This article is part of a directory: Complete guide to the Xbox Series X
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A decent Xbox headset is a good investment for a gamer. Either you play online with a bunch of people where a headset is necessary for communication, or you play by yourself and a headset keeps the noise down, so you don't wake up the other people in your home. Whatever the case may be, a good headset can improve and enhance the experience quite a bit, especially when compared to basic chat headsets that barely even work.

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A good wired or wireless Xbox headset will have similar qualities. They'll be comfortable, sound good, and connect to your Xbox without excessive fuzz or disruptions. Most wireless headsets will have a game and chat audio mixer built-in and all good Xbox headsets have a mute function. Surround sound, 3D audio, or spatial audio support is also essentially required, since most modern games use sound direction as an audio cue for gameplay. Every Xbox headset below has those features and more.

Best Xbox headset: Our top picks

Astro A50 Wireless
Astro Gaming - A50 Wireless Gaming Headset or Xbox
1. Best overall Xbox headset

It's a beast

The Astro Gaming A50 Wireless is a powerhouse headset with every feature you could ask for, including a charge base, Dolby Atmos support, and custom EQ profiles.

Pros
  • Compatible with any modern Xbox and also PC
  • Excellent sound quality
  • Plenty of extras for your money
Cons
  • It's a bit on the heavier side
  • It's expensive

The Astro Gaming A50 Wireless headset is a powerful Xbox headset. On top of having excellent sound quality, you get plenty of extra features. They include a game and chat mixer, wide compatibility, custom EQ profiles, and you can even adjust the mic level. The headset itself comes with a charge base for easy storage and charging when you're not using it. That's good news because you get 15 hours of battery life, which is fairly mediocre for an Xbox headset.

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In terms of comfort, the A50 Wireless is quite nice. It is thickly padded along the headband with cloth ear cups that breathe, so you don't get hot too quickly. They are a tad heavy, which may not work well for people with sensitive heads. Otherwise, you get a lot for your money here, especially if you also plan to game on your PC.

RIG 800 Pro HX Wireless Headset
RIG 800 Pro HX Wireless Headset
2. Second best Xbox headset

Half the price of the Astro A50 with most of the functionality

$100 $149 Save $49

The RIG 800 Pro HX is a very good Xbox headset that may not look sleek, but it has good controls, connectivity, and sound quality.

Pros
  • Easy-to-use dials on the headset for chat mixing and volume
  • Lightweight and very comfortable
  • Good sound quality with four preset sound profiles
Cons
  • Not the slickest looking Xbox headset
  • Head band strap isn't very adjustable

The RIG 800 HX Wireless Headset is a surprisingly good headset for its price. It weighs over 100 grams less than the Astro A50 Wireless headset, so it's very comfortable for long gaming sessions. It also gets better battery life with up to 24 hours if you believe the marketing materials. You also get what we consider to be the basics, including Dolby Atmos support, good sound quality, and a decent microphone.

For features, it has two wheels along the left side of the headset. One controls the chat mixer while the other controls volume. There is also a button to swap around between the four built-in sound profiles. Like the A50 Wireless, it also comes with a charge base for easy storage and charging. The only potential nitpick is that the headband only has three adjustments. If you're in between sizes, you may find the fit a bit loose. Otherwise, they are great.

SteelSeries New Arctis Nova 7X
SteelSeries New Arctis Nova 7X Multi-Platform Gaming & Mobile Headse
3. Best multi-platform gaming headset

It works everywhere

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X is a good overall product and a clear upgrade from its predecessor. It's not compatible for Xbox, but also PlayStation, Switch, mobile, and PC, making it the ultimate multi-console gaming headphone.

Pros
  • Amazing multi-platform support
  • Good sound quality and comfort
  • Retractable mic lets you use these as just headphones
Cons
  • The dongle that plugs into the console is oddly shaped
  • Some reviews peg this as having harsh treble response

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X plays chess while most other headsets play checkers. Not only is it designed for Xbox gaming, but the dongle can also be plugged into a PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch without worry. With the Bluetooth functionality, it'll pair with a smartphone or tablet and work there too. One wireless headset for all possible applications makes this an obvious choice for this list.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 headset review: A happy medium photo 11
Pocket-lint

In terms of features, it's pretty good. You get decently good comfort with its lightweight design and cloth ear cups. The sound quality seems like it's good, although some folks have complained that the treble is a tad sharp. The microphone is also demonstrably mediocre, although that is subject to personal interpretation. All in all, this is a highly functional and usable headset, especially if you game on multiple platforms.

Astro Gaming A10 Headset
Astro Gaming A10 Headset
4. Best budget Xbox headset

Not bad at all for under $30

The Astro Gaming A10 Headset is a scaled down and wired version of the A50 Wireless. You get good sound quality in a much lighter headset at a fraction of the cost of its stablemate.

Pros
  • Wired headset means it's compatible with everything
  • Flip up to mute mic that also sounds pretty good
  • Good sound quality
Cons
  • Not wireless
  • No chat mixer functionality

The Astro Gaming A10 Headset is a good headset for its price. At just under $30, it sounds pretty decent and is reasonably lightweight and comfortable. There aren't a lot of features for wired headsets and that's partially why they're less expensive. The microphone can be flipped up to mute, but otherwise you're buying these for sound quality and comfort at this price range.

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They aren't wireless, which means you have to plug them into your controller directly. This can drain the controller battery a bit faster, but it's not a big deal. However, not being wireless means it misses out on some things like the chat mixer, which isn't available on the vast majority of wired headsets. In any case, for under $30, this will get you there without sacrificing too much.

Audeze Maxwell Wireless Gaming Headset
Audeze Maxwell Gaming Headset
5. Best audiophile Xbox headset

They sound really good, but you'll pay for it.

The Audeze Maxwell is what happens when an audiophile company makes a gaming headset. You get great sound quality and a reasonably good gaming experience on Xbox.

Pros
  • Excellent sound quality
  • Surprisingly decent battery life
  • Works great on Xbox
Cons
  • At over 500 grams, this is a heavy headset
  • It's also expensive

The Audeze Maxwell gaming headset is an interesting product. It's made by a company that is best known for its wired audiophile headphones, so it's interesting to see the company's take on a wireless Xbox headset. The sound quality is outstanding, and you still get most of the features you'd get from a regular high-end gaming headset. The Xbox version also comes with a Dolby Atmos license, so you can use the tech no matter what.

Audeze Maxwell 4

Perhaps the headset's biggest downside is its weight. At over 500 grams, this is the heaviest headset on the list. Folks who experience neck fatigue or headaches from heavier headsets may want to skip this one. However, if you can handle it, the padding is otherwise nice and the headset is comfortable for how heavy it is. If you're looking for something nearly as good but also much more lightweight, check out the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. The SteelSeries headset is roughly 200 grams lighter.

Xbox Wireless Headset
Xbox Wireless Headset
6. Best headset for Xbox compatibility

It doesn't get anymore official than official

$90 $100 Save $10

The official Xbox Wireless Headset is a great choice if you want something that'll just work out of the box without any fuss. It's made by Xbox for Xbox, giving it unrivaled compatibility.

Pros
  • Pretty good audio for its price
  • Easy to use with an Xbox
  • Bluetooth means it works with smartphones and tablets too
Cons
  • Mediocre microphone
  • Doesn't support high-end Bluetooth codecs

The official Xbox Wireless Headset is a surprisingly good bargain. At just $100, you're getting a lightweight and comfortable headset that still has all the frills. That includes Dolby Atmos support as well as support for other surround sound audio. In addition, the sound quality isn't half bad for something that costs less than half of most of the other wireless headsets on the list. In fact, for its price, this is probably the best sub-$100 Xbox headset you can get.

Xbox Wireless Headset review shots photo 2
Pocket-lint

The really neat thing about this headset is the controls. On the outside of each earcup is a rotating dial that you use to control either one. It's so ridiculously intuitive that it's surprising other brands haven't thought of it. Also, since it's an official product, it'll pair right up with your Xbox without hassle or drama. The microphone is okay. It won't pick up every tiny sound, but it also isn't the best sounding one on the list. At this price, though, it hardly matters.

Drop + Epos PC38X Gaming Headset
Drop + EPOS PC38X Gaming Headset
7. Best audiophile Xbox headset

Epos is a subsidiary of Sennheiser, so this is a Sennheiser headset

The Drop + Epos PC38X is an outstanding wired headset. It boasts connections for both console and PC while also boasting excellent sound quality and surprisingly good mic quality as well.

Pros
  • Great sound quality for the headset
  • The microphone is decent as well
  • Super lightweight and comfortable
Cons
  • Open back design lets sound in
  • No chat mixer

The Drop + Epos PC38X Gaming Headset is about as good as it gets for a wired headset. Epos is a subsidiary of Sennheiser, so this is technically a Sennheiser headset. What you get is a very lightweight and supremely comfortable headset that you can game with for hours without worry of fatigue. The microphone has a flip-to-mute function, and it also sounds better than most wireless headsets. Drop + Epos includes two cables in the box. One is for consoles and one is for PCs.

The excellent sound quality does come at a price. These are open backs, which means sound leaks out and outside noise readily leaks in. Some people are okay with that because being open back affects the soundstage in a generally positive way, but it may break immersion for some folks. Other than that, they are great. These are modeled after the Sennheiser HD500-series headphones, so a lot of the accessories, like replacement ear pads, are cross-compatible between the product lineups. That adds an element of longevity and repair possibilities as well.

Turtle Beach Ear Force Headset Audio Controller
Turtle Beach Ear Force Headset Audio Controller Plus
8. Best add on for wired Xbox headsets

Turtle Beach is genius for making these

The Turtle Beach Ear Force Audio Controller is a niche, but very awesome product. It acts as a go-between for your controller to your headset and adds typically wireless features to wired headsets.

Pros
  • Gives wired headphones some wireless features
  • Easy to use
  • Should work on all modern Xbox consoles
Cons
  • The mic and game presets may act wonky
  • Will drain Xbox controller battery faster

Admittedly, the Turtle Beach Ear Force Audio Controller is on this list because I love it. I've talked a couple of times on this list about how wired headphones don't have wireless-only features like a chat mixer. Well, this audio controller fixes that problem. It plugs into the bottom of an Xbox controller and then the wired headset plugs into the audio interface. From there, you use the controls on the Turtle Beach to adjust your chat mix, volume, and there's even an integrated mute button.

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This is almost a requirement if you want to use wired headsets. It's made for Turtle Beach products, but the only connection is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, so it has no idea that you're not using a Turtle Beach headset with it. There are some game and mic preset buttons on the bottom that are tuned for Turtle Beach headsets. It likely won't improve your audio quality on a non-Turtle Beach headset, so leave those buttons alone. The only other downside is that it'll drain your controller battery faster, so keep that in mind.

The bottom line: What's the best Xbox headset?

Feature for feature, the Astro A50 Wireless Headset simply does more things than any of the other products. However, if you don't need all of those things, you can get most of the features for almost half the price with the RIG 800 HX Wireless. From there, you can pick and choose your feature set.

Those with multiple gaming consoles can try out the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X, while those still sweet on wired headphones can look at the Drop + Epos PC38X along with the Turtle Beach audio controller to add chat mixer functionality. The sky is the limit, really, as most of this comes down to personal preference.

Astro A50 Wireless
Astro Gaming - A50 Wireless Gaming Headset or Xbox
Editor's Choice

How did we choose the best Xbox headsets?

There were a number of sources - I am an Xbox gamer and I have owned several over the course of my gaming life. I quite liked my non-Pro RIG 800s, so I included their successor on the list. However, I wasn't the biggest fan of the HyperX CloudX Flights due to a faulty volume wheel on two consecutive units, so I did not include that one.

From there, it was sourcing online reviews, owner opinions, and user reviews on retail sites that were checked with FakeSpot first to ensure the reviews weren't fake. All lists like this are also shown to our excellent editor staff before writing to ensure that nobody missed anything. After that, it was just weening down the list to the above items to keep this as the greatest highlights list, not an exhaustive top 50 headsets.

What headsets do pro gamers use on Xbox?

In general, most pro gamers have deals with gaming brands the same way that professional athletes have deals with sports brands. Michael Jordan wore Nike because he had a deal with Nike. Meanwhile, your favorite streamer or pro gamer may only wear the headset they wear because they have a branded deal with that brand.

That doesn't make their choices bad, but it also means that they may not be choosing the headset they like most. Plus, you shouldn't buy things because a pro gamer uses them. Their head, ears, and needs are different from yours and just because it works for them doesn't mean it'll work for you.

Does the Xbox Series X support 7.1 surround sound?

Kind of. The Astro A50 Wireless has 7.1 surround sound support, but it achieves that through the base station that you plug into the Xbox. It'll also do 7.1 if it's plugged into a stereo system or if the wireless headphones support 7.1 like the Astro A50 Wireless. Xbox supports Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos, and other types of digital surround sound for headsets that don't have native 7.1 support.

Do I need an adapter for my Xbox headset?

In all cases, a wireless headset should ship an adapter that plugs into the Xbox. Some of them are base stations, like the Astro A50 Wireless or something similar. If you want to use a pair of Bluetooth headphones, you'll need a Bluetooth adapter that connects to your Xbox controller similar to this one. However, we don't recommend going that route because Bluetooth audio doesn't work well for gaming.