Best PC gaming headset 2018: the best gaming headset for your new rig

As you await the inevitable return of graphics cards back to their stock prices, consider this: the rest of your components and peripherals are ageing, and someday they’ll be as obsolete as an Intel 8080 is today. Truthfully, high-quality sound is underrated, so while you’re out trying to fetch the highest resolutions and framerates, someone else is outdoing you by taking advantage of the audio immersion offered by the best PC gaming headset.

Most monitors these days don’t come with speakers built-in, especially gaming monitors. So, to upgrade their sound, gamers have to shell out additional funds on either a gaming headset or a pair of pair of speakers to hear background music, sound effects and in-game dialogue. Unfortunately, a lot of these speakers are pricey and take up more space than they’re worth. The best gaming headset that we’ve found, on the other hand, exhibits vibrant, crystal clear acoustics and unparalleled bass. Plus, it can be easily stored places other than on your desk.

For the money, the best gaming headset will give you all the bells and whistles of a pair of speakers, but with one key difference: privacy. For those dead-set on letting their roommates sleep at night, here’s a collection of gaming headsets that we’ve methodically tested and ranked for your reading pleasure below.

Eschewing any traditional rules of fashion, the ROG Centurion 7.1 is a beautiful headset regardless. Even if it’s a genuine pain to get going, this excellent PC gaming headset features both surprising style and a knack for emitting extremely clear sound. The Asus ROG Centurion 7.1’s onboard amp controls give you complete control over this bombastic sound, and this beast can even bolster its already amazing sound through a passthrough to an external set of speakers. Really, this thing is great.

Read the full review: Asus ROG Centurion 7.1 headset

Over the years, Creative has made a name for itself to be trusted when it comes to audio products – and the Creative Sound BlasterX H7 Tournament edition further cements that legacy. Rather than just sitting and iterating on the winning formula of its previous products, Creative took the Sound BlasterX H7 and completely changed it up, creating a headset that looks as good as it sounds. If you’re looking for a comfortable, sturdy and deep-sounding headset, the Creative Sound BlasterX H7 Tournament Edition, especially at such a low price, is one of the best PC gaming headsets money can buy in 2018.

Read the full review: Creative Sound BlasterX H7 Tournament Edition

The HyperX Cloud Flight is a long-lasting wireless gaming headset packed with up to 30 hours of battery life. This means you can potentially get two full days of gaming in between charges. However, there is a catch – unlike the Cloud Flight’s competition in the Astro A20, the HyperX Cloud Flight only offers stereo sound, foregoing any surround sound implementation. You can thankfully get around it by messing around with the Dolby Access app, however, and the sound profile is balanced enough to make this a non-issue.

Read the full review: HyperX Cloud Flight

This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Turtle Beach XO Three

Razer ManO'War

Quick and easy to set up using a wireless USB receiver that stores inside the headset for transportation, the Razer ManO'War is a user-friendly unit primed for surround-sound gaming. Sure, it's a little chunkier than most other headsets, but two soft leatherette ear cups make it comfortable to wear over extended periods. And, with Chroma RGB lighting customizable through Razer Synapse, it even looks snazzy to observers.

Read the full review: Razer ManO'War

There’s a common misconception the best PC gaming headsets have to cost a fortune. That’s fortunately untrue of the HyperX Cloud Alpha, which presents a compelling design along with impressive mid-range sound. The added dual-chamber drivers are a feat for audio quality that doesn’t break the bank, minus the distortion that usually haunts headphones at this price. Better yet, the sonorous bass will put any first-person shooter, not to mention Skrillex, to the test.

Read the full review: HyperX Cloud Alpha

As a general rule when you’re buying anything, much less gaming peripherals, you get what you pay for. You don’t go into Walmart, pick up a $50/£50 gaming headset and expect to be blown away. Corsair takes this rule and turns it on its head. The Corsair HS50 is, for the budget gamer, the best gaming headset you can buy today. Retailing at $50 in the US, the HS50 has sound quality and mic quality that rivals headsets that are twice as expensive. Everything, even down to the build materials radiates quality. If you’re looking for a cheap gaming headset, and you don’t mind giving up some extra bells and whistles, like 7.1 surround and Bluetooth connectivity, you need to take a look at the Corsair HS50.

Read the full review: Corsair HS50 Stereo Gaming Headset

It wasn’t that long ago that Corsair was solely known for PC components but, over the last five years or so, they’ve arguably become better known for their gaming peripherals. With products like the Corsair Void RGB Wireless, it’s hard not to see why. Now, while at first glance, some may scoff at the asking price, the Void Pro RGB Wireless delivers on that price point with great build quality, fantastic sound fidelity and – perhaps most importantly – RGB lighting. Plus, if you’ve already got a full arsenal of Corsair peripherals, the Void Pro RGB Wireless fits in nicely, and can even synchronize lighting effects with other peripherals through the Corsair Utility Engine.

Read the full review: Corsair Void RGB Wireless

Although it’s designed to be used for the Xbox One, Windows users can take solace in the fact that the Turtle Beach XO Three is compatible with any PC sporting a single jack for both mic input and headset output or a PC splitter cable. In spite of this minor caveat, the XO Three is a steal for the price, especially considering its use of 50mm sound drivers. What’s more, it even supports Windows Sonic for 3D surround sound.

Read the full review: Turtle Beach XO Three

V-MODA

If you're more interested in the sounds coming out of your gaming headset rather than glowing LEDs, macro keys and other gratuitous extras, then the V-MODA Crossfade Wireless is the headset for you. Its stylish cans are a treat for the ears, booming with sound that's bass-heavy with fantastically crisp treble at the other end. Stepping out of the soundscape, the V-MODA Crossfade Wireless is comfy and spacious too, what with its memory foam earcups.

Read the full review: V-MODA Crossfade Wireless

SteelSeries

SteelSeries has a storied reputation among the best PC gaming headsets, and the Arctis 7 only proves to continue it. Boasting a shockingly long battery life and extreme comfort, this headset will appeal especially to anyone who plays a lot of MMOs, where comfort reigns supreme over long play sessions. The sound quality is also worth noting here – as its neutral sound signature means that even audiophiles will be happy with it, even if the bass is a little weak.

Read the full review: SteelSeries Arctis 7

We called the original Astro A50 a "game-changing, experience-enhancing headset," and thankfully its wireless successor follows the "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it" rule. Astro's latest headset does what it says on the tin and adds wireless connectivity to an already stellar package. Not only is it ready to rock with your PC, but with PS4, Xbox One and legacy consoles as well – a headset that’s robust and versatile.

Siberia 840

Following in the footsteps of the already impressive Siberia 800, the upgraded Sibera 840 is pro-Bluetooth, anti-lag and all about personalization. With the SteelSeries Engine 3 app, you can customize everything from equalizer settings to what you want shown on the OLED screen of the accompanying base unit. All of that is, of course, secondary to the Siberia 840's sound qualities which are nothing less than sublime.

Unlike some of its competitors, SteelSeries stresses subtlety in its headset designs. The Arctis 5 continues this trend by flaunting sound quality and comfort over gaudy appearances. When you pop an Arctis 5 on your head, the goal is for, say, your stream audience to see a professional environment rather than a Dorito stain on your chair. The customizable lighting gives you plenty of wiggle room, too, in case the whole monochrome look isn’t your thing.

Best gaming headset

Arguably one of the most affordable gaming headsets available today, the HyperX Cloud Stinger is designed to give players eSports quality audio at a bargain. While the red on black plastic design isn’t much to write home about, this headset’s 50mm directional drivers grace it with superb stereo sound. That goes without mentioning the noise-cancelling mic, which aims to keep background noise from hindering your game sessions.

More affordable than Sennheiser's flagship PC 373D while still packing an audible punch, the GSP 350 carries over that headset's stellar 7.1 Dolby surround sound and closed ear cup design. Brandishing a closed-back design and toting a noise-cancelling microphone that mutes breathing sounds by default, if you like the look of Sennheiser's flagship gaming headset but can't quite stomach the price, the GSP 350 is the “lite” version you’ve been holding out for.

Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article