Best gaming headsets in 2023: Budget, console, wireless & more
DexertoThe best gaming headsets are available in various shapes and sizes. They come with a ton of features to help enhance your gaming experience. Here are some of the best cans that you can get today.
If you’re serious about gaming, nothing less than the best gaming headset should cut through your must-have lists. While gaming earbuds can be tiny and are often wireless, gaming headphones offer a no-compromise experience. You not only get the best in class audio quality, deep bass, and spatial audio, and even active noise cancellation on some models.
Here’s a list of some of the best over-the-ear headsets suited for gaming – it has been curated based on the devices we’ve reviewed with must-have features at different price points.
Gaming headphones for all budgets
- SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
- HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless
- Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX
- Audeze Penrose
- Budget Gaming headphones under $150
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless – The best gaming headset
SteelseriesKey Specs
- Connectivity: USB-C, 2.4ghz Wireless, Bluetooth 5.0
- Driver diameter: 40mm
- Frequency response: 10–22,000 Hz (Wireless), 10-40,000 Hz (Wired)
- Weight: 338G
- Compatibility: PC, Mac, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox (Xbox version only)
- Price: $349.99
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is among the first gaming headsets with a premium DAC and a hot-swappable battery. The latter means you can get a virtually unlimited battery backup for an uninterrupted gaming experience.
The Nova Pro Wireless boosts the audio resolution to 96Khz/24-bit, which allows for much more detailed, high-resolution audio. Easily counted among the best premium gaming headsets, they sound premium, feel luxurious, and come with bundled software that lets you tweak the audio quality to the minutest level.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is ideal for serious gamers who want to maintain audio quality, features, and connectivity options and want fully loaded-headphones, as we mention in our review.
HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless – The battery champ
DexertoKey Specs
- Connectivity: Wireless via USB 2.0 Dongle, Detachable 3.5mm wire
- Driver diameter: 50mm
- Frequency response: 15hz – 21khz
- Compatibility: PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch
- Weight: 317G
- Price: $199
The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless is the wireless version of the company’s best headphones and comes with a 300-hour-long battery life – which is way more than an average gamer might need on a single charge.
In terms of design, the bright, red-colored logo on the cans is an attention grabber – precisely how the company wanted it to be. These headsets are built like a tank and sound like a charm. In our review, we were impressed by the wide audio ranges and customization options available via the HyperX Ngenuity software and the extremely long battery life.
Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX
DexertoKey specs
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1, USB-A dongle (2.4Ghz wireless)
- Driver diameter: 50mm
- Frequency response: 10–22,000 Hz (Wireless), 10-40,000 Hz (Wired)
- Weight: 454G
- Compatibility: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch
- Price: $149
The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max is a mouthful of a name, but this is a very capable gaming headphone that, unlike the products of most better-known brands, can be used across Xbox, Playstation, and PC without having to buy a dongle.
This headset lacks RGB lights, and the overall design language is a bit muted. However, the headset sounds neutral, which is excellent for playing games. There is also added support for Dolby Atmos on PC and Xbox – a fantastic addition. This headset works flawlessly across different platforms; if you dabble between multiple consoles, you’d love this. Our review found the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX impressive and among the few best overall gaming headphones.
Audeze Penrose
AudezeKey Specs
- Connectivity: Wired, 2.4ghz Wireless, Bluetooth
- Driver diameter: 100mm
- Frequency response: 10–50KHz
- Weight: 320G
- Compatibility: PC, Mac, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox (Xbox version only)
- Price: $299.00
If you prefer gaming headsets with audiophile-grade audio quality, then the Audeze Penrose is worth considering. These headsets come with patented planar magnetic drivers, which are 100mm in size. It means you’d get increased volume, bass response, an overall better audio experience, and an unmatched gaming experience.
These headphones are best suited for users who are okay with paying a bit extra for the extra-rich audio quality. However, the Penrose has average build quality, and can be quite expensive.
Budget Gaming headphones under $150
Razer BlackShark V2X – The best budget gaming headphone
DexertoKey specs
- Connectivity: USB-A
- Driver diameter: 50mm
- Frequency response: 12 Hz to 28 kHz
- Weight: 240G
- Compatibility: PC, Switch, PlayStation, Mac, Xbox (mobile devices over 3.5mm)
- Price: $59
The Razer BlackShark V2X is an affordable gaming headset. Priced below $60, these headphones pack a punch way above their weight. While you can’t call them the best of the lot, and they don’t pack fancy features, these headphones offer superior performance, ticking almost all the boxes you’d be worried about.
The headphones offer 7.1 audio support for an immersive gaming experience. In our review, we found these headphones have a super lightweight frame and offers decent sound quality. It is ideally suited for people looking for an excellent middle-ground option for budget-conscious users.
HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 – The budget gaming champ
DexertoKey Specs
- Connectivity: 3.5 mm wired
- Driver diameter:
- Frequency response: 10 Hz –28 kHz
- Weight: 275G
- Compatibility: PC, Switch, PlayStation, Mac, Xbox (mobile devices over 3.5mm)
- Price: $49.99
Yet another budget gaming headphone that looks premium sounds better than average and can be paired with any device that sports a 3.5mm headphone jack. Our review found that the HyperX’s budget headset, Cloud Stinger 2, doesn’t overpower your brain with super heavy bass, while the highs are whole-heartedly enjoyable. We’ve listened to a fair bit of music with them and never felt like we were being let down.
It is ideal for users who love to alternate between various consoles and PCs. While the no-frills audio quality is better than most, it cannot be considered the best – however, it does get the job done comfortably.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3
DexertoKey Specs
- Connectivity: Wired 3.5mm jack cable, USB-C
- Driver diameter: 44mm
- Frequency response: 20 to 22,000Hz
- Weight: 253g
- Compatibility: Anything with a 3.5mm Analog jack
- Price: $99.99
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 is an ideal headphone for people with a tighter budget. At a price point just shy of $100, the Nova 3 looks like its pricier siblings and produces excellent audio for its price range.
While the biggest drawback of this headset is that it doesn’t have Bluetooth connectivity, SteelSeries has cut corners on the connectivity end to shave off the price. Yet, it is ideal for people who still rely on a 3.5mm jack, making these headphones a universal appeal.
Also, make sure to check out our other guides:
The best PS5 controllers | The best mobile games to play in 2023 | Best gaming keyboards | Best CPU for gaming | Best PC controller | Best budget gaming desk | Best power bank for steam deck | Best 1440p Monitor for PS5 | Best gamecube controller for Switch and PC
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