The 5 best gaming headsets you can get in 2022

Looking for the best gaming headsets in 2022? Here are some of the best options on the market after exhaustive reviews.

No piece of gaming hardware will instantly confer skill to the owner, but there are definite benefits to be gained. Though a proper gaming mouse is invaluable, it’s not going to make someone’s aim better automatically. On the flipside, a good gaming headset can instantly improve performance in certain games.

Many different FPS titles, particularly tactical shooters like Counter-Strike and Valorant, require players to have sharp ears. Information is everything, and hearing footsteps is very valuable. It may be hard to make out whether those footsteps were one or two people, or whether those steps came from upstairs or a nearby hall with a generic headset or random pair of earbuds.

So what are the best gaming headsets available in 2022? And what features do they have relative to one another? Here are some strong options as well as their pros and cons.

The best gaming headsets on the market in 2022

There are loads of gaming headsets out there, offering varying blends of sound quality, microphone quality, extra features, and more. There’s a level of subjectivity regarding the best gaming headset due to the preferred genres of the user. A noise-canceling microphone is meaningless in single-player games, players may or may not need Bluetooth, and so on. Here are five of the best options available in 2022.

HyperX Cloud II

The HyperX Cloud II is an oldie, but a goodie for gaming. The model first hit the market in 2015 and remains available to this day due to its popularity. That popularity stems from its choice features, reliability, and durability.

WIN.gg reviewed the headset after three years of use. Outside some light wear and tear, it holds up well both structurally and in terms of its sound quality. Its detachable microphone, sound card, and appearance make it timeless and reliable. It’s showing its age in some ways, though.

The baseline HyperX Cloud II model isn’t wireless, though there is a wireless model available. Its surround sound is somewhat archaic when compared to higher-priced headsets. The good news is that the headset remains generally strong and does come with a comparatively low price tag.

Logitech Artemis Spectrum

The Logitech Artemis Spectrum is all about sound quality, and it most certainly has that. It boasts strong surround sound, crystal-clear audio, and has a noise-canceling microphone. The microphone can also neatly fold into the earpiece for a more discreet look outside of gaming. It also has a number of on-ear controls that are intuitive and responsive.

That’s enough to make the headset worth trying out, but there are some asterisks. It comes at a relatively steep cost but lacks Bluetooth, with its wireless option coming via dongle. On top of that, it has a generally poor battery life checking in at under 10 hours on full charge.

The fundamentals are all there for this to be one of the best gaming headsets of 2022 with great sound quality, a very good microphone, and strong build quality. There are some caveats, but this is still a headset worth considering.

Razer Kraken BT Kitty Edition

You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but it’s sometimes worth judging it by its title. While one might take a quick look at the Razer Kraken BT Kitty Edition and think this is just a novelty item designed to look cute, this is a full-fledged Razer Kraken headset with features and quality similar to others in its line. It’s also quite durable, holding up well after years of use.

It’s not a perfect piece of hardware, though. The sound quality is generally strong, but its surround sound features are overly sharp in some titles. On top of that, its microphone is just “fine.” It has modest noise cancellation and decent quality, but it’s not on par with what other similarly priced headphones have on offer. 

Finally, Razer Kraken BT Kitty Edition is Bluetooth-only. There’s no 3.5mm jack, which can be painful on some devices, particularly the Nintendo Switch which has awful Bluetooth support. On top of this, it charges by the relatively archaic Micro USB, not USB-C.

The “pink tax” is very real when it comes to this headset, which has a higher price tag than other options with similar specs and features. Still, the cat ears are an iconic look in the gaming space at this point. There are few better options in this sub-category of headphones.

SteelSeries Arctis 7+

The SteelSeries Arctis 7+ is a headset that does its job, does it well, and doesn’t try to impress otherwise. It’s a high-quality headset designed for a pro esports setting. Its features are all dedicated to this. It doesn’t bother with flashy RGB lighting or other cosmetic frills.

Strong sound quality is the name of the game with this headset, and most of its features revolve around that. On the input front, it has a number of on-ear controls and very good surround sound which tactical shooter players will find quite useful. 

On the output front, the microphone quality is very strong. The microphone itself is also retractable, allowing it to maintain a lower profile when used outside of gaming. These are maintained by a 30-hour battery life on full charge.

Unfortunately, SteelSeries Arctis 7+ doesn’t have Bluetooth support. It has a 3.5mm port for a wired connection but wireless is via USB dongle. That’s tough to reconcile with its relatively steep price tag. But once again, this is a headset designed for serious gaming competitions and it’s one of the best at delivering on that.

EPOS H3 Hybrid

When it comes to quality, features, and versatility, the EPOS H3 Hybrid is about as good as it comes. Durability? That’s a bit less certain.

WIN.gg reviewed the EPOS H3 Hybrid and the headset itself is great. The sound quality is very strong and its surround sound is highly beneficial in multiplayer games thanks to its ability to actually convey verticality. In games where enemies can be heard moving around from above and below, this headset shines.

It’s also a great headset for non-gaming situations. It has Bluetooth, a detachable microphone, and a second built-in microphone that makes it ideal for the phone. It’s also compatible with basically every console imaginable.

The trouble is that the model that was reviewed broke down after just four months. The customer service experience was far from ideal, with the detachable microphone breaking internally. This led to some rough customer service back-and-forth that eventually resulted in a fresh new headset, but only after three months. Things have been fine since, but it’s also something that needs to be mentioned when discussing the best gaming headsets.

Why you should buy a good gaming headset

Perhaps more than any other piece of gaming hardware, a headset will actually confer a competitive advantage to the player. Though a good gaming mouse is important for precise movements and customizability, it doesn’t radically transform things from a point-and-click perspective. The ability to hear things more clearly translates to an actual competitive advantage in many different games.

Beyond that, there’s value in getting a good gaming headset outside of gaming. The best gaming headsets are valuable for watching movies, listening to music, and more. Finding a headset with the right lineup of features and the right specs can transform any type of media, gaming or otherwise.