Best wireless headphones for gaming

Earth-shattering explosions, the clang of swords clashing, and the sounds of enemy footsteps creeping in the darkness are the stuff immersion in gaming is made of, and even a great pair of iPhone earbuds aren’t going to let you experience them in all their glory. The best gaming headsets out there are designed to deliver maximum immersion with pristine audio, an accurate stereo or spatial audio image, and a clear, detailed mic, while also delivering low latency, a good battery life, and a comfortable fit. Regardless of whether you’re a PC player on a budget, a PS5 purest, or an audiophile with a gaming itch, we’ve collected them all here for your perusal.

The best Wireless Gaming Headsets right now

HyperX has long been the go-to choice for many gamers when it comes to all manner of gaming tech, from headsets to mouse pads, and with good reason: they consistently deliver innovative products with solid functionality. The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless gaming headset carries on this tradition, boasting outstanding audio quality, exceptional comfort, and an impressive 300-hour battery life, far outpacing all the competition.

With crystal clear lows, highs, and mids, the audio fidelity of the Alpha is only surpassed by audiophile-grade headsets, and its highly accurate stereo image and DTS Headphone: X Spatial Audio capabilities make it extremely immersion-friendly.

On the downside, mic clarity leaves something to be desired, which could be an issue in especially large multiplayer sessions. It’s also a bit less robust than a lot of models at this price point- but its unbeatable battery life, ultra comfortable headphone build, and pristine audio make it the clear go-to for pro gamers, at a price attainable to most.

Audeze has been a contender in high-end audio tech for a minute, with products designed to appeal to discerning ears with wallets on the bigger side. The Audeze Maxwell represents the cutting edge of Audeze’s gaming offerings, with almost peerless audio quality thanks to extra large 90mm) planar magnetic drivers, an impressive 64 hours of battery life (not the longest on the market but way up there), and extra large, heavy-duty cups that add serious depth to their sound and block sound effectively despite the lack of built-in noise cancelation.

Another huge plus is its functionality with the Audeze HQ app, which can work some real magic in dialing in just the right settings per your preferences. On the downside, its above average weight and bulk mean they may not be comfortable for all shapes and sizes over longer sessions, but this also means they’re a lot more robust than your average gaming cans and can take more abuse. While their high price point may put them out of reach for some gamers, their incredible sound quality, Audeze HQ’s cutting edge spatial sound and EQ options, and features like push-button muting make them the best high-end choice.

Logitech’s G435 Lightspeed wireless gaming headset is a singular offering in a few ways: built with sustainability in mind and a beamforming mic designed as an alternative to large, unwieldy headset mics, it’s a solid overall wireless gaming headset that’s a great choice for the budget-minded.

At, 5.8 oz, it’s an extremely lightweight headset, making it (along with its soft, large earcups) very comfortable to wear over long play sessions.

Its non-boom mic design also contributes to greater comfort, however mic audio quality does suffer a little because of it. Sound in the cans, however, is pretty solid for such an inexpensive headset, certainly good enough not to ruin immersion. Faint praise, maybe, but considering its hard-to-beat price point, eco-friendly design, and good battery life, it would be hard to do better if you’re on a serious budget.

Supporting both Dolby Atmos and Windows Sonic spatial audio directly through Window’s sound settings, Corsair’s HS80 RGB Wireless Gaming Headset is the go-to piece of kit when it comes to all of your surround and spatial audio needs, but that’s not all that makes this an appealing choice.

Its large, rectangular cans are super comfortable and highly adjustable, making them great for longer gaming sessions, although the battery life of 20 hours (possibly less depending on your system and use) is less impressive than some others on this list. Its 50mm drivers deliver clear, fairly neutral sound that may lack a little sub-100 Hz bass oomph, but otherwise is pretty close to pristine for this price point. Its mic is excellent, with great clarity and detail, and is capable of delivering 24-bit/96kHz audio- a real bonus for pro streamers.

Console players may want to look into other options, since the need for a dongle and the lack of spatial sound options make it less competitive here, but for PC players, it’s a solidly built, comfortable gaming headset with good audio, a great mic, and the best spatial audio functionality on the market.

When it comes to competitive gaming and professional game streaming, comfort is king. Long gaming sessions in poorly fitted, overly heavy or bulky, and insufficiently padded headsets can increase fatigue, neck strain, and affect your ability to concentrate. While most gaming headsets do take comfort into their design considerations, some models rise above the rest in this regard, none more than the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7.

The Nova 7’s comfort comes from its offset hinges, which allow for a lot more adjustability than conventional designs, its large, over-ear cans, and the return of its ultra soft airweave fabric. But the Nova 7 delivers in other ways, too, with excellent cross-platform compatibility between consoles and PC, excellent audio software, a solid mic, and a superfast charge- 15 minutes yields you 6 solid hours of game time, with over 40 hours at a full charge. While the neutral frequency curve on the Nova 7 is a little odd, with slightly overhyped sub bass and a noticeable dip in the mid-highs, hitting the sweet spot is easily doable using Arctis’s terrific GG software. Overall, it’s a well-rounded gaming headset that can’t be touched in terms of comfort.

Razer’s Barracuda X Wireless is a step up from the already excellent mid-price Razer Barracuda X, with a longer battery life, much improved microphone, new Bluetooth 5.2 connection, and excellent sound quality for an extremely modest price.

The Barracuda supports THX spatial audio through its solid Razer Synapse software, and offers excellent audio to support it, with a fairly neutral, un-hyped frequency profile that may be lacking just a little in the sub bass area, but otherwise holds up well for both gaming and music. The detachable mic is even better, with excellent clarity and detail, making it a solid contender for MMORPGs and shooters alike.

With other features like both a 2.4GHz wireless and an updated Bluetooth 5.2 connection, a nearly 60-hour battery life (exceeding the product’s own rating of 50 hours in most cases), and a very lightweight, comfortable design, the new Barracuda X is a contender in any class, but most definitely a win for those on a modest budget.

Turtle Beach’s Stealth 700 gen 2 Max is an extremely high-quality gaming headset in most respects that stands out as an option for pro streamers due to its mixture of exceptional audio and mic quality, sleek, stylish look, and plethora of connectivity options.

The Stealth 700’s earcups have a leather layer that only warms up significantly after a couple of hours of use, an unusual design choice that adds a lot to their comfort over long sessions. It’s also fairly lightweight at 25 ounces. Sound-wise, it’s a definite workhorse, with a slightly bass-hyped frequency profile that’s a little muted in the high end, making them ideal for gaming and only a little less so for music, where some instrumental detail could be lost. Its mic is even better, with a huge frequency response range that preserves detail and clarity and a flip-down design that lessens the bulk of the headset.

All this and USB-C, USB-A, 3.5mm, and Bluetooth connectivity makes the Stealth 700 a high-performance, extremely versatile gaming headset that looks great to boot, though it may be a little too pricey for many casual gamers.

Sony’s official flagship PS5 gaming headset has seen some serious improvements in its latest iteration, making it a much easier choice as a dedicated Playstation headset. Its lightweight and somewhat stiff plastic frame feels sturdy and built to reduce neck fatigue for longer sessions, while its adjustable band still allows a good degree of fine-tuning for most head sizes.

The audio coming from the cans is excellent, not audiophile-level, but with a slight bass boost allowing for booming explosions, thunder, and other effects that need solid low-end, and an otherwise fairly flat, neutral frequency profile that allows for an accurate, detailed sound image and high volume. It won’t elevate a music listening experience, but it won’t detract from it, either. Its mic leaves a little to be desired in terms of clarity and response compared to similarly priced models, but again, it’s more than serviceable.

Besides its build quality, and its ultra modern, sci-fi-ish good looks, the Pulse offers decent battery life in the 12-hour range at high volumes, and it works beautifully with THX spatial audio, allowing for high levels of immersion. The Pulse does everything it does pretty well, and works exceptionally well on the PS5. While it may not compete with some headsets built for PC use, it’s easy to recommend for Playstation zealots, and it’s a good midrange value for the money.

Best Wireless Headphones for gaming: Parting thoughts

In 2023 there are plenty of options when it comes to wireless gaming headsets, and the eight we’ve chosen here each offer something for every gamer’s needs and budgets. Our top three represent the all-around best.

The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless has exceptional audio, the longest battery life on the market at 300 hours on a single charge, and is one of the most comfortable wireless headsets out there. It’s a bit less hardily built than some in its price range, and the mic, while good, doesn’t quite match the quality of its audio output, but on the balance, it’s the go-to choice for most gamers willing to spend a little bit of money on the best all-arounder out there.

The Audeze Maxwell is an audiophile gamer’s dream, with incredible audio and the best mic on the market. Its excellent Audeze HQ software allows for pinpoint customization of your audio experience, and a physical mute switch is an unusual and very welcome quality-of-life touch. Its weighty bulk and stiff headband detract from comfort just slightly, but if you can swing the dosh and want the best-sounding wireless headset out there, it’s a no-brainer.

For a solid wireless headset at a price within reach for most gamers, you can’t really beat the Logitech G435 Lightspeed. It’s a lightweight and stylish headset with large earcups that provide good isolation, and while it can’t match the Audeze Maxwell, it sounds better than a lot of models twice the price. Its slightly flimsy build quality reflects its price point, and its novel beamforming mic is merely serviceable-sounding, but if your wallet is experiencing a little shrinkage these days, you won’t get more performance out of any other model on the market for this price.

And there you have it. Between these eight models, you’re sure to find a perfect fit for your needs. While you’re looking at headsets, you may want to check out our thoughts on other peripherals like the best cpus for gaming in 2023, or you might want to consider looking at the best wireless earbuds or the best budget wireless earbuds if you’re not totally sure a headset is