Back to top A Gamer's Guide to Headsets
Back to top A Gamer's Guide to Headsets Photo by Sean Do on
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If you are a hardcore gamer, having a headset is practically a must. Why? There's a decent chance you live with someone else, whether family or a roommate. So it's partly for privacy, and partly to be polite. Imagine having to hear gameplay gunshots or swords slashing for hours at a time -- that could get on someone's nerves.

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But maybe you don't want a headset? You could purchase a separate headphone and mic instead. Although it could give you a better audio experience, it'll be trickier to set up and much more expensive. A singular headset provides the things you need in one package so you can enjoy a more flexible gaming experience.

What to Consider when Choosing a Gaming Headset

Choosing the right headset might be tougher than you think. You need to think about its sound isolation quality, build, mic, surround sound, and comfortability.

  • Sound Isolation: If you want the best sound quality possible, you need to make sure that the headset you pick has decent sound isolation and surround sound features. For the best sound isolation, you want headphone pads with a good seal.
  • Surround Sound: Surround sound is a common headset feature that provides a realistic experience. With surround sound, if a sound comes from behind you during gameplay, it will only come from the rear part of the headphones -- it's a pretty cool feature.
  • Comfort: Getting a comfortable headset with the proper build quality is also important. An ill-fitting headset when you're playing for a long time can be painful to wear. A bad headset can also trap sweat and heat, which doesn't bode well for your ears or scalp.
  • Build: Also, if you can afford it, avoid a gaming headset made from cheap plastic. Ideally, you want a headset made from metal or wireframe. If non-plastic headsets are unavoidable, at least find something that can adequately cover your head so you won't stretch it unnecessarily.

Looking for a gaming headset that hits all of these points isn't that easy. There are a lot of headsets out there that claim to be the best, but users say otherwise. Don't worry though, we've got you covered. After hours of research, as well as looking through tons of reviews from users, we found the headsets the check all the boxes. We also take into account the cost of these headsets, so whatever your budget may be, there's something for you.

Some of the Best Headsets in the Market

Razer Kraken X

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If you are already a gaming headset enthusiast, the Razer Kraken X making it on our list may not be a surprise to you. For around $30 to $50, you can have all of the things you need for a decent gaming experience: 7.1 surround sound, a flexible microphone, superb audio quality for its price, and light & durable thermoplastic material.

The best feature of this headset is, of course, the 7.1 surround sound that elevates the headset's already deep and clear audio. As the more inexpensive version of the Razen Kraken, Razer Kraken X also features a comfortable, stylish, and ultralight design. For its price, the Razer headset is a good value for gamers who are on a budget. Otherwise, the slightly more expensive Razen Kraken is also a good choice.

SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless

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Whether you are a PC or console gamer, SteelSeries comes in at a great value for under $100. For its price, it provides a decent built quality, even though it uses plastic. Arctic 1 features wireless connection, a detachable microphone, and compatibility with a wide range of devices, including Nintendo Switch and smartphones. You might not get a true premium feel, but you'll still get a somewhat luxurious experience.

Other features of the Arctis 1 include long battery life as well as excellent audio. The headset, however, still has a couple of weaknesses, one being the instability of its detachable mic. That said, though, there shouldn't be any problem in terms of mic audio quality.

Overall, the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless is a nice step up from the Razer Kraken X if you aren't afraid to shell out a bit more money.

SteelSeries Arctis Pro + GameDac

Now, we move into the high-end territory. Available from around $200 to $250, Arctis Pro is a premium headset that will surely give you an advantage in competitive environments. What makes it stand out is its noise-canceling filter, a rare feature for even gaming headsets. Basically, you can eliminate--or at least minimize--outside noises such as traffic or someone talking. This comes in handy if you need accurate audio representations of footsteps or gunshots to pinpoint the enemy location on the battlefield.

The term "GameDac" in the headset's name refers to a digital-to-analog converter. The headset also has a control center so you can easily enable/disable features like surround sound or RGB lighting. Another feature worth mentioning is high-res audio for exceptional audio quality. Granted, you need to pay a premium to get all of these features. If you want to get it for cheaper, you can purchase the 'renewed' version of Arctis Pro + GameDac.

Final Words

At first glance, there's not much difference between one gaming headset to another. The truth is, however, that you might feel a huge difference once you've tried them. But since you're buying online, you can't really try the headsets on. So trust our picks. From the least expensive on our list to the SteelSeries, you'll have a great headset regardless.