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What gaming headset should you buy?
Headsets are different from your speakers in the following ways:
- Filter sound directly into your ears
- Offers a microphone to communicate while playing
Both of these features are not supported by speakers. For top-of-the-line sound quality, while playing games, headsets are the best option.
Moreover, they are budget-friendly in comparison to high-quality speaker setups that may often cost around $200 and above.
If you don’t want to disturb the rest of your household while playing and want better sound quality, it’s better to choose a gaming headset over speakers.
How gaming headsets are different from normal headsets?
You might be wondering why you need headsets specifically designed for gaming. These three features explain everything:
- Comfort
- Sound quality
- Microphone quality
For long, intense gaming sessions, you always need a headset that you can wear for prolonged hours. Your normal headset will work but we’re sure it’ll not provide you an enjoyable experience that gaming headsets can offer.
Why is it important to choose the right type of headset?
You don’t need a headset for every game. However, for games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, PUBG, you need accurate directional sound cues to win.
For games like Dota 2, Multiplayer Online Battle Area (MOBA), and League of Legends, having excellent sound quality through headsets is a bonus for gamers.
Whatever your reason is, either way, you’ll always want to invest in a good headset for your video games.
How to choose the right gaming headset?
From shooting to racing games, sound plays an important role in winning. For this, you always need the right gaming headsets. If you don’t know how to choose the right one for you, let us help you.
Determine your platform
Whenever you’re purchasing a headset, ask yourself for which platform you need it:
- Headset for Playstation
- Headset for PC
- Headset for Xbox
- Headset for Nintendo switch
The gaming platform can influence your choice.
Headsets with a 3.5mm connection are perfect for all platforms. However, you must keep in mind that these headsets will not respond to all features of your console as the consoles are software-dependent. For instance virtual surround.
Sony has its gaming headsets – Sony Playstation Wireless Gold and Platinum gaming headsets for PlayStation 4. These headsets are completely compatible with game-specific audio profiles and other features once they’re connected with the console, including 7.1 virtual surround sound.
However, if you decide to use these gaming headsets with the Xbox One, you need an additional cable and separate headset adapter to make it work. Ensure to buy a headset that completely supports your gaming console.
wireless vs wired gaming headset
Wired vs wireless gaming headsets
The second thing you need to consider is whether you need wired or wireless headsets. Most wireless and wired gaming headsets should work seamlessly with the Nintendo Switch.
Wired gaming headset
The best thing about wired headsets is that you don’t need to charge them and you don’t have to wait for up to hours before playing.
Your wired headset depends on the physical connection, usually a 3.5 mm connection for your microphone or headset.
Pros:
- You connect the headset with the station and you’re ready to play.
- These are a lot lighter in comparison to wireless headsets.
Cons:
- The length of the cable is not that too long.
- Cables can wear and tear over time.
Wireless gaming headset
These are portable, you can take them anywhere and can use them all the time. They take less space as they’re sleeker.
You don’t have to worry about a tangled cable. The worst part about the wireless headset is that they need to be charged before using them.
This requires batteries, making your headset heavier. Typically, most of the wireless gaming headsets take an hour to get charged and offer 7-8 hours of battery backup.
Open or closed headset
open vs closed gaming headset
Poor noise isolation can make you lose your game. This is especially true in games like Counter-Stike: Global Offensive and PlayerUnknown’s BattleGround where directional audio cues are very important to win the game.
If you don’t want to hear disturbing sounds from your surroundings while playing, go for a closed gaming headset or the one with a passive noise isolation feature.
These headsets shut you from the outside world for maximum immersion and concentration.
With a closed gaming headset, you could hear the slightest details, even in noisy surroundings. However, in summers, these headsets may feel clammy.
However, if you want to be careful about your surroundings too, you should buy an open gaming headset. These are breathable and nice in the warm weather.
Microphone
If you’re a gamer, you need a built-in microphone to communicate with your team. Most of the gaming headsets come in-built boom mic – either unidirectional or omnidirectional.
Omnidirectional microphones tend to pick up sounds from the surrounding, resulting in clattering sounds for your teammates.
However, unidirectional sounds come with noise cancellation features. This results in crystal clarity chat with your fellow teammates.
The uni-directional mics reject off-axis sounds, producing crisp and clear sounds. Here is a quick list of gaming headsets with microphones.
Comfort
This is something that you’ll realize after using your headset for a prolonged period. You will always want to buy a headset that you can wear for hours without getting fatigued.
For comfort experience, you need to buy a headset with the following features:
Look at the material used in the ear cups and headbands.
- Leather cups are a bit expensive but can get clammy when you use them for longer hours.
- The headband should not be too tight that your head starts aching.
In this case, look for a headset that is lightweight and won’t compromise your comfort.
We hope this article will help you buy the headset that you’re looking for. Just remember, always buy the headset that fits your needs.
If you have any thoughts or feel anything you need to be explained, share your queries with us!