Having a headset can really improve your gaming life.
Not only do they facilitate easy communication in online titles, with some advanced house-cancelling microphones that keep your voice clear despite the noise going on around you, but they can also add positional audio to your gaming armoury, telling you whether another player is about to ambush you just from the sound of their footsteps.
Gaming headsets can be wired or wireless, with the latter providing a bit more freedom to move around without the fear of the cable pulling tight and the plug coming out. Many of the budget gaming headsets here are wired models, but this can be an advantage. Not only do wired headsets not need a battery or charging up, but the generic 3.5mm audio connector means they can be used on multiple devices, meaning you don’t need to buy more than one. They lack the freedom and convenience of wireless headsets, but make up for it by providing decent sound and a built-in mic that can be used across many devices.
What’s more important is their compatibility, as some are aimed at PC gamers, and others at users of the different consoles. Some are made by the hardware manufacturers themselves, while others are from third-party companies and can outstrip the official models in terms of features and sound quality.
It’s that sound quality that is perhaps the most important thing to look out for. It’s no good getting a headset that can light up like a Christmas tree, or has a cup holder for your favourite beverage, if once it’s on you can’t tell the difference between the different types of gunshot in a military shooter, or which makes your voice so fuzzy your cries for a medic go unheeded. You’re going to be listening to a lot of music through your headset too, so a good sound response will elevate this to an even better experience.
Headsets can vary in price up to several hundred pounds, and while it’s perfectly possible to use a pair of wireless earbuds with your games, connecting via Bluetooth, having a dedicated headset is a step up in comfort and sound quality. Here are some of the best that won’t leave you out of pocket.
Best cheap gaming headset at a glance:
- Best for PlayStation owners: Sony INZONE H3 - £55, Argos
- Best for 7.1 virtual surround: EKSA Star Engine E5000 Pro - £55, Eksa
- Best for younger gamers: Logitech G435 Lightspeed - £75, Amazon
- Best for PlayStation comfort: Trust Gaming GXT 488 Forze - £40, Amazon
- Best for multiplatform surround sound: Corsair HS65 Surround - £50, Amazon
- Best for a stealthier design: Turtle Beach Recon 500 - £70, Amazon
- Best for Xbox players: Xbox Stereo Wired Headset - £55, Amazon
- Best for low-budget sound: Venom Sabre Multi-Format Gaming Headset - £30, Amazon
Sony INZONE H3
Best for: PlayStation owners
You can’t go wrong with first-party accessories for your console, so this budget-priced Sony headset is a no-brainer for PlayStation owners. It’s a wired model, and Inzone is Sony’s name for cross-platform accessories, so you’ll be able to plug it into a PC or Switch too.
The 40mm drivers produce a good sound, with 360 Spatial Sound that can tap into the PlayStation 5’s positional audio capabilities. The earcups are soft nylon, and the mic is crisp and clear, though it can’t be detached from the headset. Sony’s top-of-the-range Pulse 3D Elite headset is almost three times the cost, so this starts to look like a good deal in comparison.
Buy now £55.00, Argos
EKSA Star Engine E5000 Pro
Best for: 7.1 virtual surround
Prices for this wired headset can vary wildly, but it’s £55 from the manufacturer’s site. Both USB and 3.5mm cables are included, so you can quickly hook it up to just about anything.
The thick foam padding on the earcups makes them a comfortable headset to wear, and there are 50mm drivers inside them that provide 7.1 virtual surround sound, with a switch to swap back to normal stereo if you want. It produces a good, balanced sound that’s not too bass-heavy. The detachable microphone has noise cancellation, and can remove quieter sounds, such as typing, from your audio.
Buy now £55.00, EKSA
Logitech G435 Lightspeed
Best for: younger gamers
This brightly coloured headset fits a smaller head - adults may find it uncomfortably tight. It’s compact all over, as the beam-forming microphone is a nub on the left earcup rather than an extended boom, and at 165g, it’s extremely light.
It connects using Bluetooth or its own USB dongle, which makes it versatile enough to connect to multiple devices such as a console, PC or tablet, with support for Dolby Atmos, Tempest 3D Audio, and Windows Sonic via its 40mm drivers.
Buy now £75.00, Amazon
Trust Gaming GXT 488 Forze
Best for: PlayStation comfort
This extremely low-priced headset is aimed at PS4 and PS5 owners, and is officially licensed by Sony, but doesn’t offer any kind of surround sound from its 50mm drivers.
There's an inline remote on the 3.5mm cable, and plenty of comfortable padding on the earcups and headband. The sound quality can be bassy, but with games offering plenty in the way of engine sounds, explosions and monster roars sometimes this is what you want.
Buy now £40.00, Amazon
Corsair HS65 Surround
Best for: multiplatform surround sound
Corsair makes a lot of headsets, but this wired surround-sound model is one of the best if you’re on a budget. There are cheaper examples available, but the broad compatibility of the HS65 - it’s a virtual surround headset over USB for PC and consoles, and a stereo headset over a 3.5mm jack for anything else - makes it a winner at the price. There's a wireless version too, but it costs more.
Buy now £50.00, Amazon
Turtle Beach Recon 500
Best for: a stealthier design
Many gaming headsets look the part, with some design decisions that may leave some users scratching their heads. Not so this model from Turtle Beach, which looks very much like a normal pair of matte black over-ear headphones with a mic boom attached (or detached, as it’s removable).
There are large 60mm drivers inside its padded earcups, and this helps to provide improved audio quality with little distortion, and while there's no virtual surround sound or USB connections on offer, the headset remains an excellent choice for PC and console owners.
Buy now £70.00, Amazon
Xbox Stereo Wired Headset
Best for: Xbox players
The cheaper version of Microsoft’s excellent Xbox headset - the wireless version can be found for around £90 - attaches to your Xbox controller with a 3.5mm cable, though this means it’s able to make a noise while attached to many other devices too.
Neither the cable nor the microphone boom is detachable, but you get good audio quality from both, and the positioning of the large volume dial on the right-hand earcup makes it easy to adjust while wearing them. It can be a tight fit for larger heads, but there's plenty of padding to help it remain comfortable through longer playing sessions.
£55.00, Amazon
Venom Sabre Multi-Format Gaming Headset
Best for: low-budget sound
Venom’s flexible headset is fully adjustable and well-padded, making it a good choice if you’re looking for something comfortable to wear for longer periods. The microphone arm is retractable rather than removable, and can fit completely inside the left earcup, effectively turning the headset into a pair of wired headphones.
There are 50mm drivers but no virtual surround sound support or USB connection, and the mic lacks noise-cancellation too, but overall it’s a good quality stereo headset at a very attractive price.
Buy now £30.00, Amazon
Verdict
Anything to do with gaming tends to be expensive, but that doesn’t have to be the case with headsets. You can get extremely good sound quality for under £100, and in many cases even less than that, as models like Sony’s INZONE H3 and the EKSA Star Engine E5000 Pro show.
