The Best Gaming Headsets for Beginners

The maker notes it does not support Xbox. Its 18 hours battery life is the shortest in this group; the Cloud Jet leads at 25 hours. On driver size it ties with the Cloud Jet and the Recon 70 at 40mm.

It is the only pick here with a dual beamforming (built-in) microphone; the Recon 70 has a flip-to-mute microphone instead. On a PC, use the Lightspeed dongle for games and keep Bluetooth for a phone, since Bluetooth adds latency. Another plus: light 165g build. When we checked, only the Cloud Jet and cheaper picks cost less, and the G325 cost more.

Its ear cups rotate to rest around the neck, and DTS Headphone:X spatial audio adds positional cues. Its signature HyperX comfort suits long sessions at a low price. HyperX tunes it for clear game audio, and the rotating earcups let it rest flat on the collarbone or lie on the desk.

It is a simple wired design with few settings to manage. Its 50mm driver size is the largest here; the G435 comes next at 40mm. No other pick in this guide offers a wired connection; compare the Recon 70, which has a wired 3.5mm connection.

Its price falls between the Recon 70 and the Cloud Jet, based on our last check. Buyers who need a confirmed battery life should compare it with the Cloud Jet, which runs for 25 hours.

Its 25-hour battery is the shortest here, so plan to charge it every few days. Volume, mic mute and connection switching sit on the headset, and mesh ear pads with an elastic suspension headband keep it light on long sessions. Nothing else here matches its 25 hours battery life; the G325 comes closest at 24 hours.

On driver size it ties with the G435 and the Recon 70 at 40mm. It is the only pick here with an included microphone; the G325 has a beamforming boom microphone instead. On a PC, use the 2.4GHz dongle for games and keep Bluetooth for a phone, since Bluetooth adds latency. When we checked, only the Cloud Stinger 2 and cheaper picks cost less, and the G435 cost more.

It is the lighter, newer alternative to the G435 with a boom. Its 24 hours battery life ranks second of 3 here, behind the Cloud Jet (25 hours) and ahead of the G435 (18 hours). No other pick in this guide offers a beamforming boom microphone; compare the Recon 70, which has a flip-to-mute microphone.

On a PC, use the Lightspeed dongle for games and keep Bluetooth for a phone, since Bluetooth adds latency. Only the G435 came close to it on price at the time of writing; it cost the most of the 5 picks. There is no published driver size figure, whereas the Cloud Stinger 2 comes in at 50mm.

Its flip-to-mute mic and on-ear volume dial keep controls close, and a PC splitter cable comes in the box. The 40mm drivers and light frame suit long sessions. It matches the G435 and the Cloud Jet on driver size (40mm).

No other pick in this guide offers a wired 3.5mm connection; compare the Cloud Stinger 2, which has a wired connection. A flip-to-mute microphone is unique to it among these picks, while the G435 uses a dual beamforming (built-in) microphone. It also offers support for PS5 and Xbox over 3.5mm.

A 3.5mm plug means it works with a controller or front-panel jack; on PC, a separate mic and headphone jack may need a splitter. It was the cheapest of the group when we checked; the Cloud Stinger 2 was the next step up.