What are the best Xbox headsets in 2025? I've got you covered.
I've personally reviewed dozens upon dozens of Xbox headsets over the years, and have the unique personal experience to compare and contrast different headsets directly owing to my truly massive collection of products accumulated over the years. I'm confident I can give a better recommendation than most outlets out there as a result of this personal experience, which I've built over the past ten years here at Windows Central and on my personal blog before that.
Last year, I reviewed a ton of new headsets, and re-reviewed some old and returning classics. Astro A50 got a new model last year, as did the official Xbox Wireless Headset. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro got a small, but very significant design improvement, and other manufacturers really stepped up their game delivering competition in the mid-range. SteelSeries also delivered gaming-grade earbuds, which might make the grade as one of the best Xbox headsets you can buy today.
Indeed, the top pick for this latest update goes to a headset that punches well above its price point, giving premium options a definitive run for their money.
As we head through 2025, the big design trend is multi-modality. More so than ever, headsets support not one, but multiple platforms. Indeed, every headset on this list at least supports both Xbox and Windows PC, but most of them also support PlayStation, Switch, Android, iOS, and other devices too. The idea of a "best Xbox headset" in 2025 also ironically perhaps also covers best PC, best mobile, and best PlayStation headsets too.
Either way, let's get into what makes up our list for best Xbox headsets in 2025, updated as of April 7, 2025, by yours truly.
Recent updates
April 7, 2025: Refreshed this piece with latest stock information, and also added the SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds in a new section all about earbuds!
Jez Corden is Executive Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Jez also owns dozens upon dozens of headsets. So many headsets he could probably open his own headset store.
The quick List
Here are our picks for the best Xbox headsets you can buy in 2024, with links to detailed reasoning below.
The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (Gen 3) launched last year, and has taken up pole position as the best Xbox headset I would recommend for most people in most scenarios. Its versatility, value, comfort, and audio coalesce into something I'd be happy to recommend every single time, unless you're specifically looking for something more affordable, or something specifically more premium.
Microsoft has upped its game with the new version of the Official Xbox Wireless Headset, with far better software, drivers, and overall tuning into what represents a great "all around," slightly more affordable wireless Xbox headset.
What year is it? Once again, the HyperX CloudX is again our top pick for "most" Xbox gamers, owing to its price-to-quality ratio. It is even more affordable than it was in previous years, and HyperX continues to sell it and manufacture it owing to its on-going popularity. This is a headset that simply won't quit under any circumstances.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is arguably the best-of-the-best Xbox and PC gaming headset right now, but it's not cheap. The $350 package however goes above and beyond many of its competitors, offering unique cross-platform features that, if you need, no other headset is able to provide right now. The latest version of the headset has also improved its design and quality, for a more comfortable fit.
If you're looking for the absolute best sound quality in any headset (and most pairs of headphones), the Audeze Maxwell delivers with its massive 90mm planar magnetic drivers. Everything from gaming to music sounds heavenly through this hi-fi, audiophile-focused headset, and it's just a great premium gaming headset all around.
The Astro A50 continues to be an absolutely top-shelf headset for pure convenience, thanks to its industry-leading charge dock and tried-and-tested design. It's certainly pricy, but if convenience and the ability to stap between multiple devices sounds hype to you, look no further.
The best headsets for Xbox in 2025
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These are our top picks for every major category and user scenario. Whether you're going for something wireless, something wired, or the best overall bang for your buck. For this section, we've focused on those three main categories, looking at the headsets that go all the way up to a premium price point (while still making sense), as well as our top headsets for practically anybody and everybody.
Right now, I'm dropping our top accolade on the new Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (Gen 3) launched last year, for its sheer value and versatility. If you have any further questions on any of these, of course, drop them in the comments below.
The best overall Xbox headset
An absolute savant of Xbox headsets, the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (Gen 3) takes the crown as our best Xbox headset to buy as of 2025, owing to its sheer price-to-performance ratio, versatility, and absurd 80-hour battery life.
When I received my Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (Gen 3) unit for our review, I was honestly not expecting to be totally blown away. The Stealth 700 range from Turtle Beach has generally been unimpressive, sitting somewhere between their 600 models and their "Pro" models — performing slightly better than the $50 cheaper option and notably worse than their $250+ models. All of that changed with last year's Gen 3 refresh, which not only beats far more expensive headsets on pure audio, but delivers an overall experience that makes it, what I consider to be, perhaps my favorite Xbox headset of all time.
Monster 60mm "eclipse" dual drivers hide comfortably inside this elegant and understated headset, which looks at home on your sofa as much as it does on your daily commute. A flip-to-hide mic and stable, high-quality Bluetooth receivers, and truly insane 80 hour batteries make it a great option for using for music, travel, movies, and multimedia. But where it truly delivers is in its gaming prowess.
This headset can be connected simultaneously to multiple gaming devices, with two USB dongles in the box for one PC and one console. The headset can hot-swap between them with a quick on-ear button press, and also feed in simultaneous Bluetooth audio if you want to chat on Discord or listen to music while fragging noobs.
Those 60mm drivers also offer a cavernous soundscape, which deliver pin-point surround for enhanced tactical play. You can take the tactical play even further with Turtle Beach's strategic sound profiles, which sacrifice some cinematic quality for emphasis on footsteps and enemy positional tells. Robust software on Windows PC and mobile devices make it easy to configure and set up, and the high adjustability and premium-feeling earcups make for lasting comfort across your cranium and skin alike.
What really blew my mind is that this headset retails for $199, and is often on sale for even less. This headset beats far more expensive headsets, and should be seen as the first headset anyone considers for their gaming experience, whether you're on Xbox, PC, PlayStation, or beyond (or all at the same time!). Fantastic.
Best budget wireless Xbox headset
Here's a headset that I wasn't particularly impressed with first time around, but second time seems to be the charm. For those of you who don't fancy dropping $199 on a headset like the above, the second best Xbox wireless headset option is right here, and typically hovers around $99 depending on where and when you look for it.
Last year, the official Xbox Wireless Headset from Xbox itself (thanks for the SEO confusion there Microsoft!) got a bit of a refresh, although the differences are quite subtle, they do coalesce into what is ultimately a far better product.
The previous model was among the first to offer simultaneous Bluetooth audio mixing, which has become pretty much a standard feature in 2025. However, the 4.2 signal wasn't shielded particularly well from interference, making it middling in general usage. Now, it has been upgraded to 5.3, and coupled with a better overall design it becomes far more usable over long periods. Although if you're looking for Bluetooth quality as a main sticking point, you might want to consider a more expensive headset like the Stealth 700 (Gen 3) above. The new model also comes with Dolby Atmos surround onboard, no subscription or additional purchase required, although I do think that's why the headset retails slightly higher than the previous model. It's more than worthwhile, though, I would say.
The new model does away with the gaudy green trimmings for something a little more modern and neutral looking, with an all-carbon black design. The new model also has boosted battery life, hitting 20 hours on a charge instead of 15. All of these improvements make this the best "entry level" wireless headset for Xbox. Most wireless headsets generally start at around $99, and while this one is effectively "no frills," it does set the quality bar for budget wireless Xbox headsets to a fairly high standard.
The best budget headset for Xbox
What year is it? I feel like this has been on this list for years and years at this point, but it's simply true that this remains the best Xbox headset for those who don't want to break the bank.
There's a reason HyperX has been manufacturing this headset non-stop for the better part of a decade at this point — its the pinnacle of "no frills" budget-best for those who simply want a headset that works, and won't fail them.
The HyperX CloudX has barely changed in almost ten years, and it frankly doesn't need to. I did a re-review of the HyperX CloudX fairly recently, and found it still has everything you need in an Xbox headset. It's a 3.5mm wired option, with an airy, light-weight design, but impressively powerful cans, delivering a bassy, cinematic soundstage on a relatively svelte price point. Leatherette cups, on-ear controls, and a braided cable really is the epitomy of "it does what it says on the tin," offering affordability as its headline feature.
This headset retails generally for around $70, but you can often get it for less during sales events. I would generally always recommend against going cheaper than this, if for no reason other than the fact cheaper, no-brand headsets will fall apart on you, forcing you to simply buy something again later. If you're going to end up spending $30 or $40 multiple times on a cheaper headset, you might as well spend a bit more and get something that will last for a seriously long time. Perhaps even forever if you treat it well.
The most premium headset for Xbox
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is my go-to headset when I'm staying at my folks' place, and after years of endless use, I'd say it remains arguably the best option overall for most gaming set ups. It is, however, not cheap.
It's a $350 RRP package that nets you not only a powerful, and comfortable headset with Bluetooth and a retractable microphone, but also a multi-device digital audio controller with its very own LED display. Indeed, it's quite absurd how potentially "over-engineered" this headset could be described as, which comes complete with active noise cancelling and hot-swappable rechargeable batteries for good measure. However, if you are someone who will actively use all of the features contained herein, it might just be the best headset money can buy for your set up.
An update to the headset's design last year fixed one of the only flaws it previously had, which was a strange plastic protrusion in one of the earcups. It was the ANC microphone sticking into people's ears, but SteelSeries heard the feedback and now has an updated model for 2025 use.
As someone who has a desk-based set up across PC and Xbox, having a device that can incorporate multiple endpoints simultaneously is something I always enjoy. The audio profile is pretty solid out of the box, but comes with robust EQ software to help you get it perfectly right for your preferences. You can easily control audio levels, mic monitoring mix, ANC, noise gate, and various other functions from either the software or the digital audio controller directly too. The DAC has a dial that also functions as a button, and it has a capacitive touch "back" button as well to help with navigation, flush with the façade. The DAC also houses a dock for a rechargeable battery, which lets you swap them on the fly to ensure you're never out of juice. It's a really nice touch as someone who does spend a ton of time inside a headset.
Leatherette cups and high adjustability make them very comfortable too, and the retractable microphone and muted design make them a viable option for travel use. Bluetooth and ANC support make them a truly great option for use on planes and trains, and the ability to mix sound between multiple devices is a great option on top.
But yeah, it's certainly not cheap. You can get a lot of the same functionality, honestly, with the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (Gen 3) above for almost half the price — but the active noise cancellation and DAC controller really sets it apart.
The best Xbox headset for pure audio
Audeze has a pedigree for delivering top-class, professional-grade audio gear with peerless fidelity to audiophiles, audio engineers, music producers, and more. The core of the company's legacy rests in its planar magnetic technology, unique drivers that provide clearer, more detailed, and more responsive audio than your average pair of headphones. The Audeze Maxwell brings that technology to Xbox, PC, and PlayStation games in a modern, wireless package.
I (Zachary Boddy), have reviewed a ton of gaming headsets across a wide variety of price ranges, but not one has even approached the level of audio quality the Audeze Maxwel delivers. In my Audeze Maxwell review, I couldn't stop gushing about how amazing this headset sounds; if you care about sound quality above all else, the Audeze Maxwell is almost certainly the best-sounding wireless gaming headset in the world. Whether you're gaming, watching movies, listening to music, or even just talking on the phone, the Maxwell excels.
Planar magnetic technology has its drawbacks, though. For one, the Audeze Maxwell is a heavy headset, so those sensitive to the weight of their headset may want to steer clear. The Maxwell is also expensive, coming in at $329 for the Xbox-specific version and $299 for the PlayStation-specific version. If you're curious why Xbox gamers need to pay more, it's because that version includes a Dolby Atmos license for enhanced spatial audio.
You're also getting a full-featured wireless gaming headset with ultra low-latency 2.4GHz connectivity across Xbox and Windows PC, and Bluetooth 5.3 for hi-fi wireless audio across the rest of your devices. Wireless performance is genuinely flawless with no signs of interference or latency, and you can still fall back on the high-resolution USB Type-C port or tried-and-true 3.5mm audio jack. Build quality is also excellent, and while the Maxwell is heavy, Audeze clearly worked hard to make the headset as comfortable as possible. If you can find one of the special edition colorways, too, your gaming headset will stand out.
If you're worried about those planar magnetic drivers sucking up a lot of juice, the Maxwell actually boasts one of the long-lasting batteries I've tested, with up to 80 hours of actual usage on a single charge. Audeze also nailed the microphone, which frankly shocked me considering the company's lack of experience with mics — the Maxwell competes with the best in terms of microphone quality. Brilliant audio quality and spatial sound performance, a solid mobile app for customization, multi-device connectivity, and excellent build quality make the Audeze Maxwell a fantastic choice, as long as you can bear with that price tag, the excessive weight, and its admittedly awkward onboard controls.
The best Xbox earbuds
I didn't expect to end up loving this headset as much as I did, but here we are, adding it to our illustrious "Best Xbox Headsets" list for 2025.
SteelSeries is a great headset manufacturer. I use the Arctis Nova Pro as a daily driver when I'm visiting the UK, as the firm really understands the multi-modal future gamers are rapidly heading into. What if there was a headset that could do do everything that most of the products on this list can do, albeit in a more traditional, portable, earbuds form factor? The SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds are here to offer exactly that.
Complete with features you'd expect to find on Galaxy Buds or AirPods, like active noise cancelling and on-ear controls, the Arctis Gamebuds can also connect directly to an Xbox or PC via its USB-C dongle (with USB-A adaptor included). Switch to Xbox, PC, or Bluetooth on the fly with on-ear controls, and access deeper configuration tools with its Arctis app.
The sound quality is very good too, at least on par with my Samsung GalaxyBuds, with good separation. You lose some positional awareness potentially from the narrower soundstage, but I was still able to get directional audio adequately while playing Overwatch and Call of Duty coupled with Windows Sonic or (not included) Dolby Atmos.
This headset also excels with comfort, delivering perhaps the most comfortable in-ear experience I've ever had. I wore these for hours while raiding in World of Warcraft without even noticing they were still in. They also have beefy battery life for earbuds, at 10 hours per charge, with a further 30 hours inside the carry and Qi Wireless charge case.
Honestly, were it not for the poor microphone experience, I might even consider these as one of, if not the best Xbox headset worth recommending in 2025. Obviously the microphones were never going to compete with a dedicated boom mic, but they're still decent enough for party chat and comms.
The most convenient wireless headset for Xbox
The Astro A50 was my go-to personal Xbox headset for years and years, and was only very slightly supplanted by the Arctis Nova Pro due to the Nova Pro's Bluetooth capabilities. Last year, Astro closed the gap, with the latest version of the Astro A50 headset.
The Astro A50 is a pure Xbox and PC headset with a convenient wireless charging dock, which houses the headset and charges the batteries when it's not in use. The battery life is generous at around 24 hours, up around ten hours from the previous gen. It will generally satisfy the vast majority of marathon gamers in most scenarios. The battery however isn't swappable, which means if it ever goes completely flat, you may need a replacement. I've had my past-gen Astro A50 for several years at this point, though, and found that it still maintains a charge extremely well. Astro doesn't get cheap on its cells, thankfully.
In my Astro A50 review, I found that the Gen-5 model has improved on the overall sound experience, dropping their on-board surround solution in favor of Dolby Atmos licensing. The audio profile on the A50 is balanced and pleasant out of the box, although admittedly not what I would call mind-blowing. Using the apps though you can set up dedicated profiles for specific games, which elevates the experience by a large amount. What is mind-blowing is the mic experience on the new Astro A50, which might be the clearest sound delivery I've ever had on a "gaming" headset. This is potentially content-creation grade quality, which often eludes headsets.
The main reason I ended up using this headset for so long above everything else is convenience. A dedicated dock for constant recharging makes this a big winner in my book, ensuring I'm never without power for streaming or podcasting. The Arctis Nova Pro edged it out thanks to its Bluetooth support, but now, the Astro A50 supports not only Bluetooth, but also fully wired platform switching via USB-C cables. I criticized Astro for only including one USB-C cable in the box to that end, though. Also, its perhaps a slight downside that the headset dock now requires a dedicated power source too, whereas the previous model didn't.
Still, overall it's still a staple in the gaming headset market. It's a fantastic product that over-delivers potentially in key ways. The Arctis Nova Pro has it beat on versatility potentially, with its retractable mic and ANC for travel, but for pure gaming set ups (particularly within the living room where you can't reach for the Nova's DAC), the Astro A50 might be the overall winner for you.
How to choose the best Xbox headset
These are the best Xbox headsets as of 2025, but as we move through the year, other options may become available. There are many headsets that are likely overdue for a refresh, and other options that we haven't included in this list because, they most likely have competitors that either offer slightly better value or slightly better features.
While writing this guide, I paid careful attention to the fact that not every headset is ideal for every person. There's certainly not a "one-size-fits-all" approach to choosing the best Xbox headset for you, especially when you consider things like features you want (or need), and what your general setup is like — although, the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (Gen 3) comes closer than ever to truly being an "everything" headset for most people.
The two main differences between Xbox headsets in 2025 boil down to wired, and wireless. Although in a way, all Xbox headsets are wireless, since you even connect wired headsets directly up to your wireless controller, generally. Most headset manufacturers these days do focus on wireless-ness for the convenience. However, t he upside of a wired headset is that they're generally cheaper than the wireless counterparts since they don't need batteries or wireless radio transmitters to connect to your console. They use a 3.5mm cable that plugs into the underside of your Xbox controller. The downside is, powering the headset from your controller can drain the battery, and plugging the controller in to charge it while using the headset jack can introduce interference. I would suggest that, unless you absolutely are on a tight budget, that you gun for a wireless headset as your first on Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S.
Wireless headsets can be more expensive for sure, generally starting at around $100, but you most likely will get a boatload of added features as a result. Wireless headsets almost always come with Bluetooth as of 2025, often with the ability to mix sound from two different sources into one headset. Using something like the Arctis Nova Pro or the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (Gen 3) for example, you can feed comms from Discord on a phone or PC, while using the Xbox signal for your game sound. All the wireless headsets we've listed on this best Xbox headsets list come with this functionality. As Microsoft explores multi-platform capabilities more and more, these types of experiences will become more standardized. Being able to use the same headset across both Xbox, PC, and for cloud gaming via mobile is something Microsoft envisions for the future of its ecosystem.
Wireless headsets often come with onboard software too for configuring things like equalization, mic-monitoring volume, and even active noise cancellation at the higher end. The downside is, again, the price, but also the fact you often have to keep them charged up. Over very long periods of time (years), lower-quality wireless headsets batteries may completely dry up too, with no way of replacing them easily. Although we are seeing a trend of swappable batteries coming to wireless headsets, and the options on this list have been heavily tested, in some cases over years, with battery degradation in mind. My old Gen-4 Astro A50 headset is still chugging along, despite being in active use for over half a decade.
Picking out the best Xbox headset can sometimes be a bit subjective too. What the headset actually looks like might be important to you, and some may prefer a different design to others. Sound reproduction can be a bit subjective to the listener too, as things like age, general preferences, and even skull and ear shape can affect how we perceive sound. Headsets that go beyond the standard 20Hz to 20kHz range may offer a richer sound experience as frequencies that dissipate beyond the standard range sound more natural as they slip out of your perception, but we're getting into almost philosophical levels of soundscaping here. This "best Xbox headsets" guide focuses on headsets that deliver good audio, comfort, features, and value as the four key pillars. Every headset on this list will at least give you a baseline high-quality audio experience, and gradually step up in quality as you go to higher price points.
I would avoid picking up anything cheaper than the HyperX CloudX at $70-ish dollars, since no-brand cheap headsets from the likes of Wish or Temu are just going to break on you, forcing you to buy multiple sets anyway. You might as well save a bit and get something that will truly last, and everything on this list will survive a fair degree of punishment, as long as you give them at least some respectable treatment.
For the vast majority, I do recommend the Turtle Beach Stealth 700 (Gen 3), if you can punch your budget up that high. The Official Xbox Wireless Headset above offers a decent experience now too at a much more affordable price point, while the Audeze Maxwells, Astro A50, and Arctis Nova Pro all give premium payers something to shoot for on the high end. For those who just want the best entry-level sound experience with zero frills and a low price, the HyperX CloudX remains, even after years upon years, a truly great option. If you don't care about having super high-quality microphones, the SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds might be a great option too. They are at least on par with Samsung GalaxyBuds for audio and active noise cancelling with your phone, and provide far better comfort and battery life on top.
As always, you can hit me up on X (Twitter) @JezCorden or in the comments below for any questions or further advice!
