Best Gaming Headsets 2025

One of the best ways to feel truly immersed in almost any game is through its audio. That’s why I set out to find the best gaming headsets—those that deliver high-fidelity spatial audio that drops you into the middle of the battlefield. My top pick, the SteelSeries Arctic Nova Pro Wireless, can last for over 20 hours on a single charge and features a hot-swappable battery when you need a boost, stat. Meanwhile, my wired pick, the Sennheiser Game One Wired, doesn’t require batteries and is an affordable option that comes in at under $200.

Along with the help of a fellow gamer, I tested each headset in this roundup for no less than 40 hours each. Here is how they fared:

To determine which gaming headsets to test, I considered the needs of all sorts of users, from casual folks who want a no-frills option to die-hard gamers who play AAA games. I also made sure that we didn’t focus exclusively on wireless headsets; we considered wired headsets and earbuds as well. During the course of gaming with each model, I evaluated key features like active noise cancellation (ANC), battery life, audio quality, build and software. Read on to see my detailed reviews of the best gaming headsets that’ll give you a competitive edge—or just help immerse you in a cozy game like Stardew Valley.

Best for:

• Excellent comfort during long gaming sessions
• Highly adjustable audio options thanks to the Sonar software
• Compatibility across gaming systems, including Xbox and PC

Skip if:

• You want top-tier noise cancellation
• Your Xbox model doesn’t have Sidetone mixing

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless gaming headset features a sleek design. It doesn’t look like typical gaming headphones, with no RGB lighting or any ostentatious logos. But once you pop off the metal ear cup plates (literally), that’s when it becomes apparent this set is designed for gaming, as there’s a hot-swappable battery port on the left cup. Also included is a dedicated docking station that helped me adjust a plethora of settings on the fly, including EQ settings and swapping between dedicated profiles. The docking station also houses a battery port that charges the extra included battery when not in use—one of the most useful features I’ve experienced in a headset to date.

You will want to check which model is best for you. Currently there are two—one for the Xbox and one compatible with the PlayStation 5. Each comes with its own perks and quirks. If you’re using a PlayStation 5 and a PC as your main gaming consoles, don’t opt for the Xbox because you’ll lose out on some of the extra features the PlayStation model offers, like Sidetone mixing.

The SteelSeries Sonar mobile app is one of the best reasons to get these headphones. It not only allowed me to adjust EQ to my specific preferences, but also comes with a slew of game audio presets (last time I checked, there were nearly 200 different games, including top titles like Apex Legends, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Diablo 4 and more). These audio presets can help make your gaming all the more immersive; tack on dedicated spatial audio, and it sounds immersive and marvelous.

It’s unfortunate that the ANC was not stronger, though. With a tap of the power button, you can switch between full ANC and transparency mode. It’s nice to have, but not strong enough to completely tune out your environment when gaming. It’s a problem that pervades most gaming headsets, though, so this wasn’t entirely surprising.

The battery life—around 20 hours based on my testing using the 2.4GHz band–could be better, but the hot-swappable battery essentially extends your play time indefinitely. Whenever I heard the dreaded low-battery beep during testing, I was able to swap out the battery and pop back into the action in about 10 seconds. By the time the battery runs low again, your first battery is charged and ready to hot-swap. It’s a boon for gamers who forget to charge their headset (guilty as charged) but still want to game for hours on end. All this to say: The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is the clear pick for the best gaming headset overall. And if you aren’t feeling the black color, the company launched the headset in white, too.

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Best for:

• Gaming without spending three figures
• Robust software—Swarm II is pretty customizable

Skip if:

• You are rough with your headset
• You want replaceable ear cups

The Turtle Beach Stealth 500 gaming headset surprised me. Despite the price (around $80), they come with a wealth of features, including a quick switch feature for Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connections, robust software and a long battery life. The design feels very basic, but after playing the entirety of Saints Row 3 wearing this headset, I’d say that it’s clear you can game for hours in comfort. Because of the leatherette padding on the cups, expect your ears to feel toasty, but it’s a small price to pay. You can adjust the headset via a stretchy band at the top, too. But my biggest issue is that the headset feels cheaply built, made out of what seems to be flimsy plastic. If you’re at all rough on your headphones, you may want to splurge for a sturdier set, but these are more than good enough for casual gameplay.

One thing that surprised me: It doesn’t come with ANC, either in the headset or the mic. Even so, I didn’t notice the lack of noise isolation, and my husband could hear me clearly. The audio sounds great, with spatial audio thanks to the Swarm II software. The software allows for up to four EQ presets to customize your experience just enough to enhance your gameplay. If you want to make a custom one with the 10-band EQ, you can also do that, too. There’s also another feature, called Superhuman Hearing, that amplifies spatial audio. That means environmental sounds like footsteps are more obvious, which can help improve your gameplay in first person shooters like Far Cry 6.

For those who take lots of calls, there’s a Quick Switch button that allows you to swap to Bluetooth in a pinch. (For gaming with high quality audio frequencies, you want to be on the 2.4GHz network, and the included dongle makes that happen). The mic easily and quickly drops down, too, making it great to mute and unmute with a flip—just keep in mind that again, you won’t get any kind of ambient background noise removal. A separate button on the left ear cup allows you to swap between your EG modes, too, but it’s set to four presets.

Battery life is pretty great at around 40 hours, and while I had issued with other Turtle Beach headsets staying connected to my MSI laptop, I didn’t experience that with this pair. I also found the buttons on the cups were intuitive and volume was easy to adjust in a pinch. And, for the price, the ear cups are replaceable and cost $5 per ear cup.

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Best for:

• A highly comfortable, and more affordable, fit
• Super-versatile connectivity
• Getting great audio with clear mids and trebles

Skip if:

• You want active ANC (but it does come with passive noise cancellation)
• A longer battery life—its 38-hour battery life is decent, but not massive

If you want to spend less than $200 on a quality gaming headset, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless is worthy of your consideration. Not to be confused with the Arctis Nova 7P or the Arctis Nova 7X—which are designed to work with a PlayStation or a wired Xbox connection and Xbox, respectively—the Nova 7 works with everything except Xbox. (The 7X also misses out on the Sidetone mixing.) It’s confusing, but it’s important to keep the various models straight so you can get the best option for your gaming needs.

All that aside, let’s start with comfort. The Arctis Nova 7 Wireless gaming headset features plush ear cups with a mesh fabric that feels breathable when worn for long periods. Like its sibling, the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, it also features the SteelSeries’ signature elastic headband for a comfortable fit; when I’ve traveled with this pair, I’ve worn them for several hours and haven’t experienced any discomfort. It’s also sleek and stylish, but depending on which model you get, it looks more like a gaming headset than the Nova Pro wireless.

And there’s more than that going for this pair of midrange headphones. You can use the 2.4GHz and Bluetooth simultaneously, so if you like to listen to your music on your phone while you’re gaming on your PlayStation or PC, have at it. While testing games on my PC and Nintendo Switch, the headset performed well, with pretty clear mids and trebles. I had to boost the base just a touch, but it was far from a deal breaker—I still enjoyed the deep whirs from lightsaber swings during Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.

That said, it does come with passive noise cancellation rather than ANC. I didn’t find it to be a major drawback, but if you’re looking for dedicated ANC, you’ll want to opt for its more expensive sibling. Because it’s a SteelSeries headset, it also connects to the Sonar software, so you can enjoy your favorite games with dedicated audio presets.

That said, its major drawback is battery life, which SteelSeries claims to last up to 38 hours. That’s modest compared with competition like the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless, which boasts up to 300 hours on a single charge. If you’re a casual gamer, odds are you’re not going to gripe about this too much, but for dedicated gamers it could be a deal breaker.

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Best for:

• Never worrying about needing to charge
• An open-ear design that keeps you aware of background noise
• Breathability in the ear cups

Skip if:

• You want any kind of ANC
• You don’t want to deal with massive ear cups

For those who aren’t worried about noise canceling, the Sennheiser Game One wired gaming headset just might be your best choice. The open-ear design makes it easy to hear outside noise, but that also means that this headset doesn’t offer ANC.

Our tester notes, “I like that they are open so I can still hear people around me, [like] if my wife comes downstairs and asks me a question.” This is by design, as the headset was built for natural-sounding spatial audio. The XXL velour ear pads, according to our tester, felt lightweight and breathable, and they don’t get too hot. He notes, “They’re roomy enough that they feel comfortable, even after long gaming sessions.” But some may bristle over the large size of those ear cups. It’s also worth noting that the microphone isn’t retractable; when not in use, it rests on the side of the left ear cup. Still, it’s flexible, and our tester noted that it captured his voice with clarity.

When it comes to audio quality, our tester was pleased with the sound, saying that during The Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom on Nintendo Switch and Astro Bot on the PlayStation 5, the audio sounded full and detailed. The spatial audio feels accurate and immersive, making this a great choice for those who absolutely need a wired option that doesn’t break the bank.

Lastly, our tester notes that though he mainly uses this wired headset on his Windows PC when playing Steam games, he sometimes plugs it directly into his PlayStation 5’s wireless controller: “In a way, these headphones are semi-wireless.” And for those who can never seem to remember to charge their gaming headset, the wired connection means that you’ll never have to worry about recharging it.

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Best for:

• Gaming with a comfortable, wire-free headset
• Getting an extremely long-lasting battery life
• Reasonably good spatial audio for non-audiophiles

Skip if:

• You want premium features and sound

While my top pick is the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless (which features hot-swappable batteries), if you don’t want to think about battery life but still want to go wire-free, the HyperX Cloud Alpha could be your go-to. The battery can for 300 hours, which is hands down the longest battery life I’ve ever tested. In comparison, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless can only go 44 hours. To be clear, that’s not a knock against SteelSeries; it just highlights how impressive the HyperX’s battery life is.

I charged the HyperX Cloud Alpha around once a month—but really, I could have gone much longer. I’ve had these headphones in my home for over a year and very rarely do they require a recharge. In fact, I’ve never even heard its low-battery ping. Moreover, these headphones are comfortable; I found the breathable leatherette ear cups can be worn for long periods of time after testing for multiple long gaming sessions.

The headset offers software called Ngenuity, but the adjustable settings are very limited; you can change the time it takes before it powers off automatically, apply general EQ settings and enable spatial audio. If you want more detailed audio, you’ll have to start hacking them. During testing, I downloaded a third-party software which helped me adjust the audio quality for my needs.

Still, the headset delivers spatial audio reasonably well, if perhaps a little flat compared to the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. A quick software tweak improves this, but don’t expect it to reach SteelSeries levels. If you’re not an audiophile, you’re not going to notice; my husband “borrowed” these from me and uses them as his main gaming headset for that very reason.

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Best for:

• Getting an alternative for gamers who find headsets uncomfortable
• Packing in your carry-on for on-the-go gaming

Skip if:

• You want a battery life that’s longer than 10 hours
• You prioritize the absolute best audio quality

When the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds launched, I took them on two flights to test them for my review. Even after returning home, I found myself skipping my SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wireless headset in favor of these earbuds. There are a few reasons why.

For starters, SteelSeries hit the comfort level right out of the park. The GameBuds come with three ear tip sizes for a comfortable fit and a design that fits snugly in my ear. Another important feature I appreciated: the physical button controls. That design choice is a huge reason why I keep on coming back to these as my main gaming headset—there are no accidental touches if you brush your hair behind your ear during gaming.

Because it’s a SteelSeries product, you get access to the Sonar software, this time in the form of an app. Because it’s app-based, you can’t use multi-point connectivity. The spatial audio isn’t as strong as SteelSeries’ other dedicated gaming headsets, but it’s good enough that when I’m wandering around my base in Far Cry 6, I can still hear the guerilla’s movements clearly on one earbud versus the other. More importantly, when I’m battling enemies, I can hear the direction they’re coming from. This is very important as a gamer, so props to SteelSeries for factoring that into this compact package.

All that said, the GameBuds don’t deliver the best audio I’ve experienced, and the battery life is just 10 hours—abysmally short compared to headsets. Of course, that’s more than a lot of the other wireless earbuds, so even at 10 hours, that’s kind of a big deal. You also need to plan accordingly if you’re a gamer who tends to forget to charge your audio, as you won’t find any kind of quick charge other than the typical 10 minutes-gives-you-60-minutes sort of thing. However, the case offers wireless charging.

Lastly, you can use either a 2.4GHz or Bluetooth connection with the GameBuds, depending on your setup. I personally relied on 2.4GHz most times as I had some troubles getting the Bluetooth to work (it comes with a small dongle that you can plug into your Nintendo Switch, laptop or PlayStation).

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Best for:

• An audiophile-like experience—the audio quality is stellar
• Getting a more immersive gameplay experience

Skip if:

• You don’t want to deal with any kind of connectivity issue

Most of the time, you want to tune out the world around you when you’re gaming, but that also means that your audio will be compressed. Compressed audio can potentially dampen the soundscape, muffling footsteps and other important sounds that can make or break your gameplay. In contrast, an open back headset removes that compression to provide a wider, more detailed soundstage. The Turtle Beach Atlas Air, an open back wireless gaming headset, uses this open back build. And as cheesy as it sounds, these were the only headphones that legitimately felt like my ears were being hugged by clouds. They’re insanely comfortable to wear over long periods and don’t make your ears feels warm.

As a result, the audio quality is one of the best among all the gaming headsets I tested. Footsteps sound clear and crisp, and I could easily hear the direction my opponents moved during Far Cry 6 thanks to that wider soundstage. First-person shooter gamers will be pleased with the spatial audio and the sound EQs presets, which felt pretty robust for the price. It also uses the Swarm II software the Stealth 500 uses and offers customizable EQs, which felt like a boon for more intensive AAA games like The Outer Worlds. Compared to the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless, the audio felt more distinctive and had more depth to it. That said, I noticed the spatial audio didn’t matter when playing real-time strategy games like Rome: Total War and Total War: Three Kingdoms.

There’s another major drawback to open back headphones: the lack of ANC. If you’re sensitive to noise that may distract you from your game, this is not the headset for you. During some gameplay sessions, I could clearly hear children playing in the park outside my apartment. But if you’re a parent who needs to hear when the kids wake up, these will help you hear your children even if you’re tuned into a game or other audio.

The other major crisis I ran into? The software on the Turtle Beach Atlas Air can get dicey. I tested it on my husband’s gaming PC, and for reasons I still don’t quite understand, the headphones’ connectivity sometimes cut out just before a gaming session. I double-checked connectivity on the headphones, reviewed the software on my machine and only got it working again when I restarted the headset and pulled the dongle. This happened a couple of times to me, but your mileage may vary.

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How I Tested The Best Gaming Headsets

As a dedicated PC and Nintendo Switch gamer, I, along with help of a fellow gamer, tested the gaming headsets on this list for a minimum of 40 hours per headset. I evaluated a slew of features on each device, including ANC, battery life, its associated software and user friendliness. The lengthy test periods also allowed me to dive into the finer details of each headset’s build, comfort and spatial audio quality, especially during first-person shooter gameplay.

Each model was evaluated based on the following factors:

• Battery life: To review the battery life on each headset, I cross-checked what the company promises versus how long the battery actually lasted during real-life testing. If ANC was offered, I also checked battery life with that setting on versus while it was off (sometimes this can factor into how long a battery lasts).
• Audio quality: I homed in on the details: I checked base, mid and treble frequencies to see how each performed across a variety of genres. I also checked to see if special settings were offered to enhance one genre over another. With spatial audio, I also determined whether this affected audio quality and performance.
• Software: I reviewed each headset’s accompanying software (where applicable) and tested it for user intuitiveness and adjustability.
• Comfort level: I wore each headset for a minimum of two hours to check for any discomfort over long gaming periods. Additionally, I wore them with my contacts and while wearing my glasses to see if each headset pinched my glasses on my head during sessions.

I focused on these various features applied to a variety of game genres. In particular, I tested these headsets with the following games:

• Stardew Valley
• Far Cry 6
• Dishonored
• Horizon: Zero Dawn
• Rise of the Tomb Raider
• Diablo 4
• Saints Row 3
• The Outer Worlds

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My Expertise

I’ve been involved in tech journalism for over six years, including more than two years as the consumer tech and electronics editor at Forbes Vetted.

• In addition to covering home entertainment and gaming—including testing the best gaming TVs and the best wireless earbuds—I have also tested most of the latest smart wearables currently on the market, from the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses to the Apollo Wearable.
• I’ve also written extensively about gaming peripherals, especially in home entertainment. In particular, I’ve written about
• When I’m not testing the latest entertainment and audio equipment, I’ve spent plenty of time testing the newest mobile devices. I’ve deep-dived into the Apple ecosystem with the iPhone 16 Pro, as well as reviewed plenty of Android devices, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Google Pixel 9 Pro. Most recently, I tested the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

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