The Best Wireless Gaming Headsets for 2024

This is simply one of the most functional, best-performing wireless gaming headsets we’ve seen, with extensive connectivity options and a handy and unique feature. The base station connects to two different devices over USB, so you can use the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless with your PC and your console of choice without switching cables. The base also has a slot to charge the headset’s spare battery, which is a massive boon; instead of plugging in the headset or taking a break, you can just swap batteries and stay charged and wirelessly connected no matter how long you play.

It sounds excellent, too, though you’ll get the most benefit if you spend some time in the SteelSeries GG software to tweak the audio performance. It’s one of the few gaming headsets (or headphones, for that matter) to offer a full parametric EQ instead of the standard five- or 10-band EQ. That means you can create precise audio curves for your favorite games (SteelSeries also offers a handful of presets). Oh, and it has Bluetooth, too. Although the parametric EQ isn’t available over Bluetooth, you can still load the headset up with a 10-band EQ preset through the software for when you’re out and about.

The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is primarily for PC gamers because the software will help them get the most out of the headset. The base station offers a big knob for changing volume levels or adjusting the game/chat mix, and keeping it within arm’s reach means you can switch batteries whenever you want—an extremely useful feature. It’s still a console-friendly headset, though you must choose between the PlayStation or Xbox version versions (the PC version works with both systems).

When we first tested it, the Barracuda X used a USB-C transmitter exclusively for wireless use, with a 3.5mm wired option for any device with a headset jack. This lets the Barracuda X work with numerous systems (PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and any Android phone with a USB-C port), which made it one of the more flexible wireless gaming headsets available for under $100. Razer has since updated the Barracuda X with two, big features: Bluetooth and simulated surround (for PCs). Bluetooth enables it to work as a pair of wireless headphones without using the transmitter, which is very convenient (even if Bluetooth audio quality can be lower than a dedicated transmitter). The 7.1-channel simulated surround is only for use with PCs and isn’t as accurate as the THX Spatial Audio found on Razer’s higher-end headsets. Still, any surround sound on an inexpensive wireless headset is welcome.

On top of all of these features, the Barracuda X simply sounds good. Its audio is well-balanced and its mic is clear, which is why it’s one of our top picks for wireless gaming headsets.

Budget-minded gamers who want wireless audio with their Nintendo Switch, PC, or PlayStation 4/5 should give the Barracuda X a look, especially if they’d like a simple pair of wireless headphones to enjoy music on the go with their phone. It’s simply a strong package for a very reasonable price.

Most gaming headsets are focused on sculpted audio for the best surround sound effects and booming power. Most gaming headsets also use conventional cone drivers to produce that sound. The Audeze Maxwell foregoes both in favor of audiophile-pleasing performance thanks to its planar magnetic drivers. Not only does it sound incredibly clean and detailed, it can even stream high-res audio over Bluetooth with LDAC codec support.

This is the headset for anyone who wants all-around audio quality more than a gaming-specific sound signature. It simply sounds great, even if it’s a bit bulky and has fewer features than similarly priced gaming headsets.

The Razer Blackshark V2 is one of our top wired headsets for its excellent sound quality and strong simulated surround processing, and the Blackshark V2 Pro is basically just the wireless version of that. It sounds great, feels comfortable, and features THX Spatial Audio for effective directional imaging. Its 2023 update also adds Bluetooth connectivity and triple the battery life, which push it from simply being a solid pick to our Editors’ Choice for midrange wireless gaming headsets.

Look at the Blackshark V2 Pro as a big step up from the Barracuda X. It’s a bit more stylish, a bit more comfortable, and a bit better-sounding, with spatial audio on top of it. If you liked that model, you’ll like this one. It’s almost exclusively for PC gaming, though.

The Atlas Air is the rare open-back gaming headset, with earcups that let air freely flow in and out. This enables a more natural and open sound than the typical closed-back gaming headset that only lets air move where the earcup faces the ear (it’s why many audiophiles refer open-back headphones). It’s a comfortable and great-sounding gaming headset for PCs and Bluetooth devices. Just be aware that the open-back design means it won’t block out noise.

If you want an accurate sound that gives a good sense of space and doesn’t isolate your ear from your surroundings, the Atlas Air is one of the few gaming headsets that provides that. The lack of noise isolation is a double-edged sword, though.

Most wireless gaming headsets use a USB transmitter of some sort. They might leverage Bluetooth as a backup, but that usually doesn’t offer nearly as good audio quality, and latency can be an issue. The Xbox Wireless Headset doesn’t bother with that, because it directly connects to your Xbox One or Series S/X console through the same wireless connection that the Xbox Wireless Controller uses. The technology is built into Xbox systems, so all you have to do is press the pairing button on the headset and Xbox to get them to seamlessly work together, with better performance than Bluetooth offers.

Note that the Xbox Wireless Headset has Bluetooth, too, if you want to use it as a pair of headphones when you aren’t playing games.

The name says it all: it’s an Xbox wireless headset. If you can find an Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows (seemingly discontinued, but the Microsoft Store is selling a bundle with both it and an Xbox Wireless Controller for $79.99) you can wirelessly use the headset with your PC. At that point, however, you might as well just use Bluetooth anyway.

Astro’s latest flagship wireless gaming headset looks a lot like the last few iterations of the A50, but it introduces a unique new trick: Its base station can connect to a PC, a PlayStation, and an Xbox One simultaneously, and switch between them with the touch of a button. It manages this trick with a bit of a cable tango that involves using the transmitter as an HDMI switch for the two consoles, but it works very well.

If you have both a PS5 and an Xbox Series X and want to use the same headset for both without juggling transmitters or plugging a wire into your controller, the A50 X is the only way to do it. It also sounds very good, has an excellent microphone, and even works over Bluetooth for using it on the go.

Sometimes you just want to game while wearing glowing pink cat ears. The Razer Kraken Kitty V2 BT lets you do precisely that, with pointy kitten ears and RGB lighting sticking out of a bubblegum pink headband. Since it’s a Bluetooth headset, it’s more suited for wireless use on the go, but it’s still lots of fun and is easy to recommend.

If you want to up your streaming style and don’t mind compromising on connectivity or mic quality, this is the headset for you. It’s also just a fun set of Bluetooth headphones.

It isn’t nearly as fancy as the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, but the Nova 5 Wireless is a much more economical gaming headset that still offers excellent sound quality, a comfortable fit, and loads of customization options, including a parametric EQ through SteelSeries’ GG app on PC.

This is a good wireless gaming headset if you’d like to enjoy the basic design and software benefits of the Nova Pro Wireless, but don’t want to splurge for features you potentially don’t want or need.

True wireless earphones usually aren’t compelling gaming headsets. They’re usually Bluetooth-only, with middling microphones and boring designs. Anker doesn’t do much about the mics on the Soundcore VR P10, but it solves the other problems. These earphones feature a separate USB-C transmitter that works with PCs, PlayStations, and Nintendo Switches, and store securely in the charging case. They also have pretty nice-looking RGB lights that look a bit gamer-extra, but not too gamer-extra.

This is for gamers who want true wireless earphones that they can also use with their gaming platform of choice, and who don’t need the clearest voice communication or plan to record or stream (or will use a separate microphone). They aren’t for bass fans, though.