but also gamer-centric features like Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and dual wireless functionality with simultaneous audio.
Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) – Best wireless headset for esports Pros Cons Although it shares the same name as its 2020 predecessor, the 2023 Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is a far more impressive headset, adding Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, an improved HyperClear Wideband microphone, and on-headset pro-tuned FPS profiles to an already impressive list of legacy features. The battery life has also been ramped up to 70 hours, which simply means you can spend more time exactly where you should be — in your game.
The headset currently sets you back just $200, which all things considered, seems exceptional value considering its potential to be a really great e-sports set; features like its 2.4GHz wireless connectivity, comfortable cloth earcup coverings, and THX Spatial Audio, are just the kinds of extras pro gamers really want. However, the BlackShark V2 Pro has no Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to block out unwanted sound, which means it’s better used in a quiet room rather than on a noisy bus.
But then again, who plays esports matches on a noisy bus ride home anyhow? Esports players or casual gamers who want a reliable and comfortable headset with great connectivity, but that don’t necessarily need Active Noise Cancellation. Roccat Syn Max Air – Best RGB wireless headset Pros Cons The Roccat Syn Max Air is just an all-around great headset for gamers, with quality audio, a comfortable fit, and lots of gamer attitude. In our playtesting we found its 50mm Nanoclear drivers sounded really balanced through the midrange frequencies, making it ideal for esports games like and .
Its versatility is another big strength — it has dual wireless connectivity so it can hook up to just about any device you need it to. Using the simultaneous Bluetooth functionality is a must do with this headset, too. In just a few seconds you can add a second audio source from your Bluetooth-compatible device, allowing you to either enjoy music or take calls while missing absolutely none of your gaming audio.
Anyone who wants a headset that rocks a deep gamer aesthetic with futuristic styling and RGB lighting. The excellent audio, dual wireless connectivity, and comfort is an added bonus on top of that. How we test wireless gaming headsets To find the best of the best, we put every wireless gaming headset through a legion of tests.
We examine everything from design and styling to the integrity of their Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth signals. Since these headsets are tailor-made for gaming, we spend many hours trying them out in games, listening closely to their sound quality, and testing extra features like Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) or spatial audio technologies. Our testing criteria mainly falls under these categories: When it comes to gaming headsets, design is crucial for your overall comfort.
It’s also crucial for maximizing your gaming experience. To that end we consider factors like the overall shape and fit of the headband and earcups, their clamping force, and crucially what they’re made of—which affects how they feel. We also examine things like whether they have boom microphones, if the microphones are detachable, and whether there’s onboard storage for the dongle.
Wireless gaming headsets transmit sound to and from your PC via a wireless signal. However, the way they do this can vary. Key connectivity considerations are whether the headset connects via a Wi-Fi or a Bluetooth signal or provides a choice of both of these options.
We also look at the Wi-Fi band the headset uses, all the while mindful that the 2.4GHz band is the current best-in-class standard for a low-latency connection. This will make or break your gaming experience, and while there are lots of factors that determine audio quality, it can quite simply be determined by listening closely to the fidelity of the sound and the tonal range available.
We also listen keenly for any audio distortion, such as rattling or hissing sounds that can be red flags for sound quality. How to choose a wireless gaming headset Wireless gaming headsets have become so advanced that the latency most gamers used to experience is no longer that much of an issue. That being the case, the latency of the audio signal even in the fastest wireless headsets with 2.
4GHz Wi-Fi can still be somewhat higher than in wired headsets (100 to 200 milliseconds compared to just 3 to 7 milliseconds). Most competitive gamers will still prefer to use a wired headset over a wireless one to reduce audio latency and signal interference. Chances are though, if you’re not playing competitively and have relatively low game pings, you won’t notice any delay in your audio.
Wireless gaming headsets also bestow a number of advantages over wired only headsets. For example, you can enjoy your game’s audio while roaming away from your device, are freed from the clutter of cords, and in some headsets, you can even enjoy the benefits of multiple audio sources at the same time. A low-latency connection can make a world of difference, allowing you to hear the best-quality sound while also minimizing the likelihood of signal dropout or interference.
As a general rule the lowest-latency wireless connection you can get these days comes courtesy of a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection. A Wi-Fi connection will also give you the best wireless range, allowing you to wander anywhere up to 20 feet away from your device without losing your audio.
However, to take advantage of Wi-Fi you’ll need to plug a dongle into your devices. Some headsets also offer Bluetooth connectivity, which still does a decent job transmitting your audio signal but somewhat lowers the fidelity of the sound quality. Another downside is it can also suffer latency issues.
And, while it’s granted that most gamers wouldn’t choose Bluetooth over Wi-Fi for these reasons, one benefit of Bluetooth is that if you plan on using your gaming headset with multiple devices, it allows you to conveniently and quickly switch between them without needing a dongle. It pays to research which of your devices work with a new gaming headset since compatibility can vary widely. By that I mean checking to see if it works with any consoles you might have, such as Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 or 5, or XBox X/S, and your smartphone.
Doing so can save you the cost and inconvenience of having to purchase multiple headsets. You’ll also want to check that the headset’s software-dependent features like 3D spatial audio are supported by not only the devices, but also the games you want to use it with, since that is not a given and you may be sorely disappointed if you can’t take advantage of the full breadth of your headset’s capabilities. Beyond just being pleasant to wear, comfortable headsets help prevent pain and injury to your ears and head.
What constitutes a comfortable headset can come down to personal preference, but as a general rule, these points will help guide you in choosing one that’ll keep you feeling snug. As is the case with most other tech devices, wireless gaming headsets that eschew plastic for metal in their designs are a lot tougher and tend to last longer than those that don’t. That’s especially important for the arc of the headband which will quite often snap in two when made entirely from plastic.
When it comes to the durability of earcups, genuine leather tends to reign supreme over other materials, being a little more resistant to wear and tear than leatherette, plastic, or polyester cloth. On the flipside, leather tends not to circulate as much air to your ears and thus can make you sweat more, so any durability concerns you have will need to be weighed up against your personal comfort needs. Most wireless gaming headsets will offer stereo sound from both earcups, but an increasing number now offer 3D spatial audio.
This feature mimics the kind of sound experience you’d expect to get from having multiple speakers, thereby delivering sound through a 360-degree sound-scape in your headset. Headsets like the Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless, SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, and HyperX Cloud Core Wireless, all offer their own spatial audio technologies, so the chances are good that a new-to-market mid-range or premium headset will support this technology. While there are some differences between the spatial audio technologies used by different headsets, on the whole most work reasonably well, allowing you to clearly hear the directionality of sounds in games.
Suffice to say, if you’re a competitive gamer this feature can give you a big advantage over your competitors, allowing you to better pinpoint sounds like your opponents’ foot-falls, explosions, or enemy fire a little easier than you otherwise would. Noise isolation refers to how well your headset can isolate the sound coming from your own gaming headset while simultaneously blocking out any external sound from outside. Apart from just being plain annoying, sound leaking into your headset can be a strategic disadvantage in tightly contested games, especially in shooters like or that rely on directional audio prompts.
At the very least, you will want to ensure your gaming headset has decent passive noise isolation, which is a measure of how well its overall physical design is effective at stopping external sound entering your ears. However, if only the strongest noise-blocking power will do, look for a headset with Active Noise Cancellation. This technology actively detects and analyzes the sound pattern of incoming noise and then generates a mirror anti-noise to cancel it out.
From a design perspective a good microphone should be either detachable or fold back into the headset’s body to be virtually undetectable when you’re not using it. This allows you to more discreetly use your wireless gaming headset as a pair of headphones when you’re not gaming, making it a little more versatile than a purely wired set. Although you’ll mainly be using your headset’s microphone for casual voice chats in gaming sessions, you’ll also want to check that it has noise-cancelling technology and that the sound it picks up is clear and free of distortion—after all, your gaming friends won’t want to listen to your voice for very long if it’s muffled or full of static.
Just a cheer, boo, or drop of a bottle cap in the crowd at an esports event can put a pro gamer off their game and in the worst-case scenario that could cost them the tournament. To avoid that happening, pro gamers wear two headphones: an inner pair that outputs the game audio and another that covers the outside of their ears and blocks ambient noise. Additionally, many tournament rules make wearing two headsets at once compulsory to avoid players obtaining any kind of information advantage from the crowd—basically this is considered cheating.
Sony and Microsoft both make top-quality wireless headsets for their respective devices, but there are also a range of wireless headsets from other companies, like SteelSeries, Logitech G, and Razer that will work just as well with consoles like the PS4, PS5, Xbox X/S. Again, the most important thing you need to look out for when choosing a wireless headset is that it has compatibility with the console you need it for. If you intend on using your wireless headset with an Xbox console, it will have to support Xbox Wireless, which is Microsoft’s certified wireless technology that allows you to connect without a dongle.
Sony’s PS4 and PS5 consoles, on the other hand, don’t have any such certified wireless technology, which means you can simply connect using your wireless headset’s supplied dongle. However, if you own a PS5 you’ll also want to check that your wireless headset supports Sony’s Tempest 3D Audio, which is the proprietary technology that provides spatial audio support on this device. Nintendo’s Switch console is one of the easiest consoles to connect with; in most cases you can simply plug the headset’s wireless dongle in directly or else pair the headset’s Bluetooth to the device and away you go! Based in Australia, Dominic Bayley is a hardcore tech enthusiast.
His PCWorld focus is on PC gaming hardware: laptops, mice, headsets and keyboards..
