The arrival of two.4GHz wi-fi know-how has made wi-fi gaming headsets extra dependable than ever earlier than, the perfect of which may now rival their wired counterparts on the subject of connection latency and sound high quality. But no two wi-fi gaming headsets are made the identical. Manufacturers cater to all tastes and budgets, so there are myriad totally different types, designs, and {hardware} inclusions that may differ how they appear, really feel, and sound.
To hardcore players, gaming headsets have turn out to be one other device that helps them get an edge over opponents, therefore personalization is a giant consideration. Here gamers search for headsets with the perfect spatial audio, and software program assist to advantageous tune audio settings like EQ and to tailor-make presets for particular video games.
Suffice to say, contemplating all of the ins and outs of a selected headset is usually a little daunting. To simplify issues, our PCWorld reviewers have carried out the legwork by getting hands-on with every system. While we overview all the things that comes our approach—the great, the dangerous, and the ugly—solely people who have excelled in our testing make it into our listing under. These headsets strike a stability between efficiency and value, putting them in a league above the remainder.
For a rundown on how we take a look at wi-fi gaming headsets and for purchasing recommendation, learn on under our suggestions.
1. Astro A50 – Best general wi-fi gaming headset / Best premium possibility
Pros
- Charging cradle is smaller and nonetheless very distinctive
- Switches to the extra dependable 2.4GHz band (lastly)
- Comfortable and sturdy
Cons
- Middling battery life
- Poor noise isolation
- Expensive
Although it doesn’t come low-cost, the Astro A50 packs in additional gamer comfort than most equally priced gaming headsets. In our PCWorld hands-on overview we thought of the A50’s onboard controls, which embrace an easy-to-locate quantity wheel and a chat/recreation channel mixer, to be finest at school. The mixer means that you can simply swap between your recreation audio and chat applications immediately.
As nicely as a refined audio profile, the A50 includes a modern and handy charging cradle that shows your chosen EQ profile and your chosen audio mode—Dolby or stereo. The headset makes use of the present best-standard 2.4GHz band Wi-Fi sign for probably the most dependable wi-fi connectivity. It’s additionally snug and sturdy.
Read our full
Astro A50 (2019) review
2. SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless – Best audio high quality
Pros
- Great high quality audio
- Dual wi-fi performance
- Lots of software program choices for personalization
Cons
- Quite costly
- Active Noise Cancellation will not block out all exterior sound
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro options nearly all the things you might presumably need in a wi-fi gaming headset, together with wonderful sound high quality, type, consolation and a sturdy steel headband. With assist for two.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wi-fi, in addition to wired connectivity, the Arctis Nova Pro is definitely appropriate along with your PC, laptop computer, or Xbox system. It additionally comes with a GameDAC base controller that allows you to swap between your PC and Xbox One or Xbox X/S on the press of a button.
The headset incorporates applied sciences that elevate your listening expertise, together with Active Noise Cancellation, 360 Degree Spatial Audio, and Pro Grade Parametric EQ. All this performance will set you again $349.99, which admittedly isn’t low-cost. But for a headset that sounds this spectacular and may really make you a greater gamer, that may very well be a worth value paying.
Read our full
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless review
3. Razer Barracuda Pro – Best encompass sound
Pros
- Excellent audio by way of the bass, mid, and excessive tones
- THX Spatial Audio is a deal with in video games
- Lightweight and comfy design
Cons
- No increase mic means the mic audio suffers considerably
- ANC works however may very well be higher
Gamers wanting a full encompass sound expertise—both for the strategic benefit that brings, or simply for thrills, ought to dig this headset that options arguably the perfect spatial audio we’ve heard. The pro-grade Razer Barracuda Pro helps THX Spatial Audio that delivers wonderful sound directionality in video games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Battlefield I. Razer’s Synapse app additionally permits you to personalize the spatial audio by tweaking the audio’s directionality and creating profiles for particular video games and media.
The Barracuda Pro is a little bit totally different from different gaming headsets in that it doesn’t have a devoted increase microphone, relying as a substitute on innocuous slots to select up the sound of your voice for chats. The benefit of that’s that it may possibly cross off as a convincing headphone at anytime, making it a extremely versatile system.
Read our full
Razer Barracuda Pro review
4. Logitech G935 – Best mid-range wi-fi gaming headset
Pros
- Leatherette is a cultured change from the G933’s sports activities mesh
- Hidden microphone and dongle storage are nice options to have
- One of the best-sounding headsets at this worth
Cons
- Bulky and boxy in comparison with the competitors
- Mediocre battery life
- Very little noise isolation
It could also be a mid-range system however the G935’s flowing S-curve design and trendy leatherette earcup coverings class up the headset’s general look. The G935 additionally sounds spectacular because of 50mm audio drivers that ship a wealthy bass-presence and heat by way of the mid tones.
The G935’s microphone reproduces voice chats with a readability you’d scarcely anticipate to listen to from a mid-range system. In what quantities to a nifty piece of engineering, the mic additionally folds up into the headset’s physique once you don’t want it, retaining it out of sight. There’s additionally a useful onboard compartment to retailer your Wi-Fi dongle in order that it doesn’t get misplaced.
Read our full
Logitech G935 review
5. HyperX Cloud Core Wireless – Best finances wi-fi gaming headset
Pros
- Decent audio high quality, with deep bass and clear mids and highs
- Durable, sturdy, and moveable design
- Highly snug earcups with reminiscence foam cushioning and leatherette coverings
Cons
- No Active Noise Cancellation
- Metal headband attachments can generally entice your fingers
The HyperX Cloud Core Wireless ticks off must-haves, like nice audio high quality, but additionally backs these up with a couple of nice-to-haves like sturdiness and wonderful spatial audio, which for simply $99 is outstanding worth. The spatial audio comes courtesy of DTS Headphone: X which is managed within the third-party DTS Sound Unbound app. This app leverages Microsoft Spatial Sound know-how so it will get first rate Windows assist and it’s simply downloadable within the Microsoft App Store.
The headset’s Wi-Fi sign is delivered over the two.4GHz band and in our hands-on it proved very dependable, by no means dropping out or struggling interference. If your ears like a contact of luxurious, the headset’s plush reminiscence foam cushioning and leatherette earcup coverings will preserve them feeling cosy and comfortable.
Read our full
HyperX Cloud Core Wireless review
How we take a look at wi-fi gaming headsets
To discover the perfect of the perfect, we put each wi-fi gaming headset by way of a legion of checks. We study all the things from design and styling to the integrity of their Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth indicators. Since these headsets are tailored for gaming, we spend many hours making an attempt them out in video games, listening carefully to their sound high quality, and testing additional options like Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) or spatial audio applied sciences. Our testing standards primarily falls beneath these classes:
Design and ergonomics
When it involves gaming headsets, design is essential on your general consolation. It’s additionally essential for maximizing your gaming expertise. To that finish we take into account components like the general form and match of the headscarf and earcups, their clamping drive, and crucially what they’re manufactured from—which impacts how they really feel. We additionally study issues like whether or not they have increase microphones, if the microphones are removable, and whether or not there’s onboard storage for the dongle.
Connectivity
Wireless gaming headsets transmit sound to and out of your PC by way of a wi-fi sign. However, the best way they do that can differ. Key connectivity issues are whether or not the headset connects by way of a Wi-Fi or a Bluetooth sign or offers a alternative of each of those choices. We additionally have a look at the Wi-Fi band the headset makes use of, all of the whereas aware that the two.4GHz band is the present best-in-class customary for a low-latency connection.
Audio high quality
This will make or break your gaming expertise, and whereas there are many components that decide audio high quality, it may possibly fairly merely be decided by listening carefully to the constancy of the sound and the tonal vary out there. We additionally pay attention keenly for any audio distortion, corresponding to rattling or hissing sounds that may be crimson flags for sound high quality.
How to decide on a wi-fi gaming headset
Connectivity: Wi-Fi versus Bluetooth
A low-latency connection could make a world of distinction, permitting you to listen to the very best quality sound whereas additionally minimizing the probability of sign dropout or interference. As a common rule the bottom latency wi-fi connection you may get nowadays comes courtesy of a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi connection. A Wi-Fi connection may even provide the finest wi-fi vary, permitting you to wander anyplace as much as 20 ft away out of your system with out dropping your audio. However, to reap the benefits of Wi-Fi you’ll have to plug a dongle into your gadgets.
Some headsets additionally supply Bluetooth connectivity, which nonetheless does an honest job transmitting your audio sign however considerably lowers the constancy of the sound high quality. Another draw back is it may possibly additionally undergo latency points. And, whereas it’s granted that almost all players wouldn’t select Bluetooth over Wi-Fi for these causes, one advantage of Bluetooth is that when you plan on utilizing your gaming headset with a number of gadgets, it means that you can conveniently and shortly swap between them while not having a dongle.
Compatibility: Why checking is essential
It pays to analysis which of your gadgets work with a brand new gaming headset since compatibility can differ broadly. By that we imply checking to see if it really works with any consoles you may need, corresponding to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 or 5, or XBox X/S, and your smartphone. Doing so can prevent the associated fee and inconvenience of getting to buy a number of headsets.
You’ll additionally need to verify that the headset’s software-dependent options like 3D spatial audio are supported by not solely the gadgets, but additionally the video games you need to use it with, since that’s not a given and chances are you’ll be sorely dissatisfied when you can’t reap the benefits of the complete breadth of your headset’s capabilities.
What design traits are probably the most snug?
Beyond simply being nice to put on, snug headsets assist stop ache and damage to your ears and head. What constitutes a cushty headset can come down to private desire, however as a common rule, these factors will assist information you in selecting one which’ll preserve you feeling cosy:
- Lightweight design: Lighter headsets are usually extra comfortable over extended durations, and may stop you feeling an excessive amount of strain on the highest of your head. Designs that incorporate plastic are typically lighter than people who have extra steel in them.
- Soft supplies and padding: The padding and coverings in headsets could be created from a broad spectrum of supplies, together with PVC, rubber, reminiscence foam, synthetic leather-based and plastic. Ideally the padding within the earcups ought to gently soften into the perimeters of your head with minimal drive, whereas the earcup coverings ought to really feel clean reasonably than coarse. Many producers go for a mix of reminiscence foam padding with a leatherette coverings that we predict offers you probably the most luxurious and comfy feeling you may get nowadays.
- Extendable and versatile headband: A scarf that extends vertically to cowl your ears will stop soreness within the elements of your ears not cupped, whereas one that’s versatile and opens simply will cut back undesirable clamp drive hurting your ears and the perimeters of your head.
- Rotating earcups: These permit your head a level of horizontal motion (left and proper) with out the headset’s earcups pulling your ears within the different route.
What makes a headset sturdy?
As is the case with most different tech gadgets, wi-fi gaming headsets that eschew plastic for steel of their designs are quite a bit harder and have a tendency to last more than people who don’t. That’s particularly essential for the arc of the headscarf which is able to very often snap in two when made fully from plastic.
When it involves the sturdiness of earcups, real leather-based tends to reign supreme over different supplies, being a little bit extra proof against put on and tear than leatherette, plastic, or polyester fabric. On the flipside, leather-based tends to not flow into as a lot air to your ears and thus could make you sweat extra, so any sturdiness considerations you could have will should be weighed up in opposition to your private consolation wants.
Spatial audio or no?
Most wi-fi gaming headsets will supply stereo sound from each earcups, however an rising quantity now supply 3D spatial audio. This characteristic mimics the type of sound expertise you’d anticipate to get from having a number of audio system, thereby delivering sound by way of a 360-degree sound-scape in your headset.
Headsets just like the Razer Barracuda Pro Wireless, SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, and HyperX Cloud Core Wireless, all supply their very own spatial audio applied sciences, so the probabilities are good {that a} new-to-market mid-range or premium headset will assist this know-how.
While there are some variations between the spatial audio applied sciences utilized by totally different headsets, on the entire most work moderately nicely, permitting you to obviously hear the directionality of sounds in video games. Suffice to say, when you’re a aggressive gamer this characteristic may give you a giant benefit over your opponents, permitting you to raised pinpoint seems like your opponents’ foot-falls, explosions, or enemy fireplace a little bit simpler than you in any other case would.
Noise Isolation: What to search for
Noise isolation refers to how nicely your headset can isolate the sound coming from your personal gaming headset whereas concurrently blocking out any exterior sound from exterior. Apart from simply being plain annoying, sound leaking into your headset is usually a strategic drawback in tightly contested video games, particularly in shooters like Overwatch or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive that depend on directional audio prompts.
At the very least, it would be best to guarantee your gaming headset has first rate passive noise isolation, which is a measure of how nicely its general bodily design is efficient at stopping exterior sound getting into your ears. However, if solely the strongest noise-blocking energy will do, search for a headset with Active Noise Cancellation. This know-how actively detects and analyzes the sound sample of incoming noise after which generates a mirror anti-noise to cancel it out.
The microphone: Key issues
From a design perspective a very good microphone must be both removable or fold again into the headset’s physique to be nearly undetectable once you’re not utilizing it. This means that you can extra discreetly use your wi-fi gaming headset as a pair of headphones once you’re not gaming, making it a little bit extra versatile than a purely wired set.
Although you’ll primarily be utilizing your headset’s microphone for informal voice chats in gaming classes, you’ll additionally need to verify that it has noise-cancelling know-how and that the sound it picks up is obvious and freed from distortion—in any case, your gaming associates gained’t need to hearken to your voice for very lengthy if it’s muffled or filled with static.