The best wireless PC gaming headsets of 2020

Most of the time, the PC is the best place to find a great gaming headset. It’s the platform where you can spend more on nearly infinite incremental improvements to quality, in both visual fidelity and sound. However, if there’s one avenue where the PC falters, it’s that most of the best headsets have cables. There just aren’t as many wireless PC gaming headsets as on other platforms, and for a pretty simple reason: playing games on a desktop PC means that a cable is often the best choice for that environment. Most of the time, it’s no struggle to use a corded headset—you don’t have to be far away from your source, and the audio latency is nonexistent.

However, there’s still plenty of wireless options worth getting, and plenty of reason to get them. Here are some of the best.

What you should know about Wireless PC Gaming headsets

Normally deciding on your connection method is a key part of picking a PC gaming headset, but if you’re dead set on a wireless option, that decision is basically already made. All wireless PC gaming headsets worth getting connect using USB dongles—even if your computer supports aptX Low Latency. Bluetooth is prone to lag no matter what codec you use, so these dongles generally use 2.4GHz radio frequency connections, which are virtually lag-free, and a little less battery intensive.

The other thing to really consider is what platforms you want a headset to support. Now, obviously any wireless gaming headset on this list will support the PC, but the PC supports basically everything. If you happen to own a console as well as a PC, the options immediately get more limited. Basically, any wireless headset that works on the PlayStation 4 won’t work on the Xbox One, and vice versa. If you’re at all interested in getting a headset you can use on a few different gaming platforms, don’t just get whatever—often there are specific models of gaming headsets for different platforms, and you don’t want to buy a Steelseries headset for Xbox One and PC, when your other platform is a PlayStation 4.

The HyperX Cloud Flight S is the best wireless PC gaming headset

The HyperX Cloud Flight S brings comfort and performance for a reasonable price. This wireless PC gaming headset also works with PlayStation 4, and if you’re going between those platforms it’s pretty much the best option out around—wireless or otherwise.

This headset is built on a primarily plastic frame, but it doesn’t feel cheap. It doesn’t creak at all, and the headphone hinges rotate and tilt enough to accommodate most head sizes. The headphone pads are leatherette covering thick memory foam, which is very comfortable but doesn’t do a lot for gamers with glasses.

The HyperX Cloud Flight S uses a wireless RF connection with a 2.4GHz USB dongle for transmitting audio between it and your platform of choice. This is good, because it means audio lag won’t be an issue, and generally this connection takes less power to maintain. That saved juice doesn’t go to waste here, as the Cloud Flight S lasted around 35 hours during our testing—better than just about any other gaming headset on the market. Additionally, this headset brings surround sound to both the PlayStation 4 and the PC, something that basically no other headset does.

It’s too bad this doesn’t work with the Xbox One or Nintendo Switch, but the HyperX Cloud Flight S is still one of the best wireless PC gaming headsets around.. It’s also compatible with the HyperX NGenuity app, but you don’t really need it if setting custom EQ presets isn’t your thing.

If you’re bouncing between a lot of platforms, consider the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless

Though released primarily for the Nintendo Switch, the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless has the the honorable distinction of being one of the only wireless PC gaming headsets to work wirelessly on 4 different platforms. This headset uses a USB-C 2.4GHZ RF wireless dongle to connect to your Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Android phone, and yes, PC. Don’t have anything with USB-C ports? Don’t worry, this also comes with a USB-A adapter.

Outside of that, the Arctis 1 Wireless is built from largely the same materials as the rest of the Arctis line. It drops the comfortable suspension band of more expensive headsets in the line for a simpler plastic band, but it’s still plenty comfortable. The headphone pads are made of SteelSeries’ signature airweave fabric, so heat buildup really isn’t an issue.

This headset is comfortable enough for multi-hour gaming sessions, and it can last for much longer than that. In our testing, we found the Arctis 1 had no trouble lasting over 25 hours on a single battery charge. In short, if you’re looking for wireless PC gaming headsets that work on a bunch of different platforms, this is your best, and probably only option.

If you just want something really comfortable, the SteelSeries Arctis 7 has you covered

Few gaming headsets, on any platform, are as comfortable as SteelSeries’ Arctis headset line. The SteelSeries Arctis 7 hits that sweet spot of features, compatibility, and price—and it doesn’t get rid of any physical design elements like the Arctis 1 Wireless does.

This wireless PC gaming headset offers surround sound, a Discord-certified microphone, Hi-Res audio support, and 16-hour battery life. It’s pretty much got everything you could need. On top of all that, the design and comfort of this headset is second to none.

The SteelSeries Arctis 7 features a primarily metal build, with a lightweight aluminum frame and an elastic suspension band modeled after a pair of ski goggles. It doesn’t take any adjustment—just put it on and it’ll stretch to fit comfortably. The headphones sport ear pads covered in a fabric SteelSeries calls AirWeave, which is soft and breezy, but dense enough to not sacrifice too much isolation. If you want something to wear for hours on end, whether you’re an at-home worker or you like marathon gaming sessions, this is definitely worth considering.

The Razer Nari Utlimate brings the features, for a price

If the top of the line is what you seek, look no further than the Razer Nari Ultimate. This beast of a wireless PC gaming headset comes with swiveling headphones, a retractable boom mic, and a comfortable suspension band. It’s made primarily of plastic, but what it lacks in durability, it makes up for in comfort. The combination of the Nari Ultimate’s suspension band and thick leatherette headphone pads (with the same eyewear channels as other Razer products) make it great for long gaming sessions.

This headset can last up to 8 hours on a single charge. If that doesn’t seem like much compared to other wireless PC gaming headsets, it’s because it isn’t. The Nari Ultimate features small additional audio drivers in each headphone that produce haptic feedback when heavy bass is playing. That’s right, this headset vibrates. It’s a neat gimmick, and when you’re gaming it can add a lot to intense firefights. However, it can get a little distracting when listening to music or watching movies. Perhaps most importantly, the feature seems to be what drains the headset’s battery fastest.

The Nari Ultimate offers a ton of features. It’s comfortable, wireless, and supports surround sound through THX Spatial Audio. The 2.4GHz wireless connection (via USB dongle) means you shouldn’t run into any audio lag, and it comes with a 3.5mm cord for connecting to a device without a USB port. There’s even an Xbox One version that connects directly to the console without needing a dongle. Basically, this thing is stacked.

If you’re a gamer with glasses the Corsair Void RGB Elite Wireless could be for you

When we reviewed the Corsair Void Elite RGB, we dinged it for being a little too loose. However, if you’re someone who’s dealt with the pain of wearing a pair of glasses under a tight pair of headphones, something a little on the looser side might be just the ticket.

This wireless PC gaming headset features 7.1 virtual surround sound, 17 hours of battery life, and more accurate microphone than most gaming headsets on the market. The Void RGB Elite also supports fabric pads on the band and headphones, which which are soft enough to mold around the arms of glasses well.

While many of the options on this list stretch well above the $100 mark, this one’s base price comes in just under—it’s often on sale for even less, too.

Why you should trust Sam

When it comes down to it, I don’t just review gaming headsets because I’m passionate about good audio. Pretty much everything I do here at SoundGuys focuses on gaming content, and that’s because I’ve been a gamer my whole life. You name it, I’ve probably played it. I know what kind of audio features are important for different kinds of games, and maybe more importantly: which ones aren’t.

The gaming headset space, much like many other parts of the audio industry, is rife with exaggerated language and gimmicky features that often don’t add much of anything to your experience. It’s easy to get caught up in the flashy lights and promises of immersive audio and bass so intense it’ll rupture your eardrums (in a good way, somehow), but most of that stuff flat out doesn’t matter. On PC in particular, there’s a lot of fluff out there. Many apps are slow and awkward, or they don’t bring much functionality in the first place. Wireless PC gaming headsets should represent the gold standard of what’s possible in the market, but there are just too many prominent bad offerings to wade through. That’s why we review headsets, and why we have lists like this.