No matter how good your gaming laptop is, audio quality can make or break your gaming experience, which is why you need one of the best gaming headsets to complete your gaming setup.

While some of the best gaming laptops have surprisingly good speakers, nothing really immerses me in my favorite games, like a great headset. I've spent dozens of hours testing several top headsets to find a few that offer the best possible value for your money.

In fact, my personal daily drivers are on this list: the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds. These ultra-portable gaming earbuds are the perfect alternative to a bulky headset, especially if you wear glasses or travel often like I do.

There are plenty of fantastic over-ear picks, too. For instance, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X is easily one of the best gaming headsets for budget users. It punches way above its weight class for a sub-$200 headset and features a comfortable, lightweight design.

Whether you're after a budget bargain, a great design, or top battery life, these are the best gaming headsets you can buy, based on dozens of hours of testing.

The Quick List

The best gaming headsets you can buy in 2025

Best overall gaming headset

Why is this our top overall gaming headset?

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X combines all the core features you need in a great gaming headset with a flexible, durable design and solid battery life for a stellar all-around headset for PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch, and mobile.

Buy it if

✔️ You want great audio in a polished design: The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X is reliable, streamlined, comfortable, and offers great audio quality with customizable game-specific audio profiles. It's the perfect balance between price and performance, offering a more premium build quality than the Arctis Nova 5X without getting too pricey.

✔️ You enjoy customization: You can personalize the Arctis Nova 7X with SteelSeries booster packs that include earcup accents and headbands in various colors and patterns. It's a unique feature that's also good for extending the lifespan of your headset in case your suspension headband ever needs to be replaced.

Don't buy it if

✖️ Price is your top concern: The Arctis Nova 7X is a great gaming headset, but the more affordable Arctis Nova 5X offers nearly all the same features and virtually identical audio quality at a much lower price. So if affordability is your top concern, the Arctis Nova 5X is probably a better deal.

See our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X review.

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Best budget gaming headset

Why is it our budget pick for handheld gaming PCs?

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X delivers stellar value for your money, pairing an affordable sub-$200 price tag with solid audio quality, impressive battery life, and a comfortable, lightweight design.

Buy it if

✔️ You want great value for your money: The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X is a fantastic budget-friendly gaming headset. It offers all the basics you need for a great audio experience, paired with a lightweight, comfortable design and shockingly good battery life. It's a phenomenal deal for just $129.

✔️ You want a lightweight headset: If comfort's your top priority, the Arctis Nova 5X is a great pick. Its plastic chassis is flexible and lightweight at just 0.58 pounds. With the soft, breathable fabric earcups, the Arctis Nova 5X stays cool and comfy for hours on end.

Don't buy if

✖️ Mic quality is your top priority: The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X offers strong audio quality comparable with the more expensive Arctis Nova 7X, but its mic isn't quite as impressive. It can get the job done for everyday voice calls, but if you want a crystal-clear mic, this might not be the best option.

✖️ You need noise cancelling: The Arctis Nova 5X has all the basic features you need in a good gaming headset, but it doesn't feature ANC or any kind of advanced noise cancellation. For that, you might be better served with the Arctis Nova Pro or Arctis GameBuds.

See our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X review.

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Longest-lasting gaming headset

Why is it our top battery life pick for gaming headsets?

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is tough to beat on battery life, maxing out at 70 hours per charge. If you want to avoid pausing your gaming sessions to recharge your headset, this one is the right pick for you.

Buy it if

✔️ Battery life is your top priority: The Razer BlackShark truly shines on battery life, lasting an impressive 70 hours per charge. If you often forget to charge your headset or simply want to avoid it, the BlackShark V2 Pro could be a great fit.

✔️ You want a good built-in mic: The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro has one of the best built-in mics of any of the gaming headsets we've tested. It might not be podcast quality, but it's perfect for clear, crisp voice chat audio during all your gaming sessions.

Don't buy it if

✖️ You want something low-profile: The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is a pretty bulky gaming headset. At 0.70 pounds, it's not particularly heavy, but the design itself is on the larger side. It might look noticeably bulky on smaller heads, but it's comfy nonetheless.

✖️ You want something that can take a hit: The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro held up fine during our testing, but its construction uses plastic rather than metal in some key areas, namely around the hinges, suggesting that it might not hold up long-term as well as some alternatives, particularly if you often travel with your headset.

See our full Razer BlackShark V2 Pro review.

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Best gaming earbuds

Why is it our top pair of gaming earbuds?

The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are the ultimate alternative to bulky over-ear gaming headsets, offering a comfortable in-ear fit, solid battery life, and fantastic portability with the same features as SteelSeries's over-ear headsets, including game-specific audio presets.

Buy it if

✔️ You don't like bulky over-ear headsets or wear glasses: The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are perfect for gamers who travel or commute often, wear glasses, or just don't like bulky headsets. You can't get more portable and lightweight than the GameBuds. They won't get in the way of your glasses, either.

✔️ You want noise-cancelling: One of the best features of the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds is its Active Noise Cancelling, which works so well that it even helped prevent motion sickness in our review. The ANC on these earbuds is top-notch and perfect for creating a more immersive gaming (or working) experience. There's also a Transparency mode for when you need to hear your surroundings.

Don't buy it if

✖️ You have sensitive skin or don't like in-ear earbuds: The silicone eartips on the Arctis GameBuds aren't for everyone. If you have sensitive skin or often find silicone irritating, these earbuds could make your ears itchy after a little while and an on-ear or over-ear headset might be a better fit.

✖️ You're looking for a good built-in mic: The built-in mic on the Arctis GameBuds is one of its few downsides. Its mic isn't bad, but it's not as clear as the mics on SteelSeries's over-ear headsets, so if that's a top priority for you, an over-ear headset or external USB mic might be a better solution.

See our full SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds review.

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Recently reviewed

Not every gaming headset we test earns a spot on among the best gaming headsets. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean these headsets were disappointing or a bad buy, they just may not have impressed us enough to make the cut. They could still be a good fit for some people, though.

How to find the right gaming headset

Gaming headsets might all look a bit similar, but each has pros and cons you should consider to find the right fit.

The first thing to determine is whether you want over-ear headphones or in-ear earbuds. The vast majority of gaming headsets are over-ear, which can be more comfortable for longer gaming sessions, with the big exception of gamers who wear glasses.

Over-ear headphones will almost always be a bit less comfortable if you wear glasses since they wrap around your ears, pressing the arms of your glasses against your head. This can be pretty uncomfortable after a while with most over-ear headphones, which is why gaming earbuds are often a better choice if you wear glasses. In that case, I'd highly recommend the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds.

Next, consider how important mic quality and battery life are. If you have an external USB mic, you probably don't need to worry about the quality of the built-in mic on your gaming headset. However, if you don't have an external mic, the built-in mic should be a top priority.

The same goes for battery life. If you mainly prefer to use a wired headset or don't plan to travel with it, battery life probably won't be a deal breaker. But if you want to use your headset in wireless mode only, you should try to get the best battery life possible. The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro and SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X are both good options in that department.

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FAQs

Can I use the same gaming headset on PC and consoles?

Yes, you can usually use the same gaming headset you use for PC on your consoles, but compatibility can vary. For instance, many gaming headsets are only compatible with Xbox or PlayStation. Effectively, all gaming headsets are compatible with PC and mobile devices, though, as long as they have Bluetooth or a wired connection.

The easiest way to use the same headset for both PC and consoles is to pair it via Bluetooth on your PC and use its 2.4GHz wireless dongle with your console. Then, when you want to swap between PC and console, you can swap connectivity modes; no re-pairing is necessary.

Are gaming earbuds better than gaming headsets?

Gaming earbuds can be better than gaming headsets for some people, especially if you wear glasses or travel often. Gaming earbuds are much more portable and lightweight, making them easier to slip into your pocket when traveling or commuting. They can even double as workout headphones.

In contrast, over-ear gaming headsets are typically too bulky to be good for traveling or working out and are often uncomfortable if you wear glasses. However, if you don't wear glasses or your ears are sensitive to silicone earbud tips, an over-ear headset is probably a better fit.

How much should you spend on a gaming headset?

You can easily get a great gaming headset for less than $200. For instance, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X costs just $129 and offers a fantastic experience all around, with a lightweight design and customizable game-specific audio profiles.

Anything above $200 is generally considered premium. There are options in this price range if you want something a bit more high-end, like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro. However, most gamers can get a stellar gaming experience with a variety of less expensive headsets.

How We Test the best gaming headsets

Every gaming headset featured in this guide was reviewed after at least a week of everyday use, along with side-by-side comparisons with other headsets and mics. This ensures we experience the headset the same way you would using it as a daily driver, allowing us to spot issues like long-term comfort or software bugs.

We record audio samples with the mic in each headset, as well, to compare mic quality between headsets and USB mics. Audio tests include a range of different music genres and games to get a feel for the entire breadth of the headset's audio features and quality.

Finally, we also dive into any software features a headset has to test out tools like customizable audio profiles.

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We are 100% independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. In fact, Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades, and we continue to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on.

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It's easy to assume the most expensive product delivers the best experience, but that's not always the case, something I was reminded of while testing the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro.

I've been impressed by SteelSeries audio gear in the past, especially the Arctis GameBuds, which are my daily drivers. So I had high hopes for the Arctis Nova Pro. This premium gaming headset features a classy design, hot-swappable batteries, ANC, and a base station where you can control volume and settings.

While the Arctis Nova Pro wasn't a let-down, I still found myself reaching for the Arctis GameBuds or even the budget-friendly Arctis Nova 5X first, especially after noticing a few key drawbacks to SteelSeries's more premium headset. Regardless of whether or not the Arctis Nova Pro earns a spot on our list of the best gaming headsets, it did leave me wondering if sometimes the best device for your money is the cheapest one.

Here's a look at my experience testing out the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro and a few things you should know before deciding if it's worth your hard-earned cash.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro: Price and configurations

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is available in two main configurations: the wired version for $249 and the wireless version for $349. Each has variants for PS5 and Xbox (either works with PC). The wired model is only available in black, but the wireless model comes in black and white.

To put that price into context, one of the Arctis Nova Pro's main rivals, the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, costs significantly less at $199, but it doesn't feature ANC like the Arctis Nova Pro. That could be a deal breaker for some users. The build quality of the Arctis Nova Pro also seems better, with sturdier materials all around.

Our review unit is the wireless Xbox model in white.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro: Design

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro offers a classier take on the Arctis design than the more budget-friendly Arctis Nova 7X, complete with a metallic finish on the headband and faux leather ear cups. There’s a metallic accent piece on each ear cup, which hides the battery compartment and USB Type-C charging port.

The left ear cup holds most of the onboard controls, including a volume wheel, a mic mute button, and the power button. It’s also where you’ll find the collapsible built-in mic and the 3.5 mm headphone jack if you want to use the headset in wired mode. The Bluetooth button is located over on the right ear cup.

It’s worth noting that the Arctis Nova Pro is customizable with SteelSeries’s Arctis Nova booster packs, which contain replacement headbands and accent pieces in a variety of solid colors for $35 and special edition designs for $39.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro: Comfort

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X is one of my favorite gaming headsets when it comes to comfort, so I had high hopes for the premium Arctis Nova Pro.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a perfect fit. While the suspension headband on the Pro is just as comfy, if not more so, than other SteelSeries headsets I’ve tried, I found that the Pro squeezed my head the most.

This isn’t helped by the faux leather ear pads, which made an annoying squeaking noise when they rubbed against the arms of my glasses. They also pressed against my glasses more than the softer fabric ear pads on the Arctis Nova 5X. So, if you also wear glasses, I’d recommend checking out the Nova 5X or, even better, the Arctis GameBuds.

Another trait I'm not a fan of is the Arctis Nova Pro’s weight. As soon as I took it out of the box, I noticed it was significantly heavier than the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X and Nova 5X. At 1.14 pounds, the Arctis Nova Pro is noticeably heavier than the Arctis Nova 7X (0.71 pounds) and twice as heavy as the Arctis Nova 5X (0.59 pounds).

That weight makes a huge difference when it comes to comfort, especially if you often wear your headphones for hours on end like I do. The stiff faux leather ear pads don't help either and, if anything, just made the pressure of the heavy headset more noticeable since they don't provide as much cushioning as the fabric earpads on other SteelSeries headsets.

Some of these comfort issues might not be a problem if you don’t wear glasses or have a larger head, but for me at least, the Arctis Nova Pro was not as comfortable as SteelSeries’ other gaming headsets.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro: Audio quality

Considering the “Pro” in its name, I expected the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro to deliver the best audio quality in the SteelSeries line-up. It didn’t let me down, but it didn’t blow me away either.

The audio quality is definitely better than what I heard on the Arctis Nova 5X, but the quality gap could’ve been wider. The Arctis Nova Pro delivers more detail and depth all around, but if I were to do a blind listening test with the Pro and the Nova 5X, I’d have a hard time telling them apart by sound quality alone.

That’s not to say the Arctis Nova Pro sounds bad. It’s more that SteelSeries already offers fairly strong audio quality even in its lower-end gaming headsets so the difference is not particularly noticeable.

I generally enjoyed the listening experience on the Arctis Nova Pro. The haunting string melodies in the soundtrack for A Plague Tale: Innocence were rich and warm, showing off the Pro’s strong mids. Dialogue, nature ambience, and combat sound effects were crisp and clear, as well, with a good balance across the board (i.e. music didn't muddy up dialogue or vice versa).

The bass is pretty good, as well, although it isn’t quite as clear and detailed as the mids and highs, as I noticed while listening to “Rabbit Heart” by Florence + The Machine, where I could tell the bass was a bit muddy.

The Arctis Nova Pro also features Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). You can turn it on with a single tap on the power button or through the audio options menu in the Arctis Nova Pro base station.

It was able to block out the noise of a lawnmower next door, the hum of my PC fans, and the neighbor's dog barking fairly well all around. It's pretty good ANC for the price and seems on par with the Arctis GameBuds, although they’re still a bit better at ANC thanks to the more sculpted earbud form factor.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro: Microphone

The built-in mic on the Arctis Nova Pro was noticeably clearer and of higher quality than most other gaming headset mics in my test recordings. I was relieved to see it outperformed the less expensive Arctis Nova headsets, too, since at this price, I’d expect premium mic quality.

The built-in mic might not be a Shure SM7B, but it’s surprisingly clear and accurate, with good background noise cancellation. I didn’t notice any popping or distortion, although if you lower your voice too much, the mic could lose it a bit.

Overall, though, this mic is solid for the price. If you prefer not to use a dedicated mic, it’s a good alternative. In my test recordings, it was on par with my Razer Seiren V3 Chroma USB mic.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro: Battery life

Perhaps the most unique feature of the Arctis Nova Pro is its interchangeable batteries. SteelSeries includes two small batteries in the box, which you recharge by popping them into the base station.

Once one battery dies, just swap it out with the spare by sliding off the metal accent on the right ear cup where you’ll find the battery compartment. You can also charge the headset itself using a USB Type-C port hidden under the metal accent on the left ear cup.

That means you can have two full batteries with you at once, which could come in handy if you often travel with your headphones (or just forget to charge them like I do). Of course, the Arctis Nova Pro is pretty bulky, so it might not be the most travel-friendly headset, but the hot-swappable batteries are still a cool design feature.

While SteelSeries might advertise “unlimited” battery life on the box here, the battery life on the Arctis Nova Pro is fairly average. Each individual battery delivers up to 22 hours of audio, for a total of 44 hours if you include both batteries. That's about 14 hours more than the Arctis Nova 7X, but significantly less than the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (70 hours). To never stop to charge, you’d need a fully charged spare on hand at all times.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro: Connectivity

You can use the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wired or with 2.4GHz or Bluetooth wireless. There's actually no 2.4GHz dongle included in the box because the base station doubles as the 2.4GHz receiver.

From the base station, you can adjust your headset's volume and settings while also recharging your spare battery. While it's not a must-have accessory, it's nice being able to swap EQ presets directly from the base station instead of the SteelSeriesGG app and I appreciate the volume knob. This is definitely a desk accessory, though, and not something you'd be using on the go.

The Arctis Nova Pro also features simultaneous Bluetooth/2.4GHz audio, meaning you can get audio input from two devices at once. Make sure you turn on and connect Bluetooth first, then hit the regular power button to turn on your 2.4GHz connection, and you should be good to go.

Both input sources sounded pretty clear in my testing, like playing music and game audio simultaneously, but this could also be handy if you're on a call or voice chat on a separate device from what you're gaming on.

One thing I don’t particularly like about the Arctis Nova Pro is how it sports separate buttons for power and Bluetooth. You might think you should turn on the headset and then turn on Bluetooth if you want to use it in Bluetooth mode, but that’s not the case. Instead, you have to start with the headset powered off and only turn on Bluetooth.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X is also set up like this, and I’m not a fan of how confusing it is. The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds and Arctis Nova 5X both have a much more straightforward system where you swap between 2.4GHz and Bluetooth mode with a single button press.

It’s also worth noting that I ran into an odd issue with my original review unit for the Arctis Nova Pro. It was completely undiscoverable on Bluetooth on every device I attempted to pair it with, making it impossible to use it via Bluetooth.

SteelSeries sent over a new review unit, which worked completely fine, so the issue could have been a fluke defect, but if this happens to you when you try to set up your Arctis Nova Pro headset, you should be able to get a replacement by contacting SteelSeries customer service.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro: App

You can customize the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro through the SteelSeriesGG app or the Arctis mobile app.

You'll find the headset's settings under the "Engine" tab in SteelSeries GG, where you can swap between different audio profiles, including custom profiles for a variety of popular games. You can make your own profile, as well, if none of those are to your liking.

Those same basic audio settings are also accessible in the mobile app. It's designed specifically for SteelSeries audio gear, which means it's a bit more streamlined than the desktop app.

If you want even more audio customization, you can also activate SteelSeries Sonar, which allows you to split up your audio into different channels (i.e. game, chat, mic, etc.). You can then adjust your settings for each channel individually.

If you're not a fan of either app, you can also access some basic audio settings through the base station, including EQ presets, ANC, and system settings. Just press and hold the volume wheel button to hop into the settings menu. I personally preferred using this method since it's usually faster and easier than going through SteelSeriesGG.

Bottom line

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro has a lot going for it, particularly ANC, simultaneous Bluetooth/2.4GHz audio, and a high-quality mic. However, the fit and comfort might not be for everyone, and the audio quality isn't a huge leap ahead of SteelSeries's less expensive headsets.

The Arctis Nova Pro could be a good fit if you’re mainly focused on style, mic quality, and active noise cancellation. However, it’s not a good option if you wear glasses, in which case the Arctis GameBuds would probably be the best pick. Even if you don’t wear glasses, I found the less expensive Arctis Nova 5X far more comfortable with its lighter design and softer ear pads.

The base station and interchangeable batteries are cool features, but for the average user, they’re probably not worth paying double the price of the Arctis Nova 5X. The main deal breakers that give the Arctis Nova Pro an edge are the inclusion of ANC, a superior built-in mic, and the option for simultaneous Bluetooth and 2.4GHz audio.

If those are must-haves for you, the Nova Pro is a good pick. Otherwise, the Arctis Nova 7X or Nova 5X will probably be better value picks thanks to their lower prices. Unfortunately for SteelSeries, the budget-friendly Arctis Nova 5X is already so good that it makes it tough to recommend paying more for the Pro over the 5X, the GameBuds, or other top picks from the best gaming headsets.

Is there really such a thing as a "one size fits all" gaming headset that's a great pick for any type of gamer? If there is, it might just be the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro.

There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a gaming headset, from the style and fit to the sound quality and the battery life. Many gamers don't need anything fancy, though, just a reliable headset with a clear mic for voice chats and immersive game audio. But great battery life is a big plus for wireless headsets.

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro checks all the boxes, despite a few minor shortcomings. After using it as my main headset for a couple of weeks with an average of 12 to 16 hours of use per day, the BlackShark V2 Pro left me more impressed than I expected, enough that it could earn a spot among the best gaming headsets.

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro: Price and availability

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro costs $199 and comes in black and white, with versions for PC, Xbox, and PS5. Which model you get only matters if you're playing on console, since all three will work with PC.

Our review unit is the PlayStation version in black.

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro: Design

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro sports a bit of an industrial edge, a retro headset aesthetic with its oversized ear cups and size adjustment sliders. I like this style, but it's not for everyone, especially since it’s on the bulkier side. The BlackShark is not particularly heavy, but the ear cups are pretty large.

The headband features nice faux leather along the top with a more breathable fabric along the side that sits on your head, which I appreciated. It's the same fabric on the ear cups, which remained cool and comfortable for hours on end.

Along the back edges of the ear cups, you'll find a few handy on-board controls, including a power button, a mic mute button, and a button for switching connectivity modes. The BlackShark includes a mic, which is detachable using the audio jack on the left ear cup. There's also a knob on the left ear cup for adjusting volume. It sticks out a bit more than I'd like, but it fits with the overall look of the BlackShark.

While I think the BlackShark's design is pretty cool, the build quality seems like it might be a concern over the long term. A few pieces that look like they should be metal are plastic, including the size adjustment sliders and the brackets that connect the metal arms holding the ear cups to the headband.

The BlackShark held up just fine during my testing, but that was only for a few weeks, so I can't speak for its long-term or heavy-use durability.

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro: Comfort

I found the BlackShark V2 Pro surprisingly comfortable for an over-ear headset, which I usually avoid since I wear glasses. The ear cushions on the BlackShark have enough give to them that they didn't press too hard against my glasses, sparing me from headset headaches.

I typically wear headphones all day while working and for several hours in the evening while gaming or watching Netflix. I wore the BlackShark all day for 12 to 16 hours with little to no cramping, aching, or itchiness.

The memory foam cushioning plays a big role in that. It does a good job of balancing support, cushiness, and breathability, which makes this otherwise bulky headset more comfortable than it might appear.

I occasionally felt some pressure behind my ears from my glasses getting squeezed against my head, but it wasn't nearly as bad as on some other over-ear headsets I've tried.

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro: Audio quality

I used the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro as my main headset for a couple of weeks for everything from gaming and music to streaming shows and movies. The sound quality is good, with bass that's solid without being overwhelming. Dialogue in shows, movies, and games was clear and well-emphasized over music and background ambiance.

Where the BlackShark really shines is game audio, which makes sense considering it's specifically designed for gaming.

I immediately noticed the difference when swapping between headsets during a round of REPO. The eerie ambiance and my friends' voices on the proximity voice chat all sounded significantly more detailed and atmospheric with the BlackShark on. I even noticed it was easier to tell where my teammates' voices were coming from because of how well the BlackShark balanced the other players' voices with the rest of REPO's audio.

I noticed similar performance in Pacific Drive, which also uses a lot of subtle audio effects, like nearby branches cracking or the distant sounds of eerie anomalies. The BlackShark is great at delivering immersive detail and depth in games like that.

In terms of music quality, the BlackShark is about average. It's good overall, although the bass could be a bit stronger. You can tweak that in Razer Synapse, though. The mids and highs are a bit better. For instance, "Moral Panic" by Nothing But Thieves had a rich electric guitar and crisp vocals throughout. The chorus sounded especially good with the BlackShark, although the bass could have been a little punchier.

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro: Microphone

I was surprised by how good the built-in mic on the BlackShark V2 Pro sounded. In my microphone comparison recordings, the BlackShark sounded clearer than my usual mic, the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma. Since both are Razer mics, the sound quality is similar, but the BlackShark seemed to do a better job of isolating my voice and minimizing popping and distortion.

While the BlackShark's mic might not be podcast quality, it's noticeably better than most other gaming headsets in this department. If you rely on your headset's built-in mic (rather than an external mic), the BlackShark might have the best built-in mic you can buy. It even includes a pop filter, which is a nice bonus.

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro: Battery life

According to Razer, the BlackShark V2 Pro features up to 70 hours of battery life per charge, which is phenomenal for a gaming headset. That was roughly on par with what I experienced during my testing. I had to charge the BlackShark only once weekly while using it for around 12 hours daily.

To put that battery life into context, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X costs $20 less but lasts 30 hours per charge, less than half as long as the BlackShark. However, the budget-friendly SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X ($129) comes close with a battery life of about 60 hours.

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro: App

You can customize how the BlackShark V2 Pro sounds through the Razer Synapse app. It offers plenty of customization features, but connecting the BlackShark to Synapse is a bit tedious.

The app requires you to set the headset as your default audio device before allowing you to make any adjustments. My Windows 11 laptop wasn't automatically picking up the BlackShark when connecting it with the 2.4GHz dongle, so I had to go into my advanced sound settings and manually enable the headset and set it as my default device.

I haven't had to do that with any other headset I've tested. It could be a fluke with my device, but I'd prefer it if Synapse didn't require you to set the BlackShark as your default audio device to access any of the settings.

Aside from that connectivity hiccup, Synapse offers abundant customization options. You can swap between sound profiles for gaming, movies, and music, or create your own. There are also pre-made sound profiles for a handful of popular esports games, including Apex Legends, CS:GO, Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Valorant.

Additionally, you can boost certain features, like bass and voice clarity, and adjust your mic performance with the equalizer in Synapse.

Bottom line

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is a stellar gaming headset that especially shines in mic quality, battery life, and game audio. The design may be a bit bulky for some, but it's more comfortable with glasses than I expected (although the plastic brackets leave me wondering about durability).

Aside from my initial frustration with connecting to Razer Synapse, I had a great overall experience with the BlackShark V2 Pro. The surprisingly good mic quality makes this headset a near-perfect fit for anyone who plans on using only their headset's mic rather than an external mic. The BlackShark's mic was noticeably better than other headsets in this price range, like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X.

If you're looking for a comfy over-ear gaming headset with solid audio quality, good battery life, and a great mic, the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro could be the perfect choice.

In a world of pricey, premium gaming gear, I sometimes stumble upon a device that delivers exceptional value at an affordable price. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X is one such rare gem.

This headset may be low-priced at $129, but it punches way above its weight class with fantastic audio, good comfort, and impressive battery life. It's not just a good pick for gamers on a budget; it's a good pick for any gamer.

After using the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X as my main headset for a few weeks, I'm convinced it might just be the best gaming headset you can buy, even with more premium options available.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X: Price and configurations

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X costs $129 and comes in black and white. Both colors are available for the two different versions of the Arctis Nova 5: the Arctis Nova 5X (Xbox and PC) and the Arctis Nova 5P (PlayStation and PC). Each includes the headset, a USB Type-C charging cable, and a 2.4GHz USB Type-C wireless dongle.

Either version of the Arctis Nova 5 will work with PC, Nintendo Switch, VR headsets, and mobile devices. Somewhat confusingly, the Xbox version even works with PlayStation, but the PlayStation version doesn't work with Xbox. So, the Arctis Nova 5X is the best pick for most people.

The Arctis Nova 5 is also partially compatible with the SteelSeries Arctis "booster packs," which include replacement headbands and magnetic accent pieces. The accent pieces aren't compatible with the Arctis Nova 5, but the headbands are. They're a bit thicker and more premium than the included headband and allow you to personalize your headset a bit. You can choose from solid color sets for $35 or designs and special editions for $39.

Our review unit is the Arctis Nova 5X in black.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X: Design

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X features the same overall design aesthetic as its big sibling, the Arctis Nova 7X, but is trimmed down to a more lightweight, budget-friendly headset. The headband and earcups are all matte plastic with fabric ear cushions and a fabric suspension headband.

The suspension headband is replaceable and compatible with the booster packs for the Arctis Nova 7X, which are a slightly nicer material. The included headband is a soft, stretchy fabric that I found surprisingly comfortable. It's pretty thin, though, so it might stretch out more easily over time than the nicer headbands on the Arctis Nova 7X or in the booster packs.

All of the standard on-board controls are included on the back edges of the earcups. On the left there's a mic mute button and a volume dial. On the right is the power button, a button for swapping connectivity modes, and a ChatMix dial for balancing game and voice chat audio.

The Arctis Nova 5X features a built-in mic, although you might not notice it at first. SteelSeries uses a clever design for hiding its built-in mics, as they retract into the left earcup. It's more convenient (and looks better) than the folding or detachable mics on other gaming headsets.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X: Comfort

Whoa. The Arctis Nova 5X is surprisingly more comfortable than the premium Arctis Nova 7X. Despite its lower price, the Arctis Nova 5X offers a few advantages. Since it's entirely made of plastic, it weighs less and the headband flexes more easily, which means it doesn't squeeze your head as tightly as the Arctis Nova 7X.

Both traits made the Arctis Nova 5X much more comfortable for me since I wear glasses and the lighter, more flexible design didn't press them against my head as tightly as the Arctis Nova 7X.

I found the suspension headband comfortable during my testing, but it might not be for everyone, particularly if you're used to regular, rigid headbands. The suspension headband has a few notches on each side for adjusting tension (which also tweaks how high the earcups sit on your head), but the earcups also slide vertically for more side adjustment.

The only downside to the suspension headband, in my experience, was how much it flattened down my hair, especially after wearing the Arctis Nova 5X for several hours at a time.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X: Audio quality

At $129, you might not expect much from the Arctis Nova 5X in terms of audio quality, but it delivers some seriously impressive value for its budget-friendly price. It’s virtually indistinguishable from that of the more expensive Arctis Nova 7X, with great clarity and balance across music, podcasts, and games.

"The Void" by The Neighbourhood sounded fantastic, with pristine highs and with solid bass that didn’t cross into overwhelming. Similarly, the slick vocals and punchy mids in "Moral Panic" by Nothing But Thieves were balanced out well with the more forceful bass in the background.

It's not just pop that sounds good on the Arctis Nova 5X, though. Olivia Rodrigo's haunting folk ballad "Can't Catch Me Now" absolutely swept me away while listening with this headset. The acoustic guitar notes were warm and detailed and Rodrigo's voice was perfectly balanced with crystal-clear highs and rich mids.

The Arctis Nova 5X doesn't disappoint on game audio, either. The detailed nature ambiance of the Pacific Northwest in Pacific Drive sounded crisp and immersive in my playthrough with the Arctis Nova 5X. It balanced the eerie, minimalistic soundtrack perfectly with the game's energetic radio music, car sound effects, and background ambiance. Every little spooky noise, like the inexplicable creak of a door in my garage, came through with pristine clarity.

I was more than happy with the default audio profile on the Arctis Nova 5X, but you can also customize it to your liking through the SteelSeries GG app. There are a few pre-made profiles, like "Bass Boost," but you can also make your own or tweak the existing profiles.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X: Microphone

The built-in mic on the Arctis Nova 5X is surprisingly decent. In side-by-side comparison recordings, it actually sounded a bit clearer than my usual Razer Seiren V3 Chroma USB mic. My voice sounded more accurate and a bit less distorted with the Arctis Nova 5X's mic.

The Arctis Nova 5X filters out background noise well, but gets a bit tinny at the high end. I noticed very little popping, though. The mic quality isn't good enough for professional audio purposes, like recording a podcast or streaming, but it's more than clear enough for everyday voice chats.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X: Battery life

Battery life is one area where the Arctis Nova 5X really shines. SteelSeries advertises 60+ hours of battery life per charge, which is on par with what I got in my testing.

It's significantly longer than what I got on the more expensive Arctis Nova 7X. I could legitimately go a whole week without charging the Arctis Nova 5X, even while using it for several hours per day. That's seriously impressive, considering this headset's price.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X: App

You can customize the audio quality on the Arctis Nova 5X through the SteelSeries mobile app or the SteelSeries GG app for Windows and Mac. Here you can choose from a few premade audio profiles, make your own custom profiles, and configure audio settings for specific apps and games.

The SteelSeries GG app ran smoothly with no issues or crashing. The "Engine" tab is the one you'll want to pay attention to since that's where all of your device settings are (I wish it was just labeled "Devices," which would have been a bit clearer, but that's a minor grievance).

The mobile app is a bit more streamlined since it's specifically designed for SteelSeries audio devices, but it features all the same audio settings you can access in the desktop app. It also shows your headset's battery life and connection mode (Bluetooth or 2.4GHz).

Bottom line

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X offers fantastic value for your money, enough that it might just be the best budget-friendly gaming headset you can buy. It pairs a lightweight, minimalistic design with impressive audio quality and phenomenal battery life, making for a great all-around audio experience.

While it might not look as premium as the more expensive SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X, the Arctis Nova 5X is just as good, if not better, in every way. While the Arctis Nova 5X is more comfortable with glasses than the Arctis Nova 7X, some glasses-wearing gamers may still find the over-ear design uncomfortable over long periods. If that's the case for you, I recommend considering the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds, as well.

If you're looking for a gaming headset that won't break the bank and nails all the basics, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X is tough to beat.

It's hard to find gaming gear that's a great fit for everyone, but the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X might be a serious contender.

This over-ear gaming headset mixes a comfortable, customizable, minimalistic design with rich audio quality that handles everything from pop to orchestral game soundtracks with excellent balance and detail. While it has a few minor drawbacks, the Arctis Nova 7X has a lot going for it, as well, including all the basics gamers need for a great audio experience.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X might not be perfect, but it's a strong competitor for our best gaming headsets rankings. I used the Arctis Nova 7X as my main headset for a week — here's a few things you should know before buying.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X: Price and availability

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 is available in black and white with models for PC, PlayStation (Arctis Nova 7P), and Xbox (Arctis Nova 7X). All three versions cost $179. Each includes the headset, a USB Type-C charging cable, a detachable AUX cord, and a 2.4GHz USB Type-C dongle.

If you're playing on PC, any of the three versions will work for you, but if you're playing on console it does make a difference which version you get. The Nova 7X (the Xbox edition) is compatible with PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Meta Quest headsets. In contrast, the Nova 7P (the PlayStation version) is not compatible with Xbox.

Our review unit is the Arctis Nova 7X in black.

SteelSeries also offers "booster packs" for the Nova 7 with replacement headbands and magnetic accent pieces for customizing your headset. These are available in a plethora of designs for $35 for solid colors or $39 for special editions.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X: Design

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X keeps things streamlined with a matte, monochrome design. The black and white versions both look clean and sleek without feeling cheap thanks to a metallic headband, cushy earcups, and sturdy plastic throughout.

This design isn't quite as simplistic as it looks, though. The suspension headband and the metallic earcup accents are interchangeable so you can swap them out to personalize the headset. The "booster packs" for the Arctis Nova 7X come in a range of colors along with limited-edition designs, like my personal favorite, the Titik Noda edition. It's a nice touch that brings some color to your gaming gear without going over-the-top.

The Arctis Nova 7X features a nice variety of on-board controls, as well. On the back of the right earcup there's a power button, Bluetooth power button, and a ChatMix dial for balancing game and voice chat audio. On the left earcup is a volume dial and a mic mute switch. The built-in mic is also cleverly hidden in the left earcup. It retracts in and out, rather than folding or detaching entirely, which gives the Arctis Nova 7X a much cleaner look than many other gaming headsets.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X: Comfort

Headset comfort varies from person to person, but I found the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X pretty comfy. The ear cushions are a soft fabric rather than leather, which is a relief for anyone who gets sweaty wearing headphones for hours at a time. They're cushy yet supportive, and the extra bit of friction from the fabric keeps the headset from sliding around.

The Arctis Nova 7X features a suspension headband, which means the solid plastic headband isn't actually sitting directly on your head. Instead, an interchangeable fabric strap supports the headset. There are a couple configurations for the headband so you can adjust the tension to your liking, which also tweaks how the headset fits (i.e. having the strap more taunt makes the earcups sit slightly higher up on your head). The earcups extend up and down like on any other headset for size adjustment, as well.

I found the fabric strap on the Arctis Nova 7X generally comfortable, although some people might prefer more rigid headbands. One of the drawbacks of suspension headbands like this is that they tend to flatten your hair down more and may make some people's scalps itchy. While this headset did flatten my hair down quite a bit, it surprisingly didn't bother my scalp at all.

The one comfort pain point, literally, was my glasses. The Arctis Nova 7X squeezed my head a bit more than I'd like, causing an uncomfortable amount of pressure against the arms of my glasses.

Over short periods, this wasn't much of a problem, but I had to take breaks during long gaming sessions. Of course, if you wear contacts or don't wear glasses, that won't be an issue, but if you do wear glasses, you might find something like the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds more comfortable.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X: Audio quality

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X shines when it comes to audio quality. They handle everything from slick pop music to orchestral game soundtracks with fantastic clarity and balance, but there are also options to customize your audio experience for your specific taste or games. I used the Arctis Nova 7X as my main headphones for a week and listened to a wide range of music on them, along with a few of my favorite games.

"Sailor Song" by Gigi Perez sounded especially good with the Arctis Nova 7X. The rich folk guitar had really well-accentuated bass while Perez's haunting vocals sounded smooth and detailed.

Similarly, the Arctis Nova 7X captured all the texture and complexity of "Hunger of the Pine" by alt-J phenomenally well. The bass was deep enough to feel without getting muddy or overwhelming, and the highs really popped. There are a lot of details to balance in this song and the Arctis Nova 7X didn't miss a beat (literally).

Game soundtracks and ambiance sound fantastic, as well. "By the River" from A Plague Tale: Innocence was immersive and enchanting, with a strings melody that resonated especially vibrantly on the Arctis Nova 7X.

I played several hours of Avowed with the Arctis Nova 7X and experienced great audio all around. This headset offers a solid balance of low background noise, clear dialogue, and immersive music. Nothing sounded tinny or drowned out. Every line of Kai's dialogue came off smooth and perfectly audible. Everything from birds and distant xaurips to the crackle of a pistol and magic sound effects was rendered with crisp detail.

If the default audio profile on the Arctis Nova 7X isn't to your liking, you can customize it in the SteelSeries GG app. There are a few pre-made audio profiles like "Bass Boost" or "Focus," but you can create a custom profile for your specific tastes, as well. Conveniently, you can also change those settings in the SteelSeries mobile app, which is nice if you plan to travel or work out with the Arctis Nova 7X.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X: Microphone

The Arctis Nova 7X sports a built-in mic that cleverly retracts into the left earcup. A button on the back of that earcup also mutes and unmutes the mic. I prefer this design over a removable plug-in mic since those are a lot easier to lose. Plus, the retractable design looks cleaner than a folding mic.

The sound quality on the Arctis Nova 7X's built-in mic is alright. It's not as clean as my external USB mic, a Razer Seiren V3 Chroma, but it's significantly better than many other headset microphones. It's plenty clear for typical in-game voice chats.

The only minor issue I noticed was a bit of crackling around the edges of my voice during volume spikes. I spoke at a normal level with no background noise in my mic tests, but it seemed to pick up my voice at quite a loud default level. That lead to some volume spikes even at a normal speaking volume.

If you tend to yell or raise your voice in VC, others in the call might need to turn down your volume on their end (although they may have been doing that anyway). They might also have more difficulty understanding you when your volume spikes due to the mic sensitivity.

That's a relatively small issue, though. My voice was otherwise perfectly audible in my test recordings and ambient background noise, like the neighbor's dog barking, didn't get picked up. The output from this mic is a bit fuzzy, though. Compared to my normal mic, my voice sounded a little more tinny and processed, while the recording from my USB mic sounded crisp and lifelike.

Unless you're planning to use the built-in mic on the Arctis Nova 7X for something like streaming or recording YouTube videos, you probably won't mind the slightly subpar mic quality. However, it isn't ideal for professional audio recording or streaming.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X: Battery life

The Arctis Nova 7X features a standard wireless battery life of about 25 to 30 hours, which is on par with most other wireless gaming headsets I've used. I had to recharge it roughly once per week while using it for several hours on a daily basis. It took about 1 to 2 hours to recharge from empty to full battery.

It's worth noting you can use the Arctis Nova 7X while it's charging. So if the battery gets low right before a gaming session, you can just plug it in and keep using it. The detachable AUX cable is always an option, too. There’s a warning tone that alerts you when the battery is getting low, but you can also tell from the color of the power button’s LED indicator.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X: App

You can customize the Arctis Nova 7X's settings and audio profile through the SteelSeries GG app, available on Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android. I found SteelSeries GG easy to navigate without noticeable lag or frustrating crashes.

The "Engine" tab is the main one you'll want to pay attention to. This is where you can find all your connected SteelSeries devices and customize device settings. It also shows the battery life for wireless devices. In the same tab, you can go over to the "Apps" menu to configure audio settings for specific supported apps and games, like Discord or League of Legends.

There's also the optional Sonar feature, which is available only on PC at the time of writing. This feature fine-tunes audio to accentuate important sounds in-game, like an enemy's footsteps, while minimizing distracting sounds like background noise. It's ideal for highly-competitive titles, but unnecessary for casual gaming.

Bottom line

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X is a well-rounded gaming headset that deftly balances comfort and performance for a stellar listening experience. The ability to customize how the headset sounds and looks is a bonus that makes it a no-brainer for PC gamers.

The only real downsides to the Arctis Nova 7X are minor things that may come down to personal preference. For instance, if you wear glasses like I do, you might find the fit of the over-ear design uncomfortable since it will squeeze the arms of your glasses against your head. Likewise, the fabric suspension headband does feel a bit different from a typical rigid headband, which some may not like. Lastly, the mic quality on the Arctis Nova 7X is fine for game chats, but could be a bit cleaner.

If you're looking for a minimalistic yet feature-rich gaming headset that delivers on audio quality, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X is worth checking out. Alternatively, I highly recommend taking a look at the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds if you're looking for something more lightweight and portable.

If you travel frequently like I do, you probably know how frustrating the noise and following motion sickness can be on a flight. I think I just found a secret weapon to fix those issues: the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds.

Wearing headphones has always helped minimize my motion sickness, but my over-ear headphones often leave my ears aching at the end of a long flight. The pressure and the loud volume required to hear my music over the roaring plane really do a number on my ears. Even if you don’t get motion sickness, cranking up your volume to hear your music or podcast over the plane isn’t good for your hearing, either.

So, if you are a fellow frequent flier, you might want to check out the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds. These wireless earbuds might be designed for gaming, but they offer superb audio quality and active noise canceling that’s even better than I initially thought. In fact, the GameBuds’ ANC is so good that it completely changed my flying experience.

Flying with the Arcits GameBuds: A first-class audio experience

The SteelSeries Arcits GameBuds are in-ear wireless earbuds that can connect to mobile devices, Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PS5 via Bluetooth or the included 2.4GHz dongle. With the included charging case they can last up to 40 hours on a single charge. They feature a snug, sculpted fit with silicone ear tips. A button on each earbud can control noise cancelation modes, connection modes, volume, and more.

I was a bit nervous about flying with in-ear earbuds. I figured if over-ear headphones left my ears sore on planes, earbuds would only be worse. The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds surprised me, though, and not just in terms of comfort.

When I was packing, I decided to take a leap of faith and bring only the GameBuds with me instead of my usual pair of headphones. They’re far smaller and I was flying with only a backpack, so it was an easy way to save space.

While the pocket-sized form factor was certainly a plus, the GameBuds really shined on the plane itself. I found my seat, popped in my GameBuds, and happened to have ANC mode turned on already from when I was waiting for my flight. The ANC on the GameBuds is good, but I didn’t realize just how good until the plane took off.

The GameBuds’ ANC didn’t just block out chatter from other people in the cabin, it blocked out virtually all of the noise from the plane. I was shocked by how loud the background noise on board actually was when I took out one of my earbuds to talk to the flight attendant.

All I could hear with the GameBuds in and ANC turned on was a low, barely audible background hum. In comparison, the normal noise level in the plane seemed like an ear-crushing roar.

The GameBuds’ all-star ANC wasn’t just good for blocking out background noise. It also let me keep my music volume down since I didn’t have to crank it up to listen over the background noise. As an added bonus, I could hear more detail and nuance in my music and podcasts than I usually would on a plane.

I normally listen to music when I’m flying, but on one of my flights with the GameBuds I decided to listen to an episode of Dimension 20: The Unsleeping City on Spotify. I could hear everything the cast said in perfect, crisp detail at around 50% volume. With any other pair of headphones, I’d be struggling to catch all the dialogue even at max volume.

The most unexpected benefit of flying with the Arctis GameBuds was an unusual lack of motion sickness. Depending on the amount of turbulence, I normally get at least a minor headache when flying, even after taking motion sickness medication.

However, I felt completely fine after two flights with the GameBuds, even with significant turbulence in the descent both times. While there’s no scientific evidence (yet) that ANC earbuds or headphones prevent motion sickness, other people swear by using an earbud or ear plug to keep from getting sick in cars and planes.

It may be that the sculpted shape of the GameBuds also creates such a good seal that my ears didn’t pop as much. Regardless, I was pleasantly surprised to get off the plane feeling… comfortable.

Are these the best earbuds for travelling?

If you often experience motion sickness like I do, the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds could be the perfect headphones for you. Of course, my experience with them might not be the same for everyone, but it drastically improved my experience on multiple flights. Even if you don’t get motion sickness and just want to cut out background noise, the GameBuds are definitely worth trying.

If you’re looking for a great pair of headphones for travel, the GameBuds have a lot going for them. The top-tier ANC is a major plus, but the compact charging case, long battery life, and well-rounded audio quality come together to make for a superb listening experience in a compact form factor.

You can also check out my full review of the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds to read more about some of their top features. They are available for $159 in black or white and Xbox and PS5 versions (both versions work with mobile devices, PC, and Nintendo Switch).

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When you think of a SteelSeries gaming headset, wireless earbuds are probably not what comes to mind. But you might want to give them a chance after seeing the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds.

SteelSeries is the brand behind the Arctis line of gaming headsets, which are among the most popular in the world. We’ve given Arctis headsets some well-earned praise in the past, but now SteelSeries is trying something new: a pair of true wireless earbuds designed for gaming.

If you’re skeptical about using earbuds for gaming, I don’t blame you. In-ear headphones can be notoriously uncomfortable, especially during lengthy gaming sessions. However, the Arctis GameBuds surprised me. If you’re a gamer looking for headphones that aren’t enormous or covered in RGB, the GameBuds might be the perfect fit.

Can the Arctis GameBuds live up to the reputation that earned their over-ear predecessors spots as the best gaming headsets? Here’s a look into my experience trying the GameBuds and why you should give them a chance, too.

SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds: Price and availability

The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds cost $159 and come in two versions: Xbox and PS5. The Xbox version is all black and the PS5 version comes in black and white variants. Both versions include the earbuds, a charging case, and a USB Type-C 2.4GHz wireless dongle.

Depending on the version you get, the GameBuds are compatible with PS5 or Xbox along with PC, Switch, Meta Quest headsets, and most mobile devices via Bluetooth 5.3. Somewhat confusingly, the Xbox version is compatible with Xbox and PS5, but the PS5 version is not compatible with Xbox due to a special dongle needed for the Xbox’s specific wireless frequency. So, technically the Xbox version is the most widely compatible, but it’s only available in black.

Our review unit is the white PS5 version.

SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds: Design

The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds sport a minimalist, round design that isn’t flashy, but I’m a fan of it. The earbuds are all white (or black) with gray silicone ear tips. A few ear tip sizes are included in the box. Each earbud features a simple SteelSeries logo on the outside, centered over a disguised physical button.

The GameBuds have a shape similar to in-ear monitors (IEMs): wide and rounded to fit snugly into the curves of your ear. That shape helps with comfort but also improves isolation for better noise cancellation. There are no hooks, loops, or sports clips.

The GameBuds come with a plastic charging case that also acts as a storage spot for the USB Type-C 2.4GHz dongle. The case is small and light enough that I could easily fit it in my jacket or jeans pocket. The lid conveniently locks into place when you open it and produces a satisfying magnetic snap when you close it. Like the GameBuds, the case is very minimalistic, just a simple white (or black) orb with the SteelSeries logo on top and the USB Type-C charging port on the back.

SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds: Comfort

Earbuds are hit or miss for me in terms of comfort, especially true wireless earbuds that lack the support of a headband or cable. So, I was a bit nervous that the Arctis GameBuds would be too bulky to comfortably fit my ears. Luckily, that didn’t turn out to be the case, although I did have one minor comfort issue.

The Arctis GameBuds stay perched in your ear by gently sitting along the bottom edge of it, so they don’t rely completely on the friction from the silicone ear tips. This design also helps prevent the GameBuds from slipping out of your ears now and then, which is a common frustration for me. I rarely had to adjust the GameBuds in my ears and I could wear them for several hours at a time without my ears getting sore.

The only drawback for me was the silicone ear tips. My skin can get a bit irritated by some materials and textures, which is why silicone ear tips are generally a no-go for me. However, the ear tips on the GameBuds didn’t bother me as much as I expected. My ears got slightly itchy after a few hours, but not enough to be a bother.

Of course, that won’t be a problem for everyone, but if your skin is sensitive or prone to irritation, you may want to try a headset without silicone ear tips. If you do decide to go with the GameBuds, cleaning off the ear tips before putting the earbuds on can help prevent itchiness in my experience.

SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds: Audio quality

The Arctis GameBuds handled music, games, and calls well overall during my testing. The audio quality is fairly balanced with good highs and lows and enough nuance in the mids to add depth to games with background ambiance. The bass could be stronger, but you can create a custom EQ configuration in the SteelSeries GG app if the default settings aren’t to your liking.

There are also dozens of EQ presets for various games, from Halo to Tales of Kenzera: ZAU. They’re optimized for the audio in a specific game and the few I tried did sound pretty good, including Minecraft and Tales of Kenzera: ZAU.

Both games sounded more well-rounded with an emphasis on important sound effects like weapon swapping, movement, and abilities, but Tales of Kenzera sounded especially good. It has a phenomenal soundtrack to begin with, and the GameBuds highlighted the rich, vibrant melodies of every track. Even the audio effects for selecting menus or activating abilities were satisfying, hitting sharper and smoother notes with the game’s custom preset activated.

I got similarly solid audio quality on my Nintendo Switch, as well. I quickly swapped over by simply plugging in the 2.4GHz USB Type-C dongle. The audio in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was clear, smooth, and immersive, thanks in part to an audio preset for the game.

The enhanced music and ambiance in shrines made for an immersive experience knocking out puzzles and completing challenges. Even the snap of my bow was sharper than usual. This is worth noting since the game-specific audio presets can come in handy even if you’re not playing on an Xbox or PS5 (more on that later).

The active noise cancelling on the GameBuds was pretty effective during my testing. You can cycle through ANC modes by tapping the button on the left earbud. ANC blocked out the TV playing in another room of my apartment and blocked most traffic noise when I went for a walk around the block.

The transparency mode also worked well. In fact, I ended up turning transparency mode on whenever I was talking with the GameBuds in because the shape of the earbuds on its own is pretty effective at blocking out background noise, making it hard to tell how loud I was talking. That also means these earbuds have little to no audio leak, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally turning your music up so loud others can hear it.

SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds: Microphone

One of the few weak points for the Arctis GameBuds is mic quality. The built-in mic isn’t bad, but it’s a far cry from a dedicated mic. My friends could tell the moment I swapped mics on Discord because the GameBuds’ mic quality simply could not live up to that of the Razer Seiren V3 Chroma I usually use.

My voice sounded plenty clear with the GameBuds’ mic, but there’s a bit of hollowness and distortion around the edges, similar to a typical phone mic. It’s fine for voice chats during games, but if you want to record game clips or audio, you’ll probably want something a little more robust.

Since I use a separate, dedicated USB mic already, this wasn’t a deal breaker for me. The few scenarios where I wouldn’t have access to that mic, such as taking calls on my phone, don’t require high-quality mic audio anyway. Even so, it would have been nice to see slightly better mic audio. It’s not bad, but it’s not great, either.

SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds: Battery life

I love wireless headphones, but I am guilty of frequently forgetting to charge mine. So, great battery life is a must-have for me. The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds didn’t let me down. I had to charge them only a couple of times over a couple weeks when used as my main headphones.

Each earbud lasts about 10 hours per charge, which can be extended to 40 hours or more with the charging case. A small LED indicator on the front of the case shows when they are charging (orange) or fully charged (green). The charging case was especially convenient for me since I didn’t have to remember to plug in my headphones. I could just pop the earbuds back in their case at the end of the day and they’d be fully charged again by the next morning.

SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds: App

The Arctis GameBuds are compatible with the SteelSeries GG PC app and the SteelSeries Arctis mobile app for Android and iOS. You can view and swap between audio presets on either app, but the PC app is ideal for viewing, editing, and creating audio presets. SteelSeries GG is also where you can set up enhanced Sonar audio, but you need to log in to the app with your SteelSeries account first.

Besides audio presets, you can also use SteelSeries GG to change the button mapping on the GameBuds. Double tapping on the left or right button is set to change music tracks backward or forward by default, but I changed it to turn volume up and down instead. There are several functions you can assign to either button, such as play/pause, mute/unmute mic, toggle audio mode, cycle noise control, and activate mobile assistant (i.e. Siri).

The mobile app isn’t quite as comprehensive, but it includes everything I need to make adjustments on the go. It allows you to easily view the battery level in the case and each earbud. You can also toggle noise control on or off, adjust mic volume, and swap between different presets and audio modes (Bluetooth or 2.4GHz).

Bottom line

The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds take the audio quality SteelSeries headphones are known for and slip it into an ultra-compact form factor that’s comfortable and low-key, even if it isn’t perfect.

If you’ve been looking for an alternative to bulky, flashy over-ear gaming headphones, the Arctis GameBuds are definitely worth checking out. While the built-in mic could be better, they offer a strong enough listening experience to be good all-around earbuds for gaming, working out, commuting, and more.

With the charging case, the Arctis GameBuds boast an impressive 40+ hours of battery life. That combined with their compact form factor makes these earbuds ideal for gamers who are often traveling or need something that won’t take up much space in their bag. A decent mobile app and robust PC app that allow for plenty of customization and audio presets for dozens of games are a convenient bonus.

The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds may not be for everyone, particularly if mic quality is a top priority or if you may be sensitive to silicone ear tips. However, if you’re looking for wireless earbuds for gaming, it’s hard to go wrong with the Arctis GameBuds. To take a look at some alternatives, you can check out our guide to the best gaming headsets.

I recently reviewed the Asus ROG Delta II gaming headset. While I didn't necessarily fall in love with it due to its uncomfortable design, weak microphone, and flat base settings, it does two things that I would love to see implemented on better headsets.

Both features directly relate to issues I've had with other headsets and address things I've wanted for a long time. While this is not the first headset to implement them, it's apparent that similar headsets from other companies are well behind.

The features in question? We're talking about DualFlow Audio, which allows the Delta II to simultaneously play sound from two connected sources. And replaceable ear cushions, which are easily slipped on and off.

Dual audio feels like the future

Imagine connecting your gaming headset to two sources simultaneously and playing audio from both simultaneously.

The Delta II classifies this feature as DualFlow Audio, and it works phenomenally well. I had no issue connecting the headset to both my PC and laptop, it playing audio from both sources at once. Including two separate audio sliders makes it easy as pie to adjust quickly, and it's an ingenious way of handling two audio sources at once.

While this may not seem like the most exciting feature for some, it's vital for people who are tired of choosing one audio source when they're enjoying two different pieces of media at a time. For example, if I want to hang out in a Discord call with my friends, but still watch something on TV on my couch, I'll have no issue doing so.

Sometimes, when I play games on my PS5, I use a capture card to stream the video onto my PC so my friends can watch it over Discord. The one flaw with this setup was that I could never get it to where the audio worked properly, so I had no choice but to have the audio play over my PC, which resulted in a frustrating sound delay that often lessened my enjoyment of the game.

Now, I can have the audio playing over my PS5 and PC simultaneously. Of course, you can also keep the audio connected to your phone over Bluetooth to quickly take calls without taking your headset off.

On paper, this is a niche feature that some people won't use, but I don't want to buy another premium headset without being able to do this. It simply offers a convenience that I never want to live without. It's a shame that the headset it's attached to is unremarkable in other avenues.

Removable ear cushions are the way to go!

Do you remember back in the days of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, when nearly every gaming headset was wired, and the wired connection was built into the headset itself? That meant that if the wire got damaged, you had no choice but to buy a whole new headset.

I had this issue multiple times back then. I remember accidentally tugging on the wire, and with enough mistakes, it would eventually break, resulting in a trash-bound headset.

That's rarely the case anymore, as most gaming headsets now utilize a 3.5mm audio jack or USB connection for wired audio. So even if you accidentally rip the chord multiple times, you'll usually only have to worry about damaging the cable. And if the cable gets damaged, replace it with a new one!

Now, apply that same logic but to the next most often damaged part of a gaming headset: Ear cushions.

The Asus ROG Delta II does precisely this, featuring easily removable ear cushions that can be replaced with the provided alternative. Consumers have a choice between PU leather or memory foam, and considering how often ear cushions are the things that suffer the most wear after years of gaming headset use, it's pretty convenient to be able to replace the cushion without needing to buy a whole new headset. It may reduce repeat purchases but will surely build brand loyalty.

I love my Razer Blackshark V2 Pro gaming headset, but after three years, the ear cushions are starting to tear away from the metal. If ear cushions were replaceable and became a commonplace facet of all premium gaming headsets, it would ensure problems like this could be avoided.

However, the question then becomes if the company will sell replacement ear cushions, but that shouldn't be a problem as long as there's a market for them. For example, you can find third-party replacement cushions online in case yours get damaged.

Not all gaming headsets need these features, but certain types must

While I love playing audio from two sources simultaneously and the convenience of interchangeable ear cushions being complete magic, I'm not silly enough to expect all headsets to do the same.

Features like this are premium for a reason, and manufacturers cut costs to hit lower and lower price points for those on a budget. There's no world in which you should expect a $60 headset to feature dual-source audio and replaceable ear cushions.

However, in the realm of premium gaming headsets, these are the types of features I want to see normalized. If I spend more than $200 on a gaming headset, I would be disappointed to see these elements not present in its design, as I think it could set an excellent trend for other gaming headsets to follow.

More from Laptop Mag

• Alienware Pro Headset review: Excellent with one fatal flaw
• Best gaming headsets of 2024
• Samsung's Moohan mixed reality headset eyes the Vision Pro, but should be targeting Meta Quest 3 and 3S

The latest premium gaming headset from Asus misses the mark in its quest for greatness, but its best features are something I want to see in every competing gaming headset.

The Asus ROG Delta II is a tri-mode wireless gaming headset, which means it can connect through 2.4GHz, Bluetooth, and wired modes. While it boasts some cool features, like interchangeable ear cushions and the incredible DualFlow Audio, it’s a wireless gaming headset that asks for a premium price but cannot quite deliver.

Beyond just its most exciting aspects, you can expect solid audio, connectivity that won’t falter even at far distances, and long-lasting battery life. Still, with an uncomfortable design, flat default settings, and a poor microphone, it’s not a headset I’d use in the long term, except for its amazing ability to connect to multiple sources at once. Regardless, it still has plenty of great qualities, so keep reading to see if it’s right for you.

Asus ROG Delta II: Price and configuration

The Asus ROG Delta II is a premium gaming headset that’s reserved for those willing to spend a decent bit of cash, as it’s available for $229 on Amazon. There’s only one model available in its black color scheme, and it doesn’t feature alternate configurations.

Asus ROG Delta II: Design

There’s no dodging that the ROG Delta II looks like a stereotypical gaming headset with its all-black aesthetic and RGB LED lights surrounding the exterior of the cups, making the sides of your head light up like a Christmas tree.

The Delta II’s premium design is especially felt in its interchangeable earcups, as it comes with PU leather ear cushions built into the headset. Still, within the box, there are two mesh fabric ear cushions as well. I felt the PU leather ear cushions were too tight against the head, so I slipped them off the headset and slid the mesh fabric ones in instead. Simply push each corner over the thin plate, which snugly fits in.

On the left side is a switch that toggles 2.4Ghz mode on and off, alongside a volume slider for when the headset is connected via 2.4Ghz mode. If you press the volume slider, it will toggle whether or not the microphone is muted.

On the right side is the Bluetooth connectivity button, which you can press and hold to turn on the Bluetooth power. Then, you can hold the button longer to start the pairing process. Above is the volume of the speakers when connected over Bluetooth. Yes, there are two separate volume sliders for whether it’s connected to 2.4GHz mode or Bluetooth mode, but this directly relates to the headset's DualFlow audio.

DualFlow Audio means you can connect the headset via two sources. For example, you can use a 2.4Ghz connection on your computer and then over Bluetooth on your phone to hear audio from both simultaneously, with the individual volume sliders allowing you to control them separately. I tested this with my computer and laptop, which allowed me to listen to music through my laptop while hearing my friends in a Discord call on my computer.

As for ports, there’s the USB Type-C port on the left and the audio jack on the right if you prefer your audio wired. The spot where you insert the microphone sits lowest on the left side, although you cannot just slot it in haphazardly, as it has a triangular base that needs to be inserted at an exact angle.

Weighing 0.7 pounds, the Asus ROG Deltas II is light enough to wear without feeling particularly cumbersome, but it does have comfort issues that do not relate to its weight.

Asus ROG Delta II: Comfort

While I appreciate that Asus has included two different ear cushion options (one made of PU leather and another made of memory foam), neither changes the fact that the headset is uncomfortable after extended use. The worst offender is the headband, which features a painfully thin memory foam cushion but doesn’t occupy the entire space. Reflective silver plates separate two firm sections at the left and right from the cushioned middle section.

The top cushioned part is simply too thin, and it has sharp notches along its surface that lightly indent into the top of my head while wearing the headset. It becomes uncomfortable after only an hour of use. While I do prefer the memory foam ear cushion over the PU leather, there is still a light pressure around the ears that is not present on my Razer Blackshark V2 Pro, which features far more comfortable Flowknit memory foam ear cushions and a headband.

Asus ROG Delta II: Sound quality

Built with 50mm titanium-plated diaphragm drivers and high-resolution 24-bit 96 kHz audio, the ROG Delta II’s sound initially disappointed me when connected via Bluetooth mode, as the audio sounded muffled and distant at moderate volumes (anything under 70 volume on my PC sounds flat).

Whereas other headsets I use are quiet at decreased volumes, the Delta II sounds as if the speakers are in a different room, and it’s rather unpleasant. I initially believed this reflected the headset quality, but increasing the volume to 80 and higher fixes the problem, and the quality becomes powerful and punchy. Just remember you’ll want to keep this at higher volumes, and you’ll get an impactful, loud, and crisp sound. You’ll also want to modify its settings through Armoury Crate, as its default settings are flat.

I launched Elden Ring and could feel the bass of the title music as I entered the Shadows of the Erdtree expansion. Atmospheric sound design is a key aspect of many FromSoftware games, and the Delta II did a great job translating the calm winds alongside the melancholic strings of the open-world soundtrack.

I listened to the atmospheric synth song “1950” by King Princess. I happily sang along as its crisp vocals, well-balanced piano, and percussion blasted through my headphones. While it’s a rather relaxing song, I could feel the vibrations of each piano key and guitar strum. It’s tangibly impactful and comfortable to listen to, and it doesn’t fall apart at its loudest volumes, maintaining its balance and oomph.

Asus ROG Delta II: Microphone

Gaming headset microphones are rarely good, and the ROG Delta II is no exception. I listened to myself, but it came across as flat and muffled, but it’s more than enough if you need a microphone to chat with friends casually. It’s clear and loud enough to be bearable at the very least, but don’t expect anything at the level of a dedicated desk microphone.

Asus ROG Delta II: Battery life

Asus advertises 110 hours of battery life with the ROG Delta II’s RGB LED lights off, and it can yield 11 hours of longevity from just 15 hours of charging through its USB Type-C port. From my testing, I used the headset every day for over a week without recharging it. I timed it, and over four hours, the battery only went down by 6% with RGB lights on over constant use. This means the headset should last anywhere from 60 to 70 hours, based on my testing.

Asus ROG Delta II: Software

Akin to any Asus ROG device, you’ll be utilizing Armoury Crate to modify settings for the Delta II. Unlike some other headsets I’ve used, we highly recommend modifying their settings, especially its sound optimization settings, to alter the profiles based on your use.

The base sound optimization setting is set to Flat, and as the name suggests, it sounds hollow and lacking compared to the alternatives. Changing from that Flat preset to the Music preset yields a world of difference, as after listening to a few songs on the Music preset, going back to Flat sounds dreadful. Of course, these settings are best for their intended uses, as the Music preset is pretty headache-inducing while Discord notifications are going off. You might even want to turn certain things off, like the Reverb setting or Virtual Surround Sound option.

After a good bit of testing, I maintained the base Voice Clarity and Compressor settings that come with the Music preset, but turning Bass Boost off was my preferred method of listening to music.

Other available settings include an equalizer, which you can turn on or off. When it’s on, you can customize the properties individually, but many presets like Classic, Hip hop, Jazz, Metal, Rock, Techo, and Vocal exist. Microphone settings allow you to set a noise gate, utilize echo cancellation, and reduce noise. Of course, you can modify the RGB settings, whether you want to increase or decrease the brightness of the LED or apply effects like Static, Breathing, Strobing, Color Cycle, Rainbow, and Aura Sync.

Finally, the power settings allow you to decide when it alerts the user if it’s low on battery, and you can turn off the voice prompts altogether, alongside enforcing a sleep mode after 5 minutes if the headset is idle.

Bottom line

The Asus ROG Delta II isn’t perfect, and it is held back by an uncomfortable design, flat default audio, and a weak microphone. But what it does well is impossible to ignore, as I love that it features interchangeable ear cushions with the option between PU leather and memory foam. Best of all, DualFlow Audio is terrific, allowing users to connect multiple audio sources simultaneously with separate volume sliders for seamless control.

I’d love to see all premium gaming headsets offer similar features because being able to modify the tightness of your ear cushions is vital for some who prefer one over the other. Connecting multiple sources simultaneously, allowing you to hear audio from your computer and a game console like PS5 is impressive.

I just wish these incredible features were attached to a more comfortable headset.

Black Friday has blown by, and Cyber Monday is in our rearview mirror, but that doesn't mean that there aren't great deals still to be found. So, if you picked up some sweet new games in the sales and want to experience them in all their glory, then these HyperX gaming headset deals at Amazon should have your attention.

Our top pick of the deals has to be the $77 discount on the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless. This is HyperX's flagship headset, and it comes with all the bells and whistles that you'd expect from a $200 headset.

It's super comfortable to wear thanks to memory foam earcups, coated in breathable leatherette to keep your ears from getting too sweaty. The sound quality is top-notch too, and you won't need to charge it too often as HyperX claims it can manage 300 hours of wireless gaming.

There are cheaper options out there, but you're getting a lot of headset for $125 here. And if you don't need it to be wireless, you can get the HyperX Cloud Alpha wired for just $59.

If you do want something a little cheaper (or something that plays nice with games consoles) then we've highlighted four other great headset deals below. There are discounts on the wired and wireless versions of the Cloud III, along with 40% off the older Cloud II model; check them out below.

And if you want more big savings in the run-up to Christmas aka the best time to smash through your gaming backlog, then our best gaming deals in December guide has you covered.

Alienware has long been a leader in gaming laptops, but in 2024, its impact on gaming accessories is what has blown me away. The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard is extraordinary on its own, and the Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse is still my favorite mouse — I haven’t stopped using it all year.

Alienware has expanded its Pro series to the world of audio with the launch of the Alienware Pro Headset, and I couldn’t have been more excited when I first got my hands on it. The headset continues to showcase Alienware’s quality at a whole new level with the Pro line, thanks to loud and crisp audio, excellent battery life, and great noise canceling. 

Unfortunately, unlike Alienware’s new keyboard and mouse, one major flaw ensures that I’ll never use it in my daily life. Keep reading to see if the Alienware Pro Headset is right for you.

Alienware Pro Headset: Price and configuration

The Alienware Pro Headset unsurprisingly fulfills the “Pro” in its name, reserved for those who prefer premium gaming accessories. It costs $229.99, the most expensive of the Pro lineup thus far. It doesn’t feature alternate configurations, but you can choose between a black or white color scheme. 

Alienware Pro Headset: Design

With a look that strikes the perfect balance between sleek and minimalist, the aesthetic of the Alienware Pro Headset is a massive success in headset design. The all-white finish of my model is uniform across the device, excluding the reflective silver Alienware logos on the back of each earcup.

Thankfully, Alienware continues to move away from the touch-imprecise volume controls in 2022’s Alienware Tri-Mode gaming headset. The Pro Headset boasts a physical knob that easily lets you control the volume. The knob is on last year’s Alienware AW720H gaming headset, so it was likely going to remain the case this year, but I’m still relieved it has a physical volume control.

On the left cup is a button to mute the microphone, accompanied by an audible notification informing the user whether it’s on or off. This is also the case for the Active Noise Canceling button, which cycles between on, off, and transparency modes, which notify the wearer through the speakers. I appreciate that the texture and size of the ANC button and microphone mute button are different, meaning you shouldn’t get confused about which is which, even while wearing the headset.

The Alienware Pro is also effective at blocking out noise without needing the ANC to be turned on, thanks to the design of its ear cups that create a tight seal during use. When I put the headset on, I can hear my heart beating while most outside noise is blocked.

On the right side are two switches, one of which toggles between on and off (for wireless use) and another between 2.4GHz mode (utilizing the included dongle) or Bluetooth 5.3 mode. You can also utilize a wired connection through a USB Type-C cable.

Weighing 0.7 pounds and measuring 8.1 x 5.9 x 3.5 inches, the Alienware Pro is light enough to wear it without being overbearing.

Alienware Pro Headset: Comfort

While it is designed to optimize comfort thanks to the phenomenally soft memory foam ear cups and headband, it boasts a depth and shape to form what Alienware calls “snug seal” around the ear. The “snug seal” benefits noise cancellation, but it is an absolute nightmare for those with sensitive ears like myself who struggle with noise cancellation and the pressure of tight headphones.

This isn’t a flaw on paper, as Alienware focused on achieving this intentionally. As written in Alienware’s announcement for the product, the earcups were designed to “form a snug seal around the ear to improve sound isolation and block outside noise.” However, this design won’t be for everyone, especially those with sensory issues.

The Alienware Pro Headset became so tightly sealed around my ears that its buttons pushed the headset deeper against my head, creating pressure reminiscent of taking off during an airplane flight or being thrust deep underground while on a train. I’ve never been comfortable using active noise canceling without a sharp pain in my ears, but even with the feature off, the headset is so tight that it mimics the pressure of ANC and yields an uncomfortable experience.

However, my sensitivity issue is mainly personal, and while I’ve met few people who have the same issues with ANC as I do. If you’re reading this thinking, “I’ve never had this issue with a gaming headset before,” you’ll just might fall in love with the Alienware Pro Headset’s incredibly soft memory foam cups that envelop your ear in its entirety. The headband is wonderfully comfortable. But the Alienware Pro Headset will be uncomfortable if you’re anything like me and have struggled with tight-fitting headsets or active noise canceling.

Alienware Pro Headset: Sound quality

Built with 50mm graphene-coated drivers, the Alienware Pro’s audio packs a punch. You can expect impactful, loud, and crisp sound that will absolutely crush any game, movie, or song thrown at it.

I launched Elden Ring and got goosebumps when I heard the title music’s magnificent assortment of drums and strings welcoming me into its epic world. My ears were graced with gentle breezes and the calming atmospheric strings that put me at ease, right up to the point when I charged at an enormous, fiery golem patrolling the area. As the explosive sound of its attacks resounded through the headset with impact and clarity, I was impressed that it never became scratchy or flat.

When listening to the technical death metal epic “To See Death Just Once" by Ulcerate, I was blown away by how crisp, punchy, and engrossing the Alienware Pro’s speakers were. It’s a complicated song with an abundance of instrumentation, yet amidst all the chaos, I could easily make out the individual guitar strums against the percussion, each of which boasted tangible impact. Best of all, I comfortably listened to the song at half volume, and when I really felt like getting into it, the maximum volume could get as loud as I hoped a gaming headset could.

My aforementioned sensory issues also caused problems with Transparency Mode on, as the headset plays audio gathered from the built-in microphone and plays it back through the speakers. However, those sensitive to harsh background noise will get more of a headache from this disorienting feature. It helps you hear what’s happening in your surroundings but is also a bit overwhelming.

Alienware Pro Headset: Microphone

I hopped in a call with my friend, and upon asking how I sounded, she simply described the microphone as “poor.” In my own tests, I recorded myself in Audacity and listened back, but I was disappointed by its muffled and flat audio. At the very least, I could easily hear what I was saying, so you don’t have to worry about the microphone making it difficult to communicate with friends online. Just don’t expect anything mind-blowing.

Alienware Pro Headset: Battery life

Alienware claims the headset boasts over 75 hours of battery life with ANC off, so I put it to the test to see how long it’d last on a single charge. It went from 100% to 0% over 89 hours and 15 minutes, although this wasn’t through constant use and was through multiple days of me utilizing the headset on and off. Regardless, this is quite the long-lasting device, so if you’re worried about the battery, it can last several days of use before needing a charge. 

Alienware Pro Headset: Software

The latest Alienware Command Center 6.4 update offers plenty of options for the Alienware Pro Headset. This includes settings relating to the equalizer, microphone, ANC, battery, and more. You can adjust the volume and swap between ANC modes off, on, and transparency here, although you can change those things on the headset itself. However, you can modify the transparency level between one and five in the settings.

In the microphone settings, users can modify input volume, utilize up to five sidetone levels (which allows you to hear yourself), and activate noise cancellation.

Its battery options feature an automatic threshold at which the headset will turn Active Noise Canceling off if it reaches a certain percentage. You can also set whether the device automatically enters sleep mode when not in use, from 15 minutes to 60 minutes.

Bottom line

While the Alienware Pro Headset boasts many positive qualities, including a snug fit that benefits its ANC capabilities, incredible sound quality, and soft memory foam cups, its uncomfortable tightness yields a headset I’d never use daily. I get a headache after using it for a couple of minutes, and how it naturally blocks out sound isn’t great for those with sensory issues around the ear.

However, if you’ve never had issues with ANC or overly tight headphones or haven’t experienced sensory sensitivity before, there’s no need to worry. The Alienware Pro is excellent; it’s just not for everyone.

There is an ocean of gaming laptop deals on Prime Day, and while you may pick one up, their speakers aren't the greatest (more often than not). So it would be best if you thought about picking up a gaming headset, and this collection of SteelSeries gaming headsets is a great choice.

Want a quality gaming headset at an affordable price? Check out the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P for $134 at Amazon. This one is $45 off, and it works for PlayStation, PC, Switch, VR, and Mobile.

Feel like getting exclusive? You can get the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Dragon Edition for $159 at SteelSeries. That's $40 off. It offers the same great features as the Nova 7P and works for PlayStation, PC, Switch, VR, and Mobile.

Want the best? See the SteelSeries Arctis Pro for $198 at Amazon. That's a whopping $80 off. The big difference between the Pro and the previous models is that it features a dedicated 2.4GHz Wireless mixer, which lets you adjust audio settings on the fly.

Here's a better look at the best SteelSeries gaming headset deals on Prime Day.

Today's best SteelSeries headset deals

Meta announced in a press release on April 22, 2024, that it is launching an open mixed-reality operating system called Meta Horizon OS, which will power a new generation of headsets. The new OS already has support from ASUS Republic of Gamers, Lenovo, and Xbox. Meta is clearly hoping to position Horizon OS as the Android or Windows of the headset space in a move that could pose a major threat to the Apple Vision Pro. 

Here's what you should know about Meta Horizon OS and how it could impact the headset market. 

What is Meta Horizon OS?

In a press release, Meta announced Meta Horizon OS, an open mixed-reality operating system that other companies can use on their headsets. It's effectively the same operating system running on Meta Quest headsets today, only now anyone can use it. That also means that any apps and games developed for the Quest headsets should run on any headset with Horizon OS. 

Android is the most obvious comparison to Meta Horizon OS and that's not a coincidence. Just like Android is the only competition for Apple in the smartphone market, Meta is the only competition for Apple in the headset space. 

Launching an open operating system allows Meta to support many more headsets to compete with the Apple Vision Pro than it could produce itself. At the same time, other brands can benefit from the technological advancements Meta has already made, speeding up development so new headsets can get on the market sooner. Meta also gave us an exciting peek at the first wave of those headsets. 

Horizon OS will power headsets from ASUS, Lenovo, and Xbox

In addition to Meta Horizon OS, Meta also announced today that it's collaborating with a few major tech brands to launch the first wave of headsets running the now-open OS. Each brand is making a headset for a specific niche, which is part of what makes this move so genius on Meta's part. 

First, there are two new gaming-focused headsets in the works, one from ASUS's Republic of Gamers and another from Xbox. The ASUS ROG model is described as a "performance gaming headset," so it will likely sport a speedy processor and high refresh rate displays in each eye. Considering ROG's typical design style, there might even be some RGB. 

The Xbox headset is actually a limited edition of the Meta Quest, building off Meta's earlier integration of Xbox Cloud Gaming on the Quest back in December 2023. This new headset will likely follow a similar design style to the Quest 3 but potentially with an Xbox-themed reskin and improved integration of Xbox Cloud Gaming. The ROG headset seems to be positioned as the more high-end gaming headset, so the Xbox edition Quest headset will likely be priced somewhere between the Quest 3 and the ROG headset. 

Meta also announced a partnership with Lenovo, which will be developing a series of "mixed reality devices for productivity, learning, and entertainment." The press release references ThinkPads, which are staples of the business laptop space, so it sounds like Lenovo may be developing a headset designed for the workplace. A low-cost educational headset would also be a welcome addition to the Horizon OS line-up. 

How Meta Horizon OS could transform the headset market

It's hard to understate the impact Meta Horizon OS could have on the headset market. At first glance, some might wonder why Meta would open the door for anyone to use its mixed reality operating system. However, this move makes complete sense for Meta. 

First, it supercharges development of new headsets to compete with the Apple Vision Pro the way Android competes with iOS (or Windows with macOS). Meta got to the headset market before Apple and it's clearly not going to let its lead go to waste. More brands launching headsets with Horizon OS will bring more developers, users, and advertisers to Meta's platform. 

Horizon OS also allows Meta to focus on software and reduces its reliance on developing and selling Quest headsets. Of course, it will likely continue making its own headsets much like Google maintains its line of Pixel phones and tablets. 

However, Meta can now wield a strong influence in the headset market using its Horizon operating system. It makes sense that Meta would prefer to focus on software anyway because that's where the bulk of its data and revenue comes from. Shifting focus primarily to software also gives Meta more time and resources to refine the social aspects of mixed and virtual reality, which still need a lot of work. 

Opening Meta Horizon OS also takes the pressure off Meta to create one-size-fits-all headsets. The first few partnerships they announced today already clearly show how different brands can use Horizon OS in different ways to suit specific market niches. We'll get more headsets built specifically for gaming, work, or school. That aspect of specialization allows each headset to be great at something rather than okay at a mix of things. 

Finally, this move will hopefully spark a wave of innovation in headset technology. Competition breeds creativity and that's what I hope to see from the next generation of headsets running Meta Horizon OS. We'll have to wait and see what they end up looking like, but one thing's for sure: the Apple Vision Pro has some serious competition coming its way. 

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The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless is one of the best gaming headsets out there for good reason. It features an astonishing 300 hour long battery life, plush memory foam ear cups, and DTS Headphone:X Spatial Audio. 

Currently, you can get the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless Gaming Headset for $169 at Amazon. It normally costs $199, so you're saving $30 with this deal. By comparison, it undercuts Best Buy's current price by $3. It may not be the biggest discount, however, it's the lowest price I've seen for this HyperX gaming headset since the holidays. It's one of the best gaming deals of spring so far. The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless works with PC, PS4, and PS5.

Prefer a wired connection? Pick up the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wired Gaming Headset for $77 ($22 off). It works with PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and mobile devices. 

Browse Amazon's gaming headset deals for more options and see our HyperX Cloud Alpha overview below. 

Best HyperX Cloud Alpha deal

The Razer BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed wireless headset doesn’t offer the greatest experience during wireless gaming, but plug that bad boy in and it's a whole other story. 

At $129, you still don’t get everything you need to make this wireless headset worth your while. If you intend to use the Razer Synapse app (which I highly recommend), you need the headset plugged in to hear the effects of your sound adjustments. 

If you want to try the wireless experience though, the battery life is phenomenal and overall it has a comfortable fit. I wouldn't recommend it as one of the best gaming headsets, but it's a solid choice overall (when plugged in).

Razer BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed design

The BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed features a lightweight design that will fit snugly on your head. The headband is covered in a leather-like padded material with Razer’s logo etched into the top portion. Connecting the band to the earmuffs is a black two-prong steel fork.

The headset’s outer sides consist of a cheap black plastic material, while the inner cushions have a plush memory foam padding that is covered in black leather-like material similar to the headband.  

Located on the left cup you’ll find the volume dial, power button, and mute button. The microphone, which is non-detachable but flexible, is also located on the left side along with a USB type-C input. The right side features a nifty little button to help you scroll through the audio equalizer in the Razer Synapse app. 

In the box, you can find a wireless dongle (which you’ll want to use for better audio quality) and a USB Type-A to USB Type-C charging cable.

Razer BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed comfort

Though the BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed is relatively affordable, that goes unnoticed in relation to comfort.

The oval ear cups are the perfect shape for most if not all ear shapes and sizes. The leatherette material makes for a soft feel against your skin, while the thick memory foam padding not only suppresses any noise around you but makes your experience so much more comfortable. 

The V2 Hyperspeed weighs 280g or 9.9 ounces, which is much lighter compared to the Pro version, which weighs 320g or 11.3 ounces.

Razer BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed compatibility

The BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed’s compatibility extends out to everything but the Xbox. To be more specific, you can connect it to the PC, PlayStation, Switch, and your phone. The wireless dongle will help enhance your experience, but the Bluetooth function is also available (at the price of your audio/sound quality). And as we’ve stated, plugging it in offers the best experience.

Razer BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed gaming performance

The Razer BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed features Razer TriForce Titanium 50 mm audio drivers. Oh, the issues I ran into right away while gaming. Originally, I tried playing with the Bluetooth option for the PC, but not only was the audio quality terrible but so was my mic quality. Plugging in the wireless dongle helped quite a bit, but plugging in the headset directly to my PC helped the quality of both my audio and mic immensely.

I played Fortnite with Bluetooth — the beginning of many of my issues. I didn’t think using the headset through Bluetooth would be as disappointing as it was, but my game and Discord chat were muffled and altogether low-quality. It sounded like there was water in the speakers. Not to mention that the Bluetooth 5.2 that connects to the Razer Synapse app will not offer EQ settings. It was impossible to hear much of anything in the game and I had to switch headsets mid-game until I could figure out a better option. 

Then came the wireless dongle, a much better audio and mic experience for everyone involved, though still not the greatest. The game’s audio quality was clearer, but my Discord quality still sounded a bit muffled and robotic. 

Ultimately, plugging the headset directly into my PC led to the best sound quality. All of the aforementioned issues did not exist, and the quality became crystal clear. I could adjust the game’s sound using the Bluetooth button, and changing it to the Game setting made the experience more immersive. Not to mention that the sound quality in my Discord call became so crisp and perfect. However, I noticed that I can only use this setting when the headset is plugged in or while using the wireless dongle, so it’s not supported by the Bluetooth function. The curve in quality for each method was steep — it went from terrible to great so quickly.

Razer BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed music performance

I’m guilty of listening to my music as loud as possible. That bass? Turn it up! I want my earphones vibrating with the low-frequency sounds a bass brings to the music. Don’t get me wrong, I also really like those songs that have a bright electric guitar section, or vocals of an absolute angel.

Speaking of angels, Hozier’s latest song Too Sweet was reproduced beautifully through the BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed. The guitar leading in during the intro hummed with a low melody, and once Hozier’s higher-pitched voice entered the stage,  the headset hit a perfect pitch in each can.

I was very excited to hear this next song in Hozier’s latest album (I promise I’m not too obsessed). Empire Now has that nice deep bass in it, but I wasn’t entirely impressed with how it picked it up, even after adjusting some of the settings in the app. Hozier’s voice was crisp and clear, prominent but didn’t overlap the bass. Once the beat dropped and the bass picked up, the speakers couldn’t handle the overall sound, dipping in quality with each following beat. 

In Palaye Royale’s Don’t Cry, the singer has a wispier voice, which was going to be interesting to hear in contrast with the bass in the song. In contrast to Empire Now, this bass wasn’t as strong, so it didn’t seem to overpower the headset. Both the vocals and instrumentals played well in unison.

Razer BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed microphone

The BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed’s microphone is non-detachable but flexible. It has a little wind muff to help reduce background noise such as breathing.

Along with the sound issues that the wireless and Bluetooth had, similar issues were present in the microphone. While chatting with a friend through Discord, it was noted that prior to plugging in the headset directly to my PC, there was distortion, muffled quality, and background noise was more present. When plugged in, these issues lessened significantly. I was told by said friend that my voice had more clarity, and the background noise decreased significantly.

Razer BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed features

The BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed is compatible with most things thanks to the Bluetooth, wireless dongle, and plug-in options. This includes the PC, PlayStation, Switch, and smartphone.

You'll want to download the Razer Synapse software to enhance your overall gaming experience with the BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed headset. Of course, bear in mind that the Bluetooth feature will not offer any difference in sound, so you’ll either have to use the wireless dongle or plug it in directly to your PC. Unfortunately, these features will not carry over to other platforms.  

Razer also advertises this headset to last a good 70 hours, which I can’t disprove. Not to mention this is the same duration as the Pro version which is priced at $199, so you can save your money there.

Bottom line

Let’s face it, if something is advertised as wireless it should sound decent while wireless. That’s not the case for the BlackShark V2. Audio is dull, games sound muffled while playing, and voice chat isn’t a great experience for either side of the call. 

If you can get past the fact that the Razer BlackShark V2 HyperSpeed does best when plugged in, then it's pretty decent overall. Bonus points for offering a comfortable fit and long battery life. 

HyperX, an HP-owned brand synonymous with some of the best gaming headsets and peripherals on the market, have just announced an all-new lineup of accessories tailored to younger gamers — delivering their trademark quality and performance in an ergonomic form better suited for smaller hands and gamers between the ages of 6 and 12.

The new HyperX Mini Series is comprised of the new HyperX Clutch Tanto Mini WD controller, the wired or wireless HyperX Cloud Mini gaming headset, and HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Mini wireless gaming mouse. Each of which are re-scaled and re-shaped to provide younger (or smaller handed) gamers with a premium peripheral experience with a focus on comfort.

Let's take a closer look at HyperX's latest peripherals in further detail.

We're on the scene in Las Vegas to check out the latest tech at this year's CES 2024 showcase. Be sure to tag along on our CES 2024 journey by following Laptop Mag on TikTok, Twitter/X, Instagram, Flipboard, and Facebook for the most up to date hands-on impressions and news coming from the convention floor.

CES 2024: HyperX Clutch Tanto Mini WD game controller

Game controllers typically fall within two designs, the asymmetrical twin-stick layout and shape of Microsoft's Xbox pad or the popular mirrored-stick Sony PlayStation design. While this is great for instant familiarity and muscle memory responses, both of these controllers can be hard to get to grips with for smaller hands.

Enter the HyperX Clutch Tanto Mini WD, a wired controller with the proportions to accommodate younger gamers and smaller hands alike to deliver ergonomic comfort, a full function gamepad experience, and an officially licensed Xbox peripheral that supports Xbox, PC, Steam Deck, and mobile devices.

The Tanto Mini's familiar Controller S design is instantly recognizable to the fingertips while visually maintaining a compact and lighter (240 grams) semi-transparent form that makes for an excellent portable option as well as a suitable driver for gamers aged between 6 and 12.

Pricing and availability for the HyperX Clutch Tanto Mini WD game controller will follow. 

CES 2024: HyperX Cloud Mini wired and wireless gaming headset

The HyperX Cloud Mini is a new entrant to the brand's popular Cloud gaming headset catalog, redesigned to cater to younger gamers of 6-12 years of age.

This new design delivers a lighter and smaller frame that greatly improves the ergonomics and comfort for younger wearers. Available in wired or wireless options, the HyperX Cloud Mini isn't a cheap toy or simply "Baby's first gaming headset."

It's the very same quality tech that powers HyperX's other gaming headsets including an all-day battery life of up to 25 hours; full compatibility across mobile, PC, and major consoles; a tuck-away mic arm with flip-to-mute functionality; and immersive audio from the headset's custom dynamic 30mm neodymium drivers — which are tuned perform at audio levels safe for developing ears.

The HyperX Cloud Mini wired and wireless gaming headsets are available in white or black with availability and price to be announced soon.

CES 2024: HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Mini wireless gaming mouse

Another key gaming peripheral that can leave those with smaller hands at a disadvantage is the gaming mouse. Thankfully, as part of the HyperX Mini range of accessories, the Pulsefire Haste 2 Mini is here to level the playing field with its ultra-light and compact form ideal for younger users or those with smaller hands.

The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Mini is 16% smaller than its popular Pulsefire Haste 2 namesake, but doesn't compromise on performance with its custom HyperX 26K sensor, 1,000Hz polling rate, up to 32,000 DPI resolution, and a trio of connectivity options including 2.4Ghz wireless, Bluetooth, and USB Type-C wired.

The Pulsefire Haste 2 Mini features 6 buttons across its ambidextrous-friendly chassis, with RGB lighting customizable through HyperX's proprietary NGENUITY software to enhance the visual flair across its battery lifespan of up to 100 hours.

The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Mini will be available in white or black with price and availability to follow.

It me — I’m back with a pile of gaming headsets at my desk, working for the gamers out there wondering what is even worth spending $199 at most on a single bass-bumpin’ peripheral.

Well, there are six competitors: Razer Barracuda ($159), HyperX Cloud III Wireless ($169), Corsair HS80 MAX WIRELESS ($179), Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max ($179), SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X Wireless ($179), and Razer BlackShark V2 Pro ($199).

Let’s see if these can be even considered some of the best gaming headsets, and if so, which one comes out on top.

Razer Barracuda

The Razer Barracuda is a wireless gaming headset that features 50mm Razer TriForce Titanium audio drivers, integrated noise-canceling mics, a pleather headband, fabric memory foam ear cups, and 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connectivity. Overall sound is clear, but muted.

“Remnant 2” — Running around N'Erud, fighting Abomination for the umpteenth time, my revolver shots were clear, albeit a little soft. When the boss made that soul-sucking noise it does, it wasn’t very threatening. Even when it was rolling toward me and smacking me around, the attacks didn’t sound impactful. However, I heard everything clearly, from my character cursing under their breath to the intense sci-fi music highlighting the boss battle.

“Final Fantasy XVI” — Despite mowing through hordes of baddies, you could have convinced me I was attacking the air, because my sword slashes and phoenix flame sounded like background noise. Even when I fought Typhon in my massive Ifrit form, the physical attacks were muted and did not represent the visual intensity I saw on screen. The dialogue sounded OK, but even then, it wasn’t very present.

“Afterlife” by Holding Absence — The opening vocals are supposed to blow my head off, but all I got were some muted vocals. Meanwhile, the background guitar is designed to be noisy, but all of that blends into a soft, non-abrasive sound, which is not the intended effect. Ironically, it’s because of that the guitar blends in the background, making it difficult to hear the riffs. The drums were clear, but suffered from a similar issue as the vocals.

“SLEEP WHEN IM DEAD” by Kami Kehoe — Opening vocals were clear, but not crisp. The following guitar was also clear, but it missed that bright and noisy vibrancy that you’d expect from an electric guitar. The percussion had a similar issue, where I could hear it clearly, but there wasn’t enough bass to make it shine. All of the instruments sounded distinct from one another, but none of them stood out.

HyperX Cloud III Wireless

The HyperX Cloud III Wireless is a wireless gaming headset that features 53mm neodymium drivers, a detachable microphone, a pleather headband, pleather memory foam ear cups, DTS:X Spatial Audio for PC, and 2.4GHz connectivity. Overall sound is loud, but hollow.

“Remnant 2” — I unloaded my revolver into the Abomination’s face once more, and the gunshots were loud and even a bit sharp. The music was blaring in my ear as I was swarmed by ads in the boss arena, but the horned instruments sounded hollow. When I was getting whacked by Abomination, the blows were meaty and thick. Even when I shot an explosive on the ground, it hit me with a pretty solid oomph.

“Final Fantasy XVI” — Every slash and swipe wasn’t as present as I wanted it to be, but they still produced satisfying effects ranging from meaty to crunchy. The dialogue was loud and clear. Meanwhile, the music was consistent, but there wasn’t a lot of oomph. When fighting as buff-boy Ifrit, the attacks I landed had a similar issue to my normy attacks, where it was satisfying, but not as full as it could have been.

“Afterlife” by Holding Absence — The opening vocals were decent, but they took a backseat to the opening electric guitar. Throughout the song, the guitar got a little noisy and muddled itself with some of the other instruments. However, the percussion was impactful, and the cymbal was especially noticeable. And the background vocals almost matched the level of the main vocals, which sounded weird.

“SLEEP WHEN IM DEAD” by Kami Kehoe — Clear vocals kick off the song, and the following electric guitar was bright. It wasn’t as crisp as I wanted to be. The percussion was on top of every beat, accenting the other instruments at the right intensity. However, the background vocals also sounded more forward than it should have been. Despite that, all the instruments were distinct, if a bit hollow.

Corsair HS80 MAX WIRELESS

The Corsair HS80 MAX WIRELESS is a wireless gaming headset that features 50mm drivers, a flip-to-mute microphone, a ski-goggle headband, cloth memory foam ear cups, Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio for PC, and 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connectivity. Overall sound is pronounced, but compressed.

“Remnant 2” — When Abomination hurled a stack of bombs my way, the clink of metal on metal was sharp. Firing my pistol and rifle created a strong sound, making combat feel more weighty. It screeching at me from across the room was clear and disturbing. I could even hear the rippling of water as it rolled behind me. The dialogue was loud, but the music melted into the background against the rest of the sound effects.

“Final Fantasy XVI” — I turned into a ball of fire and rammed into a group of enemies, which sounds awesome, but the ride offered low bumps and a medium finish — not what I’d call intense. My Garuda attacks were pleasantly sharp, but the regular sword attacks lacked that meaty hack I’ve been waiting to hear. The dialogue was loud and present. My attacks as Ifrit, however, were so compressed that it blended in with the overall noise of combat. The music had a hard time keeping up, too.

“Afterlife” by Holding Absence — It’s like someone was holding their hand over the singer’s mouth while singing the opening. This headset can get hella loud, but that doesn’t stop the intense compression across the board. I want full sound, but I don’t want to go deaf. Despite all that, I could hear subtle guitar notes throughout the track I never noticed before. And the percussion was popping off with big beats.

“SLEEP WHEN IM DEAD” by Kami Kehoe — The vocals were loud, but the richest parts of Kami’s voice sounded like it was compressed. I was impressed with how distinct the guitar riff was, and especially how thick the percussion came off. Each instrument was easily distinguishable from one another, but they were suppressed from providing their full sound.

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max is a wireless gaming headset that features 50mm Nanoclear neodymium drivers, a flip-to-mute microphone, a pleather headband, pleather memory foam ear cups, and 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connectivity. Overall sound is crisp, but finicky. Unfortunately, I experienced some connectivity issues. I adjusted the volume on the headset and I noticed the audio cut in and out, which is when I realized that’s where the antenna was. So if you cover that small portion of the headset, where your hand is going to be to adjust the volume, the audio will cut out. A major design flaw to consider.

“Remnant 2” — Gunshots were crisp, but it sounded crunchy instead of booming. When I popped the metal plates off of Abomination, it produced satisfying clanks. However, I noticed with louder sounds, the headset sounded congested. The dialogue was clear, but the music was overshadowed by the sounds of battle. The boss also didn’t sound threatening either, as its screeches and attacks were low.

“Final Fantasy XVI” — While my attacks were still a bit low, they were present. Finishing an enemy off with a sword to the chest sounded heavy. Some of my abilities, however, still sounded way softer than their visual impact would lead me to believe. Meanwhile, the dialogue was clear. When fighting as Ifrit, my physical attacks and fireballs were distinct and meaty, albeit a bit on the low end.

“Afterlife” by Holding Absence — There’s a subtle crispiness in some audio devices where you can hear how the vocalist’s mouth moves when they sing — that’s what the opening sounded like on this headset. The guitar was bright and heavy, while the drums were bassy and present. The piano was difficult to suss out during the chorus, overshadowed by the guitar.

“SLEEP WHEN IM DEAD” by Kami Kehoe — Crisp vocals opened the song followed by an insistent percussion. The electric guitar was explosive, filling the stage with sound while hitting every distinct note clearly. Across the board, the instruments were distinct and on point, but the sound was a little dense — on the verge of getting muddled.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X Wireless

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X Wireless is a wireless gaming headset that features 40mm neodymium drivers, a retractable microphone, a stretchy overhead band, AirWeave memory foam ear cups, and 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connectivity. Overall sound is present, but soft.

“Remnant 2” — Smashing my head against Abomination once more, my gunshots sounded like they were tuned properly, but were just too soft to feel like I had any control in this fight. Even when an explosive hit the wall behind me, I wasn’t impressed. Knocking the metal plates off of the boss did produce that satisfying clang. I could hear everything clearly, from the boss’ screeches to my rolls around the arena, but it was just a bit soft. The dialogue, however, was sharper.

“Final Fantasy XVI” — Every slash and teleport I made around the arena produced a solid sound. Again, it’s soft, so I wasn’t getting the full range. However, when I blasted a wave of enemies with my charge attack, I could hear the short, but intense burning followed by a big meaty slash. The dialogue was solid, not too soft or too sharp. When charging in as Ifrit, the distinct snarls beneath the thick slashes were satisfying, engaging me in the fight. Even when I staggered Typhon, there was a pleasant crack that followed.

“Afterlife” by Holding Absence — It opened with clear vocals, but was followed by a soft electric guitar — tough to nail down the specific notes it was reproducing. Between the intense vocals, vibrant guitar, and consistent percussion, the track was decently balanced and each of the instruments were distinct. However, I can’t help but notice there’s some detail lost in how soft the sound attempts to be.

“SLEEP WHEN IM DEAD” by Kami Kehoe — Clear vocals with a bit of pleasant reverb carried the sound as if I was at a concert. The electric guitar was vibrant and present, every note accenting the vocals, but not overtaking them. I could hear every beat that percussion pushed through. All of the instruments were distinct, in harmony with one another. Maybe the guitar could have been a little sharper, as it does lose some clarity because of how naturally noisy it is.

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is a wireless gaming headset that features 50mm Razer TriForce Titanium audio drivers, a detachable microphone, fabric headband, fabric memory foam ear cups, and 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connectivity. Overall sound is immersive, but unbalanced.

“Remnant 2” — The bombastic track that plays when you’re battling Abomination was at the forefront of this confrontation, matching the intensity of my rifle rounds, which were on the higher end. I could hear this flesh ball gurgle more than I would have liked, but I’ll give credit to the headset for catching that. The blasts of poison that landed near me were explosive, highlighting the danger of the fight. The dialogue afterward was not as loud as it could have been.

“Final Fantasy XVI” — I was immediately into what was happening when I heard my Flames of Rebirth pop off and explode the enemies around me. The music was front and center of all the action as I spun my way through enemies with Garuda’s claws. The dialogue matched with the level of the music, for better or worse (I would have liked it to be more crisp). When Ifrit took the wheel, the dodging and racing around the felt got my blood pumping as I could hear the flames vibrate. When blasting Typhon with combos, the fire blasts were heavy, but not overbearing. 

“Afterlife” by Holding Absence — Opening vocals were clear, but the electric guitar was less of a background star this time around. When the chorus kicked off, the guitar and vocals were fighting for first place. And while the percussion was concise, it got overshadowed by the rest of the instruments. However, it would occasionally trade places with the guitar during other bits of the track, but either one kept pace with the vocals.

“SLEEP WHEN IM DEAD” by Kami Kehoe — Loud vocals were followed by a bright electric guitar that was at the forefront. The percussion kept up with the guitar, hitting some solid bassy beats. However, keeping up with the guitar means keeping up with the vocals, so they were all at pace with one another. I liked the sound, but it was fundamentally unbalanced, so for better or worse it’s like you’re hearing a different version.

Winner

The overall winner is Razer BlackShark V2 Pro.

I could say this was a tough decision, but it really wasn’t. The Razer Barracuda and Corsair HS80 MAX WIRELESS died off immediately because I cannot stand compressed or muted sound. The next one to go was HyperX Cloud III Wireless — despite offering a wide soundstage, there were a lot of holes in it. 

I wanted to love the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X Wireless because of how present everything was, but it was just too soft, losing vital parts of combat and music. Then there was the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 Max, which is honestly great and I would recommend it as second best, except it had issues that went beyond sound. Nothing would get me to rage quit faster than a headset with poor connection. Meanwhile, as soon as I heard the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro throw me into the world of Final Fantasy, I was sold. It was the only headset to actually capture the intensity of combat in that game. Yeah, it has balancing issues, but it was also the most immersive of the bunch.

The aforementioned headsets all have their pros and cons, and you might want a different audio profile than me, but my favorite headset is Razer BlackShark V2 Pro.

Don’t mind the pile of gaming headsets around my desk. I’m just working as one does, but this time I’m looking for the best modern gaming headset you could buy on a budget.

The gaming headsets I’ll be testing all find themselves under $70. The list includes the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1X ($59), Razer BlackShark V2 X ($59), ROCCAT ELO 7.1 ($69), and Corsair HS65 SURROUND Wired ($69).

Let’s see if these can be even considered some of the best gaming headsets, and if so, which one comes out on top.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1X

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1X is a wired gaming headset that features 40mm neodymium audio drivers, a retractable microphone, a ski-goggle headband, mesh memory foam ear cups, and PC software (Sonar) capable of virtual surround sound. Overall sound is impactful but sharp.

“Elden Ring” — The epic soundtrack of Elden Ring sounded more bombastic than full, with the bass drops coming off harsh and hard to listen to. When battling Margit, my sword slashes were sharp, but it sounded more like I was cutting through glass than I was a meaty sack of flesh of a creature. However, the headset was great at catching the ominous laughing in the corner of the next area, so I caught my enemy before they saw me. When the Magma Wyrm Makar unleashed their magma breath, it sounded more like a stiff breeze than the terrifying maelstrom I’ve come to expect.

“The Last of Us Part II” — The tense, low drum beat before combat breaks out was audible albeit not bassy, but I’m glad it was present. I jabbed a knife in some dude’s throat and received a pleasantly sharp stabbing effect followed by a blood spatter. The gunfire was loud but it’s a little sharp, so it was uncomfortable to listen to. Surprisingly, infected screeches sounded fine in that regard, but gunshots were too much.

“Double Denim” by SKYLAR — Crisp vocals kicked in immediately, but it wasn’t harsh. The percussion was more sharp than bassy, while the guitar in the background gets a little lost in the vocals during the chorus. It didn’t sound hollow, but it was closer to that than being well-rounded.

“Take Me to Church” by Hozier — The piano was prominent in the opening, overtaking the vocals, but the latter remained crisp. However, as the guitar kicked in, it sounded a bit noisy and, once again, overtook the vocals. The bass instruments were loud but not very bassy. Despite that, I could distinguish each instrument from one another.

Razer BlackShark V2 X

The Razer BlackShark V2 X is a wired gaming headset that features 50mm audio drivers, a stagnant microphone, a pleather headband, pleather memory foam ear cups, and PC software (Synapse) for virtual surround sound. Overall sound is mellow but low.

“Elden Ring” — The soundtrack was more mellow than I expected despite how wild and loud the tracks can be. However, the cans delivered the exact sweet meaty hacks of my blade that I wanted to hear when jumping back into battle. When going back to magma-breath, their attack was softer but was filled with a more accurate flame-and-burn effect. When dodging one of the many Watchdog bosses, their sword attacks kicked up the water around me, but the splash sounded gentler than it looked.

“The Last of Us Part II” — That drum beat in combat is so soft that it’s easily missable when you’re in the thick of it. However, the slash and hacks of my knife sounded hefty and impactful. Gunshots were a little bassy, but most importantly didn’t feature an unpleasant sharpness. The infected wasn’t scarily loud, but the dialogue was clear.

“Double Denim” by SKYLAR — Sharp vocals and thick guitar open the track, leading into a chorus that’s loud and vibrant. The guitar was a bit noisy, and the background vocals occasionally overtook the main vocals. While the percussion was prominent throughout the song, it wasn’t nearly as loud or present as the vocals due to the lack of bass.

“Take Me to Church” by Hozier — Soft, delicate piano and clear vocals open the track. When the chorus kicked in the vocals resonated. Guitar was mellow and didn’t overreach, which was nice. However, the bassier instruments get occasionally lost due to how gentle the overall sound is. And you could tell there wasn’t much bass to go around with the percussion sounding like a hollow slap.

ROCCAT ELO 7.1

The ROCCAT ELO 7.1 is a wired gaming headset with 50mm audio drivers, a detachable microphone, a mesh headband, pleather memory foam ear cups, and onboard virtual surround sound. Overall sound is bassy but compressed.

“Elden Ring” — The soundtrack made me feel like I was at a concert, if I was sitting in the back row, in a different building. Attacking my enemies with a katana produced a quick, slash sound, briefly hitting that meaty hack that’s music to my ears. When a giant knight came for me, its slam attack was bassy but hollow — like it was supposed to rock my world, but it rocked the next planet over.

“The Last of Us Part II” — I barely heard the soundtrack, it was so drowned out by the combat and gunshots, which were too noisy. Knife attacks offered that decent hacking sound. Infected screeches were full enough to scare the shit out of me, but not sharp enough to be uncomfortable. The overall dialogue was clear, if not occasionally hollow.

“Double Denim” by SKYLAR — Bassy guitar and crisp vocals open the track. The guitar carried that energy throughout the song, while the percussion picked up with impactful hits. There wasn’t enough bass to round out the song, but the cymbals were vibrant. I occasionally forgot that I had to write things down because I was so immersed in the song, which gives credit to the audio balance. However, it did get sharp around the treble instruments.

“Take Me to Church” by Hozier — Gentle piano and crisp vocals start the drive, then it’s interrupted by the brassy guitar. The percussion and piano fought to the death during the chorus — it was tough to distinguish them. But whatever bass was there complemented the percussion. I think the biggest issue I noticed is that the overall sound seemed compressed, like it was loud, but muffled.

Corsair HS65 SURROUND Wired

The Corsair HS65 SURROUND Wired is (you guessed it) another wired gaming headset that features 50mm audio drivers, a flip-to-mute microphone, a pleather headband, pleather memory foam ear cups, and onboard virtual surround sound enabled via Dolby Audio app on PC and Mac. Overall sound is present but scattered.

“Elden Ring” — I love a bassy track with epic strings — the soundtrack lacked some bass, but the grandeur of it was captured well. Sword attacks were fleshy and sharp. Magic blasts targeted at me were explosive. Critical attacks sounded heavy and brutal. Even the dialogue was weighty and present. Everything that came at me on screen sounded threatening, and when I struck back, I elicited that same amount of fear in my enemies (presuming they were wearing the same headset).

“The Last of Us Part II” — That drum beat was thick and forward. The gunshots were loud, but not too distorted. Stopping on an infected’s head produces a satisfying squishy sound. The dialogue was clear, but not necessarily crisp. Knife slashes were sharp, but not as substantial as they could have been. Infected screams were loud enough to spook me, but they weren’t shrill.

“Double Denim” by SKYLAR — Crisp percussion and strong guitar kicked us off followed by precise vocals. Background vocals got a little lost in the chorus. Most of the synthetic instruments were on the treble side, so they were easily distinguishable throughout the track. There wasn’t a lot of bass to go around in this mostly bassy track, so it can occasionally come off as flat.

“Take Me to Church” by Hozier — Resonant piano and clear vocals. Guitar is bassy, but not noisy. The percussion was loud, but not as impactful as it would have been with proper bass. I noticed that the piano got lost in the background of the vocals and guitar during the chorus. The high and low notes were pleasant as long as they were separate — combined it was tough to distinguish them apart.

Winner

The overall winner is Corsair HS65 SURROUND Wired.

This was a tough decision, but let’s talk about my process of elimination. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1X was an immediate out for me because of how shrill some of the sounds were — my ears can’t handle that all day. The ROCCAT ELO 7.1 fell behind when I realized how compressed all of the audio was — it was like listening with a muffler on. 

Then it came down to the Razer BlackShark V2 X and Corsair HS65 SURROUND Wired — I enjoyed both headsets, and I think they both have their pros and cons. With the Razer, I could distinguish each and every sound, whereas the Corsair loses some of its lower instruments. However, the Corsair is present and loud, whereas the Razer is mellow and chill. The last thing I want to hear when playing an epic adventure game is lackluster sound. So the Corsair takes this victory.

The aforementioned headsets all have their pros and cons, and you might want a different audio profile than me, but my favorite headset is Corsair HS65 SURROUND Wired.

Samsung has suffered various leaks revealing that the company is developing an XR headset of some kind, with images of early models (via Android Authority) showcasing what prototypes currently look like. But rumors keep piling up, with a new one suggesting that the company is looking for methods of implementing scents into the experience.

Twitter user @Tech_Reve claims that both "touch and smell" are being considered by the company for implementation. Beyond that, "related technology" is set to be unveiled at Samsung System LSI Tech Day on October 5.

Samsung's XR headset could implement scents

Considering the leak suggests the company is still only considering touch and smell, we're not expecting that will be part of the "related technology" being revealed at Samsung's event next month. Instead, it might just be a reveal that the company is working on an XR headset.

That same leaker also claimed that the headset's display specs are "impressive, with over 3000ppi." It might be this is in the realm of what Samsung will focus on during this event.

But it's fascinating that Samsung might take a dive into a scent-based experience with this new headset, especially since none of the other big VR/AR/XR headset companies are doing this. Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest Pro haven't tried to come close to something like this quite yet.

It would be a total shock if Samsung could successfully implement this sort of thing, but don't expect it to be a surefire confirmation. Smell-based technology has never made it to the consumer level in a VR/XR/AR headset, and in general, the technology is incredibly rare in general. We have our doubts because of this, so we're not fully expecting Samsung to pull through with this implementation. 

Apple’s AR Glasses are a bit elusive at the moment. If you’re unfamiliar with the product, the AR Glasses are meant to replace traditional glasses as a smart wearable, allowing you to view map directions, your calendar, and more through the lenses rather than on your smartphone. If it’s successfully produced, Apple AR Glass could be a groundbreaking advancement for smartglasses.

We initially thought Apple may officially announce them at a 2020 Apple Event, but to date, we still only have Apple Glass rumors to go on. Things were quiet until earlier this year when a reliable Apple analyst suggested a potential release date of 2026 or 2027. 

Fast forward to the present, where we’re now checking out a newly granted patent from Apple that shows Digital Crown controls for Apple’s potential AR Glasses—controls that resemble those on the Apple Watch. Let’s dive into what exactly the patent says, and what it suggests about the future of Apple Glass.  

What this patent suggests about Apple Glasses

Any new patent we see from Apple, whether it’s just been filed or granted, indicates that Apple has thoughts about a product or feature. There’s no guarantee a product or feature shown in a patent will ever be released, but it tells the public that Apple is fleshing out ideas in an attempt to potentially bring a product or feature to life. 

This recently granted patent touches on a wide range of potential control methods for Apple’s head-mounted devices. A few of the patent illustrations, Figures 8A and 8B, clearly resemble Apple Glasses and the patent text refers to them as “smart glasses.” 

The patent reads “FIG. 8A shows a side view of an operation of an HMD [head-mounted device]. Again, as used herein, the term HMD can include smart glasses.” In Figure 8A, the 850 label points to the smart glasses, while 860 points to the frame and 854 points to the user interface.

Apple's patent goes on to state that 820 labels an input device that "can be substantially similar to, including some or all of the features of, the input devices of... 220." In the patent PDF, 220 labels the Digital Crown input device on an Apple Watch. So controlling the future Apple Glass could feel very similar to controlling the familiar Apple Watch.

The company also borrowed this Digital Crown button design from the Apple Watch for its newly announced Vision Pro headset, so it seems highly plausible that the technology could transfer over to Apple Glasses as well.

Figure 8B is an extension of 8A, detailing what the user interface on smart glasses might look like. 803 labels the user interface as a whole, while 805 points to app icons resembling those you'd see on your smartphone or smartwatch.

The patent states "input by a user's finger 824 at the input device 820 can cause the applications to move or change," and that input could be "a swipe, a rotation, a tilt, or combinations thereof," similar to the Apple Watch. Unique to Apple's potential smartglasses would be a second input that could come from a gaze-tracking camera (858) detecting when a user looks at a specific icon (813).

As always, patents filed by Apple or even granted patents don’t indicate a product or feature is going to come to fruition, but we’re hopeful this news means Apple’s still working on its AR Glasses. Check out all the most recent Apple Glass rumors to get up to speed. 

The Apple Vision Pro reignited mainstream interest in a waning VR/AR landscape when it was announced at this year’s WWDC – up until the reveal of its $3,499 price tag, that is.

However, the Vision Pro’s mighty MSRP is nothing short of an RVSP to the competition as they scramble to undercut Apple’s inflated pricing with more affordable mixed reality headsets of their own.

The latest of which could come via a collaboration between Meta and LG on the Metaverse parent company’s next premium hardware offering – the Meta Quest Pro 4.

An answer to the Vision Pro's biggest con?

According to Korean news site Maekyung, Meta and LG have joined forces to deliver a mixed reality experience similar to that of Apple’s Vision Pro. The new headset, rumored to be the Meta Quest Pro 4 – a confusingly named follow up to 2022’s smash-flop the Meta Quest Pro, is expected to arrive in 2025 and tout a premium, but altogether more palatable $2,000 price tag.

According to Maekyung, Meta’s next Quest Pro model will feature parts from LG Display, LG Innotek, and LG Energy Solution. The Quest Pro’s adoption of LG’s family of tech could see the headset feature industry leading Micro LED displays, iPhone-level camera modules and sensors, and an improvement to battery life and power efficiency.

Outlook

On paper, these hardware improvements go some way to countering the Vision Pro’s micro OLED optics and 12 camera/5 sensor tracking array. The potential battery improvements for the Quest Pro 4 would also see Meta’s device leapfrog Apple’s, with the Vision Pro requiring an external battery pack capable of just 2 hours of uptime.

In contrast, the Meta Quest 2’s internal battery is already capable of lasting 2-3 hours, with the upcoming Meta Quest 3 expected to deliver similar results.

However, anybody seeking to dethrone the Vision Pro as one of the most powerful mixed reality headsets on the market when it arrives next year will have a tough fight on its hands. Apple’s upcoming headset is backed by a dual-chip setup that incorporates a powerful M2 and R1 Apple silicon combo.

While Meta and LG’s partnership could provide some potent, premium components, it remains to be seen if Meta are able to stay on par when it comes to overall performance and power.

For news, rumors, and updates on all things VR and tech, follow Laptop Mag on Twitter, Facebook, and Flipboard for the latest word as it arrives.

Lenovo’s making a serious play for gamers during IFA. First, you have the Legion Legion 9i, a powerhouse of a gaming laptop with integrated water cooling. Then you have the super-compelling Lenovo Legion Go, a chunky handheld that could take the nascent category by storm. And while both machines seem to have absolutely lovely displays, they could be bigger. 

And instead of trying to jury-rigg something with a monitor or TV, Lenovo’s offering a smaller, sleeker solution –– it’s new Lenovo Legion Glasses. Available in October for $329, the glasses allow you to play your games on a bigger screen, just plug it into an open USB-C port and you’re ready to go. The glasses are platform agnostic, with compatibility for Windows, Android, macOS and iOS.

Taking design cues from last year’s ThinkVision Glasses T1, the Legion Glasses frames are made of black matte plastic with thick, sturdy hinges. The arms are decidedly slim despite hiding a pair of integrated speakers. The lenses are tinted in a cool smoky gray with a pair of nose pads to keep them securely and comfortably nestled on your nose. The eyewear will ship with several different sizes of nose pads to help achieve the best fit. And if you wear prescription glasses like me, Lenovo will include a lens holder that you can take to your optometrist for a proper fit. 

They’re not the snazziest pair of glasses I’ve seen, but the Legion Glasses do have a pretty cool trick. Using micro OLED display technology, the glasses act as a high-res, virtual display hitting 1920 x 1080p per eye with a 60Hz refresh rate. It’s not the highest refresh rate, but it’s passable for gaming and multimedia purposes.

They’re a great peripheral for the Legion Go as some gamers might feel the desire to game on a bigger screen. I demoed the Glasses and was pleasantly surprised by the crisp detail and bold color as I explored the beautiful world of “Ori and the Will of the Wisps.” Overall, it’s a cool way to enhance your mobile gaming experience.

Since the dawn of online gaming, you needed the best gaming headsets available to not only get an edge on your competition but to enjoy the encompassing sounds that modern gaming provides.

As we cut our cords and turn to the wireless side of gaming, headsets struggled between 2.4GHz Wireless Type-A or Type-C inputs and Bluetooth, separating where headsets could be used. But fast-forward to 2023, and wireless headsets can work with all modern consoles and PCs — well, except for Xbox… sometimes.

Modern consoles and PCs all feature 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth support save for the Xbox Series X, which clings to Microsoft’s wireless proprietary technology. This makes purchasing gaming headsets an absolute nightmare for people who also have an Xbox console.

Is Xbox going to die on this hill?

From cross-play to cloud-gaming, Xbox has been the loudest voice in the gaming space to advocate for more accessibility and opportunities to work together across different brands. However, with the company’s proprietary wireless technology, it won’t budge. What gives?

Having a closed ecosystem in terms of wireless devices might net Xbox some more sales in accessories, but is that really worth the headache for consumers? Why does Xbox’s accessibility standards get thrown out of the window for its wireless solution?

I asked Anshel Sag, Principal Analyst for Moor Insights & Strategy, and they said that Bluetooth has failed to provide the low-latency communication that Xbox desires and that there is interference in a crowded 2.4GHz band. However, Xbox wireless still has a dependency on Bluetooth, with a minimum spec of Bluetooth 4.2 for its headsets.

Much to my surprise, it doesn’t seem to be about the money, but the experience.

What are gaming headset manufacturers doing?

Xbox is posing a frustrating problem not only to the consumer, but the manufacturers as well. There are headsets like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless that come in PC, PlayStation, and Xbox variants, but there’s virtually no difference between the PC and PlayStation one. Arguably, the Xbox model is the best one because it not only connects wirelessly to all modern consoles, but also to Xbox’s proprietary wireless system. There are three variants when there should really be only one. Is this a good or bad thing for gaming headset manufacturers?

Sag states that Microsoft actually makes it harder for third parties to deploy compatible technologies and accessories. “The best thing would be for the industry to unify around a low-latency solution that is unified across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. However, headset manufacturers instead have to support different proprietary standards.”

Sag explains that the limitations of Bluetooth and the need of a dongle stop Xbox from moving over despite it still using the SBC codec. “There are better lower latency and higher quality codecs out there.” 

It’s also interesting to think about how Xbox’s proprietary wireless in the Xbox 360 controllers are completely useless with current-gen consoles. So where does this road lead? Will Xbox continue to support its proprietary wireless solution? History says no. And if that's the case, I don’t see how this is sustainable.

What should you do?

Well, we have little choice in the matter. Even if you don’t own an Xbox, the safest purchase in a gaming headset is likely going to be an Xbox version of it — because it offers wireless connection to everything.

Not all headsets feature dual-compatibility like the Arctis Nova 7 or the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro Headset. There are even a few wireless gaming headsets that are exclusive to Xbox, like the HyperX CloudX Flight.

It’s tricky to purchase a true wireless gaming headset that works with absolutely everything — but they exist, you just have to read the fine print. For example, the Arctis Nova 7 Xbox version clearly states and even reveals in photos that its dongle has a built-in switch for Xbox Wireless and 2.4GHz wireless.

Outlook

From the PS5 and PC to the Nintendo Switch and every other Type-C compatible device, the tech world has united to ensure consumer devices work across each other’s services. Even Apple has slowly, but surely adopted the Type-C port, but Xbox is still lagging on the wireless front.

Xbox is advocating for latency over accessibility. But how much quicker are you experiencing your games? Do you notice a latency difference hopping between an Xbox to a PlayStation? As someone who dabbles in both, I certainly don’t.

Rocket Science ran a test between PlayStation and Xbox controllers, and the Xbox Series X had an average input lag of 5.9ms whereas the DualSense clocked in at 4.9ms (lower is better). It’s different from headsets, but Xbox uses the same wireless tech for its controllers, and if a Bluetooth DualSense could beat it, I’m not sure Xbox is getting its time and money’s worth out of its proprietary tech. And even if it was Xbox on top, 1ms is not worth sacrificing accessibility.

We reached out to Xbox for comment about the stance on its wireless tech, but a representative stated that Xbox doesn't have anything to share at the moment. If the company does share something, we'll update this article accordingly.

The hunt for better latency seems to be more trouble for everyone involved than it is helpful. Xbox needs to change its ways in the next cycle, lest it damns a sea of wireless tech to uselessness.

What’s better than the HyperX Cloud III? Well, the HyperX Cloud III Wireless, of course. Cut the cords on any headset and you immediately make it more alluring — but is it working for HyperX?

For $169 (a $70 increase from wired), the HyperX Cloud III Wireless comes back with the same everything — design, comfort, performance, and spatial sound stage — but it cuts its strings and offers up a wonderfully long-lasting battery. However, it comes with the same problem — the virtual surround sound is available only on PC — and a new one — Xbox Series X is out (blame Xbox for that one).

However, if you find yourself on any platform that accepts 2.4GHz wireless connectivity, the HyperX Cloud III Wireless easily ranks amongst the best gaming headsets.

HyperX Cloud III Wireless price and configurations

The HyperX Cloud III Wireless gaming headset that I reviewed costs $169 and comes in the Black-Red palette. You can also purchase it in Black. 

An additional $70 makes the lovely HyperX Cloud III a wireless headset. Is that worth it? Well, it’s certainly competitive with the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless, which is actually slightly more expensive, at $179. I would do anything to make my favorite headset wireless, but keep in mind that you’re cutting out wired-use cases, like with the Xbox Series X.

This headset comes with a two-year limited warranty.

HyperX Cloud III Wireless design

Like with the wired HyperX Cloud III, the Wireless model commits to the classic design of its predecessors. The oval-shaped cups sport an anodized black chassis accompanied by red HyperX logos. Meanwhile, a pair of black leatherette cushions line the interior.

At the bottom of the cups lies an array of I/O. On the left cup, there’s the microphone input, a USB Type-C port for charging, the power button, and the mute button. Meanwhile, the right cup is home only to the volume rocker.

Connecting the cups and the headband are a pair of red metal two-pronged forks. They're all attached to a swivel, so the headset can adjust its angle, but you cannot rotate them like other headphones. The red metal pieces feature notches on the interior to indicate the height.

A thick piece of leatherette material with the HyperX logo wraps the headband nice and tight. For better or worse, nothing has changed about the HyperX headset design in the past several years. I imagine the company will stick with it until it finds a functional reason to change. (But it couldn’t hurt to make something look cool for the sake of style.)

In the box, you’ll find a male USB Type-C connector — it’s already attached to a female USB Type-C to male USB Type-A adapter, a USB Type-C charging cable, and a cloth bag to carry the headset in. Then there’s the microphone, which just plugs into the headset itself. 

HyperX Cloud III Wireless comfort

I love wearing the HyperX Cloud III Wireless the same way I loved wearing the HyperX Cloud III — that’s because they’re the same. Well, actually, no. The Wireless is better because I don’t have to juggle a cord trying to choke me out or tear my headset off by getting caught on something.

Dressed in soft leatherette, the cups nestle in over my ears and roll a nat 20 on stealth for going unnoticed. It’s snug, but not tight and offers a little wiggle room for adjustments.

The headband is stuffed with HyperX’s proprietary memory foam, which is as cozy as it is thick. However, like with the wired version, I noticed that some of the notches aren’t as tight as others when adjusting the headset. In fact, both sides slide up and down past the notches with little effort if the headset is angled a certain way. And if you angle it in another direction, the notches are tight again. It’s a bit flimsy in that department, but the headset has an incredible range of fits.

The HyperX Cloud III Wireless weighs 330 grams or 11.6 ounces, which is heavier than its wired sibling, measuring 11.2 ounces. It’s still lighter than both the Alienware AW720H (12.3 ounces) and the SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ (12.9 ounces). I wore the HyperX Cloud III Wireless all day through work and through my crusade against the Crimson Prince in Remnant 2.

HyperX Cloud III Wireless gaming performance

With dynamic 53mm Neodymium-magnet drivers and DTS:X Spatial Audio, the HyperX Cloud III Wireless crushed it again.

I challenged the Crimson Prince yet again in Remnant 2, this time seeking his crown, and the explosive orchestra hit every note it needed to fully immerse me in this battle. My bow and arrows snapped with an intense impact each time I nailed him in the head. And when I went for the killing blow with the Assassin’s Dagger, a meaty slash overtook my aural senses.

In my replay of The Last of Us Part II, I navigated through the desolate cityscape of Seattle and the audio captured the subtle moistness in each step I took on the wet payment. I started popping off fools with my silencer, and each round was thick and vibrant — I’m honestly surprised no one heard it (maybe because they weren’t wearing the Cloud III). When Dina and Ellie discuss the best route to the TV station, their dialogue was crisp and clear.

I am playing through Sea of Stars for my upcoming review (I’ll cover the demo area only here), and the mysterious music in the Wizard’s abandoned lab was enchanting thanks to the snappy percussion and the bright wind instruments. When I used my Moonarang skill, the deflection of the moon was satisfyingly poppy. And when I hurled an enemy across the field, the landing produced that thick pixel sound of success.

HyperX Cloud III Wireless music performance

The HyperX Cloud III Wireless performed well enough on the music front despite not being tuned for it.

I listened to “God Is A Freak” by Peach PRC, and the vocals were clear, but not as crisp as I would’ve liked. The echoey guitar was bright and melodic while the percussion was distinguishable, but lacked the bass to bring it forward.

In Iniko’s “Jericho,” the soft synthetic beats elevated the vocals with each note, making it sound more rich. The thicker percussion actually rumbled the headset, which was pleasantly surprising — even the background vocals were more noticeable than usual.

Liza Anne’s “I Love You, But I Need Another Year” came in with its hypnotic guitar riff as the vocals carried in the rhythmic drum beats, each separate enough for my ears to appreciate. It didn’t sound as full as I would have hoped, but the treble and bass mixed well enough.

HyperX Cloud III Wireless microphone

Like its wired sibling, the HyperX’s noise-canceling microphone with a built-in mesh filter is still one of the best I’ve used. 

When I hopped on to play Remnant 2 with Laptop Mag’s Momo Tabari, she immediately noticed how low my voice was — but after turning me up, she commented on how much better I sounded versus my usual driver, the SteelSeries Arctis 7P+. There was very little background noise — she couldn’t even hear Ms. Rachel in the background (my daughter needs her TV time just like baba).

I wouldn’t go recording podcasts with it, but it’s a solid microphone. Need a professional one? Check out our best USB microphones page.

HyperX Cloud III Wireless features

The HyperX Cloud III is compatible with every modern console except the Xbox Series X (sigh). It features USB Type-A, and USB Type-C wireless connectivity. You can plug into your smartphone, PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.

The key software you’re going to want to download is DTS Sound Unbound, which’ll unlock the DTS:X audio for the headset, but this only works on PC, so my complaints remain similar to the wired version. DTS:X sets everything up for you, so all you need to select is whether you want balanced or spacious audio. You’ll find some EQ settings in the HyperX NGENUITY app, but this app is buggy and slow. I wish that Spatial Audio and EQ settings were built into the Cloud III, so you could experience it on all devices.

According to HyperX, the Cloud III can last up to 120 hours on a single charge (it was tested at 50% volume). This seems pretty accurate, as I’ve seen only a 10% decrease in battery life after using it for around 10 hours. I was using it above 50% volume, but that battery life is way higher than some modern alternatives like the aforementioned Arctis Nova 7 Wireless, offering only 38 hours in comparison. HyperX also claims that you can fully charge the headset in 4.5 hours.

This is a weird compliment — but I love the voice in the headset. You know, the one that tells you what the battery life is and when the headset is connected. It doesn’t sound robotic like the typical ones do. It just sounds like a real person talking to me. I imagine the company hired a voice actor for it. The voice is feminine, soft, and casual.

Bottom line

Wireless gaming headsets can get pricey, and the HyperX Cloud III Wireless is no exception, but if you have the extra coin to spend, then it’s so worth it. Ever since I went wireless, I could never go back — and if you have stuck to wired headsets, I promise you’ll feel the same.

The only reason why I wouldn’t recommend purchasing the HyperX Cloud III Wireless is if you have an Xbox Series X — it will not work, so you’re better off getting something like the Arctis Nova 7X Wireless.

Overall, the HyperX Cloud III Wireless excels in performance, comfort, and having a good ol’ time without cables tying it down.

Wee-woo-wee-woo! This is not a drill! I Expect You to Die 3, the third installment of Schell Games’ award-winning spy-themed series, is a danger to your VR headset and controllers. Unless you have the equanimity of the Dalai Lama, this game will drive you up the wall — and your fists may go through it, too.

I don’t know how my Meta Quest 2 is still intact, but I’ve played the first three missions of IEYTD3 and I was this close to snapping it in two. I have three more missions ahead of me, though, so it’s only a matter of time before my headset’s guts are splattered all over the living room floor.

Despite crying tears of frustration and darn-near losing my sanity, I freakin’ love I Expect You to Die 3 so far. For the time being, I can only discuss the first three missions, but it’s been a wild, brain-warping ride that I’m not ready to hop off just yet. It may seem like my tone has taken a total 180-degree turn from the outset, but to put it succinctly, the high you get from successfully completing these brain-teasing missions makes all the hair pulling, top-of-your-lungs cursing, and tears all worth it in the end. 

'I Expect You to Die' continues to roll out bangers for the opening credits 

How can you be an international spy without a haunting, foreboding ballad that introduces you as a secret agent with treacherous missions ahead of you? James Bond had his suspenseful opening credits in No Time to Die with Billie Eilish lending her vocals, so why can’t you?

For the uninitiated, the I Expect You to Die series is known for unleashing divine-sounding, spine-tingling opening credits for every game — and I Expect You to Die 3 is no different. I can show you the intro on YouTube here, but trust me, it doesn’t do it justice. With my Meta Quest 2 headset strapped on, there’s an indescribable level of immersion in which it feels like the towering singing villain is toying with me like I’m a helpless marionette. A scrap metal shredder appears out of nowhere, demolishing coffins without mercy — as if to say “you’re next!” I’m then thrown in the middle of a machine with terrifying weaponry spinning all around me, from a menacing drill to a dangerous angle grinder, and they’re all too close for comfort.

All of this hazardous madness is juxtaposed beautifully with the powerful, evocative and melancholy vocals of Haley Reinhart: a singer, songwriter, actress, and American Idol alum. The animation, however, is too rudimentary for my tastes; it has the art style of the VR game Pistol Whip. On the plus side, the crude imagery gives you an idea of what to expect from the game moving forward — a formidable, robot-loving enemy who has a huge chip on her shoulder. Dun, dun, dun!

3 things I love about I Expect You to Die 3 so far

 When someone first described the I Expect You to Die series as a VR puzzle game that mimics an escape-room experience, I cringed. I was ready to give up on the game before even giving it a fair shot. I’m not the biggest fan of puzzles, especially if they don’t have some element of action and adventure mixed in. 

Fortunately, I Expect You to Die 3 has an alluring blend of brain-stimulating puzzles as well as action scenes with laser-beaming robots, highway car chases, and explosions.

As a cherry on top, there is a supernatural element, too, as you can make objects levitate — and move them around wherever you please — with your telekinesis powers. None of these aspects are new, but they never get old because you’re plopped into new environments while interacting with novel objects.

No handholding

When you’re dropped into your first mission, you’re told that you need to access the computer of Dr. Roxana, the newest villain in the series, but there’s little to no direction on how to find it. There are clues on how to progress, but they’re very subtle. This is not a game that will allow you to pause, ask for a hint, and then illuminate an object to pivot you toward the right direction. Your only option is to look around your environment and channel your inner Sherlock Holmes.

I can’t give you too many details, but to demonstrate how buried these clues can be, let me describe an IEYTD3-esque mission. Let’s say you’re inside a villain’s lair and you’ve stumbled upon an eye-scanning lock on a door. It says, “Access denied.” You need to somehow unlock this door, but how? A portrait of the villain will be planted somewhere in a difficult-to-find part of your surroundings (likely deep inside a closet). You’re excited, so you hurriedly hold the photo to the eye scanner, but nope, “Access denied” again! Darn, what are you missing? As it turns out, you need to find a magnifying glass to hold over the pictured eye so the scanner can properly “see” it. However, it’ll likely take you 30 minutes, if not longer, before you figure this out.

When you finally place the magnified “eye” to the scanner — kaboom! — you explode into tiny bits and pieces. As it turns out, there’s a booby trap that killed you and you need to disable it before you can successfully bypass the eye scanner. 

That is a typical I Expect You to Die 3 mission. Just when you think you’ve got it, something goes awry. Although this can be maddening, the lack of handholding is fulfilling. You get to say, “Heck yes! I solved this all by myself — with no help.”

Disguises continue to be delightful

So far, I Expect You to Die 2 still has my heart when it comes to disguise missions, but I Expect You to Die 3 continues this tradition and it’s a riot. In the last game, I got to disguise myself as a stage manager to thwart an assassination attempt on the Prime Minister. If you don’t disguise yourself properly during this mission, your identity as a spy will be revealed and you’ll get killed without question. Same goes for one of the first three missions in I Expect You to Die 3, but admittedly, I Expect You to Die 2 was slightly more entertaining with its disguise mechanics.

Real-life spies have to masquerade as someone else all the time — all while pretending to possess skills and talents the person has too, which is risky. In the same way, the third installment has you convincing the NPCs in the game that you are who you say you are by acting as if you’re a veteran at your job. In other words, you’re a “n00b” in sheep’s clothing and there’s no room to screw up. I found this aspect of the game to be suspenseful; it’ll keep you on the edge of your seat for sure.

Exhilarating environments

My jaw dropped when I found myself in a car, in the middle of a highway, chasing after a villain zipping down the road inside a massive truck. Now this is the action I was looking for.

Every good spy film has some action-filled scene with wild car chases, ear-deafening explosions, and risky parkour maneuvers. Now, I didn’t get to practice any parkour in I Expect You to Die 3, but I did find myself going under another vehicle at one point, which was exhilarating. On top of that, my car has a built-in grappling hook, and boy did I have a lot of fun with that, too.

3 things I dislike about I Expect You to Die 3 so far 

I’ve been playing on the pre-release version of I Expect You to Die 3, so there’s bound to be a few snafus here and there.

1. On rare occasion, objects would disappear

You’ll always need to interact with tools, weapons, and other objects in I Expect You to Die 3 to facilitate your missions as a spy. Once in a blue moon, something I really need would suddenly disappear into the environment. However, as mentioned, I’ve been playing on the pre-release version of I Expect You to Die 3, so this minor inconvenience should be resolved by launch.

2. Interacting with certain objects can be tricky

Sometimes, holding an object vertically or horizontally can be the difference between life or death, particularly if you’re using it to block enemy fire. In some cases, I found that objects don’t behave as intended. Turning knobs, for example, doesn’t feel as natural as expected. During timed missions, this can be very frustrating.

3. No checkpoints

This is the reason why I Expect You to Die 3 will cause an uptick in gamer rage all around the world. Imagine finally unlocking a door that required you to solve a sliding tile puzzle that took you 15 minutes to complete. Suddenly, without warning, a robot jumps on you, attacks, and now you’re dead. Do you get to restart the game from a point after you solved the sliding-tile puzzle? Nope! You have to do it all over again —  from the very beginning. 

Chances are, you’ll do it again, solve the sliding-tile puzzle, dodge the robot, and get to the final stretch. You’re this close to victory. But unfortunately, you make one wrong move and you die. Gah!

Are you awarded a checkpoint then? Nope! Once again, you have to start from the very beginning and run through all the same puzzles. At this point, it feels like you’re walking on eggshells because you can’t bear the thought of starting over again. But remember, this is the third installment of I Expect You to Die 3. Of course you’re going to perish — over and over and over again. For the sake of my sanity, I wish the developers added checkpoints. 

Outlook 

I Expect You to Die 3 is set to launch on Aug. 17, 2023 for Meta Quest owners, but SteamVR players will have to wait a little while longer (Sept. 28, 2023). 

You’ll have to shell out $24.99 for this game, but if you pre-order it now, this title is only $22.49. Personally, I’d snag this game even if it was twice the price. What makes I Expect You to Die 3 endearing is that there are different ways to meet your objectives, adding to its replayability factor. You can use different objects to block enemy fire, use new weapons to kill your opponents, and experiment with novel ways to accomplish your missions.

This game is so frustrating, I may have shed a tear or two as a result of getting so close, but yet so far. But when you finally make it to the end, the satisfying sensation of victory outweighs the vexatious gameplay.

Apple Vision Pro was only revealed a couple of months ago, yet an endless flurry of fascinating news continues to follow it. Now, it seems like one of the biggest criticisms towards the Apple Vision Pro, its lack of easy compatibility with those who need prescription lens to see well, is being tackled in their latest patent.

This Apple patent will ensure that no glasses user has to purchase separate prescription lens, nor will they have to stuff their pair of glasses under the headset. But unfortunately, it is highly unlikely we'll be getting it with the launch of the Apple Vision Pro, as it was only just recently filed.

Apple Vision Pro could fix a massive issue in the future

Glasses wearers have been worried ever since Apple unveiled its vision for the Vision Pro, as one big question is at the back of everyone's mind: What happens if you can't see all that well to begin with? Wearing glasses behind certain Virtual Reality headsets is total plausible, with the PSVR 2 more than capable of accommodating glasses wearers.

In the case of Apple Vision Pro, however, it is not remotely compatible with spectacles. In fact, it is directly recommended against, with Apple's official press release stating that "users with vision correction needs will use ZEISS Optical Inserts to ensure visual fidelity and eye tracking accuracy." And all the way at the bottom of the fine print, we see "ZEISS Optical Inserts are sold separately."

This means you'll have to spend more than the base $3,500 already expected of you just to get these Optical Insert lens added to your package, but Mark Gurman made matters worse by claiming that these prescription lenses for the Vision Pro could be as expensive as $300-600 a pair. The design flaw of incompatibility with glasses is already a huge problem in accessibility, but this high cost reveals a whole new level of absurdity.

A new Apple patent is seemingly trying to fix this issue by adding lenses to the headset that are controlled by the circuitry and allow it to have different levels of optical power to conform to the user's prescription. Essentially, users would put the headset on and do a series of tests at different focus levels until they're able to see properly. This would come automatically with the headset, and it would be perfect for glasses users who don't want to have to spend tons of extra money for the sake of their own comfort.

Unfortunately, you should not expect this to come with the initial Apple Vision Pro launch. As this patent was only just approved on July 18, it's likely that we won't get it for quite a while. Until then, lets hope the ZEISS lens are nowhere near as expensive as Gurman claimed.

No, I’m not kidding. Spotted by Patently Apple, Apple just got a patent approved that is titled "Modifying Virtual Content to Invoke a Target user State.” That’s mind control, right?

But hold up a second. Before you start to get more than a little (understandably) worried, let’s go into the nitty gritty of this and see what the patent details, and how it could be a pretty valuable asset to the Apple Vision Pro.

Changing your mind (for the better)?

In the patent, Apple talks about a headset (which is fair to say the Apple Vision Pro), which works with a “server” (likely translation: iCloud) to control a user’s experience.

All standard at the moment, but it’s when the patent talks about using “sensor information” to determine the state of the user as to present a virtual agent with a “neural expression” to match your energy and encourage you to be calm. 

It would do so by using a variety of on-board sensors (even using the heart rate, blood oxygen, and blood pressure monitors on your Apple Watch) and historical data to track your mood — such as the mood check-ins that are coming as part of iOS 17 and watchOS 9. At that point, it will work to target a particular emotional state by taking control of the experience and presenting appropriate content.

Key examples that Apple specifies include the likes of a cat to help you feel happy, a zen rock garden for relaxation, a virtual agent dancing to crack a smile, and even spiders to make you feel scared.

Outlook

So, while I do love to get a little dramatic with a headline, Apple’s uses for this are actually rather novel — a nice little expansion on the company’s mindfulness which does dip into the slightly terrifying by trying to control more than just your positive emotions.

Of course, mindfulness formed part of the WWDC keynote when talking about the Apple Vision Pro. But this goes one step further. Are we seeing a glimpse into how much further this could be expanded with Apple’s mixed-reality headset? I think so.

Now, we just have to hope Master Cook doesn’t use it to have us all chanting “ThE ViSiOn PrO Is A bArGaIn bUy MoRe iPhOnEs” in unison.

The best post- Prime Day gaming deals slash up to 50% off HyperX headsets, keyboards, mice, and microphones. So if you need some new gaming gear, you still have time to shop Amazon's sale.

Amazon now offers the HyperX Cloud II Wireless Gaming Headset for $118. It normally costs $149, so that's $31 in savings. It's not the lowest we've ever seen for this HyperX headset, but it's still a decent discount.

In our HyperX Cloud II Wireless review, we praise the headset's superb comfort, sturdy design and satisfying audio. We were also impressed by its effective, deep surround sound. Overall, we rate the HyperX II Wireless 4 out of 5 stars and our esteemed Editor's Choice Award. 

That's just one of the best HyperX Prime Day gaming deals you can still get. See more of our favorite discounts below. 

Best Prime Day gaming deals on HyperX gear

According to a report in The Financial Times, shared by 9to5mac, Apple has cut its initial Apple Vision Pro production target of one million units back to four hundred thousand, a massive cutback indeed. According to the report, the cutback is due to the design complexity of the device. 

Apple initially expected to produce one million units by 2024, so losing six hundred thousand units is a major production hit. However, this could also be a clever marketing ruse to stir consumer thirst, or there are serious production issues. 

What's the hold up? 

According to the report, the Apple Vision Pro's build process is highly complicated thanks in part to how advanced the technology goes into making the AVP. One of the major complications is caused by Apple, including the EyeSight display, which creepily projects the user's eyes for others to see.

The embedded cameras used to create the awful user eye projection need to be calibrated a certain way during production, creating bottlenecks within the manufacturing process. The calibration has to account for the curvature of the glass used in Apple's VR/AR goggles. Also, there has been a slowdown in the production of the 4K micro-OLED displays used for each eye within the units. 

Luxshare, the Chinese manufacturer used to build the AVP, had a goal of up to one million units for the 2024 release but will now, due to the complications involved, have cut the number by six hundred thousand, which is a massive cut. Luxshare also works with Apple to produce Airpods and some MacBooks. The company's stock price took a hit once the news leaked about its rolling back of the production of the AVP.

What else is affected? 

While Apple announced the Vision Pro during WWDC 2023, it was also mentioned that a more affordable version of AR/VR glasses was in development. Luxshare, for its part, was looking at ramping up production to eighteen million units, but all of this is now possible in a holding pattern. 

It was hoped that the second, more affordable version of the Apple Vision Pro would be coming in 2025, but with Apple's partners struggling to produce enough of the first-gen AVP, it looks like we will not see the second-gen unit until 2026 or later. 

For all we know, Apple knew from day one it could not produce the supposed one million units for 2024, and letting it leak just made the four hundred thousand they can have that much more valuable to Apple stans and developers. We could see the already $3,499 Apple Vision Pros shoot up in price due to scarcity, which would only make it a bigger success for the unstoppable tech Goliath. 

Was the announcement of the Apple Vision Pro at WWDC the world's greatest bait and switch? Who knows, but there are always the Meta Quest folks. 

XR glasses have quickly become the best accessory for any Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch owner to buy, and the Viture Ones are simply the best and most expensive option to buy.

That 120-inch, 1080p picture is stunning, the setup is super easy, and it helps that the frames are really rather sleek too. But with a rather painful asking price, are these uber-premium specs worth it over cheaper options?

My answer to that depends on what your use case is for these glasses, how often you travel, and whether you have the neck of an elderly man like me (probably from headbanging an inordinate amount at heavy metal gigs in my youth). Let’s get into it.

Viture One price and availability

I hope your bank balance is healthy. Things are going to get pricey. The Viture One XR Glasses on their own start at $549. Luckily, there is a sale right now that drops the price to $439, but this is still rather steep.

Even worse is the fact there are some essential accessories that the company has decided to sell separately. For example, you get a lens shade for free with the Nreal Air glasses (now known as Xreal Air), which also come in at $170 less than the One. But Viture charges you an additional $19 for what I’d expect to be included.

A prescription lens frame weighs in at an additional $29, and if you want to charge your Steam Deck while you play using these XR Glasses, the adapter will cost you an additional $49.

While I know there is a larger sale going on right now that is cutting all the pricing, investing in the Viture One ecosystem gets real expensive, real fast.

Viture One design

When it comes to the stylings of your average pair of XR specs, you’re normally getting a slightly larger than normal pair of wayfarers. Not that that’s a bad thing — you’re getting something rather similar here. 

But in doing so, companies are doing their damnedest to make you look inconspicuous enough to avoid the double take from people who clock onto you wearing a comically large pair of sunglasses.

Out of the glasses I’ve tried, the Viture One comes the closest to fooling those around me. They are a seriously good-looking set of shades, either in black or in this gorgeous indigo finish. 

The lightweight construction (2.8 ounces) means no real strain on your ears when wearing these, the smooth texture of the materials used feels great on your skin, and the slightly larger-than-life dimensions of the glasses on your face are expertly sculpted away in the curvature of each angular for an altogether comfortable and unobtrusive experience.

As for the interface, everything is placed in a logical area, with buttons to control the electrochromic glass falling where your fingers would naturally go for rearranging your specs (more on that glass later), and the speakers filling out the back of the stalks.

What about the cable? Unlike the Xreal Air, Virtue relies on a magnetic connection that feels all the more strong in forming a secure seal that isn’t going to fall out of any port with simple head wobbling. Every angle and design decision feels incredibly luxurious and well thought-out.

Viture One setup

One big benefit of the Viture Ones over any other XR glasses that I’ve tested is its super easy setup process and intuitive customization options to get it just right for you.

It all starts with finding the right nose clip, which is easy to slide in and out of the frame itself. Next up is getting the picture just right. This includes dials that customize the built-in lenses for anyone with near-sightedness.

Following this, step three is plug and play. That’s it! No stupidly small list of smartphone compatibility. No browser-based firmware updates. Just get going with ease.

Of course, there are additional accessories that could have complicated the process, but nothing did. The mobile dock enables two sets of these glasses to be plugged in while providing HDMI support— all (once again) without a single firmware update needed. Latency didn’t increase one iota and before I knew it, I was getting emotional about the final episode of Ted Lasso with my friend, without needing to crane our necks down to a screen.

Put simply, setup is an absolute cinch. Virtue has done a great job in making the whole process super easy while offering a wealth of customization options to make it perfect for you.

Virtue One display

Viture’s simulation of a 120-inch display floating right in front of your eyes is a vivid joy to experience. Seeing this large 1080p panel come to life in front of your eyes is a sight to behold, which is further emboldened by the surprising color accuracy of it. 

On my recent trip back from Computex 2023, I learnt that the flight from Vietnam to London Gatwick is a killer on any young buck’s neck, let alone my 33-year-old self. On the outgoing flight, I came out of that experience feeling like I needed a neck brace and a walker.

Frail bodies aside, I had a rather stacked to do list of video edits to complete in Final Cut Pro on that long haul flight. Being able to use the display on these glasses with confidence. (With a little color calibration through the MacBook’s own system settings.)

A little calibration through my MacBook Pro, and I was good to go in mastering my footage. To do so while looking ahead in my neck’s natural position is nothing short of a blessing.

But that’s not all, as I point you towards what I think is one of those more ultra-premium features you’d expect from an expensive pair of XR glasses like these: electrochromic film. If you’ve been on a long haul flight and wondered about the tech that goes into those buttons that make each window darker and lighter, that’s what Viture has done with its glasses.

On a brighter commute like a summer’s day coach trip to Heathrow airport, it’s been splendid to turn down the outside brightness using the buttons on the left-hand stalk. It means your time in Persona 5 Royal isn’t interrupted by any direct sunlight whatsoever.

Of course, for full immersion, that lens shade is essential, but this is a great middle ground between seeing your content, while being present in the world around you.

Viture One sound

Virtue’s attention to detail in the technology packed inside these glasses make a strong case for these being just as important for home use, as they are for on-the-go. In the One’s competitors, you’ll probably find some pretty quiet, tinny stereo speakers. But the spatial audio coming from the Harman-tuned speakers on the stalks offer an impressive level of immersion wherever you sit (or lay down in my situation). 

Every gear change in Forza Horizon 5 comes with a satisfying clunk, while the drum and bass soundtrack of Hospital radio in the background remains well balanced in the background with no distortion.

Of course, headphones are better for an all-in-one world-cancellation system. And in my time using these combined with AirPods Pro 2, there were zero audio/video syncing issues. But to have a surprisingly strong speaker system is ideal for when your ears are feeling a little tired from having earbuds in them all the time.

Bottom line

The Viture One XR glasses are an absolute game-changer when it comes to gaming wherever you are. From playing in bed to on a long-haul flight, the top-notch picture, audio, and a speedy setup process make these a fantastic buy — compounded by the fact that you won’t look like the ultimate power nerd in these slick frames.

There’s no way around how much the price is probably going to sting. It’s going to be an obstacle for a lot of people, and to you, I’d recommend looking at the Xreal Air for a good enough experience at a better price.

But one thing is for certain. These are the best of the best when it comes to snapping up a pair of XR glasses. If you are a frequent long-distance traveler, your neck will thank you so much.

With Apple's launch of its $3,500 Apple Vision Pro, you would think that price would leave a lot of room open for competition. However, outside of Meta, one company has chosen to toss its AR/VR device plans in the trash, focus more on AR/VR operating systems, and possibly leave the actual glasses to other makers. 

According to a report in 9to5Mac, and based on an initial article in Business Insider, Google canceled its Google Iris project, which was going to be the company's second foray into the AR/VR glass market. Many remember the 2013 launch of Google Glass and its failure to capture mass appeal. With this in mind and Apple launching the most expensive developer project AR/VR goggles in history, Google seems to think another attempt now would be a mistake. 

Instead, Google's choice to focus on an OS could be the best approach and act similarly in some ways to the company's popular Wear OS, which several makers use in smartwatches.  

What to expect going forward

The second iteration of Google Glass was first reported in 2022, with no clear vision of the next-gen glasses or form they may have taken. However, it would stick with Google's attempt for its AR/VR design to be much like mainstream daily wear glasses. We knew the project was Google Iris, and it has been in the making since sometime in 2021. 

Then came rumblings that there were internal battles during development, leading to frustration and teams having to switch things up numerous times. This was followed by layoffs and team reshuffling, which all seem to have combined to doom the Iris project. 

However, according to Business Insider, it's not that Google completely abandoned AR/VR headsets; they've just decided to change the approach and focus more on designing an operating system like Wear OS that they could then license to manufacturers and collect sizable fees, á la what Microsoft does with Windows. 

The Apple Vision Pro effect

Google decided to stop working on its very own AR/VR glasses only partially because of the Apple Vision Pro launch, which everyone knew was coming. It seems there were many long-standing issues with bringing a Google Glass successor to market. 

However, let's be honest; Apple Vision Pro is more of a developer's kit that Apple released while it was still working on its long-rumored Apple Glasses, which according to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi-Kuo, we may see some time in 2026 or 2027. Reportedly they will be more affordable and genuinely marketed to the masses and probably be priced closer to a MacBook Pro than a used car. 

This could be a great decision by Google to create the OS and app store and then let others take up the cost of designing, building, and marketing a pair of AR/VR glasses. Who knows, in a couple of years, Google Android-powered AR/VR glasses could be everywhere.  

A recent report from Bloomberg's reputable Apple leaker Mark Gurman suggests that the Apple Vision Pro might not launch with its top strap included in the base $3,499 package.

The Apple Vision Pro is certainly no stranger to criticism, but one of its more prevalent concerns relates to its unwieldy weight. This strap is designed to add extra support and make it feel less heavy on the head, but the expectation for consumers to pay anything more than the already expensive package is a classic Apple move.

Apple Vision Pro for $3,500 without a strap

Comfort issues seem to haunt the Apple Vision Pro, and while we don't have a confirmed weight quite yet, many reported during the hands-on period that it got uncomfortable within a short time. The inclusion of this strap is designed to make this headset less painful to use during long periods, so it's concerning that Apple might not include it in its base package.

It's also important to note that during Apple's WWDC 2023 conference, they specifically state that the "Apple Vision Pro starts at $3,499." Like any Apple product, which often have tons of accessories that can be purchased alongside it, you'll have to pay extra for certain goods.

The Apple iPad Gen 10 starts at $449.99, but including additional storage, Apple Pencil Gen 1, Apple Pencil Adapter, Magic Keyboard Folio, and cellular capability brings that cost up to $1,106. If it's remotely comparable to how many little goodies are included in that package, it's possible that the price point could get over $4,000 for the Vision Pro if you want everything.

But it's not hard to see that this shouldn't be the case. $3,499 is already a ludicrous price point that has been the butt of a joke on the internet for weeks now, so forcing people to pay extra is both surprising and very in-line with Apple. Perhaps this strap isn't necessarily cheap to manufacture, but considering consumers are already paying $3,500 for this unwieldy monstrosity, it's scary to think Apple won't include it. 

Yet Apple is no stranger to turning basic accessories into a separate purchase. This could be seen all the way back in 2020 with the launch of the iPhone 12, which no longer included charging adapters with its packages at launch.

On the other hand, it might not be necessary for the company to include this. According to another report, The Apple Vision Pro could be severely limited in its production capacity. 

Why include a strap that is heavily recommended for comfort when you could sell it on the side and make more money out of it? If Apple truly expects that every single one of these headsets will sell out, it would be a waste of money for the company to bump up the headset's value without charging extra.

We won't know for sure until the Apple Vision Pro's release date inches closer, but we're hoping we won't have to pay extra for a more comfortable experience.

Stay with me here, dear reader, as this intro will be verbose, but I promise you it will all tie into Apple Vision Pro's fate as a VR gaming device. Last week, I was invited to check out Virsona's new social gaming experience in Manhattan. How it works is that up to 12 friends can sit in these luxe portals with tiered, comfortable seating, and before them lies a handful of monitors where several games — from Mario Kart to NBA 2K23 — can run simultaneously.

So while playing Super Smash Bros. with TechRadar's Allisa James in the social-gaming portal, another gaggle of gamers were playing WWE 2K23. The laughter, excitement, and jovial energy that flooded the room while we watched Luigi and Rhea Ripley knock everyone out was ineffable. 

This in-person social gaming experience is just a concept for now (Virsona is poised to debut a brick-and-mortar location for the social-gaming portals in 2024, designed by architecture and design firm Gensler), but it helped give me some insight into why VR adoption has been unexpectedly slow: the world is growing tired of isolated gaming experiences.

The Meta Quest 2 made bank during the pandemic because people wanted to escape the suffocation of lockdown, allowing users to meet other Quest owners in immersive, simulated vast worlds that were a perfect foil to their claustrophobic living rooms. In fact, VR headsets in general had impressive sales figures in 2021, but in 2022, shipments dropped year-over-year by 12%. And this year's sales isn't expected to be any better due to consumers' tightened budgets and oppressive inflation.

Enter the Apple Vision Pro, which made its debut at WWDC 2023, and I thought, "If any company can reinvigorate interest in VR gaming, it'd be Apple." However, after watching people gush over Virsona's in-person social-gaming experience (an indication that people are growing fatigued of VR's unconnected, detached and alienating immersion), capturing the gaming niche may be more difficult for Apple than I thought. And according to the following leaked reports, the Cupertino-based giant appears to be well aware the Vision Pro will suck for gaming.

1. Hand tracking is good, but not THAT good

Among those who were lucky enough to demo the Apple Vision Pro, hand tracking was one of the most praised features on the headset. Pinching your fingers together lets you select virtual artifacts inside visionOS (the name of the Vision Pro's operating system). To scroll, you can simply keep your fingers pinched while flicking your wrists upward or downward.

This is all made possible by the six external cameras (there are 12 in total) that track hand gestures as well as the users' surroundings. Many tech journalists and influencers claimed that the Vision Pro has the best hand tracking of any headset ever. And I believe them.

However, according to a report from The Information, even though the Vision Pro's hand tracking is superior to the current offerings in the VR market, it's still not good enough to handle the fast-paced demands of VR gaming. This rumor comes from a leaked Slack message from an Apple engineer.

"An Apple engineer wrote that while hand tracking was great for performing gestures, providing visual feedback and some finer interaction tasks, it wasn't the best choice for tasks that required very precise interactions, something that is crucial for gaming," The Information said.

In other words, the Apple Vision Pro's hand tracking is good. It's just not that good, particularly when it comes to action-packed VR games. Plus, without controllers (and haptics), I can't help but wonder how the Vision Pro will support first-person shooters.

2. It may be too fragile

It looks like the Apple Vision Pro is best for more laid-back experiences, whether you're surfing through Safari, taking FaceTime calls, watching an Apple TV+ movie on the plane, or playing Alto's Odyssey from the Apple Arcade app. However, when it comes to tasks that require zippier, more erratic actions, the Vision Pro isn't ideal. 

According to The Information, there's a reason why the Cupertino-based tech giant shied away from positioning the Vision Pro device as anything that promotes high-movement activities (e.g., fitness and action-packed gaming). Former team members of the Apple Vision Pro said that Apple decided against advertising the Vision Pro as  fitness device because "the front-facing glass screen could be too fragile to survive a bump from furniture or a wall."

Fitness buffs complaining about the cracks on their $3,500 Vision Pro after an accidental faux  pas wouldn't be a good look for Apple, so I understand the company's decision to downplay the Vision Pro for any frenetic use cases. If the Vision Pro can't handle fitness, I can't imagine it surviving VR games like Echo VR or Nock VR, which often have players knock into nearby furniture and walls if  not careful.

3. There's a restrictive boundary system

Like the Meta Quest series, the Apple Vision Pro, according to information from Mixed, will have safety features to ensure the wearer's safety during virtual reality experiences. However, it will be far more restrictive than the Meta Quest 2, for example, which lets users set their own "play section" by setting up a boundary, telling the headset where the safe zone is — and where danger lies (e.g., tables, chairs, plants, etc.)

If you're getting close to the danger zone, the Quest 2 will alert you by fading out the virtual world and showing you your mapped-out boundary.

According to Mixed, things will be a little different on the Vision Pro. It doesn't matter how large your play space is, if you move just one meter away (3.2 feet) from your initial starting point, the headset will automatically make all displayed content transparent. "The system can also interrupt the VR experience if people get too close to a physical object or move too fast."

On one hand, I dig the strict safety measures. Plus, if you're engaging in low-movement games like I Expect You to Die 2 or Moss 2, games you can play while you're sitting down, this isn't a big deal. But for games that work best with a larger roomscale (e.g., Superhot), the constant reminder that you're stepping beyond the Vision Pro's reported three-feet restriction may be a bummer.

"Immersion is king when it comes to gaming in VR," TechRadar said about the rumored one-meter boundary limit. "You don’t want to be pulled out of the experience."

Bottom line

I'm sure Apple is well aware of the Vision Pro's limitations as a hardcore gaming device, particularly with that pesky battery pack that's tethered from the headset and hangs out in the user's pocket. It's clear that, instead, the Cupertino-based tech giant is marketing the Vision Pro as an immersive productivity and entertainment device that far exceeds the Meta Quest Pro in its capabilities.

If you're expect the Vision Pro to be the next-big-thing in the VR gaming space, you'll be sorely disappointed. However, if you temper your expectations and perceive the Vision Pro as boundary-breaking extension of your MacBook, you'll likely be astonished by what it has to offer.

Also, as I mentioned at the outset, VR gaming adoption has been unexpectedly slow, and I never understood why. (I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to play immersive, 360-degree games?) I personally don't mind being in my own little world and playing VR games in a solipsistic manner. In fact, I prefer it. But like I mentioned at the outset, people are gushing about Virsona's social-gaming concept, so perhaps people are just growing tired of the enclosed, isolating experiences that AR/VR delivers. Still, I hope Apple can reignite the masses' interest in VR gaming; it may not do this with the first-gen Vision Pro, but it may happen with its successors.

The Apple Vision Pro is arguably one of the most enthralling technological feats we've seen in years. It has mind-blowing eye and hand tracking that can pick up every minute action you make with your retinas and fingers. (The Meta Quest 3 has hand tracking, too, but it's far less sophisticated.) It can scan your face and create a "Persona," a lifelike avatar that represents you in FaceTime. On top of that, the Vision Pro is capable of recording experiences in 3D, allowing you to capture memories in an immersive new dimension and perspective.

However, notably missing from Apple's shabang of a showcase at WWDC 2023 was VR gaming. Sure, we got a glimpse of a user playing Apple Arcade’s NBA 2K23 with a PS5 DualSense controller, but Apple was clearly more focused on positioning the Vision Pro as an AR/VR extension of the Mac, allowing you to stream movies, be productive, and interact with friends in a whole new way.

Now that Apple has rolled out the hardware and visionOS, it's giving developers a chance to drop some game-changing apps. However, as it stands now, we have no idea whether the Vision Pro can meet VR gamers' needs, which is particularly concerning given its $3,500 price tag — and I don’t think this first-generation iteration ever will.

The one thing the Meta Quest 3 can do that the Vision Pro can’t

Not only can Meta Quest owners play games from the Quest Store. but by simply attaching this $80 link cable (or this much cheaper third-party alternative) to the headset’s USB-C port from a VR-ready PC, they also have access to Steam’s vast VR library, too. I’m talkin’ Half-Life:Alyx, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Microsoft Flight Simulator, No Man’s Sky, and more, allowing users to play more demanding games that the Quest 3’s chip can’t handle.

The Apple Vision Pro doesn’t have a USB-C port that can harness the CPU and GPU power of beastlier computers (there are rumors that there’s a mystery USB-C adapter floating around, but it may just be for developers). Some may say, “So what? The Vision Pro is packed with the M2 chip and the R1 chip. That should be powerful enough.”

Is it though? I’m not quite sure. (No one is, really, until we can test it next year.)

It’s certainly more powerful than the middling second-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 reportedly inside the Meta Quest 3, but the reason I’m skeptical is because Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that sources close to the Vision Pro project told him that the M2 chip and the R1 chip are “not powerful to output graphics at a level Apple ideally would like.” It’s the second-generation Vision Pro, Gurman said, that is expected to be a performance powerhouse (the one that VR gamers would salivate over) — it’s expected to pack either the M3 or M4 chip.

Still, I could be wrong. Perhaps the Vision Pro can, indeed, output power that is comparable to the class-leading CPU and GPUs the Meta Quest 3 can leech from the best VR-ready laptops and PCs, but I’m unconvinced.

Apple’s walled garden may be its own undoing

Even if the Vision Pro could run a demanding VR game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which made headlines for bricking even the most specced out laptops when it launched in 2020, visionOS likely won’t be compatible with software like SteamVR. (Come on, we know how closed off Apple can be with its ecosystem.) In other words, compared to Meta Quest 3 owners, access to the vast portfolio of games on the market will be limited for Vision Pro gamers.

There was a point in time when SteamVR did support an Apple-based operating system (macOS) — that was six years ago. However, in 2020, Steam announced that it ended its support for Macs. “SteamVR has ended macOS support so our team can focus on Windows and Linux,” Valve said in a short press release three years ago. Sigh. 

On the plus side, the Cupertino-based tech giant boasted that 3D games built on the Unity engine can be ported over to the Vision Pro headset, this includes Beat Saber, Superhot, and Fruit Ninja VR. Three games you’ll find on the Meta Quest 3, too.

No haptics is a bummer

When I told my co-workers that I was expected about the prospect of potentially playing Superhot with nothing but my fists on the Vision Pro, they crushed my dreams when they said, “Yeah, but there are no haptics.” Damnit, they’re right. I’d miss the subtle vibrations that I’d feel after socking those glassy, red enemies and watching their bodies shatter right before my eyes.

“And what about first-person shooter games?” Laptop Mag Editor-in-Chief Sherri L. Smith said. “What would you use to simulate the feeling of pressing a trigger?” Dejectedly, I accepted defeat. Hand tracking-only sounded cool in theory, but perhaps Apple didn’t think this one through. Or better yet, Apple just doesn’t care to make the first-gen Vision Pro a gaming headset (for now) — it wants it to be a productivity, entertainment and social VR device for the time being.

Tech influencers and journalists who’ve tried the Vision Pro gushed about its avant-garde hand tracking. Packed with 12 cameras and five sensors, the headset can pick up on users’ slight maneuvers like a hawk-eyed sentinel. However, keep in mind that the lucky folks who tried the Vision Pro did not get to experience hand tracking in the realm of gaming. As such, I suspect that the hand tracking is, indeed, superior above all other headsets, but it still may not be zippy enough to catch up with the fast-paced demands of gaming.

This is supported by a report from The Information. According to a leaked Slack conversation from an Apple engineer, the Cupertino-based tech giant likely did not focus on VR gaming because the Vision Pro’s hand-tracking isn’t sufficient for “tasks that require [...] precise interactions, something that is crucial for gaming.”

Bottom line

Perhaps Laptop Mag staff writer Rael Hornby was spot on: the Vision Pro is just a $3,500 developer’s kit. And Apple is praying on its knees that someone — anyone — comes up with a killer game or two that facilitates its explosive visionOS success. (When we asked 5 experts whether the Apple headset would flop or succeed, almost all said that a successful ecosystem of apps and games is the deciding factor.)

I don’t think Apple wants the first-gen Vision Pro to be a gaming headset; it’s clearly not their mission. However, I’m hoping this reaches VR gamers who may get the impression that the Vision Pro will fulfill their needs — it likely won’t. I’m sure the Apple headset is capable of delivering visual fidelity far beyond the Meta Quest 3’s capabilities, thanks to its dual micro-OLED 4K displays, but the question is, will it support game-changing, mind-blowing games that will show it off? Only time will tell.

Whether you know it as the Meta Quest 2 or Oculus Quest 2, this VR headset has just been granted a sizable upgrade in both processing and graphical prowess by the Metaverse molders at Meta.

June has been a big month for AR/VR headset enthusiasts, with Apple announcing its first mixed reality headset in the Vision Pro headset and Mark Zuckerberg announcing the latest generation of the former-Facebook group’s massively popular headsets — the Meta Quest 3.

The announcement of the Quest 3 would herald to some that the Quest 2 was now a legacy device in the eyes of its creators, left to dwell in the shadow of its usurper and feed off the table scraps of hand-me-down owners and thrifty late-adopters.

However, alongside the announcement of its new hardware, Meta also revealed that the Quest 2 would be receiving a near-future update to boost performance and keep the hardware relevant for longer.

Untapped potential

Welcome to the near future! Today, Meta Quest owners are in the midst of receiving the v55 update that, as promised, brings with it an increase in CPU performance of up to 25 percent and a lofty 19 percent increase in GPU speed. The Quest Pro will also see a similar boost in CPU performance alongside a GPU rise of 11 percent.

Meta has also enabled Dynamic Resolution Scaling (DRS) for both the Quest 2 and Quest Pro, allowing games to adjust resolutions on the fly to maintain a smoother framerate during more graphically intensive moments.

The results of these changes will be an overall smoother experience both in-game and while using the Quest’s UI and richer content for both Quest headsets.

These performance upgrades were made possible by Meta relaxing the throttling imposed on its CPU and GPU. Previously, Meta’s headsets ran lower than their maximum performance would allow — usually done in an effort to reduce heat buildup.

However, Meta seems confident that unlocking some of this untapped potential won’t hamper the experience at large and has given the green light for users to enjoy a considerable jump in performance as a result.

Outlook

Not only is this performance patch great news for Quest 2 and Quest Pro owners, but there’s also an improvement to the Pro’s eye-tracking, Multi-Touch support for the Quest Browser, a new and improves Explore, and a standalone Messenger VR app.

As updates go, this is one of the best to hit the Quest in a while now — promising a massive leap in performance and smoother, richer experiences all around. The update is currently rolling out to all Meta Quest headsets, so be sure to dust yours off and get things up to speed, and make use of your updated and upgraded headset once more.

As reported by MacRumors, Apple has a hidden Travel Mode feature within the Apple Vision Pro developers beta of its VisionOS, which sounds like it could be fantastic. Imagine flying off to your favorite vacation location, immersed in your own reality, disconnected from the many tiny annoyances of airplane travel. 

Travel Mode is meant to enhance your experience while onboard a plane, which sounds like a fantastic idea, in theory. Sometimes an aircraft cabin can feel unsettling as you're hurtling through the air at 400 miles per hour, 30,000 feet up in an elongated tuna can. Travel Mode is meant to improve that experience by immersing you in your own environment. 

However, you're stuck wearing Apple's goofy ski goggles for an extended period and even longer on international flights, so you must be tethered to the external battery. This sounds like an additional annoyance and just another piece of tech I now have to get through security when trying to board my flight. 

What is Apple Vision Travel Mode?

From text found within the developer's beta, it can be surmised that Travel Mode is designed to improve the Vision Pro's functionality while within the confines of an airplane. Some awareness features will be turned off or scaled back during air travel due to some sensors that deal with spatial awareness being affected by the limited space within an aircraft. 

The text also implies that your digital persona will not be available during your flight; with reasons for this unknown now, I'm guessing it may have to do with a lack of WiFi connection. Sure, many airlines offer WiFi, but often that is an additional cost. Another issue seems to be with the accuracy of Gaze while on an airplane, which is said to possibly be due to the position one sits in while on an aircraft. Although it appears Travel Mode will make adjustments to compensate for this. 

Lastly, there is mention of a "Remain stationary" prompt within Travel Mode, which could be a safety measure thanks to the lack of space to move around or make large movements, which could disturb others. 

Final Thoughts 

In theory, using your Apple Vision Pro while on a flight seems like it could be fun, and the immersive experience could make a long flight more enjoyable. However, you must be very conscious of your surroundings to avoid disturbing others. 

If you can afford to shell out $3,500 for an Apple developer's new plaything, then you can afford to shell out additional funds to fly first class and have the space required to enjoy this experience fully. Airlines may now create an Apple Vision first-class solution allowing users more room to move around. Yes, that was sarcasm. 

I also think flying with something strapped to your head may be inconvenient, especially on long flights; it could start to weigh on you and make things uncomfortable. Sure, it could cause an economy seat on a plane to seem more like first class, but in the end, you don't have the room to move around or make the needed gestures to properly use the Apple Vision Pro. 

For me, I'll stick with a neck pillow, my tablet and falling asleep after a cocktail, that's my Travel Mode, and it's built-in to me and is free. 

The Apple Vision Pro may have divided opinions since its WWDC 23 announcement, but a recent visionOS beta has just given us an exciting glimpse into a killer feature — Visual Search.

With this, users can look at things in the real world, and interact with them in a similar fashion to what you get in the likes of Apple’s Visual Lookup on iPhones.

Googling the world around you

So how does Visual Search work? Simply put, it’s Google for the world around you. The Vision Pro’s cameras and sensors are able to detect items and text around you, and use that data in apps across visionOS.

That includes copying and pasting printed text from the real world, translating 17 different languages, translating different metrics such as grams to ounces, and much more. This has already been immensely useful in the various AR functions built into smartphones, but to put it into a headset could be a game changer.

I don’t say this without acknowledging that a lot of other companies have done something similar. This is mighty familiar to Google Lens on Project Iris, Snap Scan or Bing’s Visual Search.

But this seems to be the first time we’re seeing it integrated into a headset that’s not a conceptual project. Plus, you can expect it to come with all the fluidity and ease-of-use that Apple is known for.

Outlook

visionOS is currently available through the latest Xcode beta. Beyond some key features that are being discovered in the code, such as the various environments you can experience in full VR mode, Visual Search is one of the more impactful parts of the whole OS.

Of course, there’s the whole giant headset and battery life issue to navigate when it comes to wearing something like the Vision Pro in the real world. But it’s clear Apple is starting to make some big plans for the future of visionOS.

The Apple Vision Pro reveal at WWDC 2023 was filled to the brim with sparkling, magical features that caught our eye. However, while Apple seemed focused on productivity and social interaction, some use cases were noticeably missing or glazed over quickly (e.g., fitness and gaming)

According to a new report from The Information, there are quite a few apps and features Cupertino-based tech giant either chose not to reveal publicly or cut out entirely. As it turns out, Apple hesitated about diving into fitness because of the Vision Pro's cumbersome battery pack. Plus, the headset's fragile glass screen may not survive accidental bumps. As for gaming, Apple is reportedly concerned that the hand tracking may lack the required high precision.

Let's dive into all the apps, features and ideas that Apple reportedly planned to add to the Vision Pro, but didn't make the cut.

7 Vision Pro apps, features and ideas that got kicked to the curb

1. Tai chi and yoga apps didn't make the reveal. Apple was reportedly working on rolling out low-impact workout apps, but the company made no mention of them. Taking advantage of the headset's downward-facing cameras, the apps would measure users' breathing by observing the rise and fall of their chest.

2. Apple considered collaborating with Nike. According to former employees who worked on the Vision Pro, the Cupertino-based tech giant considered inking deals with popular fitness brands like Nike to garner trust from health-and-wellness conscious users. It's unclear where Apple stands with this idea today.

3. There was a discussion of using better material for workout apps. High-intensity exercising and gaming can make you work up a sweat, and if you don't have a suitable face cushion that can absorb all of that perspiration, the experience will be uncomfortable.

4. Apple looked at AR/VR interaction for cycling. For those who enjoy working out on stationary bikes, the Cupertino-based tech giant purportedly looked at how users can interact with AR/VR artifacts while pedaling away.

5. Full-body avatars were supposed to be a thing. At WWDC, Apple delved into "Persona," a 3D simulacrum of users' faces that represents users during FaceTime calls with Vision Pro. However, Apple's reportedly working on a feature that involves tracking users' full body movements. (The Vision Pro is capable of full-body tracking, but it's not ready for primetime. According to a leaked Slack conversation, it won't even be available when the Vision Pro ships next year.)

6. Apple planned to put "brow cams" on the Vision Pro. To accurately track users' facial expressions, the Cupertino-based tech giant planned on adding eyebrow cameras to the Vision Pro, but the company later scrapped the idea.

7. Drag-and-drop Mac apps were cut. It would be cool if you could drag and drop Mac apps into one's 3D space, allowing you to run Mac software on the Vision Pro, but according to sources close to the matter, Apple killed this feature because visionOS couldn't handle such a task.

While some of these may be kicked out from the Vision Pro forever, others may arrive with the current-gen headset at a later-than-expected date or in future iterations of the AR/VR device.

It's worth noting that some lucky journalists got to experience a courtside pro basketball game while demoing the Vision Pro. Apple never publicly announced that the headset is capable of running live, immersive sports events, but there's a good chance that the company will add support for such experiences sooner than later.

The Information says that the Vision Pro appears to be "far from ready," so it'll be interesting to see how the first-gen headset fares among the masses once it's released to the public next year.

Apple’s Vision Pro headset is a remarkable bit of tech, one that’s rightfully causing a stir and breathing a second wind of energy and excitement into the AR/VR headset market. Sadly, the Vision Pro’s alienating $3,500 price tag is an incredibly lofty investment that most users simply won’t be able to afford.

However, a recently granted patent has seen Apple quite possibly reveal its plans for a more affordable headset model designed to work with iPhones and/or iPads – a smart accessory for iPhone and/or iPad, and a potential candidate for the Vision SE.

What's in the patent?

The aforementioned patent, titled “Electronic devices and accessory devices that provide information to electronic devices”, showcases a series of smart accessories and cases that link up with your iPhone or iPad to provide expanded functionality.

The patent describes the use of a detection mechanism within the accessory device (a case, folio, or HMD) to register when an electronic device (an iPhone or iPad) is in the correct position within the accessory before giving the green light for “wireless circuitry” within both the electronic device and an accessory device to link up with one another.

Once both devices are connected, the accessory device can then freely send and receive information from the electronic device, stating “Such information may include properties of the accessory device, or information stored on the accessory device that is presented on a display of the electronic device.

Essentially, once you place your iPhone or iPad into one of these “smart accessories” (be it a case, folio, or HMD), the two devices will authenticate one another before establishing a wireless link that can quickly pass information back and forth with as little interruption or delay as possible.

Is this the Vision SE?

The syncing of both devices would then allow the “electronic device” to provide a computing backbone for the additional features of an “accessory device” – say for example: your iPhone processing camera and sensor data from a Head Mounted Display (HMD), effectively turning it into an AR/VR headset.

The patent’s included technical drawings support this possibility by themselves showcasing how you could effectively transform your iPhone or iPad into a functioning AR/VR headset with this new technology.

Place your phone inside the HMD peripheral and the two would authenticate and open up a wireless connection. Then, your iPhone would be free to make use of the peripheral’s sensors, cameras, and more – displaying the results on screen. Is this Apple’s concept for a Vision SE? A much cheaper, much more accessible version of its Vision Pro headset? Potentially.

If there is a Vision SE on its way, it likely won't look like the technical drawing presented in the patent, but it could be how it functions. Allowing the millions of iPhone users worldwide to gain easy access to a sampling of the spatial computing experiences offered by VisionOS and the Vision Pro, at a fraction of the costs.

Outlook

This isn’t the first time Apple has floated the idea of using an accessory built around the iPhone to deliver AR/VR features, with Apple winning a similar patent for an iPhone augmented HMD back in 2015.

However, with the Vision Pro having been unveiled at WWDC earlier this month, and with Apple fans at an AR/VR fever pitch, now could be the perfect time for the Cupertino-brand to put these patents into production and start winning over the hearts and minds of those priced out of its first-gen Vision Pro headset.

The Vision Pro is a real high-end take on the AR/VR headset, Apple’s first foray into a potential post-iPhone world, and probably the flashiest way to set fire to $3,500 I’ve ever seen. Especially so if you’ve been enticed by Apple’s video packages that flaunt the device as some sort of all-day, every-day wearable that’ll be ideal for tackling your daily workload.

Because it won’t be that. It won’t be close to that. It won’t be some dreamy wonderland of floating windows where you crab-pinch your way through Excel spreadsheets, and drag Photoshop brush strokes with the glance of an eye. It’ll be a sweaty, living nightmare of eye fatigue, headaches, neck ache, myopia, dizziness, and nausea.

Pay no mind to those at Apple who want to lure you in with their sales pitch on how productive you’ll be. You won’t be. There are better working conditions at Foxconn than for those expecting to go about their day while wearing Apple’s headset. How do I know this? Because it’s not exclusive to Apple. It’s a problem all AR/VR headsets have to varying degrees, and Apple hasn't made any fantabulous claims indicating that they’re going to do any better.

So before you get lost in the fantasy of an augmented workality, pay close attention to the following things you can expect to enjoy if you strap yourself into a headset expecting to toil away hours of your life working for the man. Spoiler warning: It’s not good.

It’s vomit inducing

I don’t care how high resolution or responsive the Vision Pro’s dual screens are. You’re still staring up close at two flickering display panels that cause all sorts of mayhem with your eyeballs. The slightest interference, abnormality in frame count, or tracking glitch and your eyes are going to be racking up more mixed signals than a Morse code operator with tinnitus.

The eyes are a funny old thing — our windows to the world do a great job at processing the information seeping into them from the natural world. But when you start beaming inconsistent imagery into them through an array of blinking lights, then it’s goodbye breakfast burrito and hello to a migraine the size of Manhattan.

What a fantastic way to start the day! I bet you’re glad you gulped that double mocha espresso latte on the way into the office now. The increased blood flow must feel incredible as your cranium swells and throbs with each caffeinated beat of your heart.

Apple’s primary focus being on AR over VR will, no doubt, ease these sensations. Though, I highly doubt it will eliminate them entirely. You can sit in a near meditative state in most VR headsets without too much motion at all and your eyes will sense trickery and start to page your gag reflex in a panic.

It’s a one pound weight for your face

There’s no official word on how much the Vision Pro weighs, but those who’ve had the chance to take one for a spin suggest that it’s similar in heft to the Meta Quest 2. The Quest 2, which I own, weighs about a pound, most of which protrudes from your face and acts as a handle for gravity to wrap its mitts around and subtly pull at the muscles of your neck over time.

I’m not saying half a pound of weight is enough to simulate the gravity of Jupiter tugging at your trapezius, but it’s certainly noticeable. Relax your neck while wearing one and your head will fold faster than if your vertebrae were made of molten marshmallows. It’s not so bad short term, but an hour or two in and it’ll begin to work its magic.

If you haven’t already ditched the headset to top up the toilet water with your morning coffee you’ll no doubt find yourself getting accustomed to the burning twinge of a cramp, as it slowly begins to settle in.

That’s your life now. That’s the pain you’ll feel everyday in between your work-sanctioned retching breaks. A constant inflammation, and wear and tear on your synovial joints as you spin your head back and forth answering emails from June in logistics in the haunting visage of the Apple Mail app floating to your left, and generating pie charts in the looming intrusive specter that is PowerPoint to your right.

My advice? Get over all of that “freely turning your head” hype now, because by the time you get your golden handshake you’re going to have the neck mobility of Michael Keaton’s Batman.

It’s alienating to others

It used to be the case that if you wanted to be ostracized in the workforce you had to be entirely unlikable or come to work smelling like a hamster cage. 

In the near future, it seems it’ll be easier than ever to alienate yourself from your colleagues as you don your mixed-reality helm and dive into the cyber-realm. What an obnoxious sight to behold. Can you believe that we as a society once shunned Google Glass for being “ugly.”

Just take a few moments to give “Google Glass” a good old fashioned Google and look at it. You wouldn’t bat an eye-lid at something like that nowadays. Conversely, look at Apple’s headset. It looks like you’ve just walked in on someone half way through a fitting for a stormtrooper helmet. Can you imagine having a conversation with somebody like that?

Imagine trying to talk to Greg from accounting while he sits there with a pair of dark shades on staring blankly in your general direction. You wouldn’t stand for that – it’s weird. Take off your glasses Greg – a little bit of human interaction goes a long way. At least let us know you’re mindlessly phasing in and out of mental existence while looking in our general direction.

Then imagine, in response, Greg’s glasses spawned little pictures of Greg’s eyeballs on them. Can you imagine anything more bizarre and irritating than having to look at that? I don’t even know Greg. I’ve just made him up, and I already want to punch him.

Nothing quite emits “go away heat” like an OLED panel displaying your own creepy eyeballs, and it’s a guarantee that your coworkers, family, and friends will appropriately react.

Its heat. My god, the heat

Some people say that augmented reality isn’t as immersive as virtual reality. Thankfully, Vision Pro owners can tune reality in and out with a dial, blending seamlessly between the two functions. 

Of course, if you want the most immersive experience possible, any AR/VR headset owner will tell you that you want to customize your virtual location to that of a bayou – because after about 30 minutes of wearing one, half of your face will be encountering the humidity of a Louisiana swamp.

The problem with affixing a mask to your face is that it gets a little stuffy in there after a while. Strap a computer onto the front of said mask and you’ll quickly find things start to get a somewhat warm. Toasty, in fact. But don’t worry, let that glowing heat radiate upon you and enjoy the clammy hellscape of wearing a convection oven on your face as you exchange pleasantries with middle management over Microsoft Teams – leaving your puppeteered Vision Pro avatar grimacing uncomfortably as if trying to pull off its best “Hide the pain, Harold” impersonation.

And all this just describes what it’s like wearing a headset in the cooler months. I daren’t even describe what it’ll be like during the warmest months. A sauna for your face, a sweatbox strapped to your forehead. A roasting radiator dangling in front of your eyes, boiling your brains and baking in short sightedness. But look, Jan from HR just sent you a little Memoji, that’s cute.

Outlook

We’re just not quite there when it comes to longer spans of time spent in either AR or VR. Even if you’re among the lucky ones who won’t suffer so harshly with motion sickness, the heat, weight, and potential long-term myopia-inducing damage done by the exposure to the screens inside the headset are unavoidable.

Apple’s Vision Pro will be much like other headsets in many regards – meaning great for short bursts. Don’t be sold on Apple’s marketing that this is some sort of high-tech visual aid to be worn throughout your day, because it’s quite the opposite. You won’t be spending hours in a virtual editing bay, or augmentedly adminning from 9-to-5 without paying the price for it.

Keep that in mind, and you might not just save yourself $3,500 from buying into Apple’s marketing hype but you might just save the use of your eyes too.

Many of you have your opinions, thoughts and concerns about whether the Apple Vision Pro will be a success or flop. But the truth is, unless you have some sort of expertise in VR hardware, you can’t truly make an informed forecast on the matter, right?

I, too, had my predictions about the Apple Vision Pro — even before the long-rumored AR/VR headset was announced and was practically an open secret. I suspected that it would be a PR hit, making shockwaves across the social media landscape for its funky design and inaccessible price tag, but sales may struggle to hit expected projections. 

I was right about that first part, but anyone could have seen that coming. Apple could release a new sock line for all people care and it would still cause an internet frenzy. However, the Vision Pro’s $3,500 price tag is low-key a loyalty test. Will the company’s staunchest fans — those who’d forgo rent payments and other fixed expenses — show up for Apple? Are there enough early-adopter enthusiasts who will snag the Vision Pro? Will it appeal to enough cool kids to help Apple hit, and even exceed, its goals?

I have no idea, and quite frankly, I’m too much of a novice in this field to give an accurate prediction. That’s why I tapped into five VR experts to help me get a better understanding of what’s in store for Apple, and as it turns out, the success of the current-gen Vision Pro doesn’t necessarily matter. Read on to find out why.

Expert #1

 VRDirect CEO Rolf Illenberger

“It’s not going to really matter if the first edition of Vision Pro is a flop or a success from a sales standpoint — simply because Apple knows the device, as well as its app and content lineup, is going to need a few iterations before it becomes a truly compelling [business-to-consumer] product,” Illenberger said. 

“A fair comparison might be HDTV, in say, 2006 or 2007. The motivation to announce Vision Pro now was to stimulate and nurture the ecosystem of app developers and content creators to invest in the new device, which was already happening once rumors about the device started to emerge several months ago. Hence, Vision Pro is already a great success for Apple. They have, once again, taken a new technology from the nerds to the cool kids," he concluded.

 TLDR: It’s narrow-minded to think you can determine the Vision Pro’s success from first-gen sales figures. Apple isn’t looking for immediate gratification. It is giving developers an opportunity to create an ecosystem of visionOS apps that will benefit future, cheaper, more accessible iterations of the Vision Pro headset. As such, the Vision Pro is already a huge hit. 

Expert #2

VR analyst, YouTuber Brad Lynch (he also leaked details about the Meta Quest Pro, Quest 3) 

“I have been covering XR as an enthusiast user for seven years,” Lynch said. “And with all of the leaks, rumors, and trademarks leading up to this announcement, the Apple Vision Pro introduction still exceeded my expectations.

I started in this medium as a gamer, but as time went on, I became less interested in that side of things. I got into social VR and found an amazing, glimmering potential with being able to do what is now coined ‘spatial computing’ while I am in a VR space. The hardware, however, wasn't perfect for this use case — not even in the Meta Quest Pro that was marketed purely for it.

With all of the introductions and WWDC developer talks about what Apple is doing with their hardware and platform, I cannot help but feel they are nailing it on aspects I could only hope for. I think the product will be a 'low-volume success' to carve out this medium's future. Just like buying a $4,000 computer in the 1980s. Adoption can only get faster as this minimum viable product gets cheaper and competitors quickly build their answers to this device," he speculated.

 TLDR: The first-gen Vision Pro will be a success in that Apple will generate satisfactory profit from the people it’s targeting: early adopters, businesses, developers, and more. Will it appeal to the mass market? Not yet. However, as time begets cheaper iterations, the Vision Pro is bound to win over users’ hearts, especially since it trumps the Meta Quest Pro in many ways.

Expert #3

Aneesh Kulkarni, CTO of Strivr, an enterprise-focused VR training company

“Apple's Vision Pro announcement last week is very likely to be one of the ‘watershed moments’ for the VR/AR industry,” Kulkarni said. “This is potentially the iPhone moment for mixed reality. It gives a boost, and hopefully, greater confidence to the space now that two of the biggest tech companies in the world (Meta and Apple) will be competing for market share. For us at Strivr, we are excited, as Apple’s entry into the industry will accelerate interest from consumers and enterprises, and lead to wider adoption across both use cases," he added.

"Apple has positioned this as a ‘spatial computing’ device that will be a part of everyday life, just like other Apple devices that we’ve come to know, use, and love in our day-to-day personal and professional lives. If you consider the technologies that have been adopted expansively by consumers, and then by enterprises, there’s a strong connection and understanding from individuals as to how it benefits their life, work, and well-being. That’s when more and more people start to use it in their personal and professional lives, leading to widespread adoption. Price, design, use cases, apps and content are going to prove critical if the Vision Pro is to be successful. We can expect that iterations and future generations of the headset will improve the form factor taking it closer to the style of glasses and to a lower price point, growing the audience of users across consumers and enterprises by benefiting them in the flow of life and work,” Kulkarni concluded.

 TLDR: It depends. If Apple can roll out some killer apps with the Vision Pro, it will gain widespread adoption. 

Expert #4

Kevin Wang, Director at Altman Solon, a firm with deep expertise in the mainstream AR/VR market 

“Apple’s Vision Pro launch is generating so much buzz because we’ve seen this playbook before: Apple waits until a category reaches peak fragmentation and then pounces to consolidate the market.” Wang stated. “Apple did it with the smartphone, smartwatch, headphone, and tablet – and looks like they are repeating the pattern for AR/VR headsets. It is causing seismic reverberations in a sector that has seen a number of promising developments but no significant consumer adoption yet. What has held back the industry so far is the seamless integration of comfort, device capability, and available applications. Like it did with the iPhone, Apple will work to control the app development market for the AR/VR realm, making them the go-to marketplace for developers and consumers." he said.

"Vision Pro’s price ($3,499) is giving the public sticker shock, but so did the first iPhone when it debuted at $500 in 2007. Apple’s device is significantly more expensive than the Meta Quest, but like it did with the iPhone, Apple is positioning Vision Pro for the “Ultra Premium” categories of AR/VR products, which previously was dominated by enterprise-grade devices. The first version of the product likely won’t see mass adoption, but it should create a loyal, growing community of users. Given Apple’s track record of creating and marketing devices consumers want to buy, the Vision Pro will be a success in the longer term. Initially, it will seem more like a niche product, but following Apple’s proven playbook, the Vision Pro could bring about the next iPhone moment," Wang concluded.

TLDR: People are appalled by the Vision Pro’s $3,500 price tag, but when Apple debuted the iPhone nearly two decades ago, people were taken aback by its price, too — and look where the iPhone is today. Apple will attract a growing, loyal customer base for the Vision Pro, and its future iterations, in no time. Success is in its future. 

Expert #5

Avi Greengart, tech-adoption analyst and founder of Techsponential  

“Apple’s Vision Pro will be a success,” Greengart said. “How big a success will depend on what apps and services are developed that take advantage of the unique capabilities it offers. Apple will have to bring down the weight and price over time to appeal to mainstream consumers, but even in its current form Apple will have no trouble finding early adopters – the Vision Pro offers a remarkably polished user experience.

It is also worth noting that there are all sorts of enterprise use cases where the Apple Vision Pro is both far more capable and actually less expensive than existing solutions. Apple mostly showed off consumer and personal productivity use cases at WWDC, but the company has made steady gains in the corporate world with the iPhone and Mac; CIO’s looking to solve business problems will be among the first to test what VisionOS can do.”

TLDR: Future-gen Apple Vision Pro headsets will likely get lighter and cheaper, so it’s poised to be a success. Hell, even the first-gen Vision Pro is likely to be a hit among early adopters.

Bottom line

It’s unanimous! I asked five VR experts about the fate of the Apple Vision Pro headset — and every single one of them predicted that the head-mounted display will be a success for the Cupertino-based tech giant. The pundits all said the same thing in similar words: instant mass-market success isn’t Apple’s mission at this point. Apple is playing the long game. It’s banking on developers rolling out mind-blowing visionOS apps that will make the Vision Pro too alluring to pass up. 

As Apple rolls out cheaper and lighter successors to the first-gen Vision Pro, it’s only a matter of time before the headset becomes the new iPhone of the virtual-reality market (i.e., an explosive success).

Baba is here — the HyperX Cloud III has finally made its debut after eight long years following the HyperX Cloud II’s release. So what’s new? Is it better? Worse? Gods forbid different? Yes, yes, and yes.

For just $99, the HyperX Cloud III offers its iconic design, incredible comfort, excellent gaming audio, a spatial sound stage, and it works with every modern platform. It’s a little more modern, but is there anything wrong with it? Well — kind of. That virtual surround sound is baked into PC software as opposed to an onboard physical device, so you’re losing that great audio depending on where you play.

However, that does not take away from the fact that the HyperX Cloud III is the best gaming headset under $100.

HyperX Cloud III price and configurations

The HyperX Cloud III gaming headset that I reviewed costs $99 and comes in the Black-Red palette. You can also purchase it in just Black.

If the Cloud III was any pricier, I would’ve been upset, but it just barely stays in the double digits — although let’s be honest, you’re probably paying $110 once taxes come in. It’s tough for me to consider purchasing a wired gaming headset above $100, but HyperX just teeters on that line.

This headset comes with a two-year limited warranty.

HyperX Cloud III design

If you know HyperX, you can probably imagine what the Cloud III looks like without any visual aid. The outer cups are oval shaped, featuring an anodized black chassis with red HyperX logos stamped at the center. The interior sports a pair of black leatherette cushions.

Closing out the oval loop are ports at the bottom. On the left cup, there’s the microphone input, wired-in AUX cable, and the mute button. Meanwhile, the only thing you’ll find on the right cup is the volume rocker.

A red metal two-pronged fork connects to the cups, which connect to the headband. Since it’s attached on a swivel, there’s some wiggle room, but the cups do not turn 90 degrees like some other headphones. That red metal piece is also what you’ll use to slide the headband for adjustment. There’s even notches on the interior to indicate the height.

The headband itself is a thick piece of leatherette material with the HyperX logo slapped on top. Most premium gaming headsets either go for the ski goggle strap or the thick leatherette headband — I prefer the latter as far as design goes. Who wants a piece of material dangling on your headset?

In the box, you’ll find a female AUX to male USB Type-C connector — it’s already attached to a female USB Type-C to male USB Type-A adapter. Then there’s the microphone, which just plugs into the headset itself. 

HyperX Cloud III comfort

Oh, I’m sorry! Are you talking to me? I can’t hear you because I’m in a CLOUD. Muhaha! Okay, but seriously, the HyperX Cloud III is super comfortable.

The ear cushions are dressed in soft leatherette that cozies up over my ears and makes me feel like falling asleep. It’s not a super tight fit, either, but it’s just snug enough to feel secure on my head without giving me a headache.

HyperX’s proprietary memory foam in the headband is cushy and barely noticeable, which is exactly what you want from a headband. When adjusting the headset, I noticed that some of the notches aren’t as tight as others, so the headset might slide from one to two notches by simply putting it on, but this doesn’t happen often. Plus, the headset has an incredible range of fits.

The HyperX Cloud III weighs 318 grams, or 11.2 ounces, which is lighter than both the Alienware AW720H (12.3 ounces) and the SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ (12.9 ounces). I wore the HyperX Cloud III all day through work and through HELL in Diablo IV.

HyperX Cloud III gaming performance

With dynamic 53mm with Neodymium-magnet drivers and DTS:X Spatial Audio, the HyperX Cloud III blew away my expectations.

I ran across the Fractured Peaks (yes, I’m still there, leave me alone) in Diablo IV, and combined my Charged Bolts attack with the Fireball passive ability to make enemies go boom. I can not imagine a more satisfying sound than the popcorn-like effect that the Cloud III produced when demons popped off. Every skill, from my Arc Lash to my Teleport, sounded full and encompassing.

I’ve been playing lots of Genshin Impact recently, so jumping into Sumeru was a dream — the woodwind instruments lulled me into the world just before I had to crack down on some mushroom boss. The arrows I fired at the boss were sharp and piercing, in an impactful way as opposed to shrill. The middle-eastern-esque music playing in the background was a bop.

I also played some Call of Duty Warzone 2, immediately getting caught in a building and assassinating my foe with a meaty hack from my blade. Gunshots were thick and bassy — I could even hear where people were firing from around the corner of the street I was on. When explosions were popping off, they were bombastic and satisfying.

HyperX Cloud III music performance

With your average gaming headset, usually music gets lost in the background, but HyperX Cloud III is my new favorite way to listen to music.

The first track that I popped off was SKYLAR’s “Hair Tie.” The opening vocals and bass guitar blended so well together; I didn’t even really notice the bass before I listened to it on the Cloud III. The vocals were crisp and rhythmic, hitting each beat with enough treble to keep my heading bobbing.

I was transported back to my grungy days with Breaking Benjamin’s “Breath,” which opens with some melodic strumming followed by a majestic guitar riff — all wonderfully recreated by the Cloud III. When the vocals and drums kicked in, they completed each other in between beats and breaths — heh. No, but yeah… it sounded rich and clear.

Pleasantly echoey vocals introduce us to Dream State’s “Primrose,” which follows up with some intense electric guitar and percussion combos. There were some synths as well, but when that mixed with the guitar, percussion, and vocals, everything started to get a little muddled. It didn’t sound as full and wide as the other songs, but overall it was solid.

HyperX Cloud III microphone

HyperX’s noise-canceling microphone with a built-in mesh filter is one of the best I’ve seen (heard) in a gaming headset at this price (although, that’s not saying much — gaming headset mics are bad). 

In my test recording, my voice came off clear, but maybe not too crisp. But there was very little background noise, even when I was playing TikTok videos on my phone. My voice was audible even at my most quiet, but it did peak when I exclaimed nonsense as one tends to do while playing video games.

I wouldn’t go recording podcasts with it, but it’s a solid microphone. Need a professional one? Check out our best USB microphones page.

HyperX Cloud III features

The HyperX Cloud III is compatible with every modern console. It features AUX, USB Type-A, and USB Type-C connectivity. You can plug into your smartphone, PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X.

The key software you’re going to want to download is DTS Sound Unbound, which’ll unlock the DTS:X audio for the headset, but this only works on PC. There’s good and bad with this software. Good — DTS:X sets everything up for you; all you need to select is whether you want balanced or spacious audio. Bad — there are no EQ settings. However, you’ll find some EQ settings in the HyperX NGENUITY app — I really don’t like this app, though, as my experience with it was buggy and slow (it even froze my PC once).

My only problem with the spatial-sound solution is that the previous HyperX Cloud II had the software built into a little adapter with the headset. I wish that were with the case for the Cloud III, so you could experience it on all devices.

Bottom line

If you’re not looking to go over triple digits on your gaming headset, the HyperX Cloud III is your best bet (not including taxes). Seriously, it’s tough to go wrong with this baby — it’s an excellent companion for every modern platform thanks to its killer audio and sublime comfort.

However, if you don’t want to be tied down, we recommend picking up a wireless gaming headset like SteelSeries Arctis 7P+, but keep in mind that you will be paying around $50 more.

Don’t mind the wire? HyperX Cloud III is the best gaming headset at this price.

Never let it be said that HyperX is a company that rests on its laurels. The company’s latest gaming headset, the HyperX Cloud III improves upon some of its predecessor’s key features while leaving others like that super sturdy aluminum frame alone, creating a headset that will be the new, must-have gaming headset when it launches towards the end of June. I had a chance to go ears-on with the Cloud III and I can’t wait to get these in my collection and I'm pretty sure these cans have a date with our best gaming headsets page. 

Pricing and Configuration

As I stated above, the Cloud III are slated to hit stores sometime in June. And I was pleasantly surprised and greatly relieved that HyperX will be taking it easy on my wallet as the headset will only cost $99. 

Design

Editing. It’s something that doesn’t just happen in content creation, it also can happen in design. Add too much or take too much away and the thing becomes a shell of its original idea. Thankfully, HyperX employed a gentle hand when designing the Cloud III, adding more padding to the earpads and the underside of the headband while slimming down the shape of the earcup to a more downward-facing, ovular shape. The HyperX rep I spoke with told me that’s so the sound will follow the slope of your ears. It also makes the headset look a little more refined than previous iterations. 

The headset’s frame is still make from aluminum so it can withstand the wear and tear the wearer might inflict (I’m looking at you rage quitters!). Along the bottom of one earcup, you’ll find a mute button alongside the braided audio cable (more on that later) and the detachable microphone. The other earcup holds a new volume scroll wheel. 

The headset is available in HyperX’s standard red and black as well as slick black-on-black version. Guess which one I want? 

Comfort

I didn’t think it was possible for a HyperX Cloud headset to get any more comfortable, but I’m glad they proved me wrong. Despite the aluminum frame, I barely felt the headset’s 10.9-ounce (11.3 ounces with mic) frame on my head. My ears were ensconced in pillowy goodness that can rival any of my daily drivers which is exactly the point. Take the mic off and you could easily wear out on the street without drawing too much attention, besides the long braided tether. 

Audio

I didn’t have too much time with the Cloud III, but I really like what I heard. During a jazz ensemble, I definitely appreciated the clear, spacious soundstage provided by the redesigned 53mm dynamic drivers with the Neodymium magnets. The oboe and clarinet on the track were nice and clear and I could hear the strumming of the big bass in the background and the brassiness of the cymbals. 

And when the demo switched to a metal track, I didn’t lose any of the frantic guitar and frenetic drums. I really want to see how they fare with bassier fare and of course how they sound across a multitude of games. But the earful I got was definitely intriguing.

Microphone

The electret condenser microphone also got a nice redesign and upgrade, Gone is the black foam covering, instead the mic is framed within a black metal mesh. The mic’s arm is nice and flexible, allowing you to adjust the Uni-directional microphone to an optimal position. In terms of sound, the noise-cancelling mic got a sizable boost in power going from a 6mm driver to 10. 

For this demo, I listened to a recording made on the Cloud II compared to the IIIs. While the former sounded okay, there were points where the audio was choppy and slightly cut out. And as you can guess, I didn’t hear any such problems from the Cloud III recording, 

In other big news, the mic now has a status light that activates when the mute button is engaged. It’s a great way to eliminate those embarrassing hot mic moments and keep some private comments and conversations exactly that. 

Accessories

Adapters everywhere. The braided cable attached to the Cloud III have some interesting tricks up its sleeve. For starters, the 3.5mm input allows you to plug into a laptop, tablet or smartphone (if you’re by some odd chance still rocking a phone with a headset jack). Then you have the tiny black adapter that delivers USB Type-C and Type-A connectors. That means the headset is compatible with just about every console, mobile device and PC currently on the market, 

Bottom Line

Insert the “Shut up and take my money” meme. It seems that HyperX has done it again and created the year’s must-have gaming headset. The Cloud III are extremely comfortable and stylish and offer great sound on both the earphones and the mic. Speaking of the mic, it comes off so you can wear them on the street without weird looks. You get a host of connectors that allow you to use them on just any device you have laying around. And the company added small touches that mean a big deal such as a light that signals that yes, you are indeed muted. Plus, the whole shebang is only $99, which frankly is a steal. 

But as excited as I am about the Cloud III, I have to hold my final judgment until I put them through their paces in a review. Stay tuned. 

With Google I/O having come and gone, all eyes now turn toward Apple’s WWDC 2023 event. Slated to run from June 5 to June 9, Apple’s developer conference is expected to hold keynotes that reveal new MacBooks, new versions of popular Apple operating systems, and the long-awaited announcement of Apple’s VR/AR headset. The latter of which has just gained the attention of a true VR VIP.

Palmer Luckey is, in his own words, a tech enthusiast, a writer, and a modder. However, he’s also the founder and designer of the Oculus Rift — and, in a recent tweet, he’s given the nod of approval to Apple’s long-rumored VR/AR headset that could go by the name of “Reality One,” or the “Reality Pro.” 

 It’s a real(ity) one

The tweet is brief, and it lacks any real details on whether or not Luckey himself has gotten any hands-on time with the device. However, when it comes to gaining the nod of approval from those in the industry, Luckey’s public praise of Apple’s soon-to-be-revealed headset is second to none. 

Luckey played a large role in bringing VR to mainstream audiences following his 2012 Kickstarter campaign for the Oculus Rift. The device was among the first to successfully revive the VR gaming market and it earnt high praise from industry alumni like Gabe Newell and John Carmack.

Oculus would eventually be sold to Facebook for $2 billion, however, Luckey is still recognized as one of the most prominent names in VR for his contributions — and just as he garnered praise from industry figureheads before him, Luckey is currently passing that praise onto Apple’s efforts.

Outlook

Apple’s VR/AR headset still has its skeptics though. In fact, from everything that’s so far been leaked about the supposed Reality One/Pro device so far, there doesn’t seem much to celebrate just yet. At the moment, a high price point, an unclear vision, staff grumblings from within the engineering team, and no real “killer app” focus seem to be among the primary concerns.

It could be said that Apple’s leap into the VR/AR market is mistimed and that the industry needs to bloom further before we see a potential re-invention of the space. However, VR adoption rates are currently falling short of expectations, and Apple’s future headset could be exactly what it needed to bring the mass adoption shot in the arm that VR is currently lacking.

We’ll have to wait for Apple’s WWDC 2023 to get official word on its mixed-reality headset’s capabilities and features, but until then keep your eyes on Laptop Mag for the latest information as it arrives.

Apple’s mixed reality headset has suffered through a few bumps on the road to its inevitable announcement at WWDC 2023. But two huge apps could make it a must buy for content creators.

I’m talking about Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro. And according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, there is a “very real possibility” that we see them launch on the headset. This could be a huge step forward for the VR headset as an actual working machine.

Going pro on your headset

This potential game changer for the mixed reality headset comes from two stories. First is the recent announcement that Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro are coming to iPad. This move has been long overdue, and while I’m always going to prefer an upfront purchase over a monthly subscription fee, it’s great to see them finally make the jump.

And second, a Bloomberg report that claimed the mixed reality system could download and run over 100,000 iPad apps — drastically increasing the usability of the device beyond the stock selection. Of course, there will be the possibility for developers to update these apps with a specific VR-focussed interface. But the 

So, by extension, that could mean we get versions of FCP and LP that work on the Apple Reality Pro. In fact, Mark Gurman doubled down on that the device could “eventually” run these two apps.

Outlook

How exactly would Final Cut and Logic Pro run on a mixed reality headset? Honestly, I’m shrugging as much as you are right now. They’re rather intensive apps that rely on the knowledge of shortcuts or quick gestures to get stuff done. So to remove these elements altogether could be an interesting challenge for Apple’s UI designers.

But the fact it is possible is making these a seriously interesting purchase for content creators — immersing yourself in your video/audio work is a tantalizing prospect. Would you use these apps on a headset? Let us know on Twitter.

The 15-inch MacBook Air is one of those rumored products that felt like it may never arrive, but it seems that we may finally have our mythical quarry cornered.

According to the latest Power On Newsletter from the oft-accurate Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple's super-sized MacBook Air is firmly set for its debut at WWDC in June with one other major hardware announcement in tow (via MacRumors).

Like a MacBook Air, but bigger

While there were rumors suggesting that the 15-inch Air could serve as the debut of Apple's M3 chip, those have been thoroughly quashed by both Gurman and the ever-reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Expect two M2 core options, but neither expects M2 Pro to be available for the 15-inch Air, which remains MacBook Pro territory.

Otherwise, features beyond the 15-inch display, size, and weight, should all remain the same as the MacBook Air M2. That includes the new design with the notch, a pair of Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 ports, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, MagSafe 3 charging, and a 1080p webcam.

While the lack of any notable upgrades to take advantage of the larger size may seem disappointing, the fact that you'll finally be able to get a large-screen MacBook for under $2,500 is worth celebrating anyway, Here's hoping Apple keeps the price below $1,400.

Mixed-reality is still in the mix

The other major hardware announcement that Gurman reaffirmed is Apple's mixed-reality headset, which could be called Apple Reality Pro or Apple Reality One if previous trademark filings are accurate.

No new revelations regarding the headset beyond the planned launch. While there's no question it will grab a lot of attention, it remains an extremely contentious device with Apple employees allegedly convinced it will fail, despite some truly wild rumored features to set it apart from the rest of the market like the flagging Meta Quest Pro.

Given the rumored $3,000 pricing it seems unlikely that this will be the device that fixes the current state of VR, but Apple's reputation for arriving late and defining a product category is well-earned. 

WWDC 2023 is just over a month away now so all of our questions will be answered soon enough.

The Steelseries Arctis 7X is one of the best gaming headsets for laptops and game consoles. One standout SteelSeries spring deal you don't want to miss is the SteelSeries Arctis 7X for $99. Typically $150, it's now $50 cheaper and the lowest price we've seen it fall to outside of the holidays. It works with PC, Nintendo Switch and Xbox. 

If you're looking for a headset that's PS5|PS4 compatible, you can get the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 for $79 at Amazon ($20 off). And if you don't mind spending more, Amazon also offers the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro which is down to $237 ($12 off).

Steelseries Arctis 7X deal

The SteelSeries Artics 7X is ideal for anyone looking to enhance their audio gameplay experience. It features on-ear controls, a retractable flexible microphone and a side volume rocker for game/game chat sound. 

In our SteelSeries Arctis 7X review, we loved its customizable EQ settings, comfortable fit, great sound and battery life. We also like the headset's multi-platform compatibility. We gave the SteelSeries Arctis 7X an overall rating of 4 out of 5-stars. 

During real world use, the headset lasted during our tester's day-to-day activities. That's right in line with SteelSeries Arctis 7X's rated battery of 24 hours. The SteelSeries ships with a selection of wires for your connectivity needs. You get a female USB Type-C to male USB Type-A adapter and USB Type-A to micro-USB cable for charging. It also includes a Share Port cable which is a proprietary audio jack that feeds into a 3.5mm audio jack. 

So if you want a comfortable headset that also has great battery life, the SteelSeries Arctis 7X is a solid choice. 

The Apple mixed-reality headset is a long-rumored head-mounted display that's been reportedly plagued with conflict among staff, numerous delays, and engineering setbacks. However, come hell or high water, Tim Cook reportedly demanded that he wants this AR/VR headset out by June 2023 — no ifs, ands, or buts.

As the chaos seemingly continues behind the scenes, outlets such as The Information, Financial Times, Bloomberg, and The New York Times have tapped into anonymous sources to determine what's the deal with this highly anticipated Apple headset. During their investigations, they've uncovered several wild features that the Apple mixed-reality headset will supposedly sport — and they'll likely make it to market, too.

Let's dive into the wildest features the Apple mixed-reality headset is expected to have.

1. Custom-made video content from the hottest Hollywood directors

The New York Times claims that it spoke with three people "familiar" with Apple's mixed-reality headset project, and as it turns out, the Cupertino-based tech giant reportedly asked several Hollywood directors to develop custom-made content for the long-awaited head-mounted display.

One of those Hollywood directors is allegedly Jon Favreau, the director of films such as Elf, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and The Lion King. Those movies are arguably pretty damn good, so I can imagine that this custom-made VR video content will be incredible, too.

Diving into specifics, Favreau is reportedly working on dinosaur-related video content for Apple's mixed-reality headset, which will offer a blend of AR and VR experiences. This content will likely tie into Favreau's Apple TV+ work with "Prehistoric Planet."

2. It has a 'reality dial' that can fade out real-time video

The Apple mixed-reality headset will feature a reality dial that is similar to the digital crown on the Apple Watch, according to the New York Times.

The reality dial will allow users to switch between AR and VR. For example, with VR activated, users are fully immersed inside a simulated world. With AR mode, they can see the "real world" around them. As such, with the reality dial, one can fade out  their VR environment to seamlessly transition to the AR world — and vice versa. Apple is reportedly expecting this to be one of the headset's greatest selling points.

Apple's AR/VR headset, rumored to look like ski goggles, is said to have two 4K panels, so watching this custom-made content through this head-mounted display must be a gorgeous visual treat.

3. You must wear a hip pack with the headset

Rumor has it that the Apple mixed-reality headset will ship with a hip pack that is designed to support the goggle's battery. According to PhoneArena, this hip pack contains a battery that is roughly the size of two iPhone 14 Pro Max phones.

Unfortunately, each battery will reportedly only last two hours on a single charge. Yikes!

4. You can use your eyes to select apps

The Apple mixed-reality headset reportedly has sensors that can track your eye movements. This will let users select on-screen items, including buttons, app icons, and list entries, by simply gesturing with their peepers.

The headset also supposedly has hand tracking, so users can use their fingers to activate a task without using controllers. For example, you can use a pinching gesture with your thumb and index finger to make a selection.

5. FaceTime will render the users' face and full body in virtual reality

Bean spillers say that VR FaceTime users feel more present with their loved ones. According to Bloomberg, FaceTime within Apple's mixed-reality headset will render realistic 3D avatars of users' full face and body in virtual reality. As such, instead of seeing a 2D image of the person on the other end, you'll get to enjoy a multi-dimensional perspective of them instead.

With this new revamped, VR-based FaceTime, you should feel like you're sitting in the same room as the other person. Bloomberg says this sets Apple's headset apart from Meta's Quest series devices because its avatars are more cartoonish whereas Apple's avatars are more realistic.

Bottom line

There's a good chance that these aforementioned five features may end up rolling out with the final production models, but keep in mind that Apple may make last minute changes. We won't know for sure until the headset is officially announced later this year.

To find out more information about this highly anticipated AR/VR head-mounted display, check out our oft-updated Apple mixed-reality headset rumor hub.

Apple's WWDC conference is officially June 5 through June 9, so mark your calendar as there could be a lot coming. Apple's developers' conference may serve as the launch event for its mixed-reality headset alongside the latest news for everything iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.

Developers are the focus of this show, with the company making it clear that the event will give those same developers "unique access to Apple engineers." The event is also intended to introduce new technologies that will assist creators in enhancing their applications.

Everything we know about WWDC 2023 so far

WWDC 2023 opens with a special day on June 5 where a limited number of developers and students will be invited out to Apple Park for the keynote and State of the Union presentations. If you'd like to attend, be sure to apply on the Apple Developer website. 

We don't have much else to go on thus far, but it's possible that Apple could show us a first look at its mixed-reality headset according to a report from Bloomberg. While this event is not hardware-focused, it's not unheard of for the company to make a surprise reveal every once in a while, as WWDC 2022 gave us a look at the MacBook Air M2.

Apple's World Wide Developer Relations Vice President, Susan Prescott, suggests that WWDC 2023 will be the "biggest" and "most exciting" thus far, with an online program that includes sessions, labs, and opportunities for engagement with developers from Apple and otherwise.

In the same announcement post, Apple discussed its Swift Student Challenge, a program that the company funds to platform its favorite student applications. You'll have up to April 19 to apply, with winners receiving WWDC 2023 outerwear, an AirPods Pro, customized pins, and a year of Apple Developer Program membership. Some winners will also be invited to attend WWDC 2023's in-person event at Apple Park.  

Laptop Mag will be covering WWDC 2023 as it happens, so if you can't make it for whatever reason, keep up to date with all our coverage when it goes live.