The 6 Best Headsets For Xbox Series X/S - Spring 2023 Reviews

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for Xbox is the best headset for Xbox Series X/S that we've tested. These headphones are packed with a ton of extra features like their wireless transmitter, which has a built-in screen so you can adjust settings like the EQ, virtual soundstage, and mic gain quickly. Their transmitter also ensures minimal latency, and since these headphones also have a dual battery cartridge system, you can charge one battery directly inside the transmitter while the other one is in use. One battery even lasts roughly 25 hours continuously. If that's not enough, they also support Bluetooth, meaning you can stay connected to your Xbox and smartphone simultaneously.

These comfortable headphones have a somewhat neutral default sound profile. Their sound packs a bit of extra boom, which can help accentuate sound effects like footsteps in your gameplay. However, dialogue and instruments can sound harsh, while sibilants like hi-hats are piercing. The headphones also have an active noise cancelling (ANC) system. Although it struggles to cut down outdoor noise like rumbling engines, it'll be more than enough to reduce ambient chatter and the hum of standing fans. If you like to chat with others while you game, their retractable boom mic has a very good performance, so you don't have to worry about whether you sound clear to your teammates or enemies.

If you're looking for something still quite premium in design, but at a lower price point, you'll want to try the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro, the best gaming headset for Xbox Series X in the mid-range. These headphones are the wired counterpart of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for Xbox and come with a GameDAC. This device is a digital-to-analog converter, but it also puts valuable controls like volume, EQ, and channel mixing within easy reach. That said, they're not as well-built as the wireless variant. Their ear cups don't feel as stiff and it feels like you can remove them from the frame, which makes them seem a little cheap in comparison.

Like most SteelSeries headphones, they have a ski-band headband design, ensuring a comfortable fit during long gaming marathons. That said, this design makes the headphones prone to delivering audio inconsistently, so it's important to take the time to ensure you have a good fit. Their somewhat neutral sound profile keeps instruments and dialogue bright and clear in gameplay, but you can also use their EQ to customize them to your liking. Their boom mic also ensures that your voice is clear and natural sounding, even if there's some noise around you. However, if you still prefer a wireless design, or if you want more casual-looking headphones, then you'll want to consider the Astro A30 Wireless. Using either their boom or integrated mic doesn't result in the same high performance as the SteelSeries, but they support Bluetooth and come with a wireless dongle for gaming on console.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X Wireless is the best wireless headset for Xbox Series X/S at the mid-range level we've tested. These over-ears lack high-end bells and whistles like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro's GameDAC. However, they still have many features well-suited for gaming. They come with a wireless dongle that you can use on Xbox as well as PC and PlayStation with low latency. They also support Bluetooth, which is great if you want to receive audio from your smartphone while gaming. They last over 33 hours continuously and have an auto-off timer if you forget to turn them off.

They have a bass-rich sound profile out of the box, which can help emphasize sound effects like footsteps or explosions. You can fine-tune them to your liking using their companion app's customization features. However, you'll need to disable Sonar and strictly use SteelSeries GG if you want your settings to transfer over to this console. Their boom mic does a very good job, so your teammates and enemies alike will hear you clearly, even if you're gaming in a noisy living room. These headphones are often compared to the SteelSeries Arctis 9X Wireless, which offer similar features and even better mic performance. If you care about versatility, the 9X's wireless compatibility is strictly limited to the Xbox.

The best wireless headset for Xbox Series X in the lower mid-range we've tested is the Razer Kaira Pro Wireless for Xbox. Unlike the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X Wireless, these headphones have an integrated Xbox Wireless design, eliminating the use of a dongle or transmitter and ensuring low latency. They also have a companion app within the Microsoft store, and you can fine-tune their sound to your liking through your console. Their default sound profile is uneven, though. They deliver a lot of extra boom, which can help emphasize vocals and instruments, but this added bass also muddies dialogue and instruments.

Their mic delivers excellent recording quality, so your voice is clear to teammates and enemies alike. It can also separate your voice from background noise well. These well-built over-ears are comfortable enough for long gaming marathons and last over 19 hours continuously. If you don't want to stress about battery life, it's worth checking out the HyperX Cloud Alpha S instead. These are wired headphones that are more comfortable. They also have a bass slider on each ear cup, so you can easily adjust the bass to suit your tastes. However, their mic has a worse recording quality.

If you're looking for something more budget-friendly for your Xbox, the best headset for Xbox Series S we've tested is the Logitech G432. Unlike the Razer Kaira Pro Wireless for Xbox, these gaming headphones are designed with PCs in mind, meaning their customization features aren't available when used with this console. However, if you don't mind this, their wired design makes them suitable for Xbox consoles. They have a fairly balanced sound with punchy bass. Their very flat mid-range also helps ensure that dialogue and instruments reproduce clearly and accurately. However, they're somewhat prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery, so it's important to take the time to ensure a good fit when you use them.

Their boom mic offers excellent overall performance, meaning teammates will have no problem understanding you well. At this price point, headphones tend to have simple controls, and these comfortable over-ears only have a volume wheel and mic mute via flipping the mic upwards. Their build also feels a bit plasticky and cheap compared to other options on this list. If you're looking for something sturdier, it's worth checking out the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 instead. They have a significantly more robust build, but their sound profile isn't as neutral, and they're even more prone to inconsistencies in bass and treble delivery.

If you prefer open-backs for gaming, you'll want to check out the Drop + Sennheiser PC38X, the best Xbox Series X headset with an open-back design we've tested. This enclosure allows audio to leave the ear cups and interact with your environment, creating a more spacious, open, and immersive soundstage than closed-back headphones like the SteelSeries Arctis 9X Wireless. While they may not be the best choice if you share your space with others since they leak a lot of audio by default and won't block out any background noise, they're worth considering if you have a quiet, dedicated space for gaming.

These headphones have a very comfortable fit to last through long gaming marathons. Their boom mic captures your voice, even in moderately noisy environments, so your teammates and enemies alike hear you clearly. Since they're open-backs, they struggle to reproduce a thumpy low-bass, but their sound has extra boom to help emphasize sound effects like footsteps in your gameplay. Unfortunately, they lack sound customization features to help you tweak them to suit your preferences. Still, if you're looking for the best Series X headset with an immersive sound, they're worth checking out.