Holiday 2020: The Best Gaming Headsets

A game’s score, dialogue, and sound effects go a long way to making it feel truly immersive and exciting. That’s why it’s worth investing in a high-quality gaming headset. With one, you’ll be better poised to hear approaching enemies, enjoy the background music, and hear what your teammates are saying during intense PvP rounds.

Good gaming headsets take audio quality seriously and focus on packing in large drivers while supporting surround sound. The best gaming headsets also care about a comfortable fit. They’ll ensure the headband is adjustable and super padded, and that the ear cups are fitted with memory foam and a soft, cushy material. Quality headsets also care about value and offer you a good set of features (and stylish comfort) without busting your wallet.

The headphones we picked range from simple, affordable options, up to premium choices that are packed with features. Whether you’re a casual gamer or a serious streamer, we’re sure you’ll find something you like on our list.

Best Headphones for Most People: SteelSeries Arctis 7

The SteelSeries Arctis 7 offers a wireless, comfortable fit that’s perfect for all-day gaming sessions. The wide, padded headband eliminates pressure points and feels comfortable even after wearing them for hours. The 2.4 GHz connection means solid, lossless audio and ultra-low latency with zero interference, and the headphones sound just as good as a wired pair at the same price point. The headset will also continue working as it charges.

The Arctis 7 boasts up to 24 hours of battery life, lasting for a good while so you won’t need to charge the headset every single day. It also has a built-in microphone capable of delivering voice audio with pristine clarity, and it cancels background information. Though the pair is costly, it’ll offer outstanding sound and comfort, and are perfect for PC and non-Xbox console gamers alike.

Simple and Budget-Friendly: HyperX Cloud Stinger

The HyperX Cloud Stinger wired stereo headphones offer extreme comfort and no-fuss setup and use. The gaming headset is one of the more affordable options out there and as such, it delivers all of the basics you’d expect. However, it has a plain design and lacks a few non-critical features that are nice to have, like on/off detection.

The lightweight Cloud Stinger has cushy memory foam cups and an adjustable steel slider so you can find a comfortable fit. The 50-millimeter directional drivers make for precision audio, whether you’re talking online with friends or playing a game. With the microphone’s swivel-to-mute noise-canceling feature, you’ll know whether you’re muted or not, and onboard volume controls are displayed intuitively on headset ear cups. The headphones are compatible with both computers and consoles, so they’re perfect for the multi-platform gamer.

 

Balanced Design and Price: Corsair HS60 Pro

A good gaming headset should last you years, enduring lengthy gaming sessions and providing outstanding audio along the way. If that’s what you’re expecting for a gaming headset, go with the Corsair HS60 Pro. These headphones pack in high-quality 7.1 surround-sound audio, a comfortable feel, and on-ear controls—all without breaking the bank.

The HS60 Pro has custom-tuned 50 mm neodymium audio drivers that deliver stellar sound quality across all frequencies, especially bass. The fully detachable microphone is unidirectional and has a noise-canceling feature that reduces ambient noise so your voice always comes through loud and clear. Plus, its lightweight and durable construction features aluminum yokes and a braided cable, so it won’t hurt your head or ears, even after you’ve played for hours. They also look really nice and work with all consoles, which doesn’t hurt either.

RGB Lights and Solid Sound: Logitech G935

Logitech is a serious name for gaming peripherals, and you have probably owned a mouse or keyboard from the company at some point. It also produces solid wireless headphones, like the Logitech G935, which works with every console. The premium headset uses a 2.4 GHz wireless connection which, paired with its 50 mm Pro-G drivers, delivers rich audio in Advanced DTS 2.0 surround sound.

Full spectrum game-driven RGB lighting makes your gaming experience more customizable and immersive, and the EQ settings let you tweak how things sound through the downloadable Logitech G Hub software. The G935 has a 6 mm microphone built for clear communication. The wireless headset has an indoor range of 15 meters, and its battery lasts up to eight hours with the lights on and 12 without.

High-Quality Audio and Comfort: HyperX Cloud II

The HyperX Cloud II headphones are feature rich, and a great choice for serious gamers who appreciate game audio (and who also spend lots of time talking in-game or on Discord). The headset has a premium feel, thanks to the velour memory foam ear cups and padded leatherette headband, and the closed-back design offers passive noise-canceling that is perfect for blocking out distractions for immersive gaming.

With 7.1 virtual surround sound and large 53 mm drivers, you can enjoy pristine, crystal clear audio that’s a must for hearing every in-game detail. It’s compatible with all consoles, but you will need the sold-separately adapter for surround sound on the Xbox. The Cloud II headset is also built to last and has a durable yet lightweight frame made of aluminum. The detachable noise-canceling microphone keeps your voice loud and clear while minimizing background noise, like kids or pets. All of these features make it worth paying a little extra for.

Surround Sound and More, on a Budget: Logitech G432

With the Logitech G432, you’ll have a comfortable headset with good audio all without breaking the bank. The stylish headphones have large 50 mm drivers for quality audio, which makes you feel like you’re really in the game. Plus, the over-ear headset supports Advanced DTS 2.0 surround sound for positional audio across a 3D soundscape. It works with all consoles, but has USB support for the Sony PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.

The 6 mm microphone has a flip-to-mute function that makes it easy to detect whether you’re muted or not, and the headphones have onboard volume controls for making quick adjustments. The G432 also has a premium leatherette headband and ear pads which feel comfortable and prevent pressure points through even lengthy gaming sessions.