Getting a real gaming headset is one the single biggest upgrades you can make to your gaming experience – it can transform the level of immersion that you’re able to attain.
If you’re an Xbox gamer looking to make just that sort of upgrade, before you sink into a top Xbox Series X game or any other title, we’re here to help. We’ve tried countless gaming headsets in the last half decade and more, and have whittled down the best options on Xbox to the list you’ll find below.
Best of all, every headset we’ve featured below will work across Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One, so you’ll be covered no matter which console you game with.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Xbox
1. Best Xbox headset overall
Top pick
$312.99 $349.99 Save $37
This headset from SteelSeries is a marvel, with unbelievable sound and some simply superb features.
- Unreal sound quality
- So comfortable
- Great battery-swapping system
This is our favourite wireless headset bar none, and it’s just as fabulous in its Xbox version, netting you incredibly high-quality audio for all your games.
The Nova Pro Wireless is hugely comfortable to wear and lets you swap its battery for one charging in the base station when you’re low, making for near-endless battery life in practice.
It might have a seriously hefty price tag attached, but if you can splash out for it you’ll be getting the best of the best.
Turtle Beach Stealth Pro
2. Best Xbox headset for mic quality
$295 $330 Save $35
An excellent headset from Turtle Beach that shows it knows how to do premium products.
- Great sound
- Very good microphone
- Great materials and quality
Another excellent premium headset, one that in fact runs the Nova Pro Wireless extremely close for top spot, comes from Turtle Beach in the form of its Stealth Pro. It’s a chunky, very well-built headset that uses premium materials but is still really comfortable to wear.
Like the SteelSeries above, it has a swappable battery system that makes charging a thing of the past, and its sound is extremely impressive, especially for competitive online games. It’s a real stunner, and a brilliant choice.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X
3. Best Xbox headset for value
Superb style
$160 $180 Save $20
The best value headset you can get right now.
- SteelSeries comfort
- Great sound
- Better price than Nova Pro Wireless
- Misses out on noise-cancelling
SteelSeries doesn’t just have the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, though – its most recent addition to the Xbox lineup is the more affordable (although still premium) Arctis Nova 7X, and it’s a superb choice if your budget is a little lower.
The comfort is superb, and the headset is actually extremely similar to the Nova Pro Wireless with a few slightly lighter and less solid design elements being the only real clue.
The sound, in particular, is pretty indistinguishable, and you have the same array of on-earcup controls for quick changes. Best of all, this version works with PlayStation too.
Audeze Maxwell
4. Best Xbox headset for pure audio
Magnetic sound
Some of the best sound performance we’ve found on a headset is paired with a comfortable new design that lets those planar magnetic drivers sing.
- Stunning sound
- Comfortable fit
- Premium build
- Microphone noise cancelling is robotic
Audeze brings its excellent planar magnetic audio drivers to a new design in the Maxwell, one of the best-sounding headsets you can find for Xbox consoles.
It has some of the best pure audio performance that we’ve tested on any headset (at least wirelessly) and offers a really nice mix of precision and punch, while the microphone performs ably. That said, we ended up turning off its noise-suppression feature as it made our voice sound a little robotic.
Still, this is a brilliant premium headset that is a real pleasure to use.
Xbox Wireless Headset
5. Best Xbox headset for integration
Official option
$95 $100 Save $5
A superb bargain that’s made for the console, from the ground up.
- Impressive sound
- Solid comfort
- Great value
- Somewhat mediocre microphone
Xbox debuted its own official headset soon after the release of the Series X and Series S, and it’s a really excellent bargain, priced very sensibly but delivering premium sound.
You get super easy connectivity to whichever Xbox you have, and full Dolby Atmos support if you’ve got a license.
Even without that, it sounds great and is nice and comfortable to wear. Decent battery life and a solid microphone round out the package nicely, making it a great choice.
LucidSound LS50X
7. Best Xbox headset for controls
Excellent sound
Great sound, multiple connection options, good looks and plenty more make it well worth considering.
- Superb sound
- More comfortable than it looks
- A bit heavy
- Does need a dongle
The LucidSound LS50X is interesting for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s wireless with superb battery life, but it also has Bluetooth connectivity and can be paired with two devices at once and play audio from both at the same time as well.
Secondly, it sports decent drivers and faux-leather noise-blocking ear cups with a comfortable memory foam cushioning/liquid cooling gel mix that makes them a joy to wear.
Throw in some intelligent on-ear controls, two microphones (on built-in, one detachable) and a robust frame and you’ve got a seriously nice headset. LucidSound also has a great, more affordable option in the LS15X.
Logitech Pro X
8. Best Xbox headset for wired audio
Amazing wired choice
$100 $130 Save $30
Logitech makes the premium affordable with its impressively specced Pro X.
- Excellent value
- Really premium feel
Logitech’s managed a real marvel with its Pro X headset – it’s priced it at a level that’s decidedly mid-range, but specced it out like a top-class headset, with the packaging and user experience to match.
It’s the only headset we tested, for example, to come with swappable earpads in the box – not just as an optional extra (leatherette or velour finish, if you’re interested, both very comfortable). You get multiple premium cables depending on what device you’ve connected it to, a detachable microphone and a design that’s frankly gorgeous, especially in the realm of gaming headsets. I mean, it even comes with a lovely carrying pouch – again, unlike any others we tested.
Plus, at its heart, the sound is superb, with really excellent detail and balance that should have you hearing things you never noticed before. Literally, the only slight negative we could find was that its inline controller lets you change volume and mute yourself but not adjust chat balancing, which is hardly a huge sin. For its price, this is a seriously impressive set of cans.
Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2 Max
9. Best Xbox headset for compatibility
Multi-console use
Ideal for anyone who plays on Xbox but also on PlayStation or Switch
- Sounds great
- Works on PlayStation too
- Fair pricing
- A little plastic
- Microphone isn’t the best
This great headset from Turtle Beach will also work on both Xbox and PlayStation consoles wirelessly, something that makes it excellent value if you have multiple consoles.
Handily, it’s also very comfortable to wear and sounds excellent, so the overall package is nice and compelling. We’d love to see a less plastic build, and the microphone isn’t stellar, but these are relatively minor gripes.
How to choose an Xbox headset
There are almost literally countless headsets out there for most consoles now, and the Xbox range is no different. To help you narrow your options down, here are some points to consider before you make any decision.
Should you go wireless?
A big question with headsets at the moment is whether you want to be untethered by cables – all of our top picks are wireless, for a reason, but that doesn’t mean you have to go with one of them. There are brilliant options like the Logitech Pro X which ditch wirelessness to get better sound quality for the price.
Given your controller likely has a 3.5mm headphone jack, you could easily go wired and have a great time. It’s up to your personal taste.
Weight is all-important
How much a headset weighs might not be the most glamorous stat, but it plays a huge role in determining how comfortable it is to wear for long periods. If comfort is key for you, it’ll be worth your time to compare weights so that you’re not caught out if your headset ends up feeling like a chunky monkey.
How key is a microphone?
Some of us only need a headset so that we can play multiplayer games with our friends and not be left out of the voice chat channels. For others, it’s all about the single-player immersion. If you’re in the latter camp, then you’ll probably want to ensure that you get a headset with either a retractable or removable microphone, so that you don’t have something dangling in front of your face even when you’re not using it.
What is Xbox Wireless?
Microsoft has made its own wireless connectivity standard for Xbox, in the form of Xbox Wireless, and it’s brilliant when it’s used. It means that your headset will connect to your console when it’s powered on, without needing a dongle or any other accessories.
Not every headset uses it though, for a litany of reasons. So, while it’s not a deal-breaker at all, it’s worth paying attention to when you check out product listings.
How can I connect a headset to my Xbox?
It’s easy to forget, but, when Microsoft released the Xbox One, its first controller didn’t have a 3.5mm headphone jack. This meant you had to use an adapter to connect a wired headset via the controller, and you might still have to if that’s the version of the controller you use.
However, more recent editions of the controller, including the newest that comes with the Xbox Series X and Series S, have that all-important jack to let you plug in more easily. Finally, you might find that some wireless controllers use a dongle to connect without cables.
Another less common way of connecting, but arguably the ideal, is through Xbox Wireless – the standard discussed in the section above that Xbox’s own first-party controllers use to connect to your console. This makes for the most solid connection, the easiest reconnecting, and has the added bonus of being guaranteed to work with the new consoles when they’re out.
In case a step-by-step guide is useful, though, follow these steps to connect your headset:
- If your headset is wired, plug it into either the headphone jack on your Xbox controller or the Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter to get game audio.
- If it’s wireless, plug in any dongles provided to your Xbox and turn on the headset to pair.
- If it uses Xbox Wireless, press the pairing button on the front of your Xbox and wait for its logo to flash on and off.
- Put your headset into pairing mode by following the manufacturer’s instructions, then wait for the two devices to pair. When they have paired, you should see a headset logo to the top left of the Xbox dashboard, along with a battery indicator.
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