The concept of buying a gaming headset may seem like just an added expense at first, especially if you already have a good set of speakers hooked up to your PC or your current gaming console. And sure, if you’re all about the home theater feel and all you play are single player games, then a headset can seem like an unnecessary purchase. However, if your gaming library has mostly multiplayer titles, or if your favorite games have multiplayer as a major component in their gameplay, and you’re looking to play more and win more in those types of games, then a gaming headset is definitely something you should consider purchasing.
But how could a gaming headset help you win multiplayer games, you ask? Aren’t they just a set of headphones with some extra flashy bits attached? Nope, a gaming headset—a proper one—is much more than that. And to help bring the point home, we’ll be listing how a gaming headset can help you win more in the games where winning is not just “clearing” the game, but rather the entire point of the game itself.
You can hear everything you’re supposed to hear, and nothing else. Let’s start off with one of the most obvious perks of using a gaming headset over your standard speaker setup: a gaming headset lets you hear everything that you need to hear in the game, and nothing else. Sure, you can turn up the volume of your speakers so that they can blast every tiny little audio detail into your living room, but the most that can do is contribute to hearing loss. And if you prefer playing at night, you’ll also disturb your family and the rest of your neighborhood.
With a gaming headset, however, the sound is delivered directly into your ears in a focused fashion. This gives you the full audio experience without disturbing the neighbors or causing damage to your ears, plus you’ll get to hear every enemy footstep, every monster growl, every tell-tale audio cue that you need to survive in a multiplayer game. You can easily miss all these cues if you’re running a standard speaker setup. This also brings us neatly to our next point, which is:
A gaming headset removes distractions. In the same way that it allows you to hear all necessary sound cues, the focused sound delivery afforded by gaming headsets blocks out all outside sound coming from your surroundings. Enjoy a fully immersive gaming experience and say goodbye to dog barks, honking cars, or vacuum noises while you’re wearing your dedicated gaming cans. You don’t have to make any extra effort to drown out the real world; the only thing you need to do is focus on getting that elusive headshot or sneaking up on someone during team deathmatch. With a gaming headset, you’re sure that nothing will break your concentration, at least sound-wise, and your attention will be fully honed in on the action.
You can connect and coordinate much more quickly with your teammates. This is especially true in multiplayer games that require razor-sharp team coordination as much as twitch reflexes. Sure, you can probably take your fingers off the controls for a couple of seconds to type out a brief and truncated message to your teammates, but those precious couple of seconds may mean life and death in a multiplayer game or a raid wipe. It can send your K/D ratio completely down the drain! If you’re caught in the middle of a critical moment, ditch typing and depend on your gaming headset’s microphone. This way, you don’t have to pause for even one second to contact and coordinate with your mates—just talk into the microphone and let your game’s voice chat feature do the rest. It’s that easy and simple.
It makes gaming a much more private and focused activity. Gaming can be a pretty loud affair, especially if you’re using a full home theater system and the gameplay itself is pretty heated. There’s certainly nothing wrong with being loud in certain situations, but sometimes the volume can wreak havoc on your gameplay. One example of this is when you’re trying to excel in a multiplayer match against opponents online while other, non-gaming people are present in the same room.
With a gaming headset, you can keep your gaming confined to yourself, plus you can focus your complete attention on the game. Even if you’re sharing the space with other people, you won’t disturb them, and they certainly won’t be able to disturb or distract you. It’s a win-win either way!
These are just some of the most obvious advantages of buying a dedicated headset for your gaming rig. If the list above sounds good to you, then all you need to do is to pick up a gaming headset from either one of the following popular brands:
- This brand focuses heavily on gaming gear; you might have seen their gaming peripherals with their trademark green adder symbol here and there. While their product line consists mainly of controllers, keyboards, and mice, they have dipped into the headset market with some top-of-the-line stuff such as the Thresher Ultimate and the ManO’War, each one sporting high-quality audio as well as impressive looks. Be warned, however, as some report that Razer’s stuff has QA issues here and there—nothing too major to worry about, but with the premium price tag it’s something to take note of.
- Turtle Beach. Turtle Beach has been in the headset business for decades, and their gaming headset lines offer choices that run the spectrum—pro-level to beginner, with competitive prices to boot. You can’t go wrong with a Turtle Beach headset no matter which you choose. Just remember that if you do tend to splurge on the high-end headsets like the Elite Pro Tournament Headset, be prepared to shell out some major cash for it. The supreme comfort and understated style—along with the high-quality audio—make up for the price tag.
- Astro headsets are also a long and storied provider of great gaming headset goodness, with the bulk of their product line catering to the high-end, pro-gaming consumer. If money isn’t an issue to you and you want your gear to look as slick as it performs—with the visual aesthetic going for a more luxury-tech vibe than the usual pro-gamer pastiche—then the Astro brand may be right up your alley. Quality here is a non-issue; it’s the price you’ll really have to wrestle with.
- If budget is a legitimate concern, but you still want a good headset to game with, then SteelSeries has you covered. Boasting not only 7.1 surround sound in most of their affordable headset line but also “the best noise cancelling mic in gaming,” any SteelSeries headset is sure to give you bang for your buck. The brand has quite the aesthetic range as well, so you’ll have a variety of styles and colors to pick from.
- HyperX (Kingston). When we hear Kingston, what comes to mind is usually memory cards. Apparently, the largest independent memory card manufacturer in the world has created its own line of high-performance gaming gear, including gaming headsets. They sport great quality sound and features while keeping the price mid-range, which is perfect for gamers who want to upgrade from their bog-standard headphones without breaking the bank. Their renowned ‘Cloud’ series headsets are geared towards providing the maximum amount of comfort to the wearer.
- ASUS is yet another company that decided to break into the pro-gaming gear circuit, and their Republic of Gamers (ROG) line exemplifies their all-out dedication to providing that kind of product to customers. While they don’t have quite the varied selection as the other brands in this list, their current offerings are more than adequate for the discerning gamer. The brand features a strong and stylistic aesthetic that will be sure to turn heads. Their prices are also wonderfully midrange, making the products within easy reach. Definitely consider the ROG line if you want to set yourself apart and make a statement.
These household names are just some of the most popular gaming headset brands available in the market. To end up with the best one for you, find out the features that you need, set a budget, read reviews, and search for specific models that have your non-negotiable features.You can also visit Frugal Trend Setter to read more tips on how to choose the best gaming headsets. Before you make your final purchase, it’s highly advised that you test the product first to see if it fits you well and you like how it sounds. If you’re browsing online and can’t test the unit before buying, search for friends with the same headset models and ask to borrow them for testing. Remember that everyone has different preferences and reading a rave review about a particular headset doesn’t mean that you’ll end up liking the model in real life. Let your ears decide which among the gaming headset models you shortlisted will be your newest gaming peripheral.
