Friday, November 8, 2024

Best Wireless Gaming Headset 2021: The Best Game Audio Without Wires

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A wireless gaming headset is one of the most freeing accessories you can get for your gaming PC. Right next to a wireless gaming mouse, a wireless gaming headset will let you stay in the action of your favorite games while moving freely. You can lean in to get a closer look, recline in your seat to relax between games, or even walk into the other room to grab a drink – all through that, a good wireless gaming headset will keep you connected to the audio coming from your game – no cables getting snagged and yanking your headphones off.You don’t need to worry about audio quality or performance here either. The best wireless gaming headsets rely primarily on high-bandwidth, 2.4GHz connections that can deliver full-quality audio with next to no latency. In other words, your game audio will come through just as the makers intended and it’ll be perfectly in sync with the action.

Wireless gaming headsets have been proliferating in recent years, so you can actually find some fairly affordable options that get the job done. There are plenty of premium models as well that may offer more sturdy designs or extra connection options and features like surround sound. We’ve picked out an assortment so you can find a pair of wireless gaming headphones that fit your budgetary constraints and the features on your wish-list. If you’re browsing in the UK, click here to find out where you can find the best wireless headset for gaming.

TL;DR – These are the Best Wireless Gaming Headsets

1. SteelSeries Arctis 7X/P

Best Wireless Gaming Headset

Our Pick

SteelSeries Arctis 7X

On SteelSeries

What could make the best wireless headset even better? Well, support for even more systems, of course. That’s just what SteelSeries did when it upgraded the already excellent SteelSeries Arctis 7 (read our review) to make the new SteelSeries Arctis 7X/P (read our review). The new headset takes everything that was beloved about its predecessor and stretches it to support the Xbox Series X, Series X, Playstation 5 while still supporting computers and mobile devices.

Support does depend somewhat on which headset you get, as this isn’t actually one headset. There’s a SteelSeries Arctis 7X and a 7P. The Arctis 7P misses out on support for Xbox consoles, but the Arctis 7X actually supports both Sony’s and Microsoft’s consoles. The headsets offer latency-free connections with USB-C dongles as well as support for wired connections over USB-C and 3.5mm audio cables. Simply put, these headphones are packed with features, and they can still muster 24-hour battery life.

2. Corsair HS70 Pro

Best Budget Wireless Gaming Headset

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Corsair HS70 Pro

On Amazon

When it came to budget wireless headsets, it was hard to beat the Corsair HS70 (read our review), but then Corsair made the HS70 Pro without any increase in price. Fortunately, not much changed between the versions, so you still get strong, 50mm drivers; a detachable, unidrectional mic; and a comfortable headset with plush memory foam earcups, except that Corsair made improvements on all of those features.

For just under $100, you’re getting a spectacular wireless headset, and it’s only better when considering that it even has metal construction for durability. Support for surround sound is another bonus for a headset at this price, though it’s only available on PC.

3. Audeze Penrose X

Best Wireless Gaming Headset for PC

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Audeze Penrose X

On Audeze

Audeze headsets have lived at a premium, with the phenomenal Audeze Mobius being one of the company’s most affordable options while still weighing in at $400. A team-up with HyperX on the Cloud Orbit S helped bring a similar experience to a lower price, and now the Audeze Penrose X (read our review) trims the experience to just $300 while offering a ton of capabilities.

The core of the Audeze Penrose X is the 100mm planar magnetic driver hardware which offers refined audio that other gaming headsets will be hard-pressed to beat. The Penrose X makes for an excellent pairing with PC for the most competitive online experience, though you can also connect it to just about any other gaming platform thanks to its support for Bluetooth 5.0 and 3.5mm analog connections on top of its 2.4GHz wireless connection. Though the Penrose X doesn’t offer any of its own virtual surround sound processing, it will work with surround sound effects produced on PC and console, so feel free to fire up Windows Sonic or your preferred spatial audio.

4. Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset

Best PS5 Wireless Gaming Headset

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Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Headset

On Walmart

To make the most of your experience gaming on the PlayStation 5, you’ll want to be sure you can take advantage of the new Tempest 3D audio system. To that end, Sony has designed the very headset you’ll want in the Pulse 3D (read our review). This headset has a smooth, curvy aesthetic with black and white tones that match the PS5 hardware itself. Inside the headset, you’ll find a pair of 40mm drivers that pump out clear and precise sound. Paired with the Tempest 3D audio, they can create an immersive sound environment that gives the perception of sounds coming from all around you.

The headset uses a USB dongle to connect wirelessly to the PS5, but it also supports PS4, PC, and Mac over this connection. A 3.5mm jack will let you use the Sony Pulse 3D headset with virtually any device, and it can save you in a pinch if you run out of battery. Another thing this headset can save is the eardrums of your teammates in intense online games, as there is a mic monitoring feature that will let you hear yourself more clearly – a feature we find makes it easier to avoid shouting into our mics.

5. Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2

Best Xbox Series X/S Gaming Headset

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Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2

On Amazon

If you want a great wireless headset for the Xbox Series X or S, you can’t settle for one that requires a cumbersome solution for connecting. The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 (read our review) gets around all that by using Xbox Wireless to pair directly with the console – no dongle needed. That’ll save space in your media center and leave all your USB ports free.

The headset features large earcups with plenty of space for your ears and loads of cushion to keep the fit comfy. That cushion is also a cooling memory foam to help you stay cozy in the midst of intense gameplay sessions. Of course, any headset worth its salt should have big, powerful drivers and a comfy fit. The Stealth 700 Gen 2 goes beyond that, offering a secondary connection over Bluetooth that can be used concurrently with the Xbox Wireless connection. So, you can feed Xbox game audio into your headset while you’re in a voice chat on your phone.

6. SteelSeries Arctis 9X

Wireless and Bluetooth at the Same Time

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SteelSeries Arctis 9X

On Amazon

The SteelSeries Arctis 9X (read our review) is another wireless gaming headset that features Xbox Wireless connectivity, but it also adds Bluetooth to the mix. With this second connectivity option, users can listen to a second device (i.e. a smartphone, tablet, or laptop) while still hearing all the sounds of your game at the same time. It’s a nice feature to have, especially if you always want to have a personal soundtrack playing while you game.

This gaming headset also features the same Airweave and ski goggle-inspired headband as our top pick, so the SteelSeries Arctis 9X is absolutely comfortable. In terms of sound quality, the SteelSeries Arctis 9X offers high-quality audio that sounds crisp and you may even hear things you couldn’t spot before. The bass might be a little overbearing to some, but the equalizer is really flexible so you can tune this headset to the way you like it.

7. HyperX Cloud Stinger Core Wireless 7.1

Best Lightweight Wireless Gaming Headset

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HyperX Cloud Stinger Core Wireless 7.1

On Amazon

The HyperX Cloud Stinger Core Wireless 7.1 takes much of what we liked from the HyperX Cloud Stinger Wireless (read our review) and boils it down into an extra-light, extra-affordable headset. At 244 grams, its weight is almost imperceptible while you’re wearing it, and it manages a mild enough clamping force to stay fairly comfortable over long play sessions.

The low price of the HyperX Cloud Stinger Core Wireless 7.1 makes it one of the most affordable wireless gaming headsets you can find while it maintains a decent level of quality and performance. And, with 17 hours of battery life, you can easily take it through long gaming sessions. When it’s time to charge it back up, the USB-C port means you won’t have to keep an outdated micro USB cable on hand.

8. Sennheiser GSP 370

Battery Life that Keeps Going and Going and…

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Sennheiser GSP 370

On Amazon

Sennheiser’s GSP 370 wireless gaming headset (read our review) is a special one, as it truly nails a couple things. One of those is comfort, as the deep earcups, soft material, and plush cushion make this one of the most comfortable headsets around. The other thing it nails is battery life. The Sennheiser GSP 370 boasts a 100-hour battery life that puts the competition to shame.

That battery is all the more impressive when considering that there’s no sacrifice to latency or audio performance. These headphones are perfect for gaming, with incredibly clean audio, including over the microphone. Your teammates or streaming audience will hear you loud and clear, and you’ll get top-notch sound from games, movies, and music.

9. Logitech G935

All the Features

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Logitech has updated its flagship G933 wireless, cross-platform gaming headset, and it’s pretty amazing. Instead of taking the easy route and just adding more bass to the mix like some companies seem to do, Logitech added bigger drivers, redesigned the speaker assembly, and carefully tuned the output to make it extraordinarily even.

Nothing is muddled, and everything sounds crisp, as it should. The company also added the newest DTS Headphone: X 2.0 technology, and it far surpasses the previous version in providing spacial awareness. It did all this while still delivering a fairly affordable headset too, as it sounds better than headsets that cost much more than its $169.99 price tag.

10. Razer Nari Ultimate

Haptic Sound Effects

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Razer Nari Ultimate

On Amazon

The Razer Nari Ultimate (read our review) surprised us not only with its smart industrial design, but also for just how well it implemented its headlining feature. The onboard haptics are the closest to simulating a subwoofer on our skull that we’ve ever encountered in our experience testing headphones. They’re great for games and movies, and if you need a killer way to wirelessly listen to Spotify around the house, they can handle that too.

Where to Get the Best Wireless Gaming Headset in the UK

Lucky for you every single one of the headsets mentioned within this article is also available to buy in the UK at a decent price. Most the headsets available can be found at Amazon as well, so you can take advantage of a quick no-faff delivery time.

Arctis 7
HS70 Pro

Corsair

HS70 Pro

Best Budget Wireless Gaming Headset

Mobius
LS41
Stealth 600

Turtle Beach

Stealth 600

Best Xbox One Gaming Headset

Arctis 9X
Cloud Stinger Core Wireless 7.1

HyperX

Cloud Stinger Core Wireless 7.1

Best Lightweight Wireless Gaming Headset

GSP 370

Sennheiser

GSP 370

Battery Life that Keeps Going and Going and…

G935
Nari Ultimate

What to Look for in a Wireless Gaming Headset

There are a few key things you should look out for when buying a wireless gaming headset with battery being one of the most important. Your wireless gaming headset’s battery life is of course intrinsically tied to how long your play sessions will be. Most options available today offer decently long battery life between 10-20 hours. The only real exception to this is the Razer Nari, which only lasts around eight hours due to its integrated lighting and haptic feedback systems.

Secondly since we’re talking about wireless gaming headsets here and not Bluetooth headphones, most of the options here connect with a dedicated wireless dongle. With that in mind most gaming headsets connect over a 2.4GHz band and rarely a 5.0GHz band. That said, some wireless gaming headsets also come with Bluetooth connectivity, which allowy you to pair it to a second device like your phone. The added Bluetooth connection is a nifty feature if you like to listen to music or podcasts and take calls while you game.

More Expert Tech Roundups

Kevin Lee is IGN’s Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam

Mark Knapp is a contributor for IGN. He’s constantly digging into tech products until he comes out the other side.



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