Best Xbox headsets 2023

The best Xbox headsets enhance your gaming experience in many ways. You’ll be better able to appreciate the soundtracks and soundscapes of your favorite games to feel more immersed in the process and communicate with your teammates more easily when playing online.

The Xbox X and Xbox Series S are some of the best gaming consoles on the market, and we’ve included headsets for both. You’re not using your console to its full potential if you don’t have the right headset, but there is a lot on the market, from wireless to wired. We’ve recommended the best Xbox headsets based on hours of gameplay, making it easy to help you find one in your price range. Get one of these and the best Xbox Series X games will be elevated to levels you didn’t think possible.

Here are the best Xbox headsets:

• Xbox Wireless Headset – best overall
• Razer BlackShark V2 X – budget choice
• SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro – premium choice
• Turtle Beach Stealth Pro – best for noise-canceling
• Logitech G Astro A30 –  most versatile option
• Astro Gaming A50 – best with charging base

1. Xbox Wireless Headset

The best Xbox headset overall.

Xbox Wireless headset specs:

Pros:

• Great sound and build quality
• Reasonably priced

Cons:

• Might be tight on bigger heads
• Not ideal for other platforms

This is Microsoft’s own headset – officially made for Xbox consoles. What’s especially impressive is that it has a level of sound and build quality that is on par with the more expensive options on this list, yet it costs quite a bit less. For under $100, you get the spatial audio of Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos, which means that sound will surround your ears and bring games truly to life.

Unsurprisingly, the Official Xbox Wireless headset matches the Xbox aesthetic, and it’s compatible with Xbox One, Series X, Series S, and Windows 10 and 11 devices. You can use the headset with a wired or wireless connection, via Bluetooth, Xbox wireless, or a USB-C cable (which is included). We love that this headset supports simultaneous Bluetooth connections, which means you can take calls or listen to your favorite playlists while gaming at the same time.

The biggest failing of the Xbox Wireless Headset is that it’s smaller than most models so it might be uncomfortable on larger heads, however, we found the design had a lot of flex to allow for different sizes.

2. Razer BlackShark V2 X

The best budget Xbox headset.

Razer BlackShark V2 X headset specs:

Pros:

• Fantastic price
• Great microphone
• Decent sound

Cons:

• No sound-adjusting software
• Wired-only

Choosing the budget option can be tricky, but the Razer BlackShark V2 X is a reliable headset from a trusted manufacturer that doesn’t cost a fortune. It’s comfortable enough for most people, and the microphone is conveniently placed (and adjustable), allowing for crisp, clear communication with other players.

The sound quality is pretty good too, though there’s room for improvement and we wish that it came with some sound-mixing software so that you could fine-tune it to your own needs.

This is a wired option, which will be great if you’re somebody who’s ever lost a game at the last minute because your headset distracted you by running out of power. Though of course, if you prefer the freedom to play without wires, consider the official Xbox headset above.

3. SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless

The best high-end Xbox headset.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro headset specs:

Pros:

• A plethora of sound customization options
• Convenient, adjustable, high-quality mic

Cons:

• Expensive
• Not so good at noise-isolation

If you want a wireless Xbox headset and money is no object, we recommend the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro. The enormous selection of customization options that the Arctis Nova Pro has to offer means that you can tweak it to hit that sweet spot your ears have been calling for. With a robust companion app and various adjustments that you can make on the fly, it does a lot to justify its higher price tag.

Noise isolation is the only area where we could feasibly criticize it. These aren’t noise-canceling headphones, and so if you like to be able to drown out the sound of your partner yelling “If you don’t stop playing video games, I’m leaving you” then you might want to look at other options. In every other way though – fantastic.

4. Turtle Beach Stealth Pro

The best noise-cancelling headset.

Turtle Beach Stealth Pro headset specs:

Pros:

• Great sound quality and customization
• Comfortable, premium design

Cons:

• Expensive
• Could be more secure on your head

Turtle Beach is well-known and respected for its exceptional headsets, and few of them are as good as the Stealth Pro. It’s one of the more expensive options, but, boy, is it worth it.

This headset has a premium design that sits comfortably on your head. Meanwhile, its active noise-canceling design helps to keep the distractions of the outside world at bay, letting you escape into the stress-free world of video games. And did somebody say sound customization? Its companion software provides you with plenty of options, making it easy for you to adjust to your needs.

You might find that they don’t sit super securely on your head, so under certain circumstances, they might fall off e.g. if you’re streaming Xbox Game Pass games on your phone on the bus and bouncing around as you go over the bumps. This isn’t really going to be an issue if you mostly play at home, but it’s worth noting.

5. Logitech G Astro A30

The most versatile Xbox headset.

Logitech G Astro A30 headset specs:

Pros:

• Wired and wireless connections
• Brilliant sound quality

Cons:

• Pricey
• Can put pressure on your head

Just shy of $200, the Logitech G Astro A30 is a sturdy, reliable, excellently-reviewed headset. It manages to provide a fantastic level of sound quality and has a fairly decent microphone too. With the option to connect either via Bluetooth or via USB, you can use it wired or wirelessly.

Admittedly, the price tag is a little on the high side, but it makes sense considering everything that it has to offer. On top of crystal clear audio, the white design is sleek, attractive, and a far cry from the usual black headset. It would look great as part of a streaming setup. This is one of those headsets that adds pressure on your head if you wear it for long enough, so do be cautious if you’re likely to play for hours.

Logitech G Astro A30 also has a pretty fantastic companion app, so even if you don’t like how it sounds out of the box, with a little bit of tweaking, you should be able to hit that sweet spot.

6. Astro A50 headset

The best wireless headset with a charging base.

Astro A50 headset specs:

Pros:

• Brilliant charging base
• Looks stylish, feels comfortable

Cons:

• Microphone a bit quiet
• An expensive option

The Astro A50 headset is one of the best Xbox headsets in terms of design, and it comes with a charging base to keep things neat on your desk. It gives you plenty of customization, with optional ear cushions and a synthetic leather headband.

It also comes with the Astro Command Centre for sound mixing, which gives you the option to save configurations for different uses (e.g. streaming, playing with friends, playing alone, etc.) Every input and output parameter can be tailored to your needs.

The larger price tag means that you’ll get the Dolby Audio sound system,  giving you crisp, clear surround sound that is not tinny or watered down. Meanwhile, with Dolby Atmos in the mix, you’ll find that it very much feels like an immersive, three-dimensional experience.

The battery life is around 15 hours, which is surpassed easily by the more premium options in this guide. While it does everything it should do (and very well too), the build quality could be better for something that costs as much as it does.

How we chose the best Xbox headsets

What makes a headset worthy of inclusion on this list?

• Wired vs wireless: We’ve included both options on this list. If you play for extended periods of time and hate having to worry about keeping your headset charged, go for a wired option, but if you know that won’t be a problem, and prefer a bit of flexibility to move around while gaming, go for a wireless option.
• Pricing: It was also important to us to include options that accommodate readers on a range of different budgets. The price of headsets varies significantly, and the most expensive option isn’t necessarily going to be the right choice for everyone.
• Battery life: If you’re after a wireless option, its battery life is going to be an important consideration. We’ve used 15 hours as a sort of benchmark here –  that’s the average “good” battery life, and we wouldn’t recommend anything lower than that. Impressive premium models can keep going for closer to 30 hours though, which is great if you don’t want to have to charge it so often.
• Companion apps: Many headsets give their customers the chance to adjust sound settings within a companion app. If you have a very specific idea of how you like your headsets to sound, then you’ll want to go for something with a companion app so that you can make all of the appropriate adjustments.
• Build quality: We’ve focused on headsets that are both aesthetically pleasing and also durable and well-made. The quality levels definitely vary a lot here, but we wouldn’t include anything explicitly poor.

If you have more questions about how we decide what to include in these lists, check out our how we test page. You can also read our FAQs below:

What headsets are compatible with Xbox?

Obviously, there’s Microsoft’s own headset, but also most major headset manufacturers make them with Xboxes in mind. Logitech, Turtle Bay, SteelSeries, and Razer will nearly always be fine. We’d always recommend double-checking though – most product pages make it pretty clear.

Does Xbox use wireless headsets?

Yes, you can use both wired and wireless headsets with Xbox consoles.

Can you use AirPods on Xbox?

AirPods connect via Bluetooth, and Xbox cannot do that. There is a method involving the Xbox Companion app that makes it possible, but that isn’t ideal as it prohibits the use of the AirPods’ earphones.

Does Xbox have Bluetooth?

No, it doesn’t. Wireless headsets connect via a dongle.

For more on Xbox accessories, read our guides on the best Xbox expansion cards and the best Xbox controllers, which will both give you an idea of some of the good things you can get for your console.