The best 10 PC and gaming headsets in comparison

Gaming headsets are a must-have if you want to enjoy immersive gaming experiences. With so many brands and headsets out on the market, it is sometimes hard to find the perfect headset for your needs and budget. This guide helps you narrow down your choices and figure out which key specs and features you should take into account when choosing a gaming headset.

Design

If you love long gaming sessions, comfort should be at the top of the list. Industry statistics reveal that most gamers play for approximately one hour and 20 minutes without pause. If you are a hardcore gamer, you are probably wearing the headset for longer, and it would be unwise to wear uncomfortable cans for hours on end. Not only because it might distract you and make you lose focus while playing, but it could also pose some health risks.

While gaming headsets are built similarly to most standard headsets, they come in various styles, each having advantages and disadvantages. Some headsets, especially entry-level ones, can be unbearable to wear for more than half an hour, while some tend to become uncomfortable after an hour. But there are some out there that are just incredibly comfortable to wear for long gaming sessions. Depending on your budget, you may see a combination of these materials on your headphones:

Plastic: Since it is the cheapest material readily available to manufacturers, many headphones are made almost entirely of plastic. It is also much easier to mold during manufacturing than metal.

Rubber: Most headphones are usually covered with rubber. Rubber is soft, flexible, and it's suitable for protecting the device against scratches.

Foam: Most full-size headphones have ear cushions made out of foam. Foam is also used for headbands to provide soft and comfortable support for the ear cups. Ear-fitting headphones may also have foam ear tips, which makes them adjust to the specific shape of the ear.

Metal: Metal alloys and aluminum are used on high-end headsets, as these materials are durable and resistant.

Types of gaming headsets

On-ear headsets

On-ear headsets, also known as supra-aural headsets, sit directly on top of your ears and come with a headband that connects the two large ear cups containing the sound drivers. On-ear headsets have large drivers, usually around 30-40 mm, and are capable of delivering a powerful sound. However, they tend to let the sound spread as they are not completely covering your ears.

Over-ear headsets

Over-ears or circumaural headsets are the most massive headsets available. Similar to on-ears, their cups are large enough to cover your ears entirely. They provide great comfort, but they are quite heavy. Their substantial size also means that they can hold large drivers, which is a plus when it comes to sound quality. Due to their design, over-ear headsets offer excellent noise isolation. However, these headsets tend to trap heat and can be quite uncomfortable during long sessions because of their weight.

Open vs. closed gaming headsets

Some headsets are fully closed, creating passive noise isolation, while some headsets have an open construction that allows ambient sounds to pass through the earcups. Closed headsets help users focus during gaming sessions, as they have good sound isolation and block external noises. If you don't like to be distracted while gaming, go for closed-back headsets. On the other hand, open-back headsets allow ambient sounds to pass through. Some audiophiles prefer open-back headsets because they offer a more natural sound experience. However, the disadvantage is that sound leaks out, especially if you are listening at a high volume, so people around you might be able to hear what you're listening to.

Sound quality

Essential features to consider when purchasing a gaming headset are stereo sound and surround sound. Stereo sound, about which you can read more here, is quite common on audio devices. Surround sound takes the audio experience one step further by providing multiple audio channels. Many games today already feature surround sound, which allows you to hear sounds from many different directions. This is a great advantage, especially in first-person shooters, as you can hear where your opponents are hiding. Surround sound has been around for quite some time, and the technology has evolved in the past years. Depending on the number of audio channels, there are two types of surround sound currently available: 5.1 and 7.1. Some of the headsets offering 5.1 surround sound have separate drivers, while others use virtual audio channels, employing advanced audio software.

When it comes to gaming and competitive team play, microphones are a necessity. Gaming headsets typically have between one and four microphones. Some of the most advanced gaming headsets have both noise-cancelling voice microphones and noise-cancelling ambient microphones. With both types of microphones, the headset can deliver excellent voice chat quality by filtering background noise. Those interested in more professional-quality audio can invest in a USB microphone.

Noise cancellation is a technology used to reduce ambient noise. Noise-cancelling headsets can use passive noise cancellation or active noise cancellation (also known as active noise reduction), which works by adding a second sound with an inverted phase that cancels the first one. Headsets capable of active noise reduction are more complex, as they have a noise-cancelling circuitry that generates the secondary sound waves meant to cancel out ambient sounds without reducing the volume. Noise-cancelling microphones help isolate your voice from the background sounds by using additional microphones that detect external noises. As a result, you can chat with your friends while playing without any problems, even in noisy environments, such as gaming halls.

Wired or wireless gaming headsets?

A dilemma for some gamers: is a wireless headset better than a wired headset? Most manufacturers provide both wired and wireless versions of their popular models. Some users prefer wireless because they allow more freedom of movement without getting tangled in cables. However, wireless headsets use batteries and have to be charged from time. For some, the thought of having to worry about re-charging the headphones is a nuisance. Wired headsets are usually plug-and-play and don't require charging unless they need a battery for the active noise-cancellation circuitry. You can find a wide range of wired and wireless gaming headsets on Versus, and compare them in detail.