Best Pc Gaming Headset Under 200
The all-time gaming headsets in 2022
The best gaming headset combines fantastic audio, the sort of comfort that can see yous through marathon gaming sessions, and a microphone that you'd really consider using. You may not notice it, but you'll spend an atrocious lot of fourth dimension wearing a gaming headset. So y'all want to make sure you lot treat your ears to a good set of cans while y'all take down ancient dragons in Elden Ring (opens in new tab) and conversation away with your friends on a Discord call.
The best gaming headsets are chosen from the dozens I exam here in the PC Gamer offices. These headsets offer the all-time audio for gamers of every budget. Quality drivers deliver the best audio you could ask for—breaking the traditional stereotype of overdoing the low frequencies, which provide terrible bass in most cases. The all-time gaming headsets offer more remainder drivers that crave minimal tweaking on your end.
Having proficient audio doesn't always demand to toll you an arm and a leg. The Razer Kraken X and Razer Blackshark V2 are good examples of that. Both are corking-sounding headsets that habitually evidence up on sale for less than $100. The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless is another adept choice for gamers on a budget on the wireless front.
Check our guide to the all-time wireless gaming headsets (opens in new tab), where you'll discover more expansive wireless options. For now, though, onward with the all-time gaming headset recommendations from your friendly neighborhood PC Gamer editor.
Best gaming headset
Dethroning the HyperX Cloud Alpha (opens in new tab) from the top spot was no like shooting fish in a barrel feat. Razer's BlackShark V2 gaming headset manages to do only that by offering killer audio quality, great price, and easy-to-use software. From the moment Razer first started talking about the BlackShark V2, it was clear this was principal focus of the headset, and the design of the drivers themselves is effectively doing what the impressive Cloud Alphas do.
The 50mm TriForce Titanium drivers are designed with discrete ports to separate bass, mid, tremble tones from interfering with each other. The result is a richer audio than a standard set up, and keeps it on par with HyperX'south 50mm dual-sleeping accommodation neodymium driver headset. They're like a tribute to HyperX'southward own design, and no worse for it.
For me, the sound is 1 of the stand-out features of the BlackShark V2, and is far and above what y'all will get with most other sets in this price point. I'm besides a big fan of the restrained design of the headset, and I've found them to comfortable enough to vesture for marathon gaming sessions.
There's but one reason I no longer use them as my daily drivers, and that'south the inflow of the wireless version, the rather more than expensive BlackShark V2 Pro (opens in new tab). They utilize the same drivers, but employ a lag-costless wireless connection, with a great battery life... only they are pricey. Though it has to be said that we've seen deals as low equally $130 then it is worth looking at.
Merely overall price is the other stand-out feature of the wired BlackShark V2 headset; y'all'll often discover them for under $100 and that makes them an accented bargain.
Read our full Razer Blackshark V2 review (opens in new tab).
The HyperX Cloud Alpha is perchance the nigh praised thing to exist on this site. Nosotros all love it on the team and at present HyperX has cutting the cord on its all-time pair of cans. The biggest drawcard for this headset is the new huge battery. You're looking at up to 300 hours of bombardment life in wireless manner while still keeping the headset relatively calorie-free and comfy. It'due south a pretty massive feat and I feel HyperX has pulled information technology off.
Out of the box, this unit of measurement was reporting having about eighty% charge, and so I decided to get out information technology there to come across how well that held. I spent a workday listening to music and checked the bombardment over again: I swear it even so said 80%. I have been using this thing for gaming and music listening pretty consistently for the by calendar week and we aren't fifty-fifty at 50% battery yet.
That impressive battery life is, of grade, a all-time-case scenario. A lot of that has to practice with the book yous're running the headset at, and volume is probably my only real complaint. It's absolutely loud enough only I can listen to it at full volume and still be fairly comfortable.
Definitely ane of the amend gaming headsets I've used to listen to music.
But the audio quality truly is incredible. Music sounds amazing. It'southward e'er fun to heed to some of my favorite audio-heavy songs on a adept pair of cans and effort to pick the different instruments or bites used. These practice an excellent task and are definitely ane of the ameliorate gaming headsets I've used to heed to music on.
When playing games the directional sound is besides very nice. I was able to easily locate subconscious batteries by directional beeps in Deep Rock Galactic and had a wonderful time billowy forth to the tight beats of Shadow Warrior iii. I loaded up some Doom Eternal and promptly terrified myself. If you lot've ever wanted to know what it sounds similar having a Cacodemon suddenly testify up and whisper sugariness blah-things into very specifically your left ear then these tin can absolutely evangelize.
The Cloud line is always touted for comfort and despite the hefty battery this nevertheless definitely fits the pecker. I'chiliad someone who struggles with as well much weight or tightness on my head, and I have a real sensitivity to uncomfortable headsets. The top band is thick and has soft padding underneath. This coupled with the equally soft ear cups makes for a very cozy experience, and does an fantabulous job of blocking out dissonance.
Sadly, the mic is your fairly standard matter and while it will work just fine for chat in games, information technology's very basic and uninspired when it comes to audio quality.
Though all things considered, I struggle to imagine a client who wouldn't be happy with these as a wireless gaming headset. They're pricey, but within reason for their specs, and they certainly deliver on everything you could want for gaming, and listening to music, on your PC.
Read our full HyperX Deject Alpha Wireless review (opens in new tab).
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Equally a inexpensive alternative to the tricked-out Razer Kraken (opens in new tab), the Kraken X is a upkeep-friendly option that excels on PC for one simple reason—virtual seven.1 surround audio. Available via an app, this elevates the headset's already good audio thanks to superior depth, clarity, and definition. It too makes going back to the X's standard audio mode difficult.
In our testing, information technology'southward articulate the Kraken Ten isn't going to be able to stand up toe-to-toe with the best of HyperX'south Cloud range, or even with its young man Razer stablemates, simply for the money, the Kraken 10 delivers the goods.
When you lot throw in enviable comfort and a lightweight, stylish and understated pattern, this version of the Kraken offers tremendous value for money. There are niggles to dampen the party, of course (a not-detachable mic being chief among them), simply you can't mutter when you're getting good 7.1 audio for such a low cost.
When you've only got $50 to spend on a gaming headset, we don't call up you'll do much amend than these Razer cans.
Read our full Razer Kraken X review (opens in new tab).
This isn't the first gaming headset from Beyerdynamic but the MMX 100 is absolutely its well-nigh rounded offering so far. Offering excellent audio and a good microphone in a comfy and well-designed headset makes for an easy entry into our best headset list, particularly when you tin selection these impressively fabricated cans up for nether $100.
Despite using a airtight-back pattern we've found the MMX 100s produce a surprisingly wide sound phase, without any of the muddiness or over-eager bass that often plagues gaming headsets. The bass is so finely tuned without any distortion or boominess that y'all typically get on nigh gaming headsets. The mids and highs are crystal sharp bringing out all the tiny details and audio cues like footsteps or reloads.
At $99, it'due south an incredible deal.
Add in the fact that Beyerdynamics has gone for lightweight materials, with plush memory foam on the earcups and headband, making them supremely comfortable for long sessions as well.
The overall build is quite infrequent except for 1 really abrasive issue—the volume dial. On my unit, information technology had quite a chip of play where it could stone back or forth without changing the volume while causing static in the right ear cup when adjusting volume and frequently, completely cutting out the sound on the right side. This is mostly effectually the max book position. Minute adjustments of volume would prepare the audio but information technology'south about agonizing for such a well-built headset that I'm honestly inclined to believe it was only my particular sample and not systemic.
There's simply no denying that Beyerdynamic has totally knocked it out of the park with the MMX 100. At $99, it's an incredible deal and I'd exist hard-pressed to point out a more comfortable, improve-sounding 1 than this. The Steelseries Arctis Prime(opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) comes shut in condolement simply not for sound. Putting aside the volume punch result on my detail unit, this is easily ane of the best gaming headsets money can buy correct now.
Read our full Beyerdynamics MMX 100 review (opens in new tab).
Epos is gradually shifting away from its Sennheiser past and beginning to collect its ain lineup of great gaming headsets. The H6PRO is a big office of that, as the company's first go at a true flagship product without Sennheiser'southward postage all over information technology.
The H6PRO offers a really high-grade headset experience. At that place are fancy new 42mm drivers to keep them sounding great, which have been tuned to offering a more balanced and easy on the bass profile than your usual gaming headset. It as well offers a great-sounding microphone that delivers the benefits of both flip-to-mute and removable designs.
Epos has put together something really competitive and impressive in the H6PRO.
The H6PRO is available as either open up-back or closed-back. The difference will accept an impact on the racket isolation, audio response, and how the headset feels on your head. And so you could say it'due south a pretty big decision, as far as gaming headset features go.
I've had experience with both open-back and closed-back designs and, essentially, if y'all want racket isolation (blocking outside noise from reaching your ear holes) you'll desire the airtight-back H6PRO headset. If that'south not important and then information technology's the open up-back H6PRO headset that will be the meliorate choice for a superior gaming sound stage.
In terms of a new flagship, Epos has put together something actually competitive and impressive in the H6PRO. The downside is that these also come with a flagship price tag of $179 (£149, €179) and i that you lot really need to fence whether you are happy with a wire or might instead consider going wireless—if there's one peripheral that'due south worth cutting the string with, information technology'south your headset.
That said, should yous exist happy to spend that amount of cash, you can be safe in the knowledge that the Epos H6PRO is congenital to a standard worthy of that price tag.
Read our total Epos H6PRO review (opens in new tab).
Corsair's new HS80 RGB Wireless Gaming Headset is easily one of the best headsets the company has ever fabricated and also 1 of the best wireless headsets around. Information technology takes some of the best headset features available and executes them really well. At $150, information technology boasts the latest and greatest lag-costless Slipstream Wireless tech, high fidelity audio, and Dolby Atmos. The microphone is outstanding and the new design lets yous article of clothing them for ages without fatigue.
It's said that fake is the highest class of flattery and the new HS80 imitates some of the best headsets from Steelseries. Corsair has finally adopted the aforementioned floating headband design that uses an adjustable strap to evenly distribute the weight across your noggin. Furthermore, the HS80 feels bulkier on my head than whatever Steelseries headset but at 370g, it'south not much heavier.
Halo Space, which supports Dolby Atmos, sounds amazing on these cans.
The HS80s sound fantastic with rich, concentrated sound and a well-balanced bass. The sub-bass can exist a niggling lacking at times and I noticed some baloney even at depression volumes. This holds the HS80 back from truthful greatness but there's an EQ in iCUE that you can play with to fine-melody the audio to your liking.
Still, it's the spatial audio where the HS80 surprises, with impressive 3D sound and accurate positioning. This, as y'all can imagine, is smashing for games like first-person shooters or large open-world environments. This is made even better with support for Dolby Atmos and Corsair provides an automatic license with the headset. I've been playing a lot of Halo Infinite which supports Dolby Atmos and it has sounded amazing on these cans.
Battery life on the HS80 was consistent with the marketing claims of twenty hours. For me, this meant charging the headset every 2 days—with 10 hours of work and play each twenty-four hours. I didn't examination to see if turning off the RGB lighting made a significant departure just given how small the lights are, I doubt information technology. Charging the HS80 is easy thanks to a Type-C connection that too allows you to mind to them while it charges.
The Corsair HS80 is a great headset. It sounds swell in both games and other media with a wonderful implementation of Dolby Atmos. If you practice a lot of chat, the microphone is 1 of the best we've tested.
Read our full Corsair HS80 RGB review (opens in new tab).
All-time gaming headset FAQ
What does a gaming headset demand?
There are a few things to consider when choosing a gaming headset. A practiced price and audio quality are foremost, just comfort is up there, as well. Likewise, noise-cancelling mics are crucial for coms, so most of the headsets we've listed here include this feature. You want decent voice quality and a microphone that won't pick upwardly every single keypress on your mechanical keyboard.
How exercise nosotros examination gaming headsets?
Each headset that we test we apply daily for at least a week. We tape a sample of our voice in Audacity and compare it to previous recordings from other models, then head to Discord to get some feedback from our friends on how we're sounding.
During that week, we aim to examination each headset in a number of different game genres—shooters, battle royales, and racing games make for particularly good testing scenarios since the former tends to test the low-end and reveal muddiness and baloney, while PUBG et al are great for positional audio tracking. Finally, skilful racing sims feature a very particular mix designed to help you hear brake lock-up and tires losing traction. It's often in Projection CARS 2 (seriously!) where great headsets are separated from merely practiced. Oh, and we mind to a lot of music, patently.
Are wired or wireless headsets amend for gaming?
This really comes to down to preference, only if you're going the wireless route what you want to expect for is for decent battery life (20 hours or higher). The last thing you want to have a headset that's constantly needing to be plugged in because the battery life is bad. It kind of defeats the purpose of beingness wireless. For wired headsets you want to make certain you the cable is long enough to attain your PC without feeling like information technology's tugging on your head.
Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/best-gaming-headset/
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