[Hardware] Best Gaming Headsets 2021: Wireless, Budget and More

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Finding the best gaming headset is arguably nearly as important as choosing the a graphics card or gaming keyboard. After all, the sound of your virtual world and how you communicate with your friends all depends on the device you wear on your head. But choosing the best gaming headset for you isn't easy, partially due to the sheer amount of market saturation we're facing right now. With the ever-rising po[CENSORED]rity of eSports and the relative simplicity of combining off-the-shelf audio hardware with cushy earcups, a sprinkle of software wizardry and maybe some RGB, PC gamers are now offered more options than ever, whether they're planning to plug their headset into one of the best gaming PCs or the best gaming laptop. A quick search of a few po[CENSORED]r online retailers will yield hundreds of choices across dozens of companies, ranging from under $10 (£8) to over $600 (£460). You may already know how much your willing to spend on a pair of cans, but there are still plenty of other things to consider. Luckily, we’ve been testing piles of gaming headsets (to see every model we've tested, check out our gaming headset reviews page). Below are the best gaming headsets we've tested.

Quick Gaming Headset Shopping Tips

Here are some things to keep in mind when searching for the best gaming headset for you: Wired or wireless? Wired headsets generally cost less and don’t need to be charged. Therefore, if you typically game at your desk, you may want to stick to wired options to keep things cheaper and simpler. A wired headset also won’t die on you mid-battle. On the other hand, there’s no denying the convenience of being able to run to the kitchen for a drink without having to remove your cans. Headbands and earcups. Comfort is more subjective than measuring audio output and input, but generally speaking you should be wary of plush gaming headsets with thick bulges, cheap foam and cloth covers. When we've tested these types of headsets ,we've often found disappointing acoustic performance. Ear-cushion material can make a huge difference in what your ears ultimately perceive. Audio and mic quality. These are very important if you want the best gaming headset, but impossible to evaluate on the one or two floor models. We focus on these aspects in detail in our reviews. In short, detailed reproduction and good spatial resolution, specifically when it comes to complex noises and environments with multiple sound sources, are more important than any attempt at simulated surround sound. A key Bluetooth spec: aptX. If you do go wireless and opt for Bluetooth (no USB dongle needed), look for headsets that support Qualcomm’s aptX tech, a compression tech (codec) that’s been leveraged for decades in TV and movie voice-work, movie theater audio and thousands of radio stations. If you’ve heard Bluetooth audio in years past and hated it (it definitely was bad for a long time), give an aptX-enabled headset a listen. As long as the underlying hardware is good, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the sound output.