The Best Gaming Headsets for Every System
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED
Best for Most PeopleLogitech Pro X 2Read more
A Great Runner-UpSteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wired/Wireless HeadsetRead more
Best for Nintendo SwitchSteelSeries Arctis 7+Read more
Best for Xbox (One and Series X/S)SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7XRead more
Thoughtful sound design is a touchstone of modern gaming, and one of the best ways to improve your experience is with a better pair of headphones. Plenty of headsets are designed just for this task, with mics for team chat, wired and wireless options, and comfortable designs for hours of play. We've rounded up the best gaming headsets, no matter what your needs are.
For the rest of your gaming accessory needs, be sure to check out our other guides, like the Best Gaming Keyboard, Best Gaming Mouse, and Best Game Controllers. We also have console-specific picks for the Best PS5 Accessories and Best Nintendo Switch Accessories.
Updated May 2024: We've added the Audeze Maxwell Wireless and NZXT Relay Headset.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
- Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Best for Most People
Logitech Pro X 2The Logitech G Pro X (8/10, WIRED Recommends) was our previous top pick, and the Pro X 2 improves on it in almost every way. These over-ear headphones use Logitech's Lightspeed wireless connection to maintain ultrafast, low-latency audio, but you can also pair via Bluetooth, which the previous model could not. It also has the option for a 3.5-mm wired connection. All of this gives it more connectivity options than its predecessor, making it excellent for PC gaming, console gaming, and even just using it with your phone.
This headset comes with the same high-quality 7.1 surround soundstage, Logitech software for customizing your microphone quality, and memory foam earpads from the previous model. The Logitech-owned Blue (of Blue Yeti fame) contributed to the mic and software design, so your voice comms sound excellent to your team. Also, just like the original, the price is extremely reasonable, making it an excellent value on one of the best gaming headsets we've tested.
- Photograph: SteelSeries
A Great Runner-Up
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wired/Wireless HeadsetThe SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset produces immersive, expansive sound, and it packs a desktop DAC ("digital to analog converter") with a slick little display. This DAC is packed with functionality to customize your audio. It can be used to adjust volume, or the mix of voice, sidetone, and voice chat, and even tweak EQ. The over-ear headphones are super comfy to wear for long periods. The ear cups are plush and soft, and they shut out almost all exterior sounds. The new adjustable head strap pays homage to the classic ski-goggle adjustment strap that made the original Arctis such a standout.
The wireless version (8/10, WIRED Recommends) blew us away. On top of all the benefits shared with the wired version, it comes with two batteries, each of which can provide around 25 hours on a full charge. When one is in use, the other can charge inside the GameDAC, so there's always a fresh battery when you need it.
- Photograph: SteelSeries
Best for Nintendo Switch
SteelSeries Arctis 7+Many of the SteelSeries Arctis headsets have impressed us, and the Arctis 7+ (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of our favorites. It pulls off an impressive 30-hour battery life, and it's comfortable. But the best part is its handy, low-profile USB-C adapter that lets it pair with everything from Android phones to the Nintendo Switch. While the Switch supports Bluetooth audio, you'll get lower latency and better sound quality with this headset.
- Photograph: SteelSeries
Best for Xbox (One and Series X/S)
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7XThe Arctis Nova 7X is the Swiss Army knife of console headsets. While most gaming headsets can only pair with one console or the other, this one can do it all. Thanks to a handy switch on the USB-C dongle, it can connect to the PlayStation 5, or to your Xbox Series X/S (or Xbox One, if you still have one of those). It can pair with PC, Mac, or your phone, plus it has a separate Bluetooth connection. This lets you pipe in game audio from one source while playing music, listening to a podcast, or watching a video essay from another. Our previous top Xbox pick, the Arctis Nova 9X, is a small step up, but unfortunately it tends to fluctuate in and out of stock.
- Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Best for PlayStation 5
Sony Pulse Elite HeadsetWe weren't super impressed with Sony's Pulse 3D headset (5/10, WIRED Review), but the Pulse Elite (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a much better contender. It uses planar magnetic drivers to deliver more accurate audio with richer lows, more precise mids, and clear, distinct highs. It has both Bluetooth and wireless USB dongle connectivity options, which you can use simultaneously. The headset gets up to 30 hours of battery life on a single charge, and it also comes with a charging hanger that uses wireless contact points to charge the headset whenever you're done using it—so it rarely dies in the first place. It also matches the striking PS5 design, which means you don't need any RGB LEDs for people to know you're a GamerTM while wearing this thing.
- Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Another Good PlayStation 5 Option
SteelSeries Arctis 7P+The Arctis 7P+ (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is nearly identical to the Arctis 7+ mentioned above. The minor difference is that the 7+ has a dial to control ChatMix, a PC feature that balances team chat and game audio. That feature isn't supported on the PlayStation, so the 7P+ repurposes this dial to control sidetone. That change aside, it still pulls off 30-hour battery life and comes with the wireless USB-C dongle that makes it compatible with most systems.
- Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Best for (Unreal) Battery Life
HP HyperX Cloud Alpha WirelessHyperX is best known for getting you the most bang for your buck, and the Cloud Alpha Wireless headset (10/10, WIRED Recommends) raised that bar by a country mile. Most gaming headsets—including several others we recommend on this list—offer 30 hours of battery life. This one, however, is rated for 300 hours. Yes, 300. In our testing, it lasted for over 325 hours of continuous usage on a single charge. It's such a baffling achievement that our friends over at iFixit did a teardown just to figure out how they pulled it off.
Combined with shockingly comfortable cans, impressive audio, and a measly sub-$200 price tag (it's been “on sale” for $170 for months at this point and often drops even lower), this is one of the few gadgets that's ever earned our perfect review score. The only downside is that it lacks a headphone jack or any non-dongle wireless options, like Bluetooth. But for wireless battery life, this headset is quite literally an order of magnitude above the rest of the competition.
- Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Another Great Battery Life Option
HyperX Cloud III WirelessThe 300-hour battery life on the Hyper Cloud Alpha Wireless makes the Cloud III Wireless feel like its "mere" 120-hour battery life is somehow a step down. But don't let the comparison fool you. It's still several times more battery than most gaming headsets we review, and even if you use it for eight hours a day, this battery will last a couple of weeks before needing a recharge.
However, the Cloud III comes with a USB-C dongle and a USB-A adapter, making it compatible with more devices than the Alpha, so you can connect it to your desktop, laptop, phone, or even your Switch. Technically, its retail price is about $30 less than the Cloud Alpha, but we rarely see the latter at its full $200 retail price anymore. If you care more about the USB-C dongle than anything else, $170 is still solid for the Cloud III, but we recommend catching this one on a sale.
- Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
A Luxury Gaming Headset
Audeze Maxwell WirelessThe Audeze Maxwell Wireless gaming headset is one of the pricier options on our list, but it earns every dollar. These headphones use planar magnetic drivers, which produce more accurate, immersive sound, and they come with both a detachable boom mic and integrated mic, so you can choose between better mic quality or not having a mic sticking in your face. The cans have a premium feel and are made of sturdy material, but they're also pretty heavy. They might be uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time, but if you do, the battery can last a while. Unlike most standard gaming headsets, these can last up to 80 hours on a full charge. This still might not rival the absurd battery life of some of our HyperX picks, but it remains head and shoulders above most typical wireless gaming headsets.
- Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
A Great Wired Option
NZXT Relay HeadsetNZXT makes some pretty great accessories for PC gamers, and the company's first foray into audio gear has impressed us out of the gate. The Relay Headset is a wired gaming option that feels more premium than the $100 price tag might suggest. It has smooth, white earcups that are comfortable to wear for long periods, a volume wheel and mute toggle embedded in the cable, and comfy cushioning along the headband. If aesthetics are a concern for you, they also happen to look great alongside the company's Relay Speakers.
- Photograph: JBL
Best for 3D Audio
JBL Quantum OneWe complain about "gamer" aesthetics pretty often, but in the case of the JBL Quantum One, the ostentatious design and lighting are well worth it. This headset is expensive, but it's for people who have full-on gaming desktop setups and want the best, most immersive sound while gaming (or listening to music while they work). First and foremost, the sound is just incredible. The broad, expansive soundstage and deep rumbly bass make it perfect for consuming any kind of media.
At this price, you get a few more features on top of great audio. These headphones offer spatial audio, so when you set them up with the JBL software, they track the position of your head. If you turn away from your computer, the volume goes way down. The spatial audio makes for a killer, sometimes overstimulating, gaming experience. They also feature active noise cancelation and a super-clear boom mic. The only thing we don't like? The exterior design. If they were a bit more understated, these could be closer to our top pick.
- Photograph: SteelSeries
Best Under $100
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1SteelSeries shows up a lot on this list, but for good reason. At $60 (MSRP), the Arctis Nova 1 is a budget pick, but it's surprisingly robust. It feels every bit as sturdy as SteelSeries' more expensive offerings and sounds almost as good. It's a bit less immersive and directional than the Nova Pro, but the sound is clear, detailed, and surprisingly rich. It's just really hard to beat the build quality at this price.
