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Best gaming headphones

Turns out the best headphones also make for the best gaming headphones.
By
March 25, 2022
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
By Audio-Technica
The Audio Technica ATH-M50X image against white background.
7.6
Check price
Positives
Sound quality
Solid build
Portable, durable build
Long cords included
Negatives
Proprietary cords
Heat build up
Tight fit
The Bottom Line.
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is a nearly perfect pick for all sorts of gamers, plus it can be a reliable pair of studio monitors for mixing music or listening to your tunes.Read full review...
AKG K371
By AKG
A product image of the AKG K371 headphones in black on a white background.
8.1
Check price
Positives
Sound quality
Comfort
Articulating, replaceable ear cups
Multiple accessories
Negatives
Isolation is just OK
Sound leaks
The Bottom Line.
Gamers looking to savor the soundtracks of their favorite titles will enjoy the AKG K371. It has large, comfortable ear cups and great sound quality to immerse you into digital worlds.Read full review...
Drop x Sennheiser HD6XX
By Drop x Sennheiser
A manufacturer render of the Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX.
7.8
Check price
Positives
Comfortable headband
Replaceable memory foam velour ear pads
Removable cable
Open-back
Negatives
Bulky
Noise leakage
No isolation
The Bottom Line.
If you want comfortable open-back headphones at a good price, the Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX is an excellent pickup.Read full review...
Bose QuietComfort 35 II
By Bose
The Bose QuietComfort 35 II noise canceling headphones in black against a white background.
8
Check price
Positives
Comfortable
Excellent ANC
Customizable controls
Wired and wireless listening options
Great sound quality
Negatives
SBC and AAC only, no aptX
No in-app EQ
The Bottom Line.
The Bose QuietComfort 35 II is comfortable for long hours while gaming, and it gives you excellent ANC to help you focus.Read full review...
Sennheiser HD 559
By Sennheiser
7.5
Check price
Positives
Price
Lightweight and comfortable
Open back design
Memory foam velour ear pads
Removable cables
Decent bass for open-backs
Negatives
Open-back build means background noise comes through
Rather delicate build quality
The Bottom Line.
At this price, the Sennheiser HD 559 still gives you a comfortable wearing experience plus an open back design, so it's a great value pick.Read full review...

Gaming headsets are tailor-made to work with some consoles and PCs, but what if you just want a solid pair of headphones you can also use for gaming? Something you can pair with a mic when you want to play, and then take along with you on the bus or the office, instead of having to buy a separate pair of headset. To straddle both these worlds, here are our picks for the best gaming headphones.

Editor’s note: this article was updated on May 16, 2023, to update picks and ensure accurate information.

Why is the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x the best pair of gaming headphones?

For a pair of gaming headphones that can do everything from hearing sniper shots to mixing your music, the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x is a nearly ideal pick. These studio monitors deliver great sound, a solid build from sturdy, lightweight plastic, and they even look cool during live streams.

Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
7.6
A man facing right plays guitar while wearing the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x.The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x laid flat on a wood surface.A close up of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x shows the connection point of the cable.A close-up of a man's head wearing the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x showing the importance of a good seal for audio quality.The isolation chart is for the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x.A chart depicts the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x frequency response against the SoundGuys Studio Curve V1.11, showing the ATH-M50x has a fairly good response with acceptable deviation in the sub-bass and midrange from our studio curve.
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x
Buy now
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You’ll enjoy a relatively neutral frequency response with a slight bass boost. This strikes a great middle-ground where you can hear higher frequencies (e.g., the snap of twigs from an enemy stalker’s boots), and enjoy a game’s soundtrack at the same time. Your everyday music listening will sound great, to boot. And if you want to mix audio, the ATH-M50x can do that too.

These headphones don’t have active noise canceling (ANC), but the isolation is good. The synthetic ear pads block out some background noise, but you’ll still hear low frequencies like a running dishwasher or dryer. While the synthetic ear cups are great because they’re easy to clean, they retain heat. You can get away with wearing the ATH-M50x for a couple of hours, but you’ll want to let your ears breathe every now and then. When you want to take the headset off, the cups rotate up to 90 degrees so that everything can rest flat around your neck.

A small foible is the proprietary nature of the included cords, which you’ll have to order exclusively from Audio-Technica if you lose or break one. That aside, however, these headphones make for a practically perfect pick for all sorts of gamers from casual players to hardcore speedrunners.

Yes, these headphones come in many colors (though some are limited editions or only available at certain retailers) you can look cool when wearing them, though appearances aren’t everything. After all, if you’ve already got an RGB gaming keyboard, chances are you like snazzy accessories too.

Currently, Amazon sells these color variants:

  • Black
  • Gunmetal
  • White
  • Metallic orange

The best gaming headphones for sound quality is the AKG K371

If you crave stellar sound above all else, then the AKG K371 is for you. This makes for a great pair of gaming headphones since its frequency response tracks the SoundGuys house curve quite well. In other words, the 50mm dynamic drivers reproduce sound that’s sure to please those with eclectic music taste and gamers alike. If you play games with orchestral soundtracks, you’ll definitely appreciate the K371 and will likely reach for it when you want to dive into your entire music collection, too.

AKG K371
8.1
A picture of the AKG K371 wired over-ear headphones on the included drawstring carrying pouch with the included cables.A picture of the AKG K371 wired over-ear headphones with the AKG headband in focus.The AKG K371 wired over-ear headphones' ear cup rotated back 45 degrees while being worn by a woman in profile.The AKG K371 wired over-ear headphones in profile on a lampshade.A frequency response chart for the AKG K371 closed-back headphones, which shows output very close to our house curve (albeit a bit quieter).An isolation chart for the AKG K371, which shows a decent degree of attenuation.

This pair of headphones is impressively comfortable thanks to memory foam ear pads with a soft-touch synthetic wrap, so you can keep enjoying that audio for hours, even with glasses. The ear cups also articulate upward 180 degrees, so you can hear your surroundings for a minute if needed. (This feature also makes it a solid option for DJs.)

Isolation performance is just okay, but if your gaming rig lives in a quiet room of its own, that won’t matter. The sound may leak out from these headphones, so a roommate may catch a bit of what you’re listening to. Those are minor pitfalls for such excellent sound quality, though. If you want to savor every nuance in the songs from your favorite games, this set of headphones fits that bill almost flawlessly.

You can’t use a 3.5mm mic with the K371, since the left headphone houses a mini-XLR connector. Instead, you’ll need to couple it with an external mic.

If you have an audio interface for your computer, you can pick up an XLR microphone, or just use a USB mic like the HyperX QuadCast S with your gaming station.

The best open-back gaming headphones is the Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX

If you want an audio profile that can only come from open-back headphones, then the time-honored choice has long been the Sennheiser HD 600. However, if you’re like the rest of us: you don’t have that kind of cash sitting about, so you want something that’s a little less expensive.

Drop x Sennheiser HD6XX
7.8
The Sennheiser HD 6XX headphones in black against a blurred out blue, shimmering background.The Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX and its velour ear pads.The Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX and its logo.The Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX on a desk.
Drop x Sennheiser HD6XX
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Enter the Drop x Sennheiser HD 6XX. This is a set of headphones that performs just about the same as the HD 600, but is made with less expensive manufacturing and comes in at about half the price. Not a bad deal if you’re into open-back headphones. Being open-back means these headphones should only be used in a quiet room, and they will leak lots of sound. Still, if you want the playback profile and frequency response that only open-back headphones can bring in a package built for gaming, this product fits the bill nicely.

The Philips Fidelio X2 open-back headphones lean against the Shure AONIC 50 Bluetooth headphones with noise canceling.
Lily Katz / SoundGuys
Open-back headphones are really only for at-home use, limiting their functionality compared to closed-back ones.

Open-back headphones let air pass through the ear cups from the rear of the speaker driver. This means the internal reflection of low-frequency sound within each headphone housing is less of an issue compared to closed-back headphones. This allows for a generally “clearer” sound that lets you better perceive high frequencies and panning from one channel to the other.

Closed-back headphones, on the other hand, are completely sealed around the driver and do a better job of blocking sound out (and keeping sound in). The sealed rear chamber means that you can take closed-back headphones out and about during a commute or to class, but you may notice that it’s harder to hear high-frequency detail through closed-back headphones compared to open ones.

The most comfortable gaming headphones is the Bose QuietComfort 35 II

Comfort matters when it comes to gaming headphones, because you’ll probably wear them for hours on end. That’s why the Bose QuietComfort 35 II, with its plush ear cups and a durable build, is such a good choice. As a result, you can keep the QC 35 II on, move your head around, and even toss it off all without worry

Bose QuietComfort 35 II
8
The Bose QuietComfort 35 II lying on an open book.A man's hand holds the Bose QC 35 II noise canceling wireless headphones.The Bose QuietComfort 35 II and the Google Assistant button is located on the ear cup.The Bose QuietComfort 35 II on a gridded surface next to two smartphones.The Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones in a man's hand.The Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones on a headphone stand in front of a computer and pumpkin.A chart showing the very effective noise canceling performance of the Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones, and Gaming Headset.A frequency response chart for the Bose QuietComfort 35 II noise canceling headphones.
Bose QuietComfort 35 II
Buy now
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The QuietComfort 35 II boasts excellent noise canceling, further adding to the comfort factor in loud environments, and making gaming sessions distraction-free. In fact, Bose even makes the QuietComfort 35 II Gaming Headset—It’s the same as the original, but with a mic tacked on. It works well, and if you don’t want to supply your own mic, it’s a good deal (the mic isn’t sold separately, if you’ve already got a Bose QC35II, though).

There are some small issues with the QuietComfort 35 II, but they aren’t deal breakers. Namely, it only supports the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs, but you should be using the wired mode anyway when gaming for a lag-free experience. Plus, it charges via microUSB, which while not awful is pretty outdated these days.

The best value in gaming headphones is the Sennheiser HD 559

If you have already spent big bucks on your gaming PC and monitor, then you might be reluctant to dish out on headphones. Thankfully, the Sennheiser HD 559 is a great value pick. You get an open-back design with velour ear pads at a much lower price than many other brands.

Sennheiser HD 559
7.5
A hand holds the Sennheiser HD 599 in front of a window with greenery.A man on a couch rests his head on a pillow while wearing the Sennheiser HD 599 and looking at a phone.A close up of a man wearing the Sennheiser HD 599 holding the ear cup.The Sennheiser HD 599 isolation performance shown on a chartOur house curve compared against the Sennheiser HD 599.

For a bit less than $100 USD, you can even leave this pair of headphones with your PC and use another pair for your daily listening. Sennheiser headphones generally don’t look fancy, but the HD 599 is solidly built and you can replace the ear pads to extend the headset’s life.

You will have to make some tradeoffs regarding sound quality and whiz-bang features, but the Sennheiser HD 559 still makes for an affordable and reliable pick to use with all sorts of games.

Is the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 worth buying?

Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 with one ear cup rotated laying flat on leaves.
Jasper Lastoria / SoundGuys
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 has all the features of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x but in a handy wireless package.

The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x makes for a great pair of gaming headphones, but what if you want that same package with the flexibility of Bluetooth, too? That’s where the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 comes in. It’s the same model of headphones as the former, but you can use either wired or wireless listening.

You get the SBC, AAC, and LDAC Bluetooth codecs, so you can use this set of Audio-Technica headphones for better on-the-go listening (though LDAC is sometimes unreliable). It also has all the bells and whistles of a modern pair of wireless headphones, including USB-C charging, button controls, and an app that lets you EQ the sound. Most gaming platforms don’t support Bluetooth audio—for good reason, given the latency it often has—but there’s always the wired connection option when you need it.

If being tethered to a wire all the time is a deal-breaker, but you otherwise want everything Audio-Technica offers, the ATH-M50xBT2 is worth a look.

What makes the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro a great set of headphones for gaming?

A man wears the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro studio headphones in front of a brick wall.
The Sennheiser HD 280 Pro may not look fancy, but you get a decent bang for your buck.

The Sennheiser HD 280 Pro is an over-ear option that costs around $100 USD, but it gives you plenty of features for the price. At the same time, it’s comfortable and doesn’t bump up the bass too much, which makes it good for gaming. You can even use these headphones to mix tracks or edit content, thanks to the relatively neutral frequency response.

The Sennheiser HD 280 Pro might start to feel hot if you wear it for a very long time. Another minor quibble: it looks kind of boring, but if you aren’t concerned about seeming cool during streaming, it’s a solid budget pick.

The best gaming headphones: Notable mentions

The Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X sits on a wood grain table.
Get yourself a USB gaming mic to use with the DT 900 PRO X and you’re off to the races.
  • Audio-Technica ATH-M40x: If you want most of the features and comfort of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, but don’t want to spend that much, the Audio-Technica ATH-M40x is a good pick. It’s not quite as snazzy looking, and its ear pads also retain heat, but otherwise you get most of the same experience for less cash.
  • Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X: The Beyerdynamic DT 900 PRO X is big, bulky, and heavy, but what you get in return is excellent sound from this open-back headset. This pair of open-back headphones might start to weigh you down after a while, though, and it costs around $300 USD, but if you don’t mind those factors, it works quite well as gaming headphones.
  • Shure AONIC 50: Gamers who value construction and sound quality above all else will like the Shure AONIC 50. This will cost you a pretty penny but in return, you get wired and wireless listening options with aptX, LDAC, AAC, and SBC codec options, removable ear pads, and USB-C charging with fast charge. If you want to spend slightly less and don’t mind less-than-premium materials, there’s the very similar Shure AONIC 40, too.
  • Sony WF-1000XM4: True wireless ear buds can be tricky to use for gaming, but with LDAC Bluetooth codec support and a comfortable fit, plus great ANC, the Sony WF-1000XM4 makes for a good pick if you prefer buds. If your content supports it, you can even take advantage of their 360 Reality Audio support.
  • V-MODA Crossfade 2 Wireless Codex Edition: V-MODA is known for its sturdy headsets and this is no exception with its MIL-STD 810G durability certification. You get SBC, AAC, and aptX Bluetooth codec options, and you can connect the headset to your console’s controller via the 3.5mm cable.

See also: The best gaming earbuds

Hold up! Something’s different:

Some of our picks’ frequency response and isolation charts were measured with our old testing system. We have since purchased a Bruel & Kjaer 5128 test fixture (and the appropriate support equipment) to update our testing and data collection. It will take a while to update our backlog of old test results, but we will update this article (and many others!) once we’re able with improved sound quality measurements and isolation performance plots. These will be made obvious with our new chart aesthetic (black background instead of white).

Thank you for bearing with us, and we hope to see you again once we’ve sorted everything out.

What to know about the best gaming headphones

Gaming headphones should be comfortable and durable, because you’re going to be wearing them for hours on end. But besides the obvious features to look out for, here are some other things you should consider before putting down cash on a pair.

How to turn any pair of headphones into gaming headphones

Beats headphones and V-MODA BoomPro X microphone against a reflective wooden surface.
The V-MODA BoomPro X attaches without much hassle to many models of over-ear headphones.

If you already like your current pair of headphones, or just bought one of our recommended pairs, you might be wondering if that’s all it takes. Chances are, however, when gaming you’ll want a better mic than most headphones include. That way, you can interact with teammates or streaming buddies clearly. A simple way to upgrade your mic is by attaching a boom mic, like the cardioid V-MODA BoomPro X to your headphones.

V-MODA BoomPro X microphone demo:

That mic isn’t the best one on the planet or anything, but it’s easy to use, relatively cheap, and you can attach or detach it as required without too much trouble. If you want to upgrade to something better, though, there’s a whole world of standalone mics to explore.

We have a guide on the external best microphones for gaming that you can dive into, another on the best podcast mics in case you want to make episodic content, or even USB mics if all your audio ports are full (or if your PC doesn’t have a mic jack).

Whichever option you choose, having a solid and reliable microphone will make your streaming and multiplayer experiences much more enjoyable.

There are plenty of add-on boom mics, and we recommend the following for your gaming endeavors:

How should headphones sound when gaming?

A frequency response chart for the Xbox Wireless Headset, which shows dramatically boosted bass.
An additional boost in bass is typical of gaming headsets, but the Microsoft Xbox Wireless Headset is a pretty intense example and ideally something you want to avoid.

You can quickly google and find plenty of headphones claiming to be suited for gaming, but there’s likely a large (actually, loud) problem with them: way too much bass. Headphone manufacturers do this because it’s an easy way to make headphones sound “impressive,” but it’s quite counterproductive to your needs when gaming. You can compensate for this to an extent by using an equalizer, but that can only get you so far.

Gaming headsets with too much bass are also less useful for chatting with teammates. That’s because their voices will sound “boomy” and “unnatural,” so you might strain to hear other people or have to ask them to repeat themselves. Being the one teammate who keeps asking “what’d you say?” is never great.

Amping up the bass can make it hard to hear all other frequencies in your music or gaming mix, which means you’ll have a slower reaction time to nearby enemies.  If your headphones keep pumping out way too much bass, you may miss key sounds in the mids and highs like footsteps, distant voices, and other cues that enemies are nearby or you’re missing key quest objectives. Passing a power-up because you couldn’t hear the special puzzle noise would be a big bummer.

Should gaming headphones block out noise?

A chart showing the very effective noise canceling performance of the Bose QuietComfort 35 II headphones, and Gaming Headset.
The Bose QuietComfort 35 II and the Bose QuietComfort 35 II Gaming Headset let you use ANC to block out noises and focus on gaming.

Though this might seem obvious, it actually depends on what games you play and the types of environments in which you play them. There’s also the question of active versus passive noise reduction, so you’ve got a few factors to consider here.

If you plan to game in a relatively quiet room, that brings up the opportunity to use open-back headphones. These headphones offer no noise canceling or isolation, but in return, you get a large “soundscape” or “soundstage.” That means your ears can better discern the directional nature of a sound. Basically, the sounds coming from your game will better reflect where they originate from the in-game environment. As a result, you can better pick up where an enemy sniper or call for help is coming from.

However, the downsides to this configuration are, of course, no isolation or ANC. That means any external noises will make it to your ears, which can cause auditory masking or distract you from your play session. Furthermore, sound will “leak” out of your headphones and other people in the room with you may hear it, which they could find annoying. If you game in a home with distracting noises or other occupants, then choosing isolating or ANC headphones might work better for you.

You lose out on some of that spatial feeling, but you gain the ability to block out many external distractions and focus. These headphones also tend to have large, plush ear cups, which helps in the comfort department as well as isolation. Some people really dislike the “suction” or “clamping” feeling of strongly isolating or ANC headphones, however.

Ultimately, the choice depends on your budget (fancy open-back headphones tend to cost a lot, but so do many ANC models, so shop around), comfort level, play style, and the type of gaming setup you’ve got.

What type of headphones should you use for gaming?

Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X on head
Over-ear headphones often have large, padded ear cups and a soft covering on the band, making them comfortable for marathon gaming sessions.

At SoundGuys, we recommend over-ear headphones for gaming. They tend to have large, padded ear cups which are more comfortable for long hours than on- or in-ear designs, though the JBL Quantum 50 earbuds is an exception here. They let you wear glasses (contacts are not ideal for staring at the screen), and tend to provide better isolation, sound quality, and ease of use than other options, too—all for a fraction of the cost of most over-ear gaming options.

In-ears may work for you, but keep in mind you’ll be gaming for long durations, so you might need to stop and take breaks to remove the buds. Plus, it is much harder to add a boom mic setup to in-ear headphones, whereas on over-ears there’s always a handy place to pin one.

Frequently asked questions about gaming headphones

This is comfortable to wear with glasses. It doesn’t leak sound, so you can use it in a room with another person.

Yes, but it’s not ideal to use computer speakers for gaming at the same time as a mic. Consider the fact that it would be really easy to create a feedback loop and thus cause extreme ringing in the ears of your teammates or stream watchers. Plus, you might lose out on spatial cues within the game. Speakers might work if you’re enjoying a single-player game at home, but otherwise, they may not serve you as efficiently and easily as a pair of headphones.

If your preferred console has a standard wired mic jack (check to make sure), then yes. If you want a wireless option, you’ll have to get a console-specific headset for Xbox One or PlayStation 5. The one exception is the Nintendo Switch, which supports Bluetooth audio, but that also might mean latency issues.

Well, there’s technically nothing stopping you from trying, but we cannot vouch for or recommend any third-party or aftermarket modifications.