The best wireless gaming headsets are all superior sound without being tied to your PC or console. In most cases there is a premium attached to that freedom, though you can bet that the best wireless headsets today sound just as good, and carry just as miniscule a latency, as their wired counterparts.
Right now the best gaming headset is the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless (opens in new tab). That's because alongside fantastic audio quality, it bares two of the most important features wireless gaming headsets need: a flawless connection and a great battery life. The best gaming headsets I've tested will last a few days on a single charge—30 hours of battery life is a decent starting point. But don't be surprised if you see some premium headsets offering literally hundreds of hours of battery life.
I'm glad I'm seeing more headsets featuring Bluetooth connectivity, since it frees up a USB slot that would be taken up by a wireless dongle, and you can connect your phone to them. But it's worth noting that often a Bluetooth connection is used only for a battery-saving option, because as a gamer you're going to want to go for an essentially lag-free 2.4GHz connection instead.
If you're a serious audiophile whose primary focus is music instead of gaming, you should check out our picks for the best headphones for gaming (opens in new tab) (they're not just for gaming). The real bargains will be found in the best gaming headsets guide, but they won't provide the magical air of freedom the ones below will.
Best wireless gaming headsets
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The HyperX Cloud Alpha is perhaps the most praised thing to exist on this site. We all love it on team and now HyperX has cut the cord on its best pair of cans. The biggest drawcard for this headset is the new huge battery. This is offering up to 300 hour battery life while in wireless mode while still keeping the headset relatively light and comfortable. It's a pretty massive feat and I feel HyperX has pulled it off.
Out of the box this unit was reporting having about 80% charge, so I decided to leave it there to see how well that held. I spent a work day listening to music and checked the battery again: I swear it still said 80%. I have been using this thing for gaming and music listening pretty consistently for the past week and I'm not even at 50% battery yet.
That impressive battery life is of course, a best case scenario. A lot of that has to do with the volume you're running the headset at, and volume is probably my only real complaint. It's absolutely loud enough but I can listen to it at full volume and still be fairly comfortable.
The sound quality truly is incredible.
But the sound quality truly is incredible. Music sounds amazing. It's always fun to listen to some of my favourite sound heavy songs on a good pair of cans and try to pick the different instruments or bites used. These do an excellent job, and are definitely one of the better gaming headsets I've used to listen to music on. When playing games the directional sound is also very nice. I was able to easily locate hidden batteries by directional beeps in Deep Rock Galactic, and had a wonderful time bouncing along to the tight beats of Shadow Warrior 3. I loaded up some Doom Eternal and promptly terrified myself. If you've ever wanted to know what it sounds like having a Cacodemon suddenly show up and whisper sweet blah-things into very specifically your left ear then these can absolutely deliver.
The Cloud line is always touted for comfort and despite the hefty battery this still definitely fits the bill. I'm someone who struggles with too much weight or tightness on my head, and I have a real sensitivity to uncomfortable headsets. The top band is thick and has soft padding underneath. This coupled with the equally soft ear cups makes for a very cozy experience, and does an excellent job of blocking out noise.
Sadly, the mic is your fairly standard affair and while it will work just fine for chat in games, it's very basic and uninspired when it comes to sound quality.
Though all things considered, I struggle to imagine a customer who wouldn't be happy with these as a wireless gaming headset. They're pricey, but within reason for their specs, and they certainly deliver on everything you could want for gaming, and listening to music, on your PC.
Read our full HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless review (opens in new tab).
The wired Razer BlackShark V2 is our favorite gaming headset (opens in new tab) and the wireless 'Pro' version takes all of the best bits from those excellent headphones and snips off the cable. It was previously sat in the number one spot but with the Cloud Alpha Wireless offering similarly excellent audio but with an absolute massive battery, we gave it to HyperX cans. That said, the BlackShark V2 Pro is regularly discounted as it's been around a little longer now, and with a big enough discount we'd definitely make the switch to Razer's pair.
The BlackShark V2 Pro is still the gaming headset I use on a daily basis, despite the fact I've got $400 and $1,300 planar magnetic headphones, both over and in-ear, in my kit cupboard. Largely that's because of the freedom of wireless connectivity, but also because the audio experience is as good as any dedicated gaming headset is able to offer.
The TriForce driver design apes the fantastic HyperX Cloud Alpha headset and matches its fantastic audio delivery, helping knock the previous top gaming headphones off their perch. They feel detailed, punchy, yet still rich enough to deliver an incredible experience in your chosen gameworld.
The BlackShark V2 Pro is still the gaming headset I use on a daily basis.
They're also super comfortable too and, call me a luddite, but having a physical volume dial is incredibly useful, and saves me otherwise fumbling around for buttons on an earcup. In fact, our only real issue is that I'm not a fan of their wee boom mic, but given there are some fantastic budget gaming mics (opens in new tab) out there right now, that's not a biggy.
When they were $180 the BlackShark V2 Pro was an excellent, though expensive wireless headset, but now it's regularly down to the $130 mark it's absolutely the one I'd recommend to my friends. And you, my new friends.
SteelSeries' Arctis Nova Pro wireless gaming headset comes in with an entirely new design, a far cry from previous Arctis models. That's not just in terms of audio and quality of life features, but also style and overall craftsmanship. The Nova nomenclature comes from the Latin novus, meaning new. Appropriate for a gaming headset that manages to branch out into somewhat uncharted territory, though you'll be paying a premium for the privilege of gaming at the cutting edge. Think in the region of $350 (£330).
In order to make that price worth it, SteelSeries' plan is to make the Arctis Nova Pro your 'everything' headset—not just the one you use for gaming. The real champion feature here is the multi-system connect feature, which lets you connect to two different devices via 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth simultaneously. The freedom to listen to a podcast on your cell while playing games on your PC, then switch off the Wi-Fi and walk out the door, listening uninterrupted, is kind of revolutionary for SteelSeries, though there are many headsets out there that do offer it.
The Arctis Nova Pro's made even more portable with a pair of hot-swappable, lithium-ion batteries. These charge up in under an hour slotted into the side of the ESS Sabre Quad-DAC, or through USB Type-C charging cable connected to the headset. I've not had to plug in once in the month I've had it; I just swap the battery over when one's about to die, which takes a good two and a half days of full use.
The Nova pro beats out every headset on our list when it comes to quality of life features, but it's also a heck of a lot more expensive than your average wireless gaming headset. Still, the absolute torrent of functionality really has me wanting to recommend the Nova Pro.
The DAC for both the PlayStation and Xbox versions is well designed (each one's slightly different looking) and keeps a lot of these settings close at hand so you can switch them around in the game, without alt-tabbing out. On both, there's a 3.5mm line in and out, as well as two USB Type-C connections for a 'first in gaming' multi-system connection, so you can keep your PlayStation 5 and your PC connected at all times.
The Nova pro beats out every headset on our list when it comes to quality of life features, but it's also a heck of a lot more expensive than your average wireless gaming headset. here
Also, the DAC serves as a 96kHz/24-bit amplifier, similar to that of the Arctis Pro (opens in new tab)+ which also touts a wide 10-40kHz frequency response. Coupled with the Sonar equalizer, the quality of the newly designed drivers becomes immensely clear.
On the one hand, you could bag this super high-spec gaming headset that's been thoughtfully redesigned considering the successes and failures of previous generations; or you could essentially pay yourself $100 dollars to get a cheaper gaming headset, but forgo the utterly untethered, exemplary connectivity and sheer craftsmanship of the Nova Pro. Honestly, I'd rather blow the full $350, and screw the Nova Pro to my head for good.
Read our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro review (opens in new tab).
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Corsair's HS80 RGB Wireless Gaming Headset is easily one of the best headsets the company has ever made and also one of the best wireless headsets around. It takes some of the best headset features available and executes them really well. At $150, it boasts the latest and greatest lag-free Slipstream Wireless tech, high fidelity audio, and Dolby Atmos. The microphone is outstanding and the new design lets you wear them for ages without fatigue.
It's said that imitation is the highest form of flattery and the new HS80 imitates some of the best headsets from Steelseries. Corsair has finally adopted the same floating headband design that uses an adjustable strap to evenly distribute the weight across your noggin. Furthermore, the HS80 feels bulkier on my head than any Steelseries headset but at 370g, it's not much heavier. The ear cushions use plush, breathable fabric that wraps around your ears like a warm blanket, too, but can get humid in summers.
The HS80's ear cups can swivel 90-degrees and each one has a backlit Corsair logo. You can change the lighting in the Corsair iCUE, and it's actually quite understated.
It's the spatial audio where the HS80 surprises, with impressive 3D audio and accurate positioning.
The HS80 uses 50mm drivers that output 24-bit/48kHz audio over Slipstream wireless and a higher fidelity 24-bit/96kHz over a USB Type-C cable. The latter will require something better than your typical Spotify to notice the difference though.
But all this just means that the HS80's sound fantastic with rich, full-body sound with well-balanced bass. The sub-bass can be a little lacking at times and I noticed some distortion even at low volumes. This holds the HS80 back from true greatness but there's an EQ in iCUE that you can play with to fine-tune the audio to your liking.
However, it's the spatial audio where the HS80 surprises, with impressive 3D audio and accurate positioning. This, as you can imagine, is great for games like first-person shooters or large open-world environments. This is made even better with support for Dolby Atmos and Corsair provides an automatic license with the headset. I've been playing a lot of Halo Infinite which supports Dolby Atmos and it has sounded amazing on these cans.
Battery life on the HS80 was consistent with the marketing claims of 20 hours. For me, this meant charging the headset every two days—with 10 hours of work and play each day. I didn't test to see if turning off the RGB lighting made a significant difference but given how small the lights are, I doubt it. Charging the HS80 is easy thanks to a Type-C connection that also allows you to listen to them while it charges.
The Corsair HS80 is a great headset. It sounds great in both games and other media with a wonderful implementation of Dolby Atmos. If you do a lot of chat, the microphone is one of the best we've tested.
Read our full Corsair HS80 RGB review (opens in new tab).
Wireless gaming headset FAQ
How does PC Gamer test wireless gaming headsets?
Many of the qualities you’re looking for from a wireless headset are the same you’d hope to find in any audio equipment—tone, build quality, and reliability leading the charge. As such, we listen to each review model while playing different genres of games, listening to music, and watching movies with bombastic sound effects and surround mixes—think less Werner Herzog, more Chris Nolan.
There are a few wireless-specific elements we need to test for, too: battery life, charge time, range, and latency. The former is pretty self-explanatory, though, in addition to an ‘everyday use’ battery life test, we also run the headset at full volume to discover how quickly the charge drains under those conditions. To ascertain charge time, we… well, we charge the headsets and note how long it takes.
Range and latency are trickier to test scientifically. However, having a pleasant walk around the house gives a good indication of range, and latency ultimately comes down to perception. After several days of use, we’re in an excellent place to make the call on a headset with all that taken into account.
Are wireless headphones okay for gaming?
There are some for whom nanoseconds do matter, or at least are perceived to, and they may wish to steer clear of wireless headphones, but for the majority of us, there is little problem with the best wireless gaming headsets today.
Unless you connect via Bluetooth, however. That is the laggiest of current wireless connections, with a 2.4GHz wireless interface able to deliver the audio performance that won't get in the way of your game.
Are wireless gaming headsets more expensive?
The sad fact is that you are likely to be paying a premium for a wireless version of any product. You have to factor in the extra design, the extra connectivity peripherals (the wireless dongle, etc.), and the fact you now have to have a battery.
Are wireless gaming headsets heavier than wired ones?
Generally, because of that added battery, you will find that a wireless version of a gaming headset will weigh slightly more than its wired equivalent. Taking the number two on the list, the Razer Blackshark V2 Pro weighs 42g more than the wired, non-Pro version.
