Whether you like competitive esports titles or like to explore the vast open worlds, a great audio experience is important when gaming. Some of the best gaming headsets offer rich and immersive audio, good sound separation and of course a built-in microphone so you can give your teammates clear directions.
There are tons of gaming headsets to choose from, but if you’re looking for something on a budget, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a rundown of some of the best budget gaming headsets.
Razer Barracuda X
Best multi-platform wireless gaming headset
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SteelSeries Arctic 3
Best wired headset for high quality audio
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Turtle Beach Recon 50
A cheap and simple gaming headset
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Razer Kraken V3 X
Best budget gaming headset with 7.1 audio
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HyperX Cloud Stinger
Best Wired Gaming Headset
Pros
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Comfortable to wear
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Quality microphone
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Good value
cons
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Cheap plastic construction
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Bass quality is not the best
Why you should buy this: An affordable gaming headset with great comfort, a high-quality boom microphone and decent sound.
For who is it?: Gamers looking for a hassle-free gaming headset that excels at all the basics.
Why we chose the HyperX Cloud Stinger:
At just $32 price, the HyperX Cloud Stinger is one of the best budget gaming headsets. It offers a lightweight and comfortable design, allowing you to use it for long gaming sessions. The all-plastic finish isn’t the most premium, but it’s decent, especially at this price. The sound quality is decent, with a balanced sound profile, although the bass is not very satisfying. The boom mic performs well and delivers a clear voice, allowing your teammates to hear you in all kinds of environments. It also comes with a flip-to-mute feature, which is quite useful and convenient.
Since they’re wired, there’s negligible delay and you get an adapter in the box that lets you split the mic and headphone output. The headset can be used with all major consoles except laptops and desktops. Apart from that, a volume slider has also been placed on the bottom of the right earcup. Overall, the Cloud Stinger is a simple plug-and-play gaming headset that won’t break the bank.
HyperX Cloud Stinger
Best Wired Gaming Headset
Razer Barracuda X
Best multi-platform wireless gaming headset
Pros
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Low latency wireless
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3.5mm wired connection
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Premium design with a comfortable fit
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Solid battery life
Why you should buy this: It is the best budget gaming headset that offers multiple connectivity options.
For who is it?: Those who need a reliable gaming headset that can be used with multiple devices, both wired and wireless.
Why we chose the Razer Barracuda X:
Razer has always distinguished itself in gaming peripherals by offering high quality products. In addition to the premium gaming headsets, the company also has a good selection in the affordable price range. The Barracuda X isn’t the most affordable on the list, but there’s a lot to like about this gaming headset. It has a sleek, minimalist design with soft padding over the drivers, a removable boom microphone and wireless connectivity for multiple devices via a USB-C dongle. In addition to PC and Mac, the headset can be used with the PlayStation 4/5 and Nintendo Switch, as well as with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. There is also the option to use the headset in wired mode as it comes with a 3.5mm aux jack.
The 40mm TriForce drivers deliver excellent audio and a good amount of volume with negligible distortions. Even the detachable microphone delivers a clear voice, with a quick mute button accessible on the left ear cup. There’s also the volume rocker, power switch, 3.5mm jack, USB-C charging port and a jack for the detachable microphone on the same earcup. Plus, it has a battery life of up to 20 hours, which is pretty good for a full day’s use.
Check out the 2022 version of the Barracuda X that adds Bluetooth functionality and an extended 50-hour battery life for $99.
Razer Barracuda X
Best multi-platform wireless gaming headset
SteelSeries Arctic 3
Best wired headset for high quality audio
Pros
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Premium design
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Comfortable fit
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Rich audio quality
cons
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Bi-directional microphone picks up background noise
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Complicated software installation process
Why you should buy this: A well-priced headset with high-quality audio and a sleek design.
For who is it?: PC gamers who want a sleek-looking wired gaming headset with high-quality sound for both gaming and music.
Why we chose SteelSeries Arctis 3:
SteelSeries’ Arctis range is a pretty impressive offering if you’re looking for great audio quality. The Arctis 3 is quite affordable and surprisingly good looking too, with its sleek and minimalistic finish. The boom microphone is not detachable but can be retracted so you can use the headset on the go. It is also very comfortable to wear thanks to the flexible headband and soft ear cushions.
The audio performance is excellent when gaming or listening to music, with balanced playback and a good amount of bass. The microphone on the headset provides clear audio, but due to its bi-directional nature, it tends to pick up background noise. You can fine-tune audio features such as surround sound and equalizer using the dedicated software on a PC, but the installation process may be complicated for some users. There are no customization options on consoles or mobile devices, but overall the sound quality feels balanced and immersive.
SteelSeries Arctic 3
Best wired headset for high quality audio
Turtle Beach Recon 50
A cheap and simple gaming headset
Pros
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Decent audio quality
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Good microphone
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Cheap
cons
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Weak build quality
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Sound insulation
Why you should buy this: A very affordable headset that offers decent audio.
For who is it?: Gamers looking for an ultra-cheap headset that offers all the basics.
Why We Need the Turtle Beach Recon 50 . have chosen:
The Turtle Beach Recon 50 is an inexpensive wired gaming headset recommended for shoppers looking for the bare minimum. In fact, it has over 88,000 reviews on Amazon, making it a popular choice among consumers. For its price, the headset is actually quite decent and offers a balanced sound with a good amount of bass. It’s also lightweight, although the overall build quality isn’t the best and durability can be an issue. It comes in three colors – red, green and blue – and the boom mic is detachable.
It is also compatible with almost any device with a 3.5mm audio jack, including PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Xbox and PlayStation. The headset has a built-in boom microphone and a large inline volume control with a volume slider and a mute switch. It also comes with an audio splitter in case you have separate connections for line-in and line-out.
Turtle Beach Recon 50
A cheap and simple gaming headset
Razer Kraken V3 X
Best budget gaming headset with 7.1 audio
Pros
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Excellent microphone recording
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Rich sound with 7.1 surround sound
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Comfortable fit
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RGB lighting
cons
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USB-A connectivity
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No equalizer settings
Why you should buy this: A fairly inexpensive gaming headset that comes with 7.1 spatial audio and a reliable microphone.
For who is it?: Those looking for an affordable gaming headset with 7.1 audio capabilities.
Why we chose the Razer Kraken V3 X?:
The Razer Kraken V3 X is the most affordable model of the latest Kraken V3 series. It has a similar design to the original Kraken and now comes with Chroma RGB lighting on the ear cups for some bling value. It is fairly lightweight and offers excellent comfort, especially the memory foam equipped ear cushions. The 40mm Triforce drivers deliver pleasing audio with powerful bass, clear mids and one of the best 7.1 surround sound experiences you can get for under $50.
The headset is compatible with Razer’s Synapse software, but unfortunately there are no equalizer settings. Also, unlike most headsets, the Kraken V3 X connects via USB-A instead of a 3.5mm analog connector, meaning you can only use it with a PC or PlayStation 4. The flexible Razer Hyperclear cardioid boom mic on the headset is also pretty impressive and does a great job of recording audio. It also manages to separate your voice well from ambient noise, although it would have been great if the headphones had provided better noise isolation.
Razer Kraken V3 X
Best budget gaming headset with 7.1 audio
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