TOP 5: Best gaming headsets in 2020
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One of the best gaming headsets can turn a video game from a simple distraction into a fully immersive experience. While cheap headphones may technically play a game’s sound, a great gaming headset can highlight important noises, deliver rich music, let you customize your soundscape for different applications and communicate with your teammates with a high-quality mic. Even if you already own a good pair of speakers, a gaming headset can prove its worth by letting you play late at night without waking up the whole household.
Of course, there are a lot of peripherals out there, and not every one makes the cut. Our best gaming headsets all offer good sound and comfortable fits, but they also tend to go a step beyond their competitors. Sometimes, they do that by offering the basics without charging too much money; other times, they offer a premium experience for a premium price. Whatever the case, there should be something in our list of the best gaming headsets to suit almost every play style and budget.
What are the best gaming headsets?
While there is no best gaming headset for every possible use case, we can make a few broad recommendations. The headsets featured on this list come in a variety of prices, and offer many different functionalities. Generally speaking, the more money you spend, the fancier a headset will be. But even our picks on the lower end still offer good sound and comfortable fits, which are the most important qualities to look for in one of the best gaming headsets.
If you’re willing to spend a little money, the SteelSeries Arctis 7 is our pick for the best gaming headset overall. This wireless model features an incredibly comfortable elastic headband, as well as easy connectivity with both PC and PS4. However, if you prefer to use an older device with a headphone jack, you can simply plug the Arctis 7 in via 3.5 mm cable. With customizable soundscapes and a long battery life, there’s a lot to like in the Arctis 7, and almost nothing to dislike.
At the other end of the price spectrum, there’s the HyperX Cloud Stinger, which usually retails for $50 or less. This headset has everything you need for a gaming setup, including plush earcups, on-ear volume controls and a sturdy boom mic. Granted, the sound can get distorted at higher volumes, but as budget headsets go, that’s an extremely mild criticism. You can wear it for hours at a time, and use it with any system that has a headphone jack.
Other selections include options for streamers, tournament gamers, Nintendo Switch owners and more.
The best gaming headsets you can buy today
1. SteelSeries Arctis 7
The best gaming headset overall
Compatibility: PS4, Xbox one, Switch, mobile, PC | Drivers: 40mm | Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz | Wireless: Yes
Great sound
comfortable fit, reasonable price
seamless wireless
Fine-tuning music takes some work
clunky phone and speaker functionality
The $149 SteelSeries Arctis 7 is the complete package and best gaming headset overall, offering great sound, consistent wireless performance and a comfy, attractive design at a reasonable price. The headset’s 2.4-GHz wireless connectivity keeps you glued to your game without any lag or interference, while its S1 speaker drivers pump out crisp directional sound that lets you hear the competition coming.
With a stylish, subdued look in both black and white, the Arctis 7 is the rare gaming headset you’ll actually want to use as your daily headphones. The device is incredibly comfortable, too, thanks to an elastic headband that adjusts to your dome and a pair of soft, lightweight earcups. Factor in a clear microphone, a 24-hour battery, compatibility with most major platforms, and lots of customization options, and you’ve got a winner.
2. HyperX Cloud Stinger
Big sound on a budget
Compatibility: PS4, Xbox one, Switch, mobile, PC | Drivers: 50mm | Frequency Response: 18 Hz - 23 kHz | Wireless: No
Very comfortable design
Handy controls, affordable price
Sound gets blown out at higher ranges
The $50 HyperX Cloud Stinger proves that you don’t have to sacrifice comfort when you’re on a tight budget. The Stinger’s sturdy, feather-light frame and soft, faux-leather earcups make for one of the best gaming headsets on a budget we’ve worn yet, and its handy on ear controls and solid microphone certainly don’t hurt either. Finding a comfortable fit is arguably the most important thing you can look for in a gaming headset, and the Cloud Stinger doesn’t disappoint on that front.
The Stinger also offers very solid audio quality for the price – though things can get a bit blown out at max volume. But if you’re looking for good sound within a superbly comfy set of cans for less than $50, the Stinger is a fantastic value. And if you want to enjoy the Stinger’s excellent design without wires, the $99 Cloud Stinger Wireless is a good alternative.
3. Logitech G Pro X
Built for tournament play
Compatibility: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch | Drivers: Hybrid mesh Pro-G 50mm | Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 20K Hz | Wireless: No
Excellent sound quality
Versatile
Comfortable build
Hard to get a good fit
Not easily portable
The Logitech G Pro X delivers tournament-grade performance for a reasonable $130 price. The headset's distinguished black design sets itself apart from the competition, in no small part thanks to its flexible headband and supremely comfortable foam and leatherette earcup options. Simply being comfortable isn’t enough to recommend a product as one of the best gaming headsets, but it’s arguably the most important quality we evaluate. If you can’t wear a headset for more than a few minutes at a time, it’s not very useful.
The Go Pro X delivers rich, direction-accurate sound out of the box whether you're playing on PC or console. It's also the first gaming headset to sport a built-in Blue microphone, allowing for extra-crisp voice chat whether you're practicing with your Apex Legends squad or streaming to your online fans.
4. SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless
Stellar wireless under $100
Compatibility: PS4, PC, Switch, Mobile (USB-C wireless), Xbox One (wired) | Drivers: 40mm | Frequency Response: 20 - 20K Hz | Wireless: Yes
Excellent wireless connectivity
Compatibility with almost everything
Decent sound for gaming and music
No elastic headband
No iOS compatibility
Getting good wireless performance has never been this seamless -- or affordable. Thanks to its high-speed, discrete USB-C dongle, the SteelSeries 1 Arctis Wireless allows you to instantly enjoy wireless game audio from your Nintendo Switch, Android phone, PS4 or gaming PC, with none of the convoluted pairing or interference that comes with Bluetooth-based headsets. It’s worth mentioning the Nintendo Switch functionality again, as it’s hard to get a wireless headset for Nintendo’s handheld hybrid.
The headset sports the same sleek, understated design as the standard Arctis 1 complete with a removable mic, making it perfect for playing some Switch games on the go. It also features the same powerful drivers and crisp ClearCast microphone as SteelSeries' higher-end headsets, allowing you to get immersed and play competitively with confidence. If you're looking for a best wireless gaming headset under $100, the Arctis 1 Wireless is the new gold standard.
5. Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero
This is wireless greatness
Compatibility: PC, PS4 (Wireless); Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Mobile (Wired) | Drivers: 50mm Nanoclear | Frequency Response: 12 -20K Hz | Wireless: Yes
Comfortable fit
Fantastic gaming and music sound
Compatible with many systems
Crowded controls
Could use a few more presets
If you're looking for a comfortable, highly customizable high-end headset that's especially ideal for PC, the new Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero is one of the best gaming headsets out there. This premium headset packs an incredibly comfortable pair of gel-infused ear cushions, which are also designed to play well with glasses. The Aero's 50mm speakers sound great out of the box, and it comes with a solid noise-cancelling microphone to boot.
But where the Aero really shines is in its plethora of software and customization features. You can remap the headset's on ear controls, activate immersive 3D audio, and tweak a ton of EQ settings to find the perfect balance for your favorite game. Factor in a long 30-hour battery for PC and PS4 and an included 3.5mm cable for use on any other device you own, and the Aero is one of the most versatile wireless gaming headsets out there
How to choose the best gaming headset for you
Choosing the best gaming headset comes down to a few different criteria. No matter what, the headset has to be comfortable and provide good gaming sound. In fact, I would argue that the former is more important than the latter. Even if your headset produces subpar sound, you’ll still be able to hear what’s going on in your game. But if it’s even a little bit uncomfortable, you’ll want to tear it off of your head after about half an hour, and that’s not conducive to playing any kind of game.
The next thing to think about is whether you want a wired or wireless model. Wireless models are almost always more expensive, but the convenience of living without wires may well be worth the cost. Generally speaking, wireless headsets that are compatible with PC and PS4 are not compatible with Xbox One, and vice versa, so a headset that also features 3.5 mm connectivity could be helpful in this case.
How we test gaming headsets
In order to find the best gaming headsets out there, we typically test each peripheral with a mix of shooting, fighting and action/adventure games.
We also listen to music and watch movies with each headset in order to size up its usefulness for consuming multimedia. For wireless headsets, we keep a log of how long the peripheral lasts before the battery completely drains. We use voice recordings to evaluate each headset's microphone, as well as listen back to any Twitch broadcasts we've conducted with them on.
We generally wear each headset for at least two full days to assess comfort level. We almost always get a second opinion from someone else on staff, as what's comfortable to one gamer could be unbearable to the next.
Gaming headset compatibility
Any headset with a 3.5mm audio jack can hook up to your PC, PS4 controller, Xbox One controller (newer models have a headphone jack, older ones require an adapter), mobile device or Nintendo Switch. Certain headsets feature both Bluetooth and analog connections, allowing you to enjoy game sound on Nintendo Switch while still chatting with friends on Nintendo's separate Switch Online phone app.
Some PC-based headsets only connect to your computer via USB, while others have optional USB dongles that provide physical volume-control buttons.
If you love to tweak every last setting, you might lean toward USB-based headsets that are powered by software such as Logitech Gaming Software or Razer Synapse. Folks gaming on Xbox One or Windows 10 can utilize features such as Dolby Atmos and Windows Sonic for Headphones, which allow you to enjoy virtual surround sound even on a stereo headset.
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