10 Best

Gaming Headsets

of December 2023

If you’re a gaming enthusiast, you’ve probably invested quite a bit of money in a gaming computer, insisting that it have a high-end processor and graphics card. There are also special gaming keyboards and computer mice that are ergonomic so that you won’t feel strained if you play for long periods of time, as well as being more responsive. But a good gaming headset will round out your gaming equipment. They’ll let you enjoy immersive sound while gaming, as well as enable you to pick up every sound cue that can improve your game!

We’ll see some of the offerings in the Best Reviews Guide list of the best gaming headsets. They’ll have special features to enhance your comfort, as well as noise-canceling features so that you’re not disturbed by ambient noise. And, of course, they have invested a lot of effort into the quality of the stereo sound and the microphone. Let’s dive into seeing what a good gaming headset has to offer!

What is special about a gaming headset?

A gaming headset will combine both earphones and a microphone in a single unit. The speakers on a gaming headset are specially designed for high-fidelity and immersive sound. They will also feature active noise cancelation, where the headset picks up ambient sound and cancels it out using destructive interference. And they will also have a high-quality microphone, to allow you to communicate with other gamers when playing a multiplayer game.

There are lots of specs to a gaming headset. But, going through the Best Review Guide list, we can categorize them into wired and wireless devices. In fact, you’ll notice that a manufacturer will make a headset model where all of the specs are the same, just that one is wired and one wireless.

• Wired: These will use either a 3.5 mm jack or USB cable that you can insert into a PC or game controller. The advantage here is that there isn’t any risk of you losing power in the middle of a game. The disadvantage is that you might feel like you’re tethered down due to the wire. An example is the Razer BlackShark V2 Gaming Headset.

Razer BlackShark V2 Gaming Headset

• Wireless: Wireless headsets will allow you to hook up to several devices at once. For example, you can couple your headset to a gaming console and your smartphone. if you receive a call in the middle of playing a game, you can answer the call with your headset, by just pressing a button! However, you will have limitations such as the range of the WiFffi or Bluetooth signal, or battery life. An example is the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Gaming Headset.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Gaming Headset

Here are some impressions of people who bought the gaming headsets featured in the Best Reviews Guide list:

• Compatibility with gaming consoles: Make sure that the gaming headset that you buy will be compatible with your game controller. For example, if you have a USB headset that doesn’t have a 3.5 mm connection, you may not be able to use it with an Xbox One controller!

• Comfort features: Since gamers tend to get absorbed in their game, they’ll want their headset to be comfortable. Here are some features that you’ll see, for added comfort:

  • Lightweight: You’d certainly prefer a headset that doesn’t weigh you down. The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless has a lot of features, so it comes in relatively a bit heavy at 335 grams. But there is also the HyperX Stinger Core Wireless which weighs as little as 244 grams!

  • Adjustable earcups: Many headsets feature height-adjustable earcups, to fit different head sizes. Some, like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Multi-System Gaming Headset, also make special provisions for people who wear eyeglasses!

  • Cushioning: Many headsets have a flexible suspension band, with memory foam on the band as well as in the earpads, so as to conform to your head. Many are also designed not to become sweaty, even if you wear them for a long time.

Here are some features and pieces of advice when choosing a gaming headset:

• Base station: You’ll notice that some gaming headsets, such as the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Gaming Headset, have what’s called a “base station”. It will take wired inputs from your gaming PC or gaming console. It has controls to adjust the sound profile of your headset, instead of using software or an interface on your PC. The base station will have buttons to toggle through options on a menu. You can control Bluetooth settings, your microphone, USB input, and more.

• Multisystem connect: Gaming headsets can have a “multisystem connect” feature, where you can be connected to your PC as well as a game console, such as an Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or PS5. If you choose to disconnect from your gaming console, the headset will default to your PC. You can also have different audio settings on your headset for each gaming device.

• Battery life of wireless headsets: Wireless headsets will have to be charged up from time to time. But some of them have very impressive battery life. For example, the Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gaming Headset can operate for 38 hours after being fully charged! (We hope you won’t sit for 38 hours straight on a computer game!) If you need it for immediate use, it will give you 6 hours of listening pleasure after just 15 minutes of recharging!

• Frequency range: Take note of the frequency range of the headphones when selecting them. One of the most impressive is the Corsair Virtuoso Wireless Gaming Headset, with a frequency range of 20 Hz to 40 kHz, which is double what other gaming headsets have to offer.

• Active and passive noise canceling: These gaming headsets will take special measures so that you won’t be distracted by ambient noise. Some are passive noise-canceling headsets, that use cushioning to surround your ears so that no outside noise can enter. Others employ active noise canceling, where they employ electronics that record the surrounding noise and eliminate it by playing a signal that is out of phase by 180 degrees. The result is that you’ll only hear what’s coming out of your game console or PC, without any distractions.

• Unidirectional microphone: You’ll see that some gaming headsets have “cardioid microphones”, such as the Razer BlackShark Gaming Headset. This means that they pick up signals in the geometric form of a heart-shaped cardioid: the microphone will pick up more signals from the front, and almost nothing from the back. This type of unidirectional microphone will be able to amplify what you’re saying, and not pick up any other noise in the room.

• Muting the microphone: You’ll see various designs of headsets that allow you to mute the microphone. Some headsets will have a “mute” button on the headset. Others let you mute the microphone by simply raising it to a vertical position, which is a feature called “Swivel to Mute”, as in the HyperX Stinger Core Wireless. And yet others, like the Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless Headset, will allow you to detach the microphone altogether! (Don’t worry–it’s easy to reattach it when you need it later.)

Cardioid-shape of a microphone’s sensitivity: It picks up signals from in front of you, but not from behind you.

Final Verdict

We went through some of the specs and features of the best gaming headsets. As electronics get more and more advanced, manufacturers are able to pack more capabilities in a smaller, lighter package. And the prices are not so astronomical either: Some gaming headsets go for as little as $60! Check out the Best Reviews Guide list, and choose a pair!