The 6 Best Gaming Headsets - Black Friday 2024

Console Compatibility: PC, PlayStation, Xbox

The best gaming headset we've tested is the Audeze Maxwell Wireless. While they're often back-ordered and can be difficult to get a hold of, they're worth checking out if you want the best, thanks to their full suite of features and wide console compatibility. They also stand out from the crowd for their use of planar magnetic drivers, which help them produce a more extended bass response and create a wider passive soundstage relative to dynamic driver headphones like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless.

Their default sound profile is fairly flat, so elements like footsteps, explosions, and voices in cutscenes are reproduced accurately. You can also use their app's EQ presets for sound customization. These headphones support Dolby Atmos, a virtual surround sound feature to make your listening experience more immersive. Their wireless USB dongle also ensures low latency, so your audio and video will stay in sync while gaming, and there are plenty of ways to connect them to your console. If you're an online gamer, the detachable boom mic offers great performance, ensuring you sound clear and understandable, even in noisy environments.

If you're looking for more comfortable gaming headphones, you'll want to check out the Astro A50 X Wireless. They're lighter, so you don't feel fatigued during long gaming sessions, and they have a wider range of customization options via their companion app. However, their battery life isn't as long, and their mic performance falls short of the Audeze.

Console Compatibility: PC, PlayStation

Unlike the Audeze Maxwell Wireless, the Logitech G PRO X 2 LIGHTSPEED Wireless don't come in console-specific variants, but they're a good option if you're a PC or PlayStation gamer looking for the best gaming headset at this price point. Their USB dongle provides a low-latency gaming experience, ensuring that audio and visuals stay in sync. They also support Bluetooth, which is a step up from their predecessor. However, they can only be connected to one device at a time this way, even if you're also using the dongle or analog cable.

Their bass-heavy sound makes gameplay feel more exciting without drowning out dialogue. Their 97-hour battery life can easily handle many days' worth of gaming before needing a recharge, while their dongle ensures that your audio and visuals stay in sync. If you like to game with others, their detachable boom mic also separates your voice from background noise very well, so speech is heard clearly.

Unfortunately, their recording quality is just okay, and your voice sounds unnatural to whoever's on the other end of the line. They support Bluetooth but not simultaneous connections, so you can't listen to game audio and stream music from your phone at the same time. If you want multi-device pairing, you might prefer the Astro A30 Wireless, which can connect to your phone or computer via Bluetooth and your console via USB or analog. However, they have a shorter battery life and aren't as comfortable for most people.

Console Compatibility: PC, PlayStation, Xbox

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless is the best headset for gaming in the mid-range we've tested. These headphones have a wireless USB dongle that provides low enough latency for gaming so that your audio and video stay in sync. Similar to the previous picks, they have a bass-rich sound profile with a well-balanced mid-range, so explosions have plenty of rumble and dialogue sounds present and clear. A boost in the treble adds sizzle to sound effects like clashing swords. Their companion app features a graphic EQ and presets for sound customization.

While they don't last as long continuously as the Logitech G PRO X 2 LIGHTSPEED Wireless, their roughly 30-hour battery life will still get you through long dungeon crawls. You can also use them wired. They have a high noise floor while monitoring your voice, and while that's a downside if you play a lot of multiplayer games, the mic still makes your voice sound clear and natural. If you know you'll only be gaming wirelessly, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless are a decent alternative to our pick because of their almost 50-hour battery life and slightly better microphone. But you'll lose out on the wired connection, and their default sound is less consistent, meaning the headphones don't follow their own sound profile as closely as our pick's.

The Nova 7 Wireless support Bluetooth, which allows you to mix chat audio or music from your phone and game audio. They also come in a few variants for different consoles. We tested the 7X variant, which is meant for Xbox but can also connect with PlayStation using the USB dongle, although any changes you make in the app, like sound customizations, won't apply. The 7 and 7P variants don't support a wireless connection with Xbox but might be the better choice if you only use a PC or PlayStation.

Console Compatibility: PC, PlayStation, Xbox

The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3) Wireless is the best headset for gaming in the lower mid-range price category. These inexpensive headphones are pleasantly full-featured and have helpful gamer-targeted features like a flip-up-to-mute microphone. In addition to a very good recording quality, the mic does a great job separating your voice from any noise around you, so even if you're gaming in a noisy environment, anyone on the other end of the line will hear you clearly. They come in PC, PlayStation, and Xbox variants, so make sure you get the version that matches your gaming rig. If you game on different platforms, get the Xbox version, which works with both PC and PlayStation. Unlike the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless, you can't use the Turtle Beach via a wired connection.

Whatever your platform, their wireless dongle provides a low-latency connection for gaming, and their amazing battery life of over 85 hours means you can get several marathon gaming sessions in between recharges. They support Bluetooth but not multi-device pairing like the SteelSeries: you must press a button to switch between their dongle and Bluetooth connections. Their default sound lacks a touch of low-bass, so your audio is missing some thump and rumble. There's a slight emphasis in the high-bass range that adds warmth and punch, which can help bring out sound effects like footsteps in games. They have a great companion app with a graphic EQ and presets if you want to tweak the sound.

Console Compatibility: PC, PlayStation

If you want to spend the least money, the best gaming headphones we've tested are the Logitech G435 LIGHTSPEED Wireless. Logitech manufactures a solid lineup of low-cost gaming headphones that perform very well. In the case of the G435, their plastic frame isn't the sturdiest, but they have decently low latency over both Bluetooth and their wireless USB dongle. They also have a slightly warm sound profile with extra bass to make explosions and footsteps more prominent in the mix. Dialogue and instruments also sound bright and present, but unlike the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3) Wireless, you can't adjust their sound to your preferences since they don't have an EQ.

The Logitech headphones also have poor passive noise isolation performance and will let in a lot of noise and leak a lot of game audio to those around you. Fortunately, their mic makes your voice sound bright and clear, though it's still a noticeable step down from the Turtle Beach model. The Logitech's nearly 20-hour battery doesn't come close to the Turtle Beach's 85 hours, but it will still last you through several play sessions. Unfortunately, this model isn't compatible with Xbox consoles.

Console Compatibility: PC, PlayStation, Xbox

The Drop + Sennheiser/EPOS PC38X are the best headphones for gaming we've tested with an open-back design. These wired headphones are around the same price as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless, but you might prefer them if you like your game audio to be as immersive as possible. They're well-built and comfortable to wear, with a choice of either microfiber or velour ear cup padding. They also have a boom mic that makes your voice sound natural and full-bodied during multiplayer games. While they lack a bit of low-bass, they have a well-balanced sound profile suitable for action-packed games or dialogue-heavy cutscenes. However, they aren't ideal for use in a noisy or shared space since they don't block out ambient sound and leak a lot of audio by design.

Their open design helps them create a soundstage that seems wider and more spacious than the closed-back options on this list. If you value a spacious soundstage but prefer to game wirelessly, consider the Turtle Beach Atlas Air Wireless, which let you game via their wired TRRS cable or wireless dongle (though the dongle doesn't work with Xbox). These open-backs perform similarly to the Drop, with excellent microphone noise handling a notable improvement. However, they're not as comfortable as our pick, and their default sound isn't as well-balanced, which might be a problem if you like your open-back headphones to have audiophile-grade sound.