No matter your budget, our favorite headsets offer high-quality voice chat and surround sound for the Xbox Series X/S.
ByWill Greenwald
Will Greenwald
Lead Analyst, Consumer Electronics
My Experience
I’ve been PCMag’s home entertainment expert for over 10 years, covering both TVs and everything you might want to connect to them. I’ve reviewed more than a thousand different consumer electronics products including headphones, speakers, TVs, and every major game system and VR headset of the last decade. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and a THX-certified home theater professional, and I’m here to help you understand 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and even 8K (and to reassure you that you don’t need to worry about 8K at all for at least a few more years).
Read Full Bio
April 18, 2022
- RELATED:
- Best Gaming Headsets
- Best Wireless Gaming Headsets
Our Top 5 Picks
Best Affordable Headset Jump ToDetails Best for Wired Audio Jump ToDetails Best for Noise Cancellation Jump ToDetails Best for Wireless Audio Jump ToDetails Best for Powerful Bass Jump ToDetails 
Astro Gaming A10 (Gen 2)
Razer Blackshark V2
Bose QuietComfort 35 II Gaming Headset
SteelSeries Arctis 9X
Xbox Wireless Headset
You'll get much better audio from your Xbox Series X/S by using a gaming headset instead of your TV’s built-in speakers. With the right headset, you can enjoy simulated surround sound, either with the free Windows Sonic for Headphones option, or your choice of the superior Dolby Atmos for Headphones or DTS Headphone:X apps.
Thankfully, there are many great gaming headsets for the Xbox Series X/S, especially if you don’t mind wires. Your options are more limited if you want to go the wireless route, but you'll still find many excellent models available.
Ready to up your audio game? Check out the best Xbox Series X/S gaming headsets we've tested.
Our Experts Have Tested 74 Products in the Headphones Category in the Past Year
Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions.See how we test.
Table of Contents
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Astro Gaming A10 (Gen 2)
Best Affordable Headset
4.5 Outstanding
Astro Gaming's recently redesigned A10 is simply one of the best affordable wired gaming headsets available. Its well-padded earcups and clear microphone quality tops the original Astro Gaming A10, while maintaining the same $60 price.
PROS
- Lightweight and comfortable design
- Well-padded earcups
- Strong audio performance
- Good microphone
- Affordable
CONS
- Boom mic isn't replaceable or swappable
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Learn More
Astro Gaming A10 (Gen 2) Review
Razer Blackshark V2
Best for Wired Audio
4.5 Outstanding
The Razer BlackShark V2 has been one of our favorite wired gaming headsets for a while, thanks to its reasonable price and fantastic audio performance. It also features a USB sound card that adds useful features on PC, but the card doesn't work on the Xbox Series X/S. There's a cheaper BlackShark V2 X model with a nearly identical headset, but the standard V2 has nicer earpads, a better cable, and a removable mic for easy replacement (or using the wired headphones on the go).
PROS
- Strong audio performance
- Excellent microphone
- USB sound card included with THX Spatial Audio through software
- Light, comfortable fit
CONS
- Cable is hardwired to the headset
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Razer Blackshark V2 Review
Bose QuietComfort 35 II Gaming Headset
Best for Noise Cancellation
4.0 Excellent
As a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, the Bose QuietComfort 35 II is a bit long in the tooth compared with the QuietComfort 45's superior technology. As a wired gaming headset, though, it's fantastic (and very expensive). The QuietComfort 35 II Gaming Headset supports Bluetooth connectivity, and easily blocks out audio distractions. It includes a 3.5mm cable and an excellent, attached boom mic for voice chat.
PROS
- Nearly top-notch noise cancellation
- Excellent sound and voice quality
- Useful PC controller with volume wheel
- QuietComfort 35 II still holds up as great headphones years after release
CONS
- Headphones are a four-year-old model with no internal upgrades
- Limited controls in app
- No spatial audio processing license included or built into PC controller
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Bose QuietComfort 35 II Gaming Headset Review
SteelSeries Arctis 9X
Best for Wireless Audio
4.0 Excellent
The Steelseries Arctis 9X was released before the Xbox Series X/S, and was initially designed for the Xbox One. It works flawlessly on the Series X/S, though, with the same easy setup as the Xbox Wireless Gaming Headset. It feels a bit more premium than the Microsoft headset, with superior sound performance and a fantastic mic. However, it lacks Bluetooth.
PROS
- Balanced, clear audio.
- Excellent microphone.
- Bluetooth connectivity that works alongside Xbox connection for dual audio.
- Comfortable design.
CONS
- Weak bass.
- Requires an Xbox Wireless Adapter to get the best performance on a PC.
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SteelSeries Arctis 9X Review
Xbox Wireless Headset
Best for Powerful Bass
4.0 Excellent
The Xbox Wireless Headset is Microsoft's first-party offering for the Xbox Series X/S, and it's a good one. It wirelessly connects to either system with Microsoft's Xbox-specific standard, but it also supports Bluetooth, so you can use it with your phone, too. The Xbox Wireless Headset is comfortable, and sounds good for the price, especially if you prefer powerful bass.
PROS
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Robust sound
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Remembers multiple wireless signals
CONS
- Bluetooth lacks high-end audio codecs
- Bass-heavy sound requires EQ adjustments
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Learn More
Xbox Wireless Headset Review
Buying Guide: The Best Xbox Series X/S Gaming Headsets
PS5 vs Xbox Series X/S: We Review the Next-Gen Consoles
Learn More About the Xbox Series X and S
Xbox Series X Review
Xbox Series S Review
The Best Xbox Series X and S Games
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Editors' Choice
I’ve been PCMag’s home entertainment expert for over 10 years, covering both TVs and everything you might want to connect to them. I’ve reviewed more than a thousand different consumer electronics products including headphones, speakers, TVs, and every major game system and VR headset of the last decade. I’m an ISF-certified TV calibrator and a THX-certified home theater professional, and I’m here to help you understand 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and even 8K (and to reassure you that you don’t need to worry about 8K at all for at least a few more years).
Read Will's full bio
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