Take your gaming experience to the next level with a pair of gaming headphones from our expertly chosen list comparing the best ones for your system.

A gaming headset is often a necessity if you don’t live on your own. As much as you may love a game, that doesn’t mean others want to hear its soundtrack and explosions for hours on end. This isn’t just a practical buy, though; a great gaming headset will often give you a more involving experience than anything but the most advanced surround system, complete with a neighbour-baiting subwoofer. These headsets also have integrated microphones, perfect for competitive or co-op multiplayer titles. Whether you play PC, Xbox or PS5, we have you covered in this list of the best gaming headsets.

• Best for Xbox players: Microsoft Xbox Wireless headset
• Best for PlayStation fans: Sony Pulse 3D headset
• Best for audiophiles: Audeze Penrose
• Best PC buy: Razer BlackShark V2

Microsoft Xbox Wireless headset

• Best for Xbox players
• Buy the Microsoft Xbox Wireless headset

Microsoft blew us away with the Xbox Wireless headset, simply because it outperformed expectations to such a huge extent. The audio is bassy, but this is great for lending in-game effects real weight. And aside from the big bottom-end, sound quality is excellent. This headset is also super-comfy and, as you’d expect, works perfectly with an Xbox Series console. It’s very hard to beat Microsoft’s headset at this price.

Pros

• Great value
• Good wireless system
• Involving, powerful sound

Cons

• Bass is tuned for games rather than music

Sony Pulse 3D headset

• Best for PlayStation fans
• Buy the Sony Pulse 3D headset

We highly recommend Sony’s own Pulse 3D headset if you primarily play on PS5. That may sound boring, but its wireless system works perfectly with the console, and you get Sony’s much-talked-about 3D audio. This basically gets you the experience of surround sound in select games, while just wearing a pair of headphones. It’s brilliant. Sound quality is excellent too. Sub-bass is a bit less powerful than Microsoft’s, but the overall audio is more balanced as a result.

Pros

• Supports Sony’s 3D audio
• Great sound quality
• Sleek design

Cons

• 12-hour battery life is bettered elsewhere

Audeze Penrose

• Best for audiophiles
• Buy the Audeze Penrose

True audiophile? The Audeze Penrose is the headset to get. It has planar magnetic drivers, the same type used by the company’s ultra high-end hifi headphones. These flatter drivers deliver sound with less distortion, making it clearer and easier on your ears even at higher volumes. This is a wireless headset with a boom mic. There are separate versions for Xbox/PC and PS5/PC, so make sure you pick up the right one.

Pros

• Excellent sound quality
• Also good for music
• Supports wireless for Xbox/PlayStation (model dependent)

Cons

• The cost may be too high for some

Razer BlackShark V2

• Best PC buy
• Buy the Razer BlackShark V2

The first-party console headsets may be hard to beat this generation but the Razer BlackShark V2 is a great choice if you want cross-platform gaming and are happy to use a wired headset. It’s not just like a pair of headphones with a mic attached, though. You get a USB sound card, for superior sound processing when playing on PC. There’s a wireless version too, which uses a USB wireless dongle.

Pros

• Affordable pricing
• USB sound card allows for smart sound processing
• Powerful audio

Cons

• Latency slightly higher than the first-party console headsets

Recommended: Vote for the best gaming system here 

Many gamers choose to use high quality gaming headphones in order to get the most out of their gaming experience instead of having to adjust their gaming volume to suit the needs of others.   We have compiled a list of the best gaming headphones to help you find the perfect pair, whether you’re looking for a pair for yourself or a friend who loves games.