Whether you’re primed and ready to spend the night in Azeroth playing World of Warcraft or you took the day off from work to binge play the latest Call of Duty game, you’re going to want to get yourself a good pair of headphones. Today we’re going to be looking at some of the best earbuds for gaming on the market.
What To Look For When Buying Earbuds For Gaming
When buying a pair of earbuds for gaming, one of the most important factors to consider is the comfort. Unlike your average regular music listening session, let’s be honest, you’re likely to be engaged in a gaming session for a good few hours if you plan to really get into it. Cheaper models often put little thought into the ergonomic design and simply do the bare minimum to make sure the earbud just about fits in your ear. No more, no less. A good pair of gaming headphones will be crafted to fit comfortably in your ear so that you can barely feel a thing even after hours of heavy listening.
We should also look to see how well they handle bass frequencies. With an increasing amount of triple-A titles opting to rely on a full-blown orchestra to score their games, you’ll need a pair of earbuds that can do these roaring epic tracks full justice. To really feel the bass line of a track you’ll need to have a pair of headphones that have frequencies as low as 60-100Hz.
Why Earbuds
For most people, deciding between earbuds and over ear headphones is mostly personal preference. While both have their advantages, Earbuds have a few that may give them the edge for gaming. First of all, their lightweight design blows full over-ear headphones out of the water. You won’t have to worry about the headband becoming irritating over time. Additionally, with their large cumbersome earpads, over-ear headphones are particularly susceptible to sweat and grime buildup, which I’m not ashamed to say I’ve certainly fallen victim to after a particularly hard gaming session.
They also offer added portability for on the go gaming. If you’re lucky to own Nintendo Switch, for example, you’ll find these much easier to toss in your bag and carry around with you to use wherever and whenever you feel like it.
Microphone
While all the suggestions in this particular list do feature a microphone, you have two different designs to choose between and this is going to vary depending on how you intend to use them.
The traditional inline microphone will dangle along with the wire just below your chin. These don’t provide the best sound quality due to their placement, however, they are very unobtrusive and will certainly get the job done in a pinch.
The other design seen in this list is the classic mouthpiece design. This will naturally result in improved quality and clarity due to the placement of the mic which may be particularly important if you’re playing online and want to discuss strategy. These can also be detached giving the headphones extra overall versatility for when you don’t need it.
Connectivity
Depending on which device you intend to use these headphones on, bear in mind that the majority of the headphones on this list stick by the traditional 3.5mm jack. If you’ve built your own gaming PC it’s fairly easy to add a 3.5mm jack via PCI card if it isn’t already part of your motherboard and the majority of gaming laptops will feature one as standard.
All 3 major consoles support this too, with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 controllers having specific ports for you to connect these to. You may need to tweak the setting in your dashboard to enable full audio output from the control, but this is a fairly straightforward process.
Lastly, the Nintendo Switch is somewhat of a special case. While you can comfortably use a pair of wireless headphones while undocked, note that while in docked mode, you will have to be uncomfortably close to the dock for a normal pair of headphones to reach. You may want to consider a Bluetooth headset instead if this will be your usual gaming setup.
For the most part, even with mobile manufacturers moving away from 3.5mm jacks in favor of USB-C, the gaming market doesn’t look to be moving away from this format anytime soon. Particularly if you’re a PC gamer, you can buy any of these headphones without the worry of them becoming obsolete in a few years.
Our Top Picks In The Best Earbuds For Gaming Category
Our #1 Pick Mad Catz E.S. PRO 1 Gaming Earbuds
COST
QUALITY
OUR VERDICT
✓ Detachable Mouth Piece Microphone
✓ Quality Build
✓ Ear Hooks
✓ Reputable Gaming Brand
✘ Mic Requires Sensitivity Adjustments
Mad Catz have always been the underdog when it comes to gaming peripherals. Coming back from the brink of bankruptcy and turning their fortunes around by focusing on high-quality durable products has worked phenomenally well for them and set them back on the right track. They have put together a solid pair of earbuds here. The detachable mouthpiece style mic is a welcome feature giving extra clarity to voice chat that you won’t find with some models. With their larger than average hardware casing they’re also able to achieve a much better range of tones without adding a great deal of weight, in fact, this pair comes in at just 2 Oz. Impressive for such a design.
It’s hard not to notice their striking design, featuring comfortable ear hooks which sit inside the earlobe for added comfort meaning you won’t have to keep adjusting them so they sit correctly. You can see this pair has clearly been designed with gamers in mind and that’s great!
While some users have reported that the mic can be a little too sensitive, picking up feedback from the earbuds when at high volume, this should be easily fixed by adjusting the mic sensitivity within the config menu of your selected device.
As long as you don’t mind spending a bit of time fine tuning your experience and adjusting the sensitivity, these will provide everything you need for an immersive gaming experience.
Our #2 Pick Brainwavz Delta Silver IEM In Ear Earbuds
COST
QUALITY
OUR VERDICT
✓ Ultra Low 20Hz Frequency
✓ Good build quality
✓ Cheap
While these don’t come from a specific gaming brand, their exceptionally lightweight design which focuses on audio quality makes them a good contender.
These also feature an ultra-low frequency range meaning they’ll pick up even the deepest of bass frequencies. Their audio quality also makes them a great all-around pair of headphones for things other than gaming too. If you just want to listen to some music on your daily commute, these offer a great solution.
Unfortunately, they don’t offer a mouthpiece style mic which may be a deal breaker if you are talking online frequently, however, the inline mic should be suitable for casual gamers who only dabble in online voice chat. They’re also a perfect fit for those who prefer an offline gaming experience. These offer a great experience at a very reasonable price.
Our #3 Pick Razer Hammerhead Pro V2
COST
QUALITY
OUR VERDICT
✓ Reputable Gaming Brand
✓ Multiple Connectivity Options
✓ Comfortable Design
✘ Some user unhappy with Audio Quality
✘ Price
Another mainstay in the gaming market, Razer’s earbud offering provides you with their usual sleek and cool looking design.
I was somewhat disappointed to see a manufacturer so dedicated to gaming skip out the dedicated mouthpiece microphone here, however, razer’s ultra cool design is what really lures me towards these. It’s hard to deny they know how to go against the grain when it comes to design.
Generally, Razer manufacture high-quality products, if a little on the pricey side, so you know you’re getting quality if you chose to invest in a pair of their earbuds.
Our #4 Pick Tt eSPORTS ISURUS PRO
COST
QUALITY
OUR VERDICT
✓ Mouthpiece Microphone
✓ Ear Hooks
✘ Some user unhappy with Audio Quality
✘ Requires balancing
Another solid gaming pair with a detachable mouth piece microphone.
As with the previous pair with a headset attachment, you’ll also need to do some mic sensitivity adjustments with this pair of optimal results.
A few users have complained about the way in which they handle everyday music, so if you’re looking for a pair which you can take out and about with you these may not be the best option. If you’re looking for a pure gaming pair, however, these should adequately cover all your needs.
This pair also features the ear hook design which is particularly useful if you plan to move around a lot while using them, for example, while using your Nintendo Switch on the go.
Our #5 Pick ROCCAT ALUMA
COST
QUALITY
OUR VERDICT
✓ Stylish Design
✓ Tangle Free Cable
✓ Price
✘ Basic earbud design
✘ Some users have reported poor build quality
This pair offers a solid no thrills experience.
With no mic mouthpiece and no stand out features, they are more of a general all-around pair rather than a specific gaming pair. Don’t expect the richest sounds for your money, but for the price, you’ll get a very decent audio experience fit for any gaming session.
Summary
Mad Catz E.S. PRO 1 Gaming Earbuds clearly know what they’re doing when it comes to gaming peripherals. They achieve a sensible balance between cost and quality and really have produced an ample pair of gaming headphones. If you’re willing to spend a minute or fine-tuning the microphone in your console or PC’s settings then you should have no issues with the reported microphone issues.