The best gaming headsets
Hear the footsteps first, and chat without the whole house joining in. Start with what they play on.
A good headset is the upgrade gamers notice straight away: they hear where sounds are coming from, their friends hear them clearly, and everyone else in the house gets a bit of peace.
The one thing to get right is what they play on. Some wireless headsets work with PlayStation but not Xbox, and a wired one works with almost anything. We've compared connection, battery, mic and surround sound so you can match one to their setup.
What matters
- What they play on: check the headset lists their console or PC.
- Wired or wireless: wired works with nearly everything and never goes flat; wireless means no cable to trip on.
- A mic with a mute button and battery life of a few days between charges.
#1 of 5
Best overall
HyperX Cloud III Wired Gaming Headset
£84.98 RRP
Plugs into whatever they play on, from a PS5 controller to a gaming PC, and the memory-foam cushions stay comfortable through a long evening's session. HyperX started life as memory maker Kingston's gaming brand, and HP bought it in 2021.
What owners say: Owners find it comfortable for hours at a time and a real step up from a cheap headset, with a fit that suits different head shapes.
A closer look: On a console, plug the 3.5mm cable into the controller and chat works straight away. On a PC, use the USB adapter instead: that's what unlocks the DTS spatial audio, which makes footsteps easier to place. The little light on the mic shows when you're muted.
- Works with PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and phones
- Angled 53mm drivers
- Noise-cancelling mic with mute light
- DTS spatial audio on PC
- 3.5mm, USB-C and USB-A
Best for: Any console or PC
- Connection
- Wired: 3.5mm, USB-C, USB-A
- Works with
- PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, mobile
- Battery
- Wired, no charging
- Mic
- Detachable, noise-cancelling, mute light
- Spatial audio
- DTS (PC, via USB)
#2 of 5
Best premium
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Gaming Headset
£100–£150 Price range
Sixty hours a charge is a full week of evening gaming, and a tap switches from the game to Bluetooth to take a call without taking it off. At 265g it's light for a wireless headset, too.
What owners say: Owners praise the sound for games and music, the comfort, and a battery that goes for days between charges.
Heads up: It works with PC, PlayStation, Switch and phones but not an Xbox, so check what they play on first.
A closer look: The free Arctis Nova 5 app has sound presets tuned for popular games, so it's worth setting up their favourite on day one. The mic slides into the earcup when they just want to listen, and a quick 15-minute charge gets about 6 hours back.
- Up to 60 hours a charge
- 2.4GHz wireless plus Bluetooth 5.3
- Retractable mic
- 100+ game audio presets in the app
- 15-minute charge gives 6 hours
Best for: Long sessions and calls
- Connection
- 2.4GHz wireless + Bluetooth 5.3
- Works with
- PC, PlayStation, Switch, mobile
- Battery
- Up to 60 hrs
- Mic
- Retractable, AI noise cancelling on PC
- Spatial audio
- Virtual surround (PC), Tempest 3D (PS5)
#3 of 5
Most colourful
Logitech G733 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Headset
£109.99 RRP
The one to get if looks matter: it comes in bright colours, with a stretchy suspension headband and RGB lights they can set to any colour. Wireless range is up to 20m, so they can wander off for a snack without losing the game audio.
What owners say: Owners find it light and comfortable and love the battery life and the choice of colours, headbands and ear pads.
Heads up: Logitech makes it for PC and PlayStation; it won't work with an Xbox.
A closer look: The 29 hours is with the lights off, so turn them down in the G HUB app when battery matters more than the glow. The headband and ear pads can be swapped for other colours later.
- Wireless, up to 20m range
- Up to 29 hours a charge
- Suspension headband
- Detachable mic with Blue VO!CE filters
- RGB lighting
Best for: PC and PlayStation, in colour
- Connection
- 2.4GHz wireless (LIGHTSPEED)
- Works with
- PC, PlayStation
- Battery
- Up to 29 hrs (lights off)
- Mic
- Detachable, Blue VO!CE filters
- Spatial audio
- DTS Headphone:X 2.0
#4 of 5
Longest battery
Corsair VOID v2 Wireless Gaming Headset
£99.99 RRP
Up to 70 hours on the wireless dongle and even longer on Bluetooth, so it's the headset that's never flat when they sit down to play. Dolby Atmos makes it easier to tell where a sound is coming from.
What owners say: Owners rave about the battery, which lasts about a week between charges, and find it light to wear.
A closer look: One button swaps between the dongle and Bluetooth, handy for switching from the PC to a phone without re-pairing. The Bluetooth figure (up to 130 hours) is for music and calls; game on the dongle for the lowest delay.
- Up to 70 hours a charge
- 2.4GHz wireless plus Bluetooth
- Dolby Atmos spatial audio
- 50mm drivers
- 15-minute charge gives 6 hours
Best for: Rarely needing a charge
- Connection
- 2.4GHz wireless + Bluetooth
- Works with
- PC, Mac, PlayStation, Switch, mobile
- Battery
- Up to 70 hrs (130 on Bluetooth)
- Mic
- Omnidirectional, noise cancelling on PC
- Spatial audio
- Dolby Atmos
#5 of 5
Best budget
Turtle Beach Recon 50 Wired Gaming Headset
£10–£20 Price range
A simple, light headset for chatting with friends on Xbox or PlayStation, and cheap enough that a lost or sat-on one isn't a disaster. Volume and mic mute are on the cable, right by their hands.
What owners say: Owners find it well made, with clear sound and good value for money.
A closer look: Plug it into the controller's headphone socket and it's ready. Take the mic off when they're just watching or listening to music. It's wired, so there's nothing to charge.
- Works with Xbox, PlayStation, PC and phones
- 40mm speakers
- Removable mic
- In-line volume and mute
- Light
Best for: A first headset
- Connection
- Wired, 3.5mm
- Works with
- Xbox, PlayStation, PC, mobile
- Battery
- Wired, no charging
- Mic
- Removable, mute on the cable
- Spatial audio
- No
How they compare
| Feature | #1HyperX Cloud III | #2Arctis Nova 5 | #3Logitech G733 | #4Corsair VOID v2 | #5Turtle Beach Recon 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Most colourful | Longest battery | Best budget | |
| Picked Rating | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.5 |
| Price | £84.98 RRP | £100–£150 Price range | £109.99 RRP | £99.99 RRP | £10–£20 Price range |
| Connection | Wired: 3.5mm, USB-C, USB-A | 2.4GHz wireless + Bluetooth 5.3 | 2.4GHz wireless (LIGHTSPEED) | 2.4GHz wireless + Bluetooth | Wired, 3.5mm |
| Works with | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, mobile | PC, PlayStation, Switch, mobile | PC, PlayStation | PC, Mac, PlayStation, Switch, mobile | Xbox, PlayStation, PC, mobile |
| Battery | Wired, no charging | Up to 60 hrs | Up to 29 hrs (lights off) | Up to 70 hrs (130 on Bluetooth) | Wired, no charging |
| Mic | Detachable, noise-cancelling, mute light | Retractable, AI noise cancelling on PC | Detachable, Blue VO!CE filters | Omnidirectional, noise cancelling on PC | Removable, mute on the cable |
| Spatial audio | DTS (PC, via USB) | Virtual surround (PC), Tempest 3D (PS5) | DTS Headphone:X 2.0 | Dolby Atmos | No |
| Best for | Any console or PC | Long sessions and calls | PC and PlayStation, in colour | Rarely needing a charge | A first headset |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
Swipe sideways to see all 5.
Photos are illustrative. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. How we pick · How this works.