It seems like everywhere you look for headset recommendations, you’ll come across someone singing the praises of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro – us included. It’s the current top pick in our overall best gaming headset roundup and it’s also tremendous when using it on the PS5. You still get all the great features with some new technology including active noise cancellation and improved audio all around. Using a hybrid noise-canceling system with four mics, you can drown out harsh noises from outside your room to the ambient hum of loud fans. But it's the full compatiblity with the PS5’s Tempest 3D audio that give it the edge, which is one of console-specific perks you should expect from a top-end headset such as this one.

Most importantly, the Nova Pro offers some fantastic sound quality out of the box with bold and balanced audio for those PlayStation-exclusive single-player cinematic experiences. Its positional audio is great as well, so it's easier to hear enemy footsteps around the corner or gauge the distance of action happening in a competitive shooter like Call of Duty Warzone or Apex Legends.

The Arctis Nova Pro represents the biggest design shift since the start of the Arctis lineup. Its telescoping arms on its adjustable headband better accommodate larger head sizes and proper fitment. The earcups are also slimmer and sleeker, giving off less of a gaming headset vibe and more of a look akin to wireless headphones without sacrificing the comfort SteelSeries headsets are known for. And one of our favorite features remains intact with a few upgrades: the hot-swappable rechargeable battery system. This means that when the battery runs low during a gaming session, you can quickly change it out without having to plug in, giving you wireless freedom indefinitely.

The Arctis Nova Pro is one of the best headsets you can buy right now, regardless of platform but especially for PS5. It’s well-rounded with uniquely robust features, great sound quality for gaming, and comfort to keep you going. Take our word for it – in our Arctis Nova Pro headset review, it earned a rare 10 for all the aforementioned reasons and more.

The PlayStation Pulse Elite wireless headset turned out to be an absolute beast when we reviewed it, which didn’t come as much of a surprise considering its more affordable counterpart, the Pulse 3D, was already a fantastic headset. It has some versatility with Bluetooth connectivity, but when connected to the PS5 with the USB dongle, you can access EQ settings and 3D audio natively. Additionally, you’re able to get audio feeds from both the PS5 and a Bluetooth device simultaneously. With a sleek unibody design, its on-device controls are easy to use since it’s easy to distinguish each button.

But at the end of the day, it’s all about audio quality, and the Pulse Elite delivers on that front. The planar magnetic audio drivers help minimize distortion and provide tremendous sound quality that’ll get the most out of your games. There’s strong bass that doesn’t overpower other frequencies, and playing games at loud volumes doesn’t sound harsh when it comes to the mids and highs. Especially when you use the right EQ settings, the Pulse Elite sounds tuned just right for each game. Sony's own Tempest 3D audio is the cherry on top, and a single-player game that takes advantage of this feature gives the experience of an immersive soundstage few headsets can pull off right.

For $150, you’re getting a lot for your money. It’s priced well below other high-end headsets, yet performs on par with many of them. It’s also packed with several extra features that make the most of the PS5 as a platform. For all that and more, the Pulse Elite is one of the best PS5 headsets you can get today.

The new Sony InZone H9 II gaming headset impresses on many fronts even with its relatively heftier price tag, but above all else, its positional audio is outstanding. It's built for competitive gaming and by extension, the implementation of Tempest 3D audio on the PS5 is some of the best I've experienced. While the overall sound quality struggles to compete with others in its price range, it's well ahead of the Pulse 3D and Pulse Elite headsets with booming bass and clean mids and treble.

When I reviewed the InZone H9 II headset earlier this year, I concluded, "There's a lot I like about the Sony InZone H9 II gaming headset, especially in its lightweight and unassuming design. It's one of the most comfortable options out there complemented by soft fabric earpads and low clamp force. And when it comes to competitive gaming, the audio profile you get is both punchy and detailed, but it'll take some adjustments to get the best sound out of them for music and other games – once it's set, it shines. ANC performance is fantastic, although it'll emphasize the relatively short battery life. At this demanding of a price tag, you have plenty of great options at this upper echelon of gaming headsets – however, if you're willing to mess with settings to get the most out of it for different listening scenarios, I have no trouble recommending the InZone H9 II."

Although our overall top pick is the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro and the Pulse Elite on the more affordable end of things, the Audeze Maxwell 2 wedges itself in by prioritizing pure audio quality above all else. Relatively speaking, it's not quite as feature-rich or user-friendly (given how heavy and big the headset itself actually is), but playing any of PlayStation's first-party games or a competitive shooter with the Maxwell 2 will show you why it outclasses other headsets in its price range. It's easy to point to the 90mm planar magnetic drives as the standout spec, but Audeze fine-tuned it based on the already fantastic original Maxwell. I often describe the listening experience as having a home theater strapped to your head because not only does every frequency come through cleanly at loud volumes with strong bass, but you also get a spacious sound profile. It's something headsets tend to struggle with, often due to the nature of

Sony owns Audeze, and while there aren't features that go above-and-beyond on the PS5, you get a great implementation of Tempest 3D audio and this is a fantastic option for single-player games. Virtual surround can be hit-or-miss on headsets, but the Maxwell 2 executes on it well. It also nails core aspects you need from a headset; super-long battery life upwards of 80 hours from a full charge, a solid microphone with good noise isolation, and great comfort to wear for long sessions (despite the heavier weight). The USB-C dongle lets you use it natively on PlayStation and PC to make connectivity easy, and it can be used as a wired headset, too.

Spending $300 or more on a gaming headset can be intimidating, but if you're interested in making the jump, you won't be disappointed by the best-in-class sound quality, which is the biggest reason it earned a 9 in my review of the Audeze Maxwell 2.

The latest headset from Razer took me by surprise with how much it genuinely improved over its previous model. With the new BlackShark V3 Pro, you get a rare combo of top-notch audio performance, long-term comfort with sports mesh padding, and powerful active noise cancellation. Even with the sports mesh upholstery on the earpads, which typically doesn't create as good of a seal for natural sound isolation compared to leatherette, it is impressively strong at blocking outside noise through ANC. While many other headsets come with some noticeable distortion with ANC enabled, the BlackShark V3 Pro still comes through with clean and detailed sound quality. So, if ANC is of utmost importance, Razer is doing it better than most here.

While every model of the BlackShark V3 Pro will work on the PS5, there is a white color scheme with blue stitching to match the platform's aesthetic, and it looks fantastic. More importantly, its expansive feature set helps it stand out from a crowded lineup; wired analog audio, Bluetooth, ANC, great microphone clarity, fine-tuned EQ profiles, solid battery life, smart implementation of 3D audio, sensible onboard controls, and the lowest latency (on paper) from a wireless headset thus far. Razer paid attention to the little things, and it paid off in a worthy flagship product.

There was a lot to praise in my review of the BlackShark V3 Pro, even though it comes in at a whopping $250 at retail price. It has a fairly balanced audio profile, but can really sing with punchy bass and clean mids when tuned right, which was apparent in the many rounds of Call of Duty Warzone I played when I was reviewing it. When you stack it against the likes of the Audeze Maxwell and SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro recommended above, it easily competes with those high-end juggernauts, making it one of the top gaming headsets for PS5 and one of Razer's best yet.

Years of solid headsets proves that Turtle Beach knows what it's doing, and its high-end offerings have been competitive options for a while now. But as I go down the pricing hierarchy, there are still impressive headsets like the Stealth 500 that punches above its weight. Although it’s quite bulky in its physical build, I find the Stealth 500 to be smartly designed with a super flexible headband that's durable and lightweight, which also translates to solid comfort that’s easy on the ears.

What's most important is sound quality, and what you get from the Stealth 500 is nothing to scoff at. While it may struggle in higher frequencies, which tend to sound a bit crunchy at louder volumes, its strong bass and clear mids make games sound full without coming across as artificial. With the Swarm II software’s Signature Sound profile, you’ll be set without having to fiddle with too many settings. Its positional audio was great as well, which I sussed out while playing ranked matches of Counter-Strike 2, so you don’t really need to shell out the big bucks to get that kind of advantage in competitive games on PS5.

Even at this price point, you get Bluetooth capabilities and can swap between devices with the press of a button. While the mic isn’t anything to boast about, it’s serviceable and can be customized in the software as well. It’s no surprise that there are compromises that need to be made in budget-level headsets, but it gets the essentials right, which earned it an 8 in my Stealth 500 review.

No matter which version of the HyperX Cloud headset you go with, you'll be getting a quality product. If you’re running on a budget and want to get the most bang for your buck, I always recommend the wired HyperX Cloud III, which can often be found below its $100 base price. It punches above its weight with impressive sound and mic quality and great comfort. Plus, it’s built like a brick house so it’s not going to fall apart through years of use.

Out of the box, the Cloud III impressed me with its build and durability – its aluminum frame can be flexed and contorted in any which direction without ever feeling like it’s going to break. Stretching the headset out to fit on your head is super easy and you can toss them on your desk without worrying about damaging them. It's built for comfort as well with dense foam earpads wrapped in a leatherette (just be aware it tends to get a bit sweaty), although its clamp force may be a bit much for some.

At the end of the day, it’s all about sound quality and the Cloud III handles various frequencies wonderfully. In my Cloud III headset review, I felt comfortable tracking enemy footsteps while playing a ton of Valorant and enjoyed the balanced audio in Final Fantasy XIV, which this more budget-friendly headset handled gracefully. Assuming you’re on a budget, you probably don’t want to spend extra on a decent microphone – luckily, the mic clarity on the Cloud III was equally as impressive.

While there is a wireless version of the Cloud III available, the wired model presents some of the best value and performance. Something like the Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Pro is a current analog favorite, but since you're plugging into the DualSense when you're using a wired headset on PS5, it somewhat limits what you can get out of said headset. Thus, the Cloud III strikes the better value proposition.

Gaming earbuds are a fairly recent trend with the notable peripheral companies like Razer, Asus, and PlayStation making their own that are suited for games. It's tough because of the limited driver size and battery life, earbuds tend to make sacrifices in one way or another. But the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are so impressive because of how uncompromising these little rounded buds are.

On top of having solid foundations of sound quality, battery life, and long-term comfort, SteelSeries has one of the most robust software suites, which is easily controllable through a mobile app. This takes out the inconvenience of having to flip through PS5 menus to customize the earbuds, while also letting you access its 100+ custom-tuned EQ profiles easily.

Although there are a few minor inconveniences with how some of its quality-of-life features work (autoplay when taking it on and off, connecting through Bluetooth reliably), the GameBuds do all the important things extremely well. While you should definitely use these as your primary earbuds to listen to music on your phone, they really shine in games with the kind of bold audio experience you expect from a headset. For all that and more, I gave a 9 to the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds in my review, and they'll pair nicely with your PS5.

At $160, these have cheaper base price than the Razer Hammerheads I previously recommended. While I still think the Hammerheads have a very slight edge in sound quality, it's the battery life, software support, and overall comfort that make the GameBuds the best all around.

Best PS5 Headset Changelog

• 2/6/26: Updated our high-end pick from the Audeze Maxwell to its successor, the Maxwell 2. It's a bit heavier, but has an updated strap alongside its outstanding battery and sound quality.
• 8/6/25: The newly released Razer BlackShark V3 Pro replaced the Alienware Pro as the top pick for best noise-canceling headset, which just edged it out with its ANC performance, feature set, and overall sound quality. My former pick is still a great headset, however, which I outline in my Alienware Pro review.

It’s hard not to fall in love with the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. You still get all the great features of the previous SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless with some new technology, including active noise cancellation and improved audio all around. Using a hybrid noise-canceling system with four mics, it can drown out everything from harsh noises from outside your room to the ambient hum of loud fans.

Most importantly, the Nova Pro offers some fantastic sound quality out of the box with bold and balanced audio. Its spatial audio onboard is crucial as well, so it's easy to hear enemy footsteps around the corner or gauge the distance of action happening in a competitive shooter. And you can make some next-level customizations to the EQ settings and game-chat mix with Sonar and the SteelSeries GG app – good luck going back to your ordinary headphones for anything but listening to podcasts or the news.

With SteelSeries’ latest top-end headset, we see the biggest design shift since the start of the Arctis lineup. The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless sports telescoping arms on its adjustable headband so it can better accommodate larger head sizes. The earcups are also slimmer and sleeker, giving off less of a gaming headset vibe and more of a look akin to wireless headphones without sacrificing the comfort SteelSeries headsets are known for. And one of our favorite features remains intact with a few upgrades: the hot-swappable rechargeable battery system. This means that when the battery runs low during a gaming session, you can quickly change it out without having to plug in, giving you wireless freedom indefinitely.

The Arctis Nova Pro is one of the best headsets you can buy right now. It’s well-rounded with uniquely robust features, great sound quality for gaming, and comfort to keep you going. Take our word for it – in our Arctis Nova Pro headset review, it earned a rare 10 for all the aforementioned reasons and more.

Beyerdynamic is one of the many audiophile-focused brands that have entered the gaming headset space in more recent times. Its latest in the MMX 300 Pro and MMX 330 Pro make slight upgrades over its predecessors in overall design, but brings similarly powerful audio performance. It provides the kind of sound quality you’d expect from studio-grade headphones like the DT 770 or DT 990, but packs them into a wired headset that’s easy to wear for hours on end. The two models only have one distinction: The MMX 300 Pro is closed-back and the MMX 330 Pro is open-back. I personally prefer the audio profile of an open-back headset in exchange for natural sound isolation, so it really comes down to preference.

What’s almost as impressive is the microphone clarity, which can rival even some mid-range standalone mics. I tend to see built-in mics on gaming headsets as an afterthought. So long as my voice comes through intelligibly, that’s all I really need from it – but not with Beyerdynamic. So if you really want that all-in-one gaming headset, especially for streaming or recording content, you’ll find that in these headsets.

Personally, I gravitate toward the intentionality and craftsmanship of a wired, analog-driven headset or pair of headphones, and Beyerdynamic's headsets sound beautiful right out of the box. Of course, you can potentially get more out of it if you drive them through a DAC or amp, but they're already tuned with gaming in mind (to emphasize certain sound effects in competitive games) while also delivering the kind of audio experience in other applications you’d expect from headphones at this price range. For all that and more, I gave a 9 to the MMX 300 Pro/MMX 330 Pro in my review.

You can ask anyone who has used the Audeze Maxwell if it's worth its price tag, and you're going to get the same answer: It's a resounding yes, including from me. And finally, Audeze refined its top-tier headset with the Maxwell 2, making it the definitive version to get. In the same vein as its audiophile ethos, it sports a sleek, no-frills design that looks more like studio-grade headphones than a typical gaming headset. It also lives up to the expectations when it comes to sound quality, defying the notion that wired headphones hooked through an amp will give you the best listening experience.

The 90mm planar magnetic drivers still jump out of the spec sheet – it's just not something you typically see in headsets, and while bigger doesn't always mean better, Audeze made the most of these drivers. The clarity across all frequencies even at louder volumes is impressive, and the well-rounded bass gives a rich natural audio profile, which is enhanced by the spacious soundstage that comes with its driver and earcup design. It's like having a home theater strapped to your head, as it's suited for both competitive gaming where you rely on detailed sound cues and cinematic experiences where you expect big sound effects to be punchy.

Another thing that jumps from the spec sheet is that weight – 560g makes it the heaviest headset we recommend, by far. Thankfully, the updated strap design (while still a pain to adjust) and the plushy earpads keep the Maxwell 2 comfortable to wear for hours on end. It may be a bit unwieldy, but any shortcomings are far outweighed by the upside, like tremendous battery life, clean microphone, and a no-nonsense app for customization. It sets a high bar for high-end gaming headsets, as I detail in my Audeze Maxwell 2 review, and justifies its asking price.

No matter which version of the HyperX Cloud headset you go with, you'll get a quality product. If you’re running on a budget and want to get the most bang for your buck, I always recommend the wired HyperX Cloud III, which can often be found below its $100 base price. It punches above its weight with impressive sound and mic quality and great comfort. Plus, it’s built like a brick house so it’s not going to fall apart through years of use.

Out of the box, the Cloud III impressed me with its build and durability – its aluminum frame can be flexed and contorted in any which direction without ever feeling like it’s going to break. Stretching the headset out to fit on your head is super easy and you can toss them on your desk without worrying about damaging them. It's built for comfort as well with dense foam earpads wrapped in a leatherette (just be aware it tends to get a bit sweaty), although its clamp force may be a bit much for some.

At the end of the day, it’s all about sound quality and the Cloud III handles various frequencies wonderfully. In my Cloud III headset review, I felt comfortable tracking enemy footsteps while playing a ton of Valorant and enjoyed the balanced audio in Final Fantasy XIV, which this more budget-friendly headset handled gracefully. Assuming you’re on a budget, you probably don’t want to spend extra on a decent microphone – luckily, the mic clarity on the Cloud III was equally as impressive. (And if you're so inclined, the wireless version of the Cloud III goes on sale for a nice price.)

Looking for the right headset in the mid-range can be challenging since you're caught between saving some money going with a cheaper option or tempting yourself on spending a bit more go up a tier. Considering how often the Asus ROG Pelta goes on sale, and the quality you get out of it, it makes for a fantastic choice if you're looking to spend between $110–$150.

We recently reviewed the Asus ROG Pelta and awarded it an 8/10, and our long-time writer and tech reviewer Mark Knapp shares a lot of my same sentiments, saying, "The Asus ROG Pelta is solid, delivering great sound for gaming and an exceptional microphone (something few wireless headsets manage) while managing to be extremely comfortable. As long as you can find a quiet environment to game in, you’ll get great use out of this headset, and you won’t have to charge often. If you want an even more open soundstage, there are high-tier headphones that can do it better, but the ROG Pelta is exceptional when it comes to gaming headsets. Asus has a winner on its hands and it's able to stand out in a crowded field."

We have a total of three SteelSeries headsets currently on this list, but the company has earned its place as one of the top gaming headset makers with the Arctis Nova lineup that covers the entire pricing spectrum. Yes, the Arctis Nova Elite carries a shocking price tag (upwards of $600), but for around $50, you can get the entry level Arctis Nova 1 that shares many similarities. It's super lightweight at 236g and has soft sports mesh padding along with the stretchy suspension band for comfort atop your head. I find the Arctis Nova headsets to fit a little fight, but they feel secure to wear out and its earpads balance out the pressure.

They sound fantastic for the price as well, rocking the 40mm audio drivers that most SteelSeries headsets use. It might not be tuned as precisely as the higher-end entries in the lineup, but the Arctis Nova 1 still puts out decent bass and clear mids and highs even when the volume is pumped up. It's a wired headset so you don't get the versatility offered by others, but the tucked-in microphone offers solid clarity for Discord calls and in-game chat (and you can split the line-in and microphone input for PC users). If you want the best sound for the price, I can't recommend the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 enough.

As I mentioned above, Turtle Beach knows what it's doing when it comes to gaming headsets, and even if I go down the pricing hierarchy, there are still impressive headsets like the Stealth 500 to be found. Although it’s quite bulky in its physical design, I found the Stealth 500 to be easy to wield thanks to its super flexible headband and durability, which also translates to solid comfort that’s easy on the ears.

More importantly, the sound quality you get from the Stealth 500 is nothing to scoff at. While it may struggle in higher frequencies, which tend to sound a bit crunchy, its strong bass and clear mids make games sound full without coming across as artificial. With the Swarm software’s Signature Sound profile, you’ll be set without having to fiddle with too many settings. Its positional audio was great as well, which I sussed out while playing competitive rounds of Counter-Strike 2, so you don’t really need to shell out the big bucks to get that kind of advantage.

Even at this price point, you get Bluetooth capabilities and can swap between devices with the press of a button. While the mic isn’t anything to boast about, it’s serviceable and can be customized in the software as well. It’s no surprise that there are compromises that need to be made in budget-level headsets, but it gets the essentials right, which earned it an 8 in my Stealth 500 review.

Sticker shock will hit you with the $600 SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite, but when you're working in genuine audiophile spaces, it comes with the territory. That's a hefty price tag, but what you get in return is a gaming headset that stands on its own atop the bunch for its precisely designed audio drivers and hi-res audio capabilities. If you care about having the absolute best audio fidelity, listen to a lot of lossless music, and want something that is packed with the latest state-of-the-art features geared toward gaming, nothing really comes close to the Arctis Nova Elite. For these reasons, it earned a rare score of 10 in our Arctis Nova Elite review.

Reviewer Will Judd concluded, "The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is the best gaming headset that I've ever tested, offering small, meaningful, and multi-faceted upgrades over the already-excellent Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. As with that model, the key to success here is delivering industry-leading or at least competitive quality in almost every element: audio quality, mic quality, comfort, connectivity, design, software, and features. If you want the ultimate gaming headset at any price – an all-in-one offering that works brilliantly across PC, consoles, and mobile – this is what I'd recommend."

I've tested and used this headset myself, too, and it lives up to all the hype, which was achievable by improving upon the already great Arctis Nova Pro that's stilll our No. 1 recommendation. Again, the Elite is going to cater to a niche crowd, but if you're in that crowd, there's just nothing like it.

The Kraken V4 is Razer's flagship headset that's geared more towards luxury features (whereas something like the Blackshark V2 is more tuned for the competitive scene). And with that particular focus, you get one of the best implementations of virutual surround sound in any gaming headset. That's largely due to THX Spatial Audio and the fact that the Kraken V4 was designed with the feature in mind. Instead of it sounding like you're in an empty hall, there's a lot more detail in the positioning and distance of sound effects, especially when the game or movie you're experiencing was designed with spatial audio in mind. It's not something I'd recommend for competitive gaming, but having good theater-like sound on a headset is tough to find.

In my review of the Razer Kraken V4 Pro, I praised its sound quality, comfort, and surround sound capabilities, but it carries a heftier price tag with it being the Pro mode. While it comes with a robust base station, things like Sensa haptics just aren't worth seeking out. You can get the standard Razer Kraken V4 for significantly less and still get the fantastic virtual surround sound features along with that great audio quality and comfort.

The latest headset from Razer took me by surprise with how much it genuinely improved over its previous model. With the new BlackShark V3 Pro, you get a rare combo of top-notch audio performance, long-term comfort with sports mesh padding, and powerful active noise cancellation. Even with the sports mesh upholstery on the earpads, which typically doesn't create as good of a seal for natural sound isolation compared to leatherette, it is impressively strong at blocking outside noise through ANC. While many other headsets come with some noticeable distortion with ANC enabled, the BlackShark V3 Pro still comes through with clean and detailed sound quality. So, if ANC is of utmost importance, Razer is doing it better than most here.

The Xbox model of the BlackShark V3 Pro comes in a black scheme with green stitching to match the platform's aesthetic, and it looks fantastic. More importantly, its expansive feature set helps it stand out from a crowded lineup; wired analog audio, Bluetooth, ANC, great microphone clarity, fine-tuned EQ profiles, solid battery life, smart implementation of 3D audio, sensible onboard controls, and the lowest latency (on paper) from a wireless headset thus far. Razer paid attention to the little things, and it paid off in a worthy flagship product.

There was a lot to praise in my recent review of the BlackShark V3 Pro, even though it comes in at a whopping $250 at retail price. It has a fairly balanced audio profile, but can really sing with punchy bass and clean mids when tuned right, which was apparent in the many rounds of Call of Duty Warzone I played when I was reviewing it. When you stack it against the likes of the Audeze Maxwell and SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro recommended above, it easily competes with those high-end juggernauts, making it one of the top gaming headsets and one of Razer's best yet.

Gaming earbuds are a fairly recent trend with the notable peripheral companies like Razer, Asus, and PlayStation making their own that are suited for games. It's tough because of the limited driver size and battery life, earbuds tend to make sacrifices in one way or another. But the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are so impressive because of how uncompromising these little rounded buds are.

On top of having solid foundations of sound quality, battery life, and long-term comfort, SteelSeries has one of the most robust software suites, which is easily controllable through a mobile app. This takes out the inconvenience of having to flip through PS5 menus to customize the earbuds, while also letting you access its 100+ custom-tuned EQ profiles easily.

Although there are a few minor inconveniences with how some of its quality-of-life features work (autoplay when taking it on and off, connecting through Bluetooth reliably), the GameBuds do all the important things extremely well. While you should definitely use these as your primary earbuds to listen to music on your phone, they really shine in games with the kind of bold audio experience you expect from a headset. They'll pair nicely with your PS5 or Switch 2 since you also get a 2.4GHz USB-C wireless receiver for a no-latency connection; this is my preferred audio setup for Switch 2 thanks to the additional USB-C ports, letting me ditch my old wired earbuds for good. For all that and more, I gave a 9 to the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds in my review.

At $160, these have cheaper base price than the Razer Hammerheads I previously recommended. While I still think the Hammerheads have a very slight edge in sound quality, it's the battery life, software support, and overall comfort that make the GameBuds the best all around.

Best Gaming Headsets Changelog

• 2/6/26: The Audeze Maxwell 2 succeeds its predecessor as our choice for best high-end wireless gaming headset. The updated Maxwell 2 is a tad heavier than the original headset, but it also has an updated headstrap that carries that weight well. Meanwhile, its sound and battery life remain best-in-class.
• 11/24/25: The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 is the new best wired budget pick, and the HyperX Cloud III is now the best wired mid-range choice, giving a wider coverage of price options. Picks have been reorganized based on price range with clearer distinctions between wired and wireless options.
• 10/6/25: The new SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is our latest audiophile recommendation thanks to its new audio drivers and high-res audio capabilities, as it's specifically catered to the audiophile-gaming crossover crowd.
• 8/25/25: The best noise-canceling headset we recommend is now the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro. It replaced the Alienware Pro headset, which is still a fantastic choice, but Razer's new gaming headset edges it out with robust sound quality and roster of cutting edge features, as well as better noise-cancelation. We would still recommend the Alienware Pro if you want something to use as a casual pair of headphones, however.
• 8/25/25: There is now a best mid-range choice that goes to the Asus ROG Pelta, a great all-rounder that fits into the $110 to $150 price range. We recently reviewed it and it checks all the boxes for a gaming headset that's worth its price tag.
• 8/25/25: The best esports headset category was retired, which was going to the Logitech G Pro X 2. It's still one of, if not the, best Logitech gaming headset to date. However, we decided to reprioritize categories that will be helpful to those in the market for gaming headsets.

Prebuilt gaming PCs have always had a problem with proprietary hardware, and the Lenovo Legion Tower 7i really does show we're through those dark ages. It used to be that if you bought a gaming PC from Lenovo or Dell, you'd get a tower that was plenty powerful for the time, but because it was using some bespoke motherboard or power supply, you were limited when it came to upgrading your system.

The tower has been updated with new hardware, now with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K and an RTX 5080, but when we reviewed it we were surprised by how much more it costs this time – even if it has genuinely excellent gaming performance. Not much other than the price and the components have changed, though.

You still get a straightforward mid-tower case housing industry-standard hardware, making it incredibly easy to fix it if something breaks or upgrade once new hardware comes out. Don't get me wrong: The Tower 7i does fall into some of the same pitfalls of any prebuilt system these days – Lenovo cheaped out a bit on the memory and the motherboard – but because all the components are the standard size, you can just swap both of those components out for better stuff when you can afford it.

This results in a gaming PC that's not just great because it plays games well, but because it serves as an entry point to customizing your own system. Building an entire system from the ground up can be an intimidating and time-consuming thing; upgrading one or two parts of your PC is way more approachable.

When you're getting a prebuilt gaming PC, you're generally looking for something that works but also looks amazing. To be honest, there aren't a lot of PC manufacturers that really nail the latter – especially among big names. But the Asus ROG G700 genuinely looks amazing, even if it leans a little further toward its "gamer" influences than some people may prefer.

This gaming PC has RGB-lit panels in several areas, bedecked with ROG logos. This is something the company likes to do with its motherboards, but now extends to the case itself. To be fair, part of this is because Asus didn't include an expensive motherboard like the ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme. But it still kind of looks like a high-end motherboard is in there, as long as you don't look too closely. Asus also hid the power supply and all the cables under a PSU shroud. That's relatively common, but what sets this one apart is a bit of prose about "being unconventional" that's backlit by RGB. Never change, ROG.

As for the system itself, the model we reviewed is powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, 32GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. That's more than powerful enough to handle most games at 4K, with only Black Myth: Wukong falling below 60fps with everything cranked. If that build is a little too much for you, you can get it with an RTX 4060 for much less, but I would advise getting at least an RTX 5060, especially for the premium Asus charges for putting this rig togther.

Not all gaming PCs are either prohibitively expensive or lack power with dated hardware, and the iBuyPower Trace 7 Mesh Gaming Desktop is proof. With it comes the latest 14th-generation Intel Core i7 processor for speedy performance in everyday tasks and games. When paired with the best budget GPU, Nvidia’s RTX 4060, this rig has enough processing headroom to sail through games in 1080p at high frame rates. Looking to play in 1440p? It shouldn’t have a problem cruising through non-ray-traced games like Total War: Warhammer 3.

The iBuyPower Trace 7 Mesh Gaming Desktop is even a viable option for those ready to dip their toes in game streaming, as its current-gen processors partner perfectly with the 32GB of high-bandwidth DDR5 RAM. So, running Twitch along with a game shouldn’t slow things down too much. Storage wasn't overlooked: A 1TB SSD is baked in for speedy app launches and saves.

Even if this gaming PC isn’t as powerful as some premium options, it still gets hot. Luckily, the case is roomy with mesh at the front and top panels for proper airflow and ventilation. Three ARGB fans at the front and one at the back aid in keeping things frosty. However, better cooling options couldn't hurt. Luckily, iBuyPower has made things relatively easy to upgrade. With Nvidia’s RTX 5000 series and 15th-gen Intel Arrow Lake processors dropping sometime in the not-too-distant future, it’s nice to have the option to update hardware rather than starting from scratch. Just be sure the B760 D5 motherboard and 600W PSU can handle those newer components.

Given all that's on offer for less than $1,500, the iBuyPower Trace 7 Mesh Gaming Desktop is a great value. What helps elevate this budget gaming PC even further is the inclusion of a gaming keyboard and mouse with some flashy RGB lighting. These aren’t the best peripherals out there, but perfect for those just beginning their gaming journey.

Shopping for a mini gaming PC is an exercise in compromise. You can get an extremely small gaming PC like the Asus ROG NUC, but in order for the chassis to get down to that size, there are major losses in performance. Asus handles this by equipping the ROG NUC with a mobile-class RTX 5080 and an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, the latter of which is typically found in Ultrabooks. This is more than enough horsepower to power most games at 1080p, but you will run into issues at higher resolutions, especially in demanding games like Black Myth: Wukong.

Now, I haven't reviewed this year's model of the Asus ROG NUC. However, I did review last year's Asus ROG NUC with this in mind, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it handled games at 1080p. At that resolution, I was able to run pretty much any game under the sun at maxed-out settings while maintaining 60fps. That's impressive, given that the PC is basically the size of a cable box and can fit pretty much anywhere. And now that it's been updated with Blackwell graphics, that performance should be a bit better – though Nvidia's RTX 5000 series hasn't had quite the glow-up some folks were hoping for.

All of this makes it an excellent home theater PC that can also play PC games. And if you're comfortable tweaking game graphics settings, this mini gaming PC would make a perfect companion for a 4K TV. You can store your media library there and have instant access to your movies and TV shows, while also being able to boot up Steam and play your games when you want to. Just keep in mind that you can likely get similar performance from a gaming laptop most of the time.

For about as long as I've been playing PC games, Maingear has been around making some of the most gorgeous gaming PCs on the planet. The company has always had a great eye for detail and backs it up with one of the best warranties in the business. The downside? They're super expensive.

Even with that in mind, I was impressed by just how pretty the Maingear Rush Artist Series was when I reviewed it. Essentially, Maingear took the Lian Li O11 case and airbrushed art onto it, and you really need to see it in person to grasp just how gorgeous it is. Every inch of this gaming PC oozes with detail, and it's one of the few times where I can't look away from it, even though I'm pretty burned out on flashy RGB lighting at this point.

A good gaming PC is more than just how it looks on your desk, though, it needs to perform. Luckily, you can configure the Maingear Rush basically however you want to. Maingear's website will let you build anything from a entry-level model with an RTX 5050 and a Ryzen 5 processor to the configuration I reviewed, with its RTX 5090 and Ryzen 9 9950X3D. Just keep in mind that the more power you pump into this thing, the more expensive it's going to be – and it doesn't exactly start cheap.

You do get more than just the PC for your purchase, though. The computer comes with free tech support for life, which will follow the PC even if you sell it. Maingear's tech support will walk you through all kinds of troubleshooting and in the off chance something does need a repair, the company offers free labor on all repairs and upgrades; you just pay for shipping and new components if necessary. That's probably not enough to sell it to experienced PC builders who can definitely get a PC with similar specs for much less. But if you don't want to deal with servicing your rig, the extra money you pay for this Maingear system might just be worth it.