The gaming headset market is heavily dominated by high-end, high-priced headsets, and while many of those headsets are generally the best and most premium ones you will find, we all can agree that many of those gaming headsets are over-priced, and some of them don’t just deliver the best when it comes to performance.
In a Hurry? Here’s Our Top Three
Is it possible to get a great gaming headset for under 50 bucks? Well, yes, and in fact, I have done the dirty job for you, tested, and picked five of my best gaming headsets under $50. Every single one of these might be budget options, but they’re sure some of the best quality you’ll get from some of the biggest names in this industry.
Every single one of the headsets we have on this list has been hand-tested, they are reliable, and they deliver solid sound for your working, conference calls and meetings, gaming, and Twitch streaming needs.
Best Gaming Headsets under $50 for PS4 and PS5
SteelSeries Arctis 1 – Best Gaming Headset under $50
Pros:
- Very comfortable over the ears
- Noise-canceling quality is solid
- Detachable microphone
- Sound is well balanced and has depth
- Works with smartphones and other gaming systems
Cons:
- Subpar mic quality
- No ChatMix control
The SteelSeries Arctis 1 comes as a one-of-a-kind gaming headset for being affordable, comfortable, and coming in a very sturdy build. While this particular SteelSeries Arctis 1 headset is designed for the Xbox, it is compatible with just about any system you game with, from PS4, PS5, to desktop PCs and laptops. The headset emphasizes the music and sound effects very well, while the cord is long enough for users who love to stay some distance away from the gaming screen.
The SteelSeries Arctis 1 comes in an aluminum build and the cases are made from black plastic. It is fully adjustable, which makes it a great option for users who have larger heads. The cups are not too small, they’re big enough to cover your ears.
The adjustability of the band and the size of the ear cups help to ensure that the headset isn’t clamping too tightly on the ears. I should also add that the cushioning on the ears is soft, and the cloth-finished memory foam material is friendly on the skin, so the headset doesn’t cause heating and sweating and it doesn’t cause discomfort even when you use it for long gaming sessions. I did notice, though, that when you turn the volume of the headsets very high, there are slight noise leaks, which was something I didn’t quite like.
The SteelSeries Arctis 1 comes with a detachable ClearCast Mic, it is compatible with mobile devices, PC, PS4, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch gaming consoles. The 3.5mm audio jack makes it very easy to use the SteelSeries Arctis 1 with just about any system that uses an audio jack, which is a plus for me. The EQ settings can be tweaked, and you can save your settings as different profiles on the SteelSeries Engine software that comes with the Arctis 1, and switching between profiles in games is seamless.
One of the biggest drawbacks of this gaming headset is the fact that it comes with rigid notches, so while you’re adjusting the headset to fit your head perfectly, it could mess up all of the hard work you have put into the settings when someone else tries to use the headset and then adjust the notches.
It was very easy to hear the directional sound in games like COD, Fortnite, and Overwatch. You could also hear the distant battle cries in strategy games like Age of Empires. While the directional sound was a pass, I wouldn’t say the Arctis 1 has the best bass on the market.
While I wasn’t a fan of the mic (am really not a fan of headset mics), I feel the SteelSeries Arctis 1 sure deserves its place on this list of the best gaming headsets under $50 for coming with one of the best, sturdiest builds, delivering quality sound, working with virtually all gaming systems, and all of these coming at a budget price.
Logitech G332 – Best PS4 Headset under $50
Pros:
- Excellent sound rendering
- Lightweight
- Feels good for big heads
- Nice and flexible mic stem
- Smooth Finish
- Wraps around the ears perfectly
- Sound quality good
- Smooth Finish
- Affordable
Cons:
- Doesn’t fit comfortably on small to medium heads
- The wire doesn’t feel like its durable
The Logitech G332 easily passes as the best PS4 headset under $50 for being minimalistic, and for being designed with function taking priority over form.
While it’s primarily designed for the PS4 gaming console, the Logitech G332 works well with PC, mobile devices, and the Xbox and Nintendo Switch gaming consoles. The Logitech G332 comes with large 50-millimeter audio drivers that deliver some of the best sound quality around.
The gaming headset is slim, it’s one of the most lightweight options we have tried, and the leatherette earpads and rotating ear cups help to ensure a comfortable gaming experience. The headset comes in a plastic frame, and the ear cups have some of the best paddings I have seen. The ear cups are large and can hold even larger ears with no discomfort.
I loved that the sound delivered an explosive punch in my action and shooter games. There was close to zero sound leakage and it does a great job of blocking outside noise. So you don’t get to disturb others when gaming and they don’t spoil the immersive experience that a noise-blocking headset aims to deliver. I didn’t like that the higher frequencies are sometimes too thin, though.
Apart from gaming, the Logitech G332 is a handy headset for music, video conferencing, and movie demands. The warm, mid-range tone it produces is great for music and movies in most genres, and the clarity of the sound helps for all your streaming and video conferencing needs.
If you’re looking for a budget gaming headset that will work with your PS4 console, coupled with other gaming systems and mobile devices, then you should get the Logitech G332. It’s attractive, it’s built for functionality and comfort, and it produces sound quality that should be just great for non-audiophiles.
JBL Quantum 200 – Best Over-Ear Headphones with Mic for PS5
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Extremely comfortable (even if you wear glasses)
- Great balance from low lows to sharp highs
- Wraps around the ears perfectly
- Sound quality good
- Quality sturdy build and finishing
Cons:
- No active noise cancellation
The JBL Quantum 200 is one of the cheapest gaming headsets from JBL, a leading brand in the audio market. The JBL Quantum 200 comes as one of the first products the company specifically targeted at gamers, and it sure is one of the best, especially on a budget.
Quantum 200 is well calibrated to the audio demands of gaming, coupled with the need for active noise canceling, which is great for immersive gaming experiences. The sound that the Quantum 200 delivers is both immersive and accurate, so you’re able to hear even the tiniest details on every battlefield. We enjoyed playing games like Age of Empires, Fortnite, and COD, and this headset delivered excellently.
The Quantum 200 comes with JBL’s QuantumSURROUND feature that is being powered by the JBL QuantumENGINES PC software. This feature delivered some of the most realistic spatial soundstages that I have experienced. You’re sure to get cinematic levels of immersion, and amazing edge when it comes to the quality of audio in your competitive games.
The headset comes with 50mm neodymium drivers, which is one of the best for gaming. The headset also comes with a flip-up boom mic that sports an echo-canceling technology. The headset is covered in soft PU leather, while the ear cups are coated in soft memory foam. The headset also comes with a 3.5mm audio jack and a PC splitter, making the Quantum 200 a great headset for PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox One gamers.
The audio jack comes angled, so it’s less obstructive when compared to the average audio jack you’d find on the market. The headset delivered crisp, clear sound when gaming, for music and movies. I should also add that the mic did perform well, way better than I would have expected. The mic sounded a bit canned, and it has an audible clicky sound when you toggle it on and off.
Overall, the Quantum 200 comes off as one of the best gaming headsets under $50 for PS4, Xbox, and PC gaming demands. Its lightweight, the materials and cushion help to enjoy longer gaming sessions in comfort, and it’s coming in a sturdy, quality build.
Turtle Beach Recon 70 – Best Xbox One Headset Under $50
Pros:
- Multi-platform compatibility
- Comfortable cups and headband
- Lightweight
- Decent audio reproduction and Audio Performance
- Flip-to-mute mic
Cons:
- Lacks surround sound
- Poor Isolation
Whether you’re looking for a budget gaming headset that works on every platform and gaming system, or you’re a parent who needs something that can help to make all the gaming noises filling the house go away, then you’d really need to give the Turtle Beach Recon 70 a chance.
The Recon 70 is designed for Xbox One but is compatible with PS4 Pro, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, PC, and even smartphones as it comes with a 3.5mm audio jack out-of-the-box. For users who want to use this gaming headset with a PC, a splitter might be required in some cases. The headset also features a flip-up mic, which automatically mutes when you flip it up and unmutes when flipped down. You also get 40mm drivers that produce some of the best highs and thundering lows you’ll find around.
The ear cushions have memory foam and are wrapped in synthetic leather, so you’re bound to experience more comfort when gaming for longer hours, with no heating or sweating caused. I did feel that the ear cups aren’t the best for users with bigger ears, and if you use glasses, the headset seems to have openings, resulting in escaped sound or outside noise sipping in. This is probably because of the stiff leatherette that was used.
The headset comes in a hard plastic build, having a nice matte textured exterior. There is no trace of metal on this headset, but it’s pretty sturdy and well-built. The headbands can be adjusted to fit different head sizes, it doesn’t press too strongly on the ears, and it comes with a swiveling hinge, so you’re able to make the headset lay flat.
Using the Recon 70 for gaming comes off as one of the best experiences I have had on a budget gaming headset. I was able to play games like League of Legends, Fortnite, COD, Dauntless, and Risk of Rain on both PC and Xbox One, and it performed well.
The mic quality was surprisingly on the top range of the market. The audio output was very accurate and clean, but I felt it would have been better if the mic produced a higher volume in sound than what this headset delivers. Depending on the chat service you use for gaming, you should be able to increase the volume of the mic though, and that seems to solve the issue.
Overall, for being one of the most comfortable headsets on a budget, to coming with better mic, to being compatible with a couple of different gaming systems, the Recon 70 sure qualifies to be one of our best gaming headsets for under 50 bucks.
Razer Kraken X – Best PC Headset under $50
Pros:
- 7.1 Surround Sound (PC ONLY)
- Eyewear channels alleviate temple pressure
- Very lightweight
- Noise-cancelling
- Good in-game sound
- Comfortable on head and ears
- Cross-platform compatibility
- Has a mic mute button
- Onboard control
Cons:
- Ear cups don’t rotate
- The mic isn’t great
- Plastic build
Getting a cheap gaming headset doesn’t mean the headset has to look cheap, and the Razer Kraken X takes that sentiment a mile farther. This is a gaming headset that performs well for just about anyone who needs a gaming headset that can work on multiple platforms, from PCs to Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and even smartphones.
The Razer Kraken X comes with the same metal mesh, Razer logo on the ear cups, and jet black design you find on other pricier Razer gaming headsets. The 11.3 ounces light weight is another interesting feature of the Kraken X. it also comes with integrated audio controls, a flexible mic and 7.1 Surround Sound support, which can only be enabled with the software on PC. I should also add that it comes with custom-tuned 40mm drivers, an analog volume control wheel, a mic mute switch, and a pretty durable, sturdy build.
The build of the Kraken X is all-plastic, and while the headband could be a bit tight when you start using it, it’s often very easy to adjust, although I felt the adjustments are clunky and stiff. The padding on both the headband and the ear cups were also great.
The ear cups didn’t fit too strongly on the skin and gaming with glasses and big ears didn’t feel discomforting even after hours. The ear cups are not circular-shaped as you find on many others, they come in an oval shape, so they have a better seal on the ears and do a better job of blocking out outside noise.
The mic and its mute button, and the volume dial are on the left ear cup. The headset’s mic is a boom mic, which you can auto-mute by flipping it up. You get a 3.5mm audio jack support and a splitter in case you want to use the headset on a desktop. The connectivity cables and the mic (which isn’t removable) shows that this headset wasn’t designed for anything outside your gaming station.
While this headset is primarily built for gaming PCs, it comes with support for Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Lite, PS4, PS5, and mobile devices. I used it for playing games like Overwatch, COD, Fortnite, Age of Empires, and World of Warcraft, and it proved to be one very handy accessory throughout.
Overall, being the best PC headset under $50 we tested, being a reliable budget option, coming with good in-game sound, amazing audio production, and coming with a design that is both attractive and comfortable all add up to make the Razer Kraken X one of our best gaming headsets under $50 on the market.
Looking for headphones for gaming and music? Here are the best
Logitech G335 – Best Gaming Headset Under $50 For PS5
The Logitech G335 is a simple but well-built wired gaming headset. Unlike the metallic body on most headsets, the Logitech G335 has a full plastic body. This form factor makes it easy to identify the Logitech G335 as a budget headset.
However, a closer inspection of this headset will convince you there’s also an excellent side to Logitech’s compromise in terms of build quality. One of the justifications for this headset’s average plastic build is to keep it as light as possible.
The Logitech G335 weighs just 236 g, making it very comfortable to wear, even for an extended period.
However, one issue is that the adjustable side belt is not very flexible, so you might not enjoy using the headsets for a long time if you have a broad face.
The headset’s microphone quality is also decent considering its price point. In addition, it is capable of isolating speech from background noise.
Audio production through the microphone is also reasonably consistent. However, the microphone doesn’t utilize sound customization features, such as in-app EQ or built-in audio presets.
The headset doesn’t offer a high-volume output. Still, its sound quality has a certain level of crispness that makes it come out nicely. Notwithstanding, the bass production on the headset could use a lot of improvement.
Overall, the Logitech G335 has a very decent audio quality. You will barely notice any distortion in the sound it produces. Even when listening at the highest volume, the headset maintains a balanced and natural sound production.
XIBERIA G01 – Best Budget Gaming Headset
The XIBERIA G01 is one of the best wireless headsets under $50.
This headset is very comfortable on the ears thanks to its leather ear foams. Its ear foams make it sit nicely on your ears without causing any form of discomfort. The only sad thing about the ear foams is that they can quickly wear out since they are made of leather.
In terms of operations, the headset features control buttons around its body. You get a volume button, a mute button for your microphone, and an auxiliary cable input.
Turning the headset ON does remind me of something I feel you need to know. Whenever you turn this headset ON, it makes an annoying beep for a few seconds before it gets powered ON. If that is a turn-off for you, then you may need to reconsider buying this headset.
Nonetheless, it is pretty nice that it has a simplistic yet elegant form and design. It doesn’t only impress in terms of design; its sound production is also remarkable.
I would even say that the XIBERIA G01 has a sound production similar to surround sound 2.1 rated headsets. That means it produces vibrant sounds and the bass levels are fantastic.
You will get a sound immersion quality similar to the one you would get from a surround sound system. So, if you majorly play games with little sound dependencies, the XIBERIA G01 is a good headset for you.
While it will also serve a competitive gamer, there’s another thing to consider about this headset. If you are a competitive gamer who plays games where your chances of winning could depend on spotting an enemy by footsteps, the XIBERIA G01 is not the best choice.
The reason for this is that the sound output on the headset is not very loud. Nonetheless, the XIBERIA G01 is a good headset for casual gaming, watching movies, and listening to music.
If you are looking for an excellent gaming headset under $50, you can consider the XIBERIA G01.
NUBWO G06 – Best Low Budget Gaming Headset
The Nubwo G06 is another wireless gaming headset under $50 that offers good value for its price. However, the headset looks weird…or unique, depending on who you ask.
First, the ear plugs and the muffs surrounding them look too large. Fortunately, the headset is considerably light despite having large ear muffs.
Simply put, the Nubwo G06’s design is not very impressive, but it makes up for that in terms of functionality. As the manufacturers claim, the Nubwo G06 blends its wireless freedom with incredible lag-free real-time transmission.
In other words, the Nubwo G06’s microphone quality is excellent. It has a noise-canceling feature that enables it to provide premium voice clarity.
Furthermore, the sound production on the Nubwo G06 is also top-notch. The headset features a 50mm driver and 2 double chamber drivers, enabling it to offer an immersed sound experience in stereo audio.
You will be able to hear every sound all over the game comfortably.
To top it all off, the Nubwo G06 has remarkable battery life. This headset can last for 30-47 hours on a full charge.
You will get a low battery notification when your battery level falls below 3%. After that, it will take just 4 hours to recharge the headset completely.
Astro A10 – Best Cheap Gaming Headset PS4 & PS5
The Astro A10 is a basic headset with a plastic build. Its plastic build makes it very light at just 1 pound.
Unlike most gaming-centric devices, the Astro A10 has a simple design that feels perfect. In addition, it has a padded headband that’s surprisingly quite flexible.
Try twisting the headband a little, and you will notice its flexibility. However, I wouldn’t advise that you overstretch it to avoid causing damage to it.
The headset also has foam earpads. Its earpads and padded headband both make the Astro A10 incredibly comfortable to wear, even in very long gaming sessions.
Sadly, the manufacturers took some noticeable cost-cutting measures on this headset, affecting its overall value. One of these things is that the headset doesn’t have controls for muting the microphone.
You will have to flip the built-in microphone upwards away from your face if you don’t want the microphone to transmit audio. The 3mm audio cable included with the device is also prone to twisting and tearing because it comes unwoven.
Hence, you will have to be careful with it. Fortunately, the audio cable is removable, so you can buy a replacement if it gets damaged.
Another thing to be glad about is that the effect of the cost-cutting measures is minimal in terms of sound quality. The Astro A10 offers a warm and balanced sound profile that helps make it easy to distinguish sound effects like footsteps in your audio.
Its sound speakers are a better feature than its mediocre microphone.
The headset’s sound production is excellent, thanks to its directional stereo sound. However, don’t expect it to be capable of offering the quality of 7.1 surround sound systems.
Besides, the headset lacks adequate bass effects, making gameplay feel slightly light. It also doesn’t have sound customization features to help you adjust the sound to the way you may like it.
Nonetheless, the Astro A10 is an excellent gaming headset under $50.
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John follows everything happening in the tech industry, from the latest gadget launches to some of the big-name moves in the industry. He covers opinionated pieces and writes on some of the biggest names in the industry. John is also a freelance writer, so he shares articles on freelancing every now and then. email: john@tekpip.com Learn more about tekpip and the team here on our about us page.
Last update on 2023-10-01 We are an Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.in affiliate and earn from qualifying purchases through our links at no extra cost to you.