The best PC gaming headsets can give you greater clarity while gaming, so you can pick up sounds and pinpoint where they’re coming from. Good headsets also come with high-quality microphones so you can speak clearly with your friends and teammates, and most importantly, a good headset should be comfortable to withstand long gaming sessions without causing too much discomfort.
We’re going to go into more detail on the best gaming headsets. All of these options are great choices, but you will notice that each option can win in a specific category.
Razer Kraken X – Affordable Comfort ($ 30- $ 40)
The biggest challenge for gaming peripherals manufacturers should be building a good line of budget gaming headsets. Typically, manufacturers have to choose cheaper components for headset speakers, microphone, and overall build quality in order to get a lower price tag.
For this reason, we will ditch the very cheap options ($ 15-25) because we believe the overall experience is not worth the investment. Instead, you should try to invest an additional $ 10 to $ 15 to reach the $ 30 to $ 40 range. For this price, you can get the affordable yet reliable Razer Kraken X.
The Razer Kraken X has been designed to be lightweight and comfortable. In fact, it’s so comfortable that we can rank the Razer Kraken X among the most comfortable gaming headsets in the world.
It is the lightest Razer headset, weighing 250 grams. In comparison, one of the world’s most popular HyperX Cloud II headsets weighs 320 grams. The ear cushions are very soft, padded, and even fit snugly around the glasses, which can be challenging.
Of course, there are some trade-offs at this price point. The sound quality is actually quite good for gaming, but the music quality is very poor. The Razer Kraken X is focused on high frequencies and very little bass, which is great for sounds like footsteps and small in-game actions that you might otherwise miss, but that sound design is awkward for most songs. Songs with heavy bass sound lifeless, while songs with heavy vocals irritate the ears. Thus, ideal for games, but not for music.
Razer’s design choices are obvious here: they want a headset that can play game sound without fatiguing your ears. Sure, you miss out on this attraction during the noisiest moments of the game, but it is intended for marathon players and not for those who want more immersive and shorter gaming sessions.
The microphone quality is good, but not perfect. It picks up a lot of background noise, even though the ad says otherwise. Fortunately, a little static and your voice is heard clearly. You can’t remove the mic, so with the Razer Kraken X it will definitely be push-to-talk.
HyperX Cloud II – Most Popular PC Gaming Headset ($ 75- $ 100)
HyperX Cloud II is undoubtedly one of the best PC gaming headsets in the world in terms of popularity alone. It makes sense, Cloud II is the perfect balance between quality and price. It has a retail price of $ 100, but you rarely see new items above $ 80 on Amazon.
So what makes HyperX Cloud II so popular? Perhaps the first thing worth mentioning is comfort and design. Standard memory foam ear cushions wrap your ears in a warm embrace, but you can also swap out the included plush ear cushions.
The microphone can be adjusted to your liking – inside it has a large flexible cable, if necessary, it can be completely disconnected. Of course, comfort isn’t everything, which is why it is often chosen over the more comfortable yet lightweight Razer Kraken X.
Sound design familiar from many gaming headsets can be heard in the HyperX Cloud II. You get an emphasis on high frequencies, reasonable mids, and no bass. Ideal for competitive games where every sound counts, but slightly less impressive for powerful explosions, violence or vrooming.
There’s also a removable sound card that connects to the Cloud HyperX II 3.5mm jack on one side and a USB jack on the other. It has 7.1 digital surround sound and separate volume controls for microphone and speakers.
The treble isn’t nearly as strong as some of the cheaper options, so listening to vocals in music is enjoyable but not ideal. That lack of bass certainly solidifies the deal, as the HyperX Cloud II is a gaming-focused headset.
The HyperX Cloud II microphone quality is excellent, able to minimize background noise and focus exclusively on your voice. If your teammates are complaining, you can easily adjust the volume and microphone-to-mouth distance.
Steelseries Arctis Pro Wireless – Currently Best Wireless Gaming Headphone for PC ($ 300- $ 330)
If you want to get the most out of your wireless gaming headset, we recommend the Steelseries Arctis Pro Wireless.
The biggest issue with wireless devices is battery life, especially for headsets. It turns out that big drivers consume a lot of energy. Fortunately, the Steelseries Arctis Pro Wireless has two batteries. You can charge one base station battery while playing so that it can be replaced when the other battery runs out. Yes, you are forced to use the base station for charging, but later on you will understand why you don’t want to go anywhere without it.
The average battery life on a full charge is 10 hours. If you somehow run out of both batteries, you can use the standard 3.5mm jack, which does not require power, which reduces sound quality.
The 2.4GHz wireless connection between the headset and the base station is reliable and you shouldn’t experience any communication interruptions within reasonable limits. If you need extra security, you can even connect the Arctis Pro Wireless via Bluetooth. This also opens it up for use on your regular Bluetooth enabled devices like smartphones.
Again, this is a gaming headset, so there is more emphasis on high frequencies, reasonable mids and less on bass. It’s great for gaming, and if you turn on 7.1 digital surround sound, you won’t have a problem picking up directional sounds. The available EQ settings, which can be adjusted using the base station, can make up for any craving for bass to some extent. It’s better than a software equalizer, but doesn’t always hit the mark.
The Arctis Pro Wireless is reasonably sized at 357 grams, and it uses a unique design relying on an extended strap that fits snugly around your head. The rest of the weight is supported by a curved steel-aluminum alloy frame that floats above the strap. Generally comfortable, but it takes a little getting used to.
Like most headsets, the Arctis Pro Wireless microphone can slide out or hide in the left speaker frame. Sound quality is excellent, voice is clearly captured, but most background noise is effectively eliminated, and a built-in foam filter helps reduce harsh crackles in your voice.
Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro – Best PC Gaming Headset with Sound Quality ($ 128)
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro is the best choice for high quality sound while playing games and listening to music at a great price. The problem is that it is actually a pair of studio headphones, which means that in order to go this route you will need to buy a standalone microphone and it is also recommended that you purchase a DAC / amplifier for your PC to give the DT 990 Pro more. power.
The $ 75 Fiio E10K is an affordable pick with enough power for the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro. When choosing a microphone, be sure to read about the best microphones here
However, getting the DT 990 Pro and the necessary accessories is well worth it, as well as the time and money. By comparison, some of the loudest gamers have deliberately opted for the DT 990.
These gamers have the option to buy any headset without worrying about price and have chased away potential lucrative peripheral sponsors to use the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro instead. See Ninja using the DT 990 and YouTube star Lazarbeam using the updated 1990 DT Pro.
The DT 990 Pro has an open design which means the soundstage appears much larger. Not only does it add immersion, but it helps you define directional sound much easier without the need for any digital surround sound software. The sound design of the DT 990 Pro is surprisingly perfect for gaming despite being a studio headset.
Oddly enough, you’ll find a signature high-end accent that’s often only found in gaming headsets. Fortunately, the bass and mids are much higher than a standard gaming headset, making them a great choice for listening to music.
With all this investment, you get $ 200-300 and a lot of fiddling around during setup. Comfort is great, but the ear cushions wear out after extended use and lose some of their cushioning. Not quite comfort at the level of Cloud 2 or Kraken X, but decent enough.
Summary
That concludes our roundup of the best PC gaming headsets of 2020. We’ve focused on four main categories, and we hope you enjoy these options. If you have any suggestions why not leave them in the comments section?
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