Staff’s Choice
If you want to find the best gaming headset for your gaming adventures, you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg. There’s a wide range of affordable headsets out there that deliver a more than decent gaming experience that won’t make a huge dent in your wallet. Of course you’ll have to do without a ton of bells and whistles, and the audio quality won’t be the best on the market, but if you’re purely looking for a budget-friendly gaming experience we’ve got the best budget gaming headsets lined up for you in this article.
HyperX Cloud II
The Cloud II is a reference product in the world of (professional) gaming. It has been succeeded by the Cloud III, but that only means that you can get this absolutely legendary headset at very good prices these days.
The Cloud II isn’t a groundbreaking product and you won’t be able to do any crazy customization with this headset, but if you want a no-nonsense gaming headset that does everything to a really high standard, this is the one for you. It’s still being used by a ton of professional gamers every single day, despite being many years old now. That should tell you enough.
HyperX Cloud II
Used by 301 players ()-
donk
-
Demon1
-
aspas
-
Jinggg
The HyperX Cloud II has been the ‘industry standard’ headset for many, many years now. It has earned that reputation thanks to its reliable build quality, comfortable design, and friendly price.
Pros
- Sturdy design
- Two choices of earcup material
- Industry-proven
Cons
- Rather barebones when it comes to functionality
- Not the best mic
- Sound quality isn’t the best these days
Specs
| Type | Closed-Back |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Cable Length | 300cm |
| Noise Cancelling | No |
| Microphone | Detachable |
| Weight | 320g |
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 is the budget-friendly option from the brand that is known to make top-of-the-line gaming headsets with a ton of extra features and tech. Don’t let the lower price tag make you think any less of this headset, though.
If you’re looking for that SteelSeries comfort and aesthetic on a budget, this might be the one for you. It won’t let you tweak as many parameters as its more full-featured siblings, but those cost a lot more than the Nova 1.
This is a simple and reliable gaming headset for people who want a lightweight and comfy budget headset.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 is a budget headset in SteelSeries’ lineup of audio products.
Pros
- Great value proposition
- Comfortable
- Decent audio quality
Cons
- Limited features and customization options
Specs
| Type | Closed-Back |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Cable Length | 126cm |
| Noise Cancelling | No |
| Microphone | Non-Detachable |
| Weight | 235g |
Turtle Beach Recon 70
In the ultra budget category, we have the Turtle Beach Recon 70. With an MSRP of $39.99 you obviously shouldn’t expect the world, but it does deliver good performance for that price.
The bass response is a bit lacking, and the headset also looks and feels very much like a budget headset, but if you can handle these things then the Recon 70 is a perfectly capable budget headset for those who aren’t willing to invest a ton of money into their audio solution.
The gaming performance is good and the mic is okay (and the flip up to mute function is handy as well). What more do you need from a budget gaming headset?
Turtle Beach Recon 70
Aimed at the budget market, the Turtle Beach Recon 70 is available in multiple finishes.
Pros
- Good value
- Decent sound quality
Cons
- Cheap looking and feeling
- Very limited customization options
- Disappointing bass response
Specs
| Type | Closed-Back |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Cable Length | 122cm |
| Noise Cancelling | No |
| Microphone | Non-Detachable |
| Weight | 231g |
Razer BlackShark V2 X
Razer’s BlackShark V2 (and the V2 Pro, which is the wireless version) is one of the most popular gaming headsets in the professional scene, but these headsets aren’t cheap. If you like the BlackShark V2 and you want to get yourself a similar experience on a budget, the V2 X is a good option.
This headset follows the same design principle as the more expensive versions: it’s a headset that gets straight to the point and is aimed at competitive gamers. There aren’t very many bells and whistles to be found here, but you don’t need those when you’re in the thick of in your favorite game.
It looks almost exactly the same as the more expensive versions, and it’s a very comfortable headset as well, so this is another good pick for gamers on a budget.
Razer BlackShark V2 X
The Razer BlackShark V2 X is the budget version of Razer’s flagship competitive gaming headset, the BlackShark V2,
Pros
- Comfortable
- Good performance on a budget
Cons
- Feels cheap
Specs
| Type | Closed-Back |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Cable Length | 131cm |
| Noise Cancelling | No |
| Microphone | Non-Detachable |
| Weight | 276g |
ASTRO A10
ASTRO is a company that’s well-known in the competitive gaming scene. Despite the fact that most of their fame originally came from their presence in the competitive console gaming market, they’ve successfully transitioned to PC headsets. The A40 and A50 headsets are popular headsets in the pro gaming scene, and this A10 is a more budget-friendly version of those headsets.
If you’re looking for that ASTRO aesthetic, this is of course a great budget pick, but there’s more to the A10 than that. It’s a comfy headset that’s build nicely, and it also comes with a very decent microphone. There’s nothing to tweak or customize here, but if you don’t have a problem with that then this is a great option to pick up.
ASTRO A10
The ASTRO A10 (Gen 2) is part of ASTRO’s budget lineup.
Pros
- Comfortable
- Good build quality
- Good microphone performance
Cons
- No customization
Specs
| Type | Closed-Back |
|---|---|
| Connection | Wired |
| Cable Length | 217cm |
| Noise Cancelling | No |
| Microphone | Non-Detachable |
| Weight | 245g |
What Makes A Headset Good For Gaming?
You don’t need a gaming headset. Plenty of people use a pair of headphones in combination with an external microphone to game with. IEMs (see our Best Earbuds for Gaming article) are also on the rise, so don’t think that you absolutely need a gaming-branded headset in order to compete. Of course, gaming headsets are a lot more portable than a mic + headphones combo, and the days of gaming headsets being automatically inferior to headphones (at the same price point) are behind us.
If you want to get yourself a gaming headset, there are a few aspects to consider:
Microphone
One of the biggest advantages to getting a headset is the fact that you get a microphone with it. If you’re just using this mic to make quick callouts, the quality doesn’t really matter that much. If you want to use it for video calls and longer chats with your buddies or colleagues, you might want to look into the mic quality. The mic quality can greatly differ between different headsets.
Response times
This isn’t a factor in (most) wired gaming headsets, but if you want to use a wireless audio solution it’s a good idea to go for a gaming-grade headset. Most headphones aimed at the regular audio market don’t really have to care about latency that much so they mostly use Bluetooth. If you hear a crucial sound cue in your game a fraction of a second late, though, it might mean the difference between living and dying. For this reason, we never recommend Bluetooth headphones for gaming.
Sound quality
For gaming, you don’t need audiophile-grade sound. What you do need is a headset that accurately displays where sounds are coming from. You also don’t want your headset to drown out important sounds (reloading, footsteps, …) with an overpowering bass. A lot of gaming headsets have a sound profile that’s specifically tuned for gaming, making them great at telling you where exactly a sound is coming from. These gaming sound profiles aren’t usually great for content consumption, however.
When listening to music, a gaming headset (especially a budget gaming headset) of course won’t hold a candle when compared to an audiophile-grade pair of headphones. If you are someone who also listens to a ton of music and you care about the quality of this music, you might want to save up a bit more to get a better headset, or just go for a pair of headphones in combination with an external mic.
Comfort
This is subjective, but it is by far the most important factor when considering a gaming headset. Comfort is king. If your head starts hurting after two matches, your headset will be useless to you. The fit isn’t the only thing you need to consider. Factors such as breathability of the ear cushions and the type of padding that’s being used can all greatly influence how a headset feels when wearing it.
Best Budget Gaming Headset – Conclusion
If you’re getting a budget gaming headset, you’ll of course have to make some compromises. With that said: this lineup of budget gaming headsets are all great options to consider if you’re considering buying a dedicated gaming headset.
Thanks for reading!
