The best gaming headsets for consoles and PC: SteelSeries, Razer, and more of our top picks

We don't judge you for the fact that your gaming sessions regularly bleed into the three-plus hour mark (probably even higher) — we're the same way. So, here's a pro tip for you: Get a gaming headset that isn't going to hurt like hell after an hour of wear. The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is that headset, and is by far the most comfortable option we tried out during testing for this roundup.

There's a lot to love about this gaming headset, but most of all is its comfort factor. The lightweight pair of headphones feature FlowKnit memory foam ear cushions, with an ultra-comfy padded (and adjustable) headband to match. We were able to wear the BlackShark V2 Pro for multiple hours at a time without even a hint of soreness.

And that's in addition to the magnificent sound quality of the headset. It comes equipped with THX Spatial Audio — that means you get truly fantastic surround sound out of these babies, which is much appreciated when playing any game, especially those with a great score or battle royale mechanics. We also loved the headset's more-than-decent passive noise cancellation and intuitive on-ear controls for on-the-fly adjustments. Razer's patented HyperClear cardioid microphone is also fantastic, featuring crystal clear input quality. We just wish the mic was retractable into the headset itself instead of the removable design we saw here. One other minor complaint we had was the exposed wiring on the sides of the headset that could sometimes get caught on things, but this wasn't a huge issue.

The BlackShark V2 Pro is excellent as it is, but if your main concern is comfort, we wouldn't recommend anything else.

Not everyone can drop a whole paycheck on a gaming headset, and that's why we're thankful for the Astro A10.

This headset is cheap, but it's definitely not cheap, if you know what we mean. Seriously, we were impressed with the audio quality we got from this less-than-$30 headset, and we especially loved the built-in flip-to-mute microphone that could be adjusted up and down at a moment's notice. They're also decently comfortable as long as you're not playing for too long — after a few hours, the padding did start to fail us, and some soreness set in. We also thought the adjustability of the microphone in the horizontal plane was lacking a bit.

Another highlight was the headset's durability. Out of the box, the plastic construction was a little worrying at first, but looks can be deceiving — the headset is actually very flexible, and we could twist the headband to adjust it any way we wanted. We wish they had onboard controls, but at this price, we can look past the omission.

That's pretty much all there is to the Astro A10. It's simple, but it gets the basics right at a price that you just can't beat.

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro + GameDAC bundle is not for the faint of heart. No, this headset certainly qualifies as an enthusiast piece that's meant for audiophiles. If that's you, though, we highly recommend it for the unreal, hi-res audio that comes out of these things.

What makes this headset special is the included GameDAC device, which serves as its own sound chip that can process audio at a way higher quality than many of us are used to. And it really is good — we were hearing new sounds in games that we've played dozens of times before, which really speaks to the "lossless" nature of the device. The GameDAC also has an onboard display with a dial that lets you toy around with EQ, virtual surround sound, microphone settings, and lighting effects on the headset's earcups. The headset itself is also very well-made, featuring a polished steel and aluminum alloy construction that makes it feel really durable. We also really enjoyed the airweave fabric ear cushions and ski-goggle-style headband. The headset also includes a studio-quality retractable microphone for when you're playing with friends.

The downsides here are that the setup of the GameDAC has a learning curve to it that can take a while to understand, and once you do get it set up, the number of loose wires can be cumbersome. But, if you're willing to deal with that for some truly remarkable audio, we can't overstate how high-resolution this headset actually is.

The Razer Hammerhead HyperSpeeds are the best earbud-style gaming headset we tried. If you don't like wearing a chunky pair of headphones while you play, run, don't walk, to pick up a pair.

The Hammerheads are very reminiscent of the AirPods Pro, but if they were built specifically for gaming — they even come in a little case that looks just like them and have similar tap controls. Once you get them paired to your console or PC using the wireless USB-C dongle, you'll be able to enjoy their active noise cancelation and high-quality audio. They sound great for earbuds, and stand toe-to-toe with any of the headsets in this roundup when it comes to audio quality.

We were also very impressed with the buds' low-latency response time — we could barely clock any lag during our play sessions, and this was only improved when we turned on the optional HyperSpeed "gaming mode" within the companion app. Speaking of the app, you'll also be able to change up RGB Chroma effects, mess around with EQ settings, and more in there. You can even pair them via Bluetooth to your mobile device if you want them to be your go-to, everyday headphones.

The only con with the Hammerheads is the battery life. With RGB and active noise cancellation turned on, they only lasted for around eight to nine hours. With them turned off, you can get about 12. They're easy enough to charge, though, so it isn't a huge deal. We also experienced some ringing when the buds were connected but no sound was playing, but this went away once the audio actually kicked in. These aren't dealbreakers to us, though, and we highly recommend these to anyone who doesn't want a traditional gaming headset as a part of their setup.

The Pulse 3D headset may have been built for the PlayStation 5, but it can actually be used with any device that has a 3.5mm jack. If you want to use the device's marquee feature, though — immersive 3D audio — you'll need to use it in tandem with a PS5 console.

The headset is pretty good on its own. It's comfortable enough (although it retains heat and can get a bit sweaty after a while), and features easy-to-use on-ear controls, as well as an OK battery life of around 12 hours before needing a charge. But where things start to get impressive is when you pair them with a PlayStation 5 and hear their immersive 3D audio capabilities. In the case of this headset, 3D audio is something much more than surround sound — every noise has depth and direction. We felt like if we closed our eyes, we could point out exactly where an in-game sound was occurring in seconds. It's hard to explain in words, but what we can say is that it's an extremely full and rich auditory experience. With the PS5, you also gain access to a range of EQ options to fine-tune your experience as you play.

We also really loved the headset's built-in noise-canceling microphones, which can quickly be muted and unmuted using the controls on the earcup. We wish these features weren't just exclusive to the PS5, but as we mentioned, you can use them as a regular headset with other devices if you want.