The Best Gaming Headsets for 2024

This is the best, most flexible wireless gaming headset available, and the only one with swappable batteries. The Arctis Pro Wireless features a desktop wireless transmitter with a handy control knob, two USB-C ports for connecting to your computer and the compatible console (PlayStation, Xbox) at the same time, and a charging slot for the included second battery. It also sounds good, feels good, and has surprisingly effective active noise cancellation.

Gamers with deep pockets. If you're willing to spend a fair amount on a wireless headset, this is the one for you. It's expensive, but its features and quality justify the high price.

If you want to spend $100 or less on a gaming headset, you're probably going to settle for stereo audio, or rely on separate surround processing. Fortunately, the Razer Blackshark V2 offers spatial audio through its bundled USB sound card and audio software, all in one affordable, wired package.

The V2 is an analog headset that connects to a 3.5mm jack just like the Astro Gaming A10, but it's meant to be plugged into the included USB audio adapter that provides surround sound audio processing. The card also automatically enables the THX Spatial Audio app through Razer's Synapse software platform, offering surprisingly strong directional imaging thanks to clever mixing between the drivers.

As an added benefit, the sound card enables audio tweaks through Razer Synapse that aren't available on headsets connected only through a 3.5mm cable. It enables many headphone and microphone audio tweaks, so you can get the best sound in both directions. That said, the V2 sounds excellent out of the box.

Most of the V2's features are enabled through the USB sound card and Razer's Synapse software, so this headset is mainly for PC gamers looking for an excellent wired experience for under $100. The spatial audio works really well, and the different customization options for sound performance are welcome. And, since the USB card is separate from the headset, you can still use the headset on its own with any other gaming device with a 3.5mm headset jack.

Most gaming headsets are digital in some way, connecting either wired over USB or wirelessly over Bluetooth or a separate USB transmitter. However, this doesn't mean that there isn't plenty of room for an analog gaming headset. As long as you have a headset jack (or separate headphone and microphone jacks), you can use a simple wired headset. As long as it sounds good and feels comfortable, that's really all you need.

The second-generation Astro Gaming A10 is the follow-up to Astro Gaming's long-running wired headset, and this model is superior both in build and audio quality. It sounds excellent, with a clear boom microphone and nicely padded, fabric-covered earcups that you can comfortably wear for long periods of time.

The A10 is also the least expensive headset in this list. You can find other wired headsets for less than $60, but this one simply offers the best experience for the price.

The A10 is best for gamers who can push a bit past the $50 mark to get excellent quality. As an analog wired headset, it's compatible with every gaming platform available besides smartphones that lack headphone jacks. It works with PCs, the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode, and the current- and last-generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles through the headset jacks in their controllers. It's an ideal entry-level headset.

The Razer Barracuda X isn't the fanciest or most luxurious-feeling gaming headset, but it's one of the most inexpensive and flexible in terms of delivering high-quality audio. The 2022 model uses a nearly identical USB-C transmitter to its predecessor that lets it work with any PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, or Android phone with a USB-C port (Xbox isn't supported), and has the same 3.5mm wireless connectivity. Razer added a big feature to this version, though: Bluetooth connectivity. You can pair it with your phone (or Nintendo Switch, since Nintendo added Bluetooth audio) and listen to music without the transmitter, making it work as a standalone pair of wireless headphones.

All of that flexibility doesn't matter if it feels or sounds bad, and fortunately the Barracuda X punches above its weight class in those categories. It's light and comfortable, with excellent audio performance and a clear, detachable mic. The new headset adds 7.1-channel simulated surround sound for PC use, but it isn't quite as accurate as the THX Spatial Audio found in higher-end Razer headsets. That said, it's a nice upgrade over the stereo-only first Barracuda X.

Much like how the Astro Gaming A10 is the best budget choice for gamers looking for any kind of headset, the Barracuda X is the best budget choice for gamers looking for a wireless headset. At least, for PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation gamers. The USB-C transmitter provides low-latency, high-quality wireless sound when connected to those devices, and the Bluetooth addition makes it even more useful on the go. It also offers generally strong audio performance for just under $100, making it a strong catch-all wireless headset for everyone except Xbox gamers.

Audeze is best known for high-end headphones that use planar magnetic drivers, a different audio technology from the cone and dome drivers used by most headphones and headsets. Planar magnetic drivers deliver delicious sound, but they're also generally more expensive than conventional drivers, which is why you rarely see them outside of some audiophiles' collections. The Audeze Penrose is one of the few gaming headsets that uses those drivers, and it sounds fantastic.

With the Penrose, you'll enjoy game music that sounds like what the producer and mixing engineer intended. The headset's performance will please audiophiles with its richness, detail, and balance that most other gaming headsets simply lack.

It's a wireless gaming headset with a USB transmitter, designed for use with PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4/5 (there's a Penrose X version with an Xbox-friendly transmitter, if you game on Microsoft consoles). It has Bluetooth connectivity, as well as a 3.5mm wired connection option.

$300 is expensive for a gaming headset, but on the low end for audiophile-worthy gear. In fact, it isn't even the most expensive gaming headset Audeze offers; the LCD-GX sounds utterly amazing, but also costs $900, and we'd have a hard time recommending a headset that costs twice as much as the console it'll be connected to. As it is, the Penrose is one of the best-sounding gaming headsets in this price range, particularly if you prefer an audiophile-pleasing balance rather than boosted lows and highs.

The Blackshark V2 Pro is the Blackshark V2, but without cables and with a significantly increased price. Despite the doubled cost, we still recommend it, which says a lot about the headset's overall quality. It's comfortable, well-made, sounds excellent, and has a crystal-clear mic.

Anyone who wants great audio without cables should consider the Blackshark V2 Pro. It offers premium sound in a solid design without costing more than $200.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is simply one of the most powerful and feature-filled wired gaming headsets available. It feels luxurious, sounds excellent, and its PC software has strong spatial audio and many granular adjustments for anyone who wants to dive into them. It also works with every major game console (you must choose between PlayStation and Xbox versions, though; there's no model that works with both) along with PCs, and can even connect to two devices over USB-C at once. It's also one of the few gaming headsets that supports high-res audio, so if you're an audiophile who uses a top-tier streaming music platform, you can fully enjoy the tunes.

Serious desktop gamers and audiophiles will love the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro if they don't mind spending the money. It feels and sounds fantastic and is loaded with features.

Almost all gaming headsets are closed-back headphones, which means their sealed earcups makes air flow in and out of the part that faces your ear. This is great for blocking outside noise, but it isn't always the most accurate for high-end sound. Many audiophiles prefer open-back headphones like the Turtle Beach Atlas Air because they offer a much more natural sound (minus noise cancellation). The Atlas Air also has a good sense of space, a good microphone, and Bluetooth connectivity.

If you want a balanced, accurate sound that feels open and natural, check out the Atlas Air. Just be aware that you'll hear every noise around you.

The latest version of Astro's (now Logitech G Astro's) top-of-the-line A50 wireless gaming headset works with the PlayStation and Xbox consoles without requiring separate versions. It accomplishes this with a unique base station that serves as an HDMI switch, flipping between two HDMI sources (both game consoles or one console and a PC).

If you game on a PS5 and Xbox Series X more than on a PC, this is your ideal headset. Logitech's workaround to support both consoles at once is a bit awkward, but there simply aren't many ways to elegantly provide full audio features on both Sony and Microsoft systems through one headset.

The Razer Kraken Kitty V2 Pro is a fun headset that combines gamer-friendly RGB lighting with cute animal ears. It has cat, bear, and bunny ears you can mix and match, and they all have programmable RGB lighting to go with the earcups. The headset delivers strong sound and has a clear microphone for chatting with friends.

This is for streamers and cosplayers (thanks to a cosplay mode that lets you run the lights with a USB battery pack) who want both anime style and excellent audio. Obviously, you probably won't be interested if you aren't into the look.