The Best Headphones for VR

The maker notes it does not support Xbox. Its 18 hours battery life is the shortest in this group; the Barracuda X leads at 50 hours. On driver size it ties with the Redragon H888 and the Barracuda X at 40mm.

Its 165g weight is the lightest here; the Redragon H888 comes next at 168g. No other pick in this guide offers a dual beamforming (built-in) microphone; compare the Redragon H888, which has a detachable boom microphone. On a PC, use the Lightspeed dongle for games and keep Bluetooth for a phone, since Bluetooth adds latency. It was priced above the Barracuda X and below the Arctis Nova 3X at the time of writing.

Its mic detaches when you only need headphones. On driver size it ties with the G435 and the Barracuda X at 40mm. On weight it sits mid-pack at 168g: the G435 weighs 165g, and the Arctis Nova 3X comes in at 260g.

It is the only pick here with a detachable boom microphone; the G435 has a dual beamforming (built-in) microphone instead. You also get three connection modes and a detachable microphone. On a PC, use the 2.4GHz dongle for games and keep Bluetooth for a phone, since Bluetooth adds latency.

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. When we checked, only the Yeabomy AK3FILE cost less, and the Barracuda X cost more.

It adds Bluetooth, a detachable cardioid mic and a 250g frame. Nothing else here matches its 50 hours battery life; the Arctis Nova 3X comes closest at 40 hours. It matches the G435 and the Redragon H888 on driver size (40mm).

Its 250g weight ranks third of 4 here, behind the G435 (165g) and ahead of the Arctis Nova 3X (260g). A detachable cardioid microphone is unique to it among these picks, while the Redragon H888 uses a detachable boom microphone. You also get a USB-C dongle that suits phones and handhelds.

On a PC, use the 2.4GHz dongle for games and keep Bluetooth for a phone, since Bluetooth adds latency. It connects over USB, which also handles the audio processing on your PC. Its price falls between the Redragon H888 and the G435, based on our last check.

It also runs for up to 40 hours and weighs 260g. On battery life it sits mid-pack at 40 hours: the Barracuda X runs for 50 hours, and the G435 comes in at 18 hours. Its 260g weight is the heaviest in this group; the G435 leads at 165g.

It is the only pick here with a wireless USB-C dongle connection; the Yeabomy AK3FILE has a wired 3.5mm connection instead. It connects over USB, which also handles the audio processing on your PC. It was the highest-priced of the 5 picks at the time of writing, so the case for it rests on what it adds over the G435 and the rest. The maker doesn't give its driver size; if that figure matters, the G435 comes in at 40mm.

Memory-wire ear hooks hold the earbuds in place, and the seal blocks much of the ambient noise. The wired connection avoids any Bluetooth delay. Three pairs of ear tips come in the box, so you can find a seal that blocks around 90% of ambient noise.

Its 10mm driver size is the smallest in this group; the G435 leads at 40mm. No other pick in this guide offers a wired 3.5mm connection; compare the Arctis Nova 3X, which has a wireless USB-C dongle connection. It also comes with the lowest price tier here.

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 Redragon H888 was the next step up.