Changing your tunes
Give your games an audio upgrade with a punchy new headset. Lindsay Handmer tests nine options.
For those who like to play games a lot, a good headset is an essential bit of kit. It’s a musthave for LANing, but it also helps to avoid disrupting (or, ultimately, being distracted by) family and friends. What’s more, even if you don’t intend to use the microphone for voice chat, gaming headsets are often pretty good value compared to over-the-ear style headphones. Of course, they aren’t perfect, and tend to be focused towards immersive bass and clear voice, rather than perfectly recreating music.
For this month’s PC Gaming Annual, we’ve gathered up nine recent models and put them through their paces, with prices raning from the very affordable right up to the high end. Gaming headsets can be wired and wireless, though wired is often preferred for quality, reliability and, of course, price. Most headsets are stereo, but there are also models with virtual (as well as multi-driver) surround sound. They aren’t just for PC gaming either, and many of the tested include adaptors for use with consoles, smartphones and tablets.
There are some key features to look out for when comparing headsets. Some have retractable, or removable microphones (and even secondary mics within the inline controls) which makes them a little sleeker when using as headphones. We love models with pivoting earcups for extra comfort, as well as swappable padding for customised comfort. Inline controls make it very easy to physically adjust volume or mute your mic — though some models put the controls on the headset itself, which can be easier to use. Comfort can be subjective, but we find that headsets with large ear cups, and a self-adjusting bridge head support design tend to suit a large range of people.