Best gaming headset 2026

Razer BlackShark V3 Pro

Best gaming headset overall

Razer BlackShark V3 Pro specifications:

The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro is our top gaming headset overall thanks to its combination of great comfort, excellent sound quality, and loads of useful features. The addition of active noise cancelling for this latest iteration of the BlackShark also makes it even more versatile than ever before.

The core of this headset's appeal is threefold. Firstly, its simple design is practical and comfortable for long gaming sessions. Other headsets might look slicker, be more portable, or have more lights and features but the BlackShark's old-school design with excellent padding (much improved from the V2 Pro) just works.

Secondly, its range of features is really useful. You've got a great quality removable microphone, a chunky, easy to find volume knob, and, new to this version, is the inclusion of active noise canceling and the ability to connect the headset to your PC via USB and even connect an analog  input. The latter is available via a 3.5mm jack plug to USB-C cable that plugs into this headset's USB-C port, so it only works while the headset's on, but it's still a useful addition.

Then there's the sound quality. The BlackShark V3 Pro's drivers sound excellent, with loads of detail and plenty of bass, if you want it. Crucially, the EQ in Razer's Synapse software offers 10 bands of adjustability, making it really easy to dial in your preferred sound. It really works too - the EQ isn't just polishing the proverbial pile.

What's more, that EQ can be used to dial in specific sound settings for certain games. The likes of CS2, Apex, and Valorant all have ready-to-go EQs designed by pro gamers and they really do work well to enhance the audibility of crucial in-game sounds for those games.

With solid battery life, simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth audio, and decent ANC too, this headset is also useable for travel and generally wearing round the house too. Its bulky design, increased weight (367g compared to the V2 Pro's 320g), and inability to fold means it's not the most practical travel headset, but it can serve that function if needed.

The biggest downside here is a high price. The V2 Pro was $200 but the new V3 Pro has jumped to $250. It's reasonable value compared to competing products but it's undeniably an expensive option.

Read our Razer BlackShark V3 Pro review for more.

Asus TUF Gaming H3

Best budget gaming headset

Asus TUF Gaming H3 specifications:

The Asus TUF Gaming H3 is a budget gaming headset that gets a hell of a lot right for under $50. Solid build, subtle good looks, and great audio quality help this pair of cans steal the budget crown.

Although the design here isn't going to have people mistaking this headset for a luxury option, it's still a well made headset that's comfortable too. Its flexible headband and solid construction provide the durability needed to withstand regular daily use, and our tests confirm it's as hardy as the brand name implies.

Many budget options struggle to strike a balance in terms of audio fidelity, but the TUF Gaming H3 provides decent clarity. You won't have to deal with muddy bass spoiling your mids, and treble rings true while avoiding sounding tinny. Spend more and you get more but for its price this headset delivers sound that's plenty good enough for a fun and competitive gaming experience.

In addition, it wields a superb microphone that surprised us while testing, providing levels of capture clarity we'd usually expect from a more expensive headset.

There aren't many cheap headsets out there that hit as hard as the Asus TUF Gaming H3, and it deserves its spot at the gaming audio table.

Read our Asus TUF Gaming H3 review.

Logitech G325 Lightspeed

Best budget wireless gaming headset

Logitech G325 Lightspeed specifications:

The Logitech G325 Lightspeed is our new favorite budget wireless gaming headset that, while it has its limitations, gets the basics right and does so in a light, stylish, and easy-to-use package.

Available in black, white, or the fetching lilac color we reviewed, this sleek headset does away with a boom mic and relies on an internal mic instead, to make for a really clean-looking and simple setup. The mic doesn't set new records for sound quality, but it is clear and reliable, which is a huge improvement over the poor quality version on the previous G435 Lightspeed.

A lightweight but tough and flexible construction makes this headset easy to live with, plus its padding and overall comfort are also excellent, and it fits a wide range of head sizes. Its controls are also really well thought out and easy to find by feel alone.

With 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth onboard, you can easily connect to your PC and any modern console, though there isn't a wired connection option to fall back on.

Sound quality from the headphones is understandably not groundbreaking, but there's plenty of bass without the headset sounding too muffled and boomy, and Logitech has provided a full parametric EQ in its G Hub software, making it easy to fine-tune the sound to your liking. Battery life is similarly adequate, rather than spectacular.

It's the overall package of this headset that's so convincing, though. It looks great, is light and comfortable, and has adjustability, features, and sound quality that's just enough to do the job for a budget headset.

Read our full Logitech G325 review for more details.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite

Best-sounding gaming headset

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite specifications:

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is basically an upgraded version of the Nova Pro Wireless with new drivers and a Hi-Res Audio rating for better sound quality, plus it has a few other little extras. The result is an incredible headset, but one that is undeniably very expensive.

Quite simply, this is the best-sounding gaming headset we've tested, and by some margin. The company has aimed for truly audiophile headphone-rivaling sound quality and has largely delivered, with sparkling levels of detail, huge bass presence, plenty of mid-range warmth, and all while not sounding forced.

Along with this incredible sound, you also get loads of features. Like the Nova Pro Wireless, it has swappable batteries for effectively never-ending battery life. You can also plug in three USB devices and an analog device and fully mix between them, plus you can plug speakers into the USB dongle/battery charge/volume knob (called the GameHub) and switch between speakers and the headset.

With excellent ANC, quality boom and internal mics, superb overall comfort, virtual surround sound, and loads of game-optimized EQ profiles, this headset really does have it all. It is quite heavy, though, so it isn't the best for travel. Moreover, it is very expensive, but if you simply want the best, this is it.

Read our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite review.

Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless

Most versatile gaming headset

Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless specifications:

If you're after a headset that can basically do it all, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is it. Its dedicated desktop dongle, called the GameHub, lets you plug in up to three devices (two USB, one analog) that you can mix between and connect wirelessly to your headset, which itself can also connect via Bluetooth - so you can use it with a phone or laptop away from your PC.

This GameHub also houses a battery charger that you can use to keep the included spare battery of this headset topped up. Quickly slide off the earcup cover on the headset, pop out its battery, and you can continue playing effectively endlessly, with just a few seconds' pause in your listening.

With a retractable mic and internal mics, this is a headset that can just about pass as being a normal set of Bluetooth headphones out on the street, while its ANC will reduce the din of noisy trains and cars, too.

Great overall sound quality, including excellent virtual surround sound and loads of game-specific EQ profiles, along with a comfortable design, means this headset delivers on the basics too. It also looks pretty compared to many other gaming headsets.

The main downside is the high price of this headset, which was $350 at launch, but you can get this headset for closer to $300 now. It's still expensive, but the sheer amount of features and versatility this headset provides means it's actually a decent value option.

Read our SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless review for more.

Alienware Pro Wireless

Best gaming headset for travel

Alienware Pro Wireless specifications:

Let's face it, the Alienware Pro Wireless gaming headset just looks damn good. Its sleek design is a huge part of its appeal and makes it far more appealing than most alternatives for wearing outside. Crucially, though, its beauty is more than skin deep, with this being an excellent quality and versatile headset.

For a start, it's really comfortable, with great padding and a fit that's easy to adjust. Sound quality is also top-tier, with powerful bass but smooth and clear mids and lots of top-end detail too. Whether you're gaming, taking a call, or listening to music, it's more than up to the task. It isn't quite so easily tweakable as the BlackShark, and doesn't have the instant-access game-specific EQs, but it still sounds great overall.

A key advantage here over the BlackShark, though, is that the Pro Wireless not only has a reasonable quality boom mic but it has inbuilt mics too, so you can use it on the go without the boom. We did miss having a dedicated chat/game mix dial on the headset, though.

Like the V3 Pro, this is an expensive headset, but it delivers on the quality you'd expect for that price. Plus, its built-in mics and ANC really make it a versatile headset.

Check out our Alienware Pro Wireless review for our full experience.

Logitech G Astro A50 X

Best multi-platform gaming headset

Logitech G Astro A50 X specifications:

The Astro A50 X is the go-to headset for anyone rocking multiple game consoles alongside a gaming PC and mobile devices. Its Playsync system is a game changer, bringing together all platforms into one low-latency wireless docking station, capable of video passthrough of up to 4K/120Hz via HDMI 2.1. The A50 X docking station can even change your display source at the press of a button for the ultimate convenience.

There's more than just convenience to the Astro A50 X too, as you'd hope given its premium price. Its sound quality is right up with the best while its microphone is top tier too. Both the headphone sound and microphone are customizable thanks to the Logitech G Hub app for PC and mobile, and you also have access to community EQ setups if you're not keen on playing around with the settings yourself.

As well as a 2.4GHz Lightspeed wireless connection, the A50 X includes Bluetooth to allow simultaneous connections, meaning you could be listening to music on your phone while owning lobbies on Xbox Series X or PS5. All of this comes packed into a super comfortable and light frame, available in either black or white, with 24-hour battery life and contact charging available via the docking station.

Read our Logitech Astro A50X review.

HyperX Cloud 3

Best wired gaming headset

HyperX Cloud 3 specifications:

If you have no need for a wireless headset but still want a top-quality and comfortable headset, the HyperX Cloud 3 is the one. Its simple design packs in quality where it matters with great sound from both its headphone drivers and its boom mic.

This is also a supremely comfortable headset, with really deep, squishy padding on its earcups. Its headband isn't quite as adjustable as some but it suits most head sizes that we've tried it with.

As a simple, wired headset, you shouldn't expect any extra features here. Bluetooth, ANC, and the like are all not an option. However, HyperX has updated its long-running Cloud headset to now include a USB connection. Included in the box is a USB-A to USB-C adapter and a USB-C to 3.5mm jack cable, integrated into which is a ADC/DAC for converting the headset's analog signals to digital. To get the absolute best from this headset you'll want to connect it to a high quality headphone amp, but the included digital connection is a great start.

Overall sound quality from this headset is a touch light on low end, so bass heads might be better served elsewhere. Otherwise, this headset delivers fantastic clarity. Again, the ultimate quality will depend on the quality of the signal you feed into it but the drivers are more than capable of reproducing intricate audio.

While not the absolute cheapest headset around, the HyperX Cloud 3 is still great value for the quality of sound you're getting from this stalwart of the gaming headset world.

Read our HyperX Cloud 3 review.

Corsair HS65 Surround

Best budget surround gaming headset

Corsair HS65 Surround specifications:

We already spilled the beans above about how much we like the Corsair HS65 Surround while highlighting its newer wireless counterpart. The key here is the balance of core features for the price you're paying.

The HS65 Surround starts off its impressive list of positive features with good all round comfort and easy adjustability. Next is sound quality that is comfortably above most options of its price range. Combined with the fact that its USB connection gets you a great virtual surround sound mode - something a plain analog wired headset won't provide without extra software - and you have a great foundation for long gaming sessions.

Mic quality is solid too, and greatly enhancing the versatility of this headset is the inclusion of a 3.5mm jack, so you can plug in any old analog like you would with a set of headphones. There are compromises here, as you'd expect for its modest price, but the core features and quality of this headset are enough to put it ahead of its competition.

Read the Corsair HS65 Surround review.

SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds

Best gaming earbuds

SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds specifications:

For true wireless earbud convenience and easy gaming PC connectivity in one, the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are the ultimate gaming earbud. Thanks to their included 2.4GHz wireless USB dongle, you can connect to any PC with ease, while Bluetooth gets you an easy connection for your phone or laptop too.

That portability comes with great battery life too, with 10 hours of listening per bud and another 30 hours of charge time in the carry case. With active noise canceling also built in you can block out the din of trains or planes around you when using these as travel earbuds too.

Crucially, they're also really comfortable, assuming you don't mind the style of fit where the eartips push into your ear canals. They also sit securely in your ear, so can stand up to use in moderate exercise as well as remaining comfortable all day, whether you're working or gaming.

Sound quality is excellent too, with a sound that's very similar to the AirPods Pro. They have bass presence without it sounding forced and plenty of mid-range warmth and top-end clarity. They're a clear cut above the Razer Hammerhead earbuds, for instance.

For gaming, you also get over 100 sound profiles tuned specifically for different games. Audiophiles will still want to seek out high-end wired earbuds but for general listening the GameBuds are great.

The GameBuds aren't a cheap option but are competitively priced compared to other wireless earbuds and are ultimately worth the money, if portability is crucial for you.

Read our full SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds review to find our more.