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We’re testing a batch of new headsets, including models from HyperX, Razer, Steelseries, JBL, Beyerdynamic, and Audio-Technica. You can read about headsets we’ve already tested and dismissed in the Competition section.
Great audio in a video game can draw you into a digital world with bold effects, realistic details, and moving soundtracks. A great gaming headset can make that possible while you chat with your friends and teammates, too. But even the best sound quality won’t do you any good in a headset too uncomfortable to wear for long stretches. After testing more than 50 headsets for this update, we found that the HyperX Cloud Alpha is still the most comfortable, best-sounding gaming headset for the price.
Comfortable across a wide range of head sizes, this headset provides detailed, spacious sound that’s perfect for games, and it works on every modern platform and device.
Our testing panels in 2018 and 2020 consistently rated the HyperX Cloud Alpha as one of the most comfortable headsets in our test group. You can adjust it to fit a range of head sizes and shapes, it has large earcups to accommodate different-size ears, and it feels comfortable to wear with and without glasses. The Cloud Alpha sounds great, with a spacious soundstage and clear distinction across bass, mids, and highs so you can hear light footsteps, dialogue, and rumbling explosions. The combination of comfort and sound quality is rare at this price, and the removable 3.5 mm cable means the headset will work with nearly any console or device.
Though it can’t compare to more expensive options, this is the most comfortable and best-sounding headset in this price range with a reliable mic. But it has a nonremovable cable and has some issues with sound bleed.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $70.
The HS50 Pro is mostly identical to the HS60 Pro. But it has a rubber cable that tangles more easily, it comes with a Y-splitter, and it lacks the HS60 Pro’s USB surround-sound dongle.
May be out of stock
*At the time of publishing, the price was $49.
If you don’t want to spend more than $50 on a headset, buy the Corsair HS60 Pro or HS50 Pro. Neither model matches the HyperX Cloud Alpha in comfort or sound, but our testers agreed that these were the most comfortable headsets in their price range; they also sounded better than other cheap headsets we tested, their mics were clear, and they’re well-built. But the mic can pick up audio from the earcups at medium volumes, and the cable isn’t removable. Like the Cloud Alpha, both Corsair headsets are compatible with PCs, consoles, and mobile devices.
Comfortable across a wide range of head sizes, this headset provides detailed, spacious sound that’s perfect for games, and it works on every modern platform and device.
Though it can’t compare to more expensive options, this is the most comfortable and best-sounding headset in this price range with a reliable mic. But it has a nonremovable cable and has some issues with sound bleed.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $70.
The HS50 Pro is mostly identical to the HS60 Pro. But it has a rubber cable that tangles more easily, it comes with a Y-splitter, and it lacks the HS60 Pro’s USB surround-sound dongle.
May be out of stock
*At the time of publishing, the price was $49.
Kimber Streams has spent thousands of hours yelling at friends across the Internet while playing games like Overwatch, Team Fortress 2, League of Legends, and World of Warcraft. Kimber has also written or edited all of Wirecutter’s gaming guides since 2014, and they tested more than 50 gaming headsets for this update.
Thorin Klosowski, the previous author of this guide, has written about technology for nearly a decade and handled the bulk of Wirecutter’s gaming-related guides, including those covering laptops, mice, and keyboards.
This guide also benefited greatly from the expertise of Wirecutter senior staff writer Lauren Dragan, who holds a bachelor’s degree in both music performance and audio production from Ithaca College. She has tested more than a thousand pairs of headphones and earbuds while working for Wirecutter, and has been in and out of top recording studios for over a decade, first as a radio producer and on-air talent, then as a professional voice actor.
A gaming headset is the best option if you play a lot of multiplayer games like Overwatch, Fortnite, or Destiny 2 and want to communicate with your teammates. If you don’t play multiplayer games with voice chat, you should buy a good pair of headphones instead; for less money, you’ll get a better-sounding, nicer-looking set.
If you already have a pair of headphones you love, you can add a microphone to it using a Modmic. But we tested all three Modmics, and we found that they’re cumbersome and too expensive for their audio quality, so we don’t recommend them.
If you don’t play multiplayer games with voice chat, you should buy a good pair of headphones instead.
If you stream games online or you’re looking for a headset that can also work for the occasional meeting, podcasting, or professional recording, a gaming headset is not the best option. If mic sound quality is important to you, a USB microphone paired with good headphones will give you better clarity and vocal fidelity.
Audiophile headphones focus on delivering the best sound quality, period. We’ve tested hundreds of them and selected our favorites for specific uses.
After our tests of 30-plus mics over eight years, the Blue Yeti remains our favorite USB mic for people who want an easy, noticeable upgrade over built-in mics.
There are so, so, so many gaming headsets, and it’s impossible to differentiate between them on specs alone. In our research and testing, we looked at the following criteria:
The soundstage can be influenced by the drivers, the tuning, the sound profile, whether a headset is open- or closed-back, or even the size, shape, and material of the earpads. The most common problem with gaming headsets is excessive bass. A bit of extra bass doesn’t hurt—and can make explosions sound boomier—but too much tends to drown out other important sounds like footsteps and dialogue.
In addition to the above criteria, for wireless headsets we considered the following:
We started by trying on each of the many, many headsets to rule out those that squeezed too hard, had uncomfortable headbands, had itchy or creaky earpads, or felt uncomfortable with glasses. Any headsets we were uncertain about I forced my very patient partner (whose head is larger than mine) to evaluate.
For every headset that passed the initial comfort test, we tested audio quality by listening to a playlist of songs and other clips selected to evaluate detail, bass, soundstage, and sonically dense material. We eliminated headsets that sounded too inaccurate or unpleasant.
Then, we got to playing games on our budget gaming laptop pick. Sound and microphone quality can be affected by your PC’s motherboard or sound card—or by the sound-processing software that manufacturers install on their laptops, which we turned off. We didn’t use any external DAC or amplifier, unless it came in the box with the headset, because most people don't have external audio gear for their gaming laptops.
I subjected the most promising contenders to many hours of Overwatch in order to test mic performance in a competitive multiplayer action game, paying close attention to soundstage, directionality, and whether footsteps remained distinct amongst explosions and gunfire. I also played Monster Hunter World for hours over Discord with friends to further evaluate long-term comfort, audio quality, and mic quality.
Next, we passed the best options along to a panel of testers with a variety of head and ear sizes to further evaluate comfort. Finally, I tested the microphones by recording my voice in Audacity with music playing in the background, with an air purifier running nearby, and while typing on a mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches. I played all these recordings back to evaluate the audio quality, any noise cancellation, any clipping, and the mic mute function.
Comfortable across a wide range of head sizes, this headset provides detailed, spacious sound that’s perfect for games, and it works on every modern platform and device.
Our testers in 2018 and 2020 consistently rated the HyperX Cloud Alpha as one of the most comfortable headsets in our test group. It adjusts to a wide range of head sizes and shapes, has large earcups to accommodate different-size ears, and feels comfortable for people with and without glasses. The Cloud Alpha sounds great, with a spacious soundstage that gives the impression that sound effects are spread out around you. Plus, the removable 3.5 mm cable means the headset will work with virtually any console or device.
The Cloud Alpha is highly adjustable for a wide range of head sizes, and our panel found it comfortable to wear for long gaming sessions. The headset didn’t feel heavy, and the headband didn’t dig into the top of our testers’ heads. The headband’s clamping force wasn’t excessive, even for glasses wearers and our largest-headed testers. The large earpads, made of thick memory foam covered in soft leatherette, accommodate a wide range of ear sizes and shapes. For our panelists, these earpads felt comfortable and formed a good seal even around thick glasses. A couple of our testers found that the leatherette ran hot along their ears, but this was a problem we encountered with almost every closed-back headset we tested.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha is also one of the best-sounding headsets under $100 that we tested. The Cloud Alpha’s soundstage was roomier and provided a more accurate sense of direction in games than that of its closest competition, the Cooler Master MH751, likely thanks to its deeper earcups and better seal. No closed-back, over-ear headset will sound as open and airy as an open-back option, but the Cloud Alpha has much better sound isolation, which can help with immersion.
Some gaming headsets have bad bass, and others have too much. In our tests, the Cloud Alpha’s bass, while boosted, never overwhelmed the other ranges. The Razer Kraken had far too much bass that muddied up the sound, making it hard for us to distinguish between Bastion’s and Sombra’s gunfire in Overwatch. The HyperX Cloud Alpha managed to separate those gun effects much better. Mids on the Cloud Alpha were good, so effects such as footsteps, voices, and other movement effects were clear and distinct. The Cloud Alpha struggled slightly with highs, and some dialogue in Hellblade sounded too sharp in our 2018 tests.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha’s microphone is passable—we detail its flaws in the section below—and we didn’t have any issues with the mic picking up the headset’s sound at normal listening volumes. The mic’s noise cancellation was very effective in reducing or even eliminating lower-pitched background sounds such as from PC fans or an air purifier, but it could only dampen higher-pitched sounds, and no headset we tested was able to cancel the sound of my mechanical keyboard. We like that the mic is removable and replaceable if something breaks—HyperX sells extras for $10. The mic is also bendable, so you can easily adjust it to prevent it from picking up your every exhale.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha is a solidly constructed headset that has held up well over months of frequent use. One of our staffers has been using the Cloud Alpha for at least 12 hours a week for more than six months without any problems. The flexible aluminum frame is still sturdy, the replaceable earpads don’t show any signs of wear or degradation, the bendy mic still holds its shape, and the braided cable prevents kinking and tangling better than the plain rubber cables on other headsets. The red and black color scheme looks dated, but the quality materials make up for the loud colors.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha has a 1.3-meter removable 3.5 mm braided cable with in-line volume and mute controls, and it includes a 2-meter extension cable with a Y-splitter. Our testers liked the controls on the cable but also found that muting the mic properly took some fumbling around. Some other headsets, such as the Sennheiser GSP 300, allow you to flip the microphone up to mute; this is easier to do in a hurry but requires the microphone to be permanently attached and non-replaceable. Other headsets, like the Corsair HS50 Pro and HyperX Cloud Flight S, place the controls on their earcups, and finding those controls without being able to see them can take some practice.
The leatherette covering on the Cloud Alpha’s earpads can get warm over time, an issue we encountered with nearly all the headsets we tested. If heat is your biggest concern, consider the open-back Audio-Technica ATH-PDG1 headset, which has soft velour earpads that are more breathable.
We did find that the Cloud Alpha’s aggressive noise cancellation occasionally clipped the beginning or end of a phrase, but it didn’t interfere with in-game communication. Although the Cloud Alpha’s mic is clear and effective at canceling out background noise, it does make your voice sound more processed, as if you were congested or speaking through cupped hands. Our budget picks, the Corsair HS50 Pro and HS60 Pro, sounded even more processed in our tests. If accurate reproduction of your voice is your top priority, consider the Cooler Master MH751; it more accurately captured my voice but didn’t block out as much background noise.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha does not have surround sound. We also tested the Cloud Alpha S, which does support hardware surround sound, and found that this feature merely added a messy reverb effect that didn’t actually help us pinpoint the direction of enemies any better in games.
Though it can’t compare to more expensive options, this is the most comfortable and best-sounding headset in this price range with a reliable mic. But it has a nonremovable cable and has some issues with sound bleed.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $70.
The HS50 Pro is mostly identical to the HS60 Pro. But it has a rubber cable that tangles more easily, it comes with a Y-splitter, and it lacks the HS60 Pro’s USB surround-sound dongle.
May be out of stock
*At the time of publishing, the price was $49.
If you’re looking for a headset under $50, buy the Corsair HS60 Pro or HS50 Pro. Neither set is quite as comfortable as the HyperX Cloud Alpha, the mics can pick up some in-game sounds at medium volumes, the cable isn’t removable, and the earpads are not replaceable. But these were the most comfortable headsets we tested in this price range, and they’re sturdy and well-built; they also sounded better than the other cheap options we tested, and their mics were clear and reliable. Like the Cloud Alpha, both of these headsets are compatible with PC, Mac, consoles, and mobile devices.
The HS60 Pro and HS50 Pro are essentially the same headset with some minor differences. The HS60 Pro comes with a USB dongle to add surround sound (which we don’t recommend using), and it has a braided cable that’s a bit nicer than the HS50 Pro’s easily tangled rubber cable. The HS50 Pro comes with a Y-splitter if you need that to connect to your PC, while the HS60 Pro does not.
Budget headsets are never as comfy as more expensive options. Although both of these Corsair headsets have firmer headbands and tighter clamping force than the Cloud Alpha, they are highly adjustable and considerably more comfortable to wear for long periods than any other headset under $50.
The large, non-replaceable earpads of the HS60 Pro and HS50 Pro are made of memory foam covered in a smooth, soft leatherette, which in our tests provided an excellent seal even over thick glasses. A couple of our testers even noticed a slight vacuum effect pressuring their eardrums when they pushed on the earcups—because the earcups provide such a strong seal, there’s nowhere for the air inside them to go. (The Cloud Alpha, in contrast, mitigates this discomfort with five little holes on top of each earcup to vent air.) Since these models don’t breathe as well, we expect the HS60 Pro and HS50 Pro to get warmer over long gaming sessions than the Cloud Alpha.
The soundstage on the HS60 Pro and HS50 Pro was as spacious as on the Cloud Alpha, but the Corsair models failed to match the HyperX headset in overall audio quality. On the HS60 Pro and HS50 Pro, the bass was boosted too much, reaching into lower vocals and other sounds, and mids and highs sounded harsher and exaggerated. Dialogue and footsteps didn’t get drowned out by bass, but these headsets were not as accurate or pleasant to listen to as the Cloud Alpha.
As on the Cloud Alpha, the mic on the HS60 Pro and HS50 Pro is removable—a rarity in headsets this cheap—and flexible so you can adjust it to the right spot. In our tests, the mic was good at cancelling out the background noise of an air purifier and background music, but it made my voice sound even stuffier and more processed than the Cloud Alpha’s mic. We also encountered some sound bleed, where the microphone picked up in-game sound leaking out through the earcups at normal listening volumes, though the effect didn’t interfere with communication.
These headsets feel cheaper and stiffer than the HyperX Cloud Alpha, which typically costs roughly twice as much. But compared with the army of cheap-feeling, creaky plastic headsets we tested in this price range, the HS60 Pro and HS50 Pro stood out for their sturdy construction. We also like the simple design. There are no angular colored outlines or edgy graphics; the HS50 Pro is plain black, and the HS60 Pro is black with minimal yellow stitching. Both have a 1.8-meter non-removable 3.5 mm cable, which means if the cable breaks, you have to replace the whole headset, not just the cable.
The volume and mute controls are on the left earcup, and we had trouble getting used to them. The microphone mute is on a push button that sits mostly flush with the headset when mute is on and sticks out just slightly more when the mic is active. This makes it hard to tell when you’re muted. Our 2018 testers prefered the on-cable controls on the Cloud Alpha.
The HS60 Pro comes with a short USB dongle that you can plug into the end of the 3.5 mm cable to add virtual surround sound when using the headset with a PC. We don’t recommend using it, since in our tests it made everything sound louder and added an echo, which worsened any sense of directionality. When plugged in via USB, the HS60 Pro supports the Corsair iCUE software, where you can toggle between stereo and virtual surround and tweak the equalizer to your liking.
The most comfortable: Most of our panel testers found the Cooler Master MH751 to be the most comfortable headset in our test group, and it’s usually less expensive than the Hyper X Cloud Alpha. But it has a smaller soundstage than the Cloud Alpha, and it’s flimsier. Although it’s lighter and more flexible, and thus able to fit on a wider range of head sizes, we also found a lot more reports of the MH751 breaking in Amazon reviews.
The cheapest viable option: The HyperX Cloud Stinger sounds harsher and more processed than the Corsair HS50 Pro, and our largest-headed panelist found that the Cloud Stinger clamped uncomfortably on his jawline beneath his ears. But it’s frequently only $35, and it fit our other panelists comfortably. We think the improved comfort and audio quality of the HS50 Pro is worth paying for, but this is a solid, cheaper alternative.
Cheaper wireless options for PC, PS4, and Xbox: The HyperX Cloud Flight was our previous wireless pick for PC and PlayStation 4, and the HyperX CloudX Flight is an Xbox One version of the same headset. Offering audio quality and design similar to that of the Cloud Stinger, the Cloud Flight sounded harsher, failed to handle high-density audio well, and felt uncomfortable for our largest-headed tester. The Cloud Flight lacks mic monitoring and chat balance, and you need to disable the LEDs to get the full 30 hours of battery life. The Cloud Flight S feels more comfortable, sounds better, and has more useful features. But if you want a cheaper wireless headset or if you need an Xbox-compatible wireless headset, the Cloud Flight or CloudX Flight is still a solid option.
The most immersive soundstage: The Razer Nari Essential is a wireless headset with an impressively large soundstage that helped games feel more immersive and made it easier for me to pinpoint the direction of enemies in Overwatch. All of that is thanks to the headset’s comically large earcups—I felt like The Prince from Katamari Damacy while wearing them. And even though they’re huge and on the heavier side at 13.2 ounces with the mic attached, every tester found them comfortable enough for longer gaming sessions due to the headband design. But the Nari Essential has a much worse microphone that picked up more background noise than the Cloud Flight S, gave me a bit of a lisp, and picked up my breathing no matter where I positioned the mic. And a claimed 16 hours of battery life puts it well behind the Cloud Flight S’s 30 hours.
We’re currently testing and evaluating a plethora of new gaming headsets from Logitech, Cooler Master, Beyerdynamic, Razer, Steelseries, JBL, Audio-Technica, Sennheiser, and more. In the meantime, you can read about the new headsets we’ve already dismissed in the Competition.
Gaming headsets using ⅛-inch connectors like our top pick, the HyperX Cloud Alpha, will continue to work if you plug them directly into the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, or Series S controller as they have for years. And full USB audio support for game sound and chat—as well as chat/game audio balance, for headsets that support it—is now finally available on officially licensed Xbox headsets as well.
The Xbox Series X, Series S, and PlayStation 5 lack the optical audio output that the Xbox One and other previous-generation consoles included, so gaming headsets that use breakout boxes can’t receive optical audio like they could in the past. However, Microsoft has worked with many headset manufacturers to offer firmware updates to enable proper USB support for the Series X and Series S in their existing headsets. Sony has been less clear, but many manufacturers are offering similar compatibility updates for PS5. If you have a headset that uses USB, perform a quick Google search to make sure it’s officially supported.
Over the past few years, we’ve tested over 100 gaming headsets from a wide variety of companies. We’ve focused on over-ear headsets that cover the entire ear and passively block out background sounds by creating a seal around the ear, though we’ve also tested a couple of open-back headsets that have the same over-ear design but don’t block out background sounds. On-ear headphones rest on the ear, but the style isn’t common among gaming headsets because the sound leaks out too much as a result. And a handful of in-ear gaming headsets exist, but we found them terrible sounding and uncomfortable.
The Drop + Sennheiser PC38X was one of our most anticipated headsets to test, but the build quality felt surprisingly cheap for a $170 headset. It also wasn’t comfortable to wear—the ear cups are too small to accommodate a range of ear sizes, and all of our testers felt it squeezed their heads. In our listening tests, a lot of elements in the low end also disappeared when the headset was set to lower volumes.
The headband on the Beyerdynamic MMX 100 pushed down with too much pressure to recommend, and we experienced a multitude of problems in our listening tests. The audio clipped out constantly and made strange popping sounds on each platform we tried the headset on, and it seemed to distribute sound at uneven volumes through each earcup. Furthermore, its cord is too short and can’t be interchanged easily because it requires a flat end connector that fits perfectly into the headset.
We found the JBL Quantum 400 to be too uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time because it squeezed at multiple points of contact, especially against earrings. The audio also sounded compressed and lacked clarity, and the low end elements were weak.
We dismissed the Razer Blackshark V2 X because it’s too snug and applies pressure at multiple points of contact. And there’s no way to get the microphone out of your way when you don’t want it—it doesn’t detach or raise, and it doesn’t stay in place when you bend it.
The HyperX Cloud Core + 7.1 is too short when fully extended, and will fit only the smallest heads.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha S is similar to the Cloud Alpha but has (unnecessary) extras like bass sliders and USB surround sound. In our tests, the Cloud Alpha S produced worse sound—vocals and treble sounded harsh and unpleasant—and weaker bass. On top of that, the Cloud Alpha S is PC compatible only. The included 3.5 mm cable is short, and the volume and mute functions are on the USB DSP, so you can use them only when the headset is plugged in via USB.
The HyperX Cloud II comes close to the Cloud Alpha in performance and build quality. Although the Cloud II’s USB DAC adds surround sound, the control box is cumbersome.
The HyperX Cloud Orbit was comfortable, and it sounded better than any other headset we tested thanks to its planar magnetic drivers. But it cost $300 at the time of our review, its battery lasts only 10 hours at 50 percent volume, and you have to charge it to use it even over a 3.5 mm connection.
The Sennheiser Game One was our previous favorite open-back headset, but our recent panel testers found the clamping force uncomfortable; it also leaked more sound than the Audio-Technica ATH-PDG1, and its microphone had worse noise isolation.
The Sennheiser GSP 600 sounded amazing, but it didn’t fit well on large heads.
The Astro A40 TR sounded good in our tests, but it’s typically more expensive than our picks. It’s also heavy at 13.1 ounces with the mic attached, and the headband design concentrated that weight in a small band digging into the top of my head.
The Asus ROG Delta Core was loose and uncomfortable, and its cable isn’t detachable.
The Audio-Technica ATH-G1 failed to handle sonically dense material well; two of our panelists described it as sounding “fuzzy” when lots of different sounds were happening at once. The earpads are creaky, and it lacks a removable cable.
The Logitech G Pro (981-000811) and Logitech G Pro X Gaming Headset with Blue Voice both clamped uncomfortably at the cheekbones, and their stiff headbands lacked padding.
None of our testers liked the Logitech G433’s fabric shell. The Logitech G533 has shallow earcups, and the weight distribution makes the set feel like it’ll fall off your head.
The Razer Kraken V2 TE typically costs more, has a dongle that adds surround sound our testers didn’t like, and still sounds too bass-heavy.
The Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Pro wasn’t as comfortable as the Cloud Alpha, and we found that the steel band on top had a tendency to vibrate unpleasantly.
We dismissed the JBL Quantum 100 because multiple testers tried it on and immediately wanted to rip it off. The headband applied too much downward pressure to wear for long periods of time.
The Razer Kraken X clamped tightly on our testers’ heads, and its microphone picked up a lot of breath.
The Logitech G332 clamped uncomfortably behind our testers’ ears while the headband dug into the top of each wearer’s head. The stiffer earpad material was particularly uncomfortable for testers with glasses.
The Razer Kraken 2019 was large and uncomfortably heavy, and it produced overwhelming and messy bass.
The Corsair HS35 Stereo had itchy, creaky earpads, and the headband dug into the top of my head.
The Turtle Beach Recon Spark and Recon 70 were both almost too small for my 21.5-inch head, and they had small earpads that smushed my ears.
The Astro A10 is uncomfortable and heavy, and all of the headset’s weight sits on a single point on the top of the skull.
The SteelSeries Arctis 1 was loose enough for me to shake off; it also had shallow, itchy, creaky earcups that sounded flat and lacked bass.
The PDP LVL50 and LVL50 Wireless felt cheap, and the sliding headband was difficult to keep in place.
The headband on the HyperX Cloud Stinger Core pushed down too much on the top of the head, and was too uncomfortable to wear for longer than a few minutes.
The Logitech G733 Lightspeed Wireless comes in a fun selection of colors and interchangeable headbands, but it’s terribly uncomfortable. The headband weighs down with too much pressure on the head, and its fabric is itchy against hair.
We like the Cooler Master MH670’s compatibility, and it works as a wired headset via a 3.5 mm plug if the battery dies. But our testers found that the flexible headband concentrated the headset’s weight uncomfortably at a single point, and our largest-headed tester couldn’t get the headset to sit symmetrically.
The Sennheiser GSP 370 sounded great, and the company claims 100 hours of battery life (which we weren’t able to test), but two of our testers found the clamping force and split headband to be uncomfortable.
The Corsair HS70 Pro Wireless adds wireless to our budget pick, but it was too tall and loose for two of our panelists.
The Asus ROG Strix Go 2.4, the only USB-C headset we’ve tested so far, lacked bass and clarity in highs and made vocals sound sibilant and harsh.
The SteelSeries Arctis Pro sounded as good as the Cloud Flight, but as with the Arctis 3 (2019 edition) our testers found the suspension headband uncomfortable.
The HyperX Cloud Mix is basically the same as the Cloud II, with the addition of Bluetooth. Unless you’re looking for a multipurpose headset, we don’t think it’s worth the extra money.
Antlion Audio’s ModMics are separate microphones you can attach to a pair of headphones you already own. The ModMic USB was the best of the options we tested, but with that model you’re running two wires from your headphones to your PC. It usually costs $70 to $80; for that price, you could almost buy our top pick.
The ModMic Uni costs around $50 but offers poor quality; our budget-pick headset is usually the same price and has a better microphone. The ModMic Wireless costs around $120, provides only around 12 hours of battery life, and in our tests failed to cancel background noise as well as our picks did.
This article was edited by Arthur Gies and Mark Smirniotis.
Mic monitoring, also known as sidetone, is a feature that allows you to hear your own voice through your headset. This can be used to make sure your own microphone is transmitting clearly to other players rather than jumbling or cutting out. It can also keep you from accidentally shouting over the loud sounds in your headset.
Each platform has a different way to adjust mic monitoring settings. With your compatible headset plugged in, perform the following tasks:
MacOS: To enable mic monitoring on a MacOS, open the QuickTime Player application. On the top of your screen, click File > New Audio Recording. A small window should pop up with a volume bar. Slide this volume bar to raise or lower mic monitoring feedback through your headset. You don’t have to actually record any audio here for this to work, but you do need to leave QuickTime Player open while you run other applications. To turn mic monitoring off, close QuickTime Player.
PlayStation: PlayStation uses “sidetone” to describe mic monitoring, and adjusting its settings is less straightforward. A member of PlayStation support confirmed there is no way to adjust sidetone on the consoles, despite PlayStation’s website claiming it can be adjusted by navigating to Settings > Sound > Audio Output > General on the PS5, and Settings > Devices > Audio Devices on the PS4. To utilize sidetone on PlayStation consoles, make sure your headset is both compatible and has a button on the headset itself to turn it on and off.
Xbox Series X|S: Press the Xbox button on the controller. On the bottom right corner of the menu that pops up, there is a speaker symbol called “Audio & music.” Click on this symbol, and adjust the mic monitoring volume here.
Xbox One: Press the Xbox button on the controller. On the menu that pops up, open Settings from the bottom of the sidebar, and adjust the mic monitoring volume.
Some wireless gaming headsets use Bluetooth to connect to computers or mobile devices, but it’s less ideal for consoles or as the primary form of connection. Most headsets connect via USB-A 2.4GHz dongle, because the connection is more stable and reliable.
The Xbox One does not support USB audio, and if you have an Xbox Series X|S, PS4, or PS5, the compatibility isn’t 100% guaranteed. Only officially licensed USB headsets will work with these consoles—be sure to do a quick Google search to see if your headset is supported. We have a compatibility chart for our picks at the top of the guide.
Phil Iwaniuk, HyperX Cloud Alpha Review, PC Gamer, August 23, 2018
Michael Andronico, HyperX Cloud Alpha Review: An Excellent Sub-$100 Gaming Headset, Tom’s Guide, October 3, 2017
Geoffrey Morrison, Open-Back Vs. Closed-Back Headphones, Forbes, November 2, 2013
Michael Crider, What’s the Difference Between Virtual and “True” Surround Sound Gaming Headsets, How-To Geek, September 10, 2017
Phil Iwaniuk, Corsair HS60 Pro Surround Gaming Headset Review: Mid-Priced Master, Tom’s Hardware, November 28, 2019
Phil Iwaniuk, Audio-Technica ATH-PDG1 Review, PC Gamer, August 3, 2015
Sam Moore, HyperX Cloud Flight S Review, SoundGuys, February 24, 2020
Kimber Streams is a senior staff writer and has been covering laptops, gaming gear, keyboards, storage, and more for Wirecutter since 2014. In that time they’ve tested hundreds of laptops and thousands of peripherals, and built way too many mechanical keyboards for their personal collection.
We’ve tested hundreds of gaming laptops, keyboards, mice, and other essentials to make your PC gaming experience even more immersive and enjoyable.
Here’s the best audio and video gear, plus accessories, to improve your gaming enjoyment.
Our pick pairs great performance with a very low cost of entry.
by Andrew Cunningham and Britt H. Young
With nearly complete compatibility for every controller-based game on Windows or Mac, the Xbox controller for Series X|S is the best option for most people.
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