As any gamer knows by now, choosing your peripherals can sometimes make or break the experience. A thrilling FPS with a laggy mouse or a gorgeous RPG played on a sub-par monitor are hard enough to swallow, but with more game genres relying on audio cues, providing immersive sound design and racking up awards for their soundtracks, a good headset – for example, an EPOS H6PRO or H3 Hybrid, available now from Argos – is a must.
Whether you’re listening out for barely-perceptible footsteps in a tense battle royale, jamming along to a rhythm game, or wandering around to a spellbinding MMO soundscape, crystal clear audio is a crucial part of the experience. It can be hard to whittle down what type of headset you need in a wide market, but luckily this can be quickly deduced from the kinds of games you play.
If this is a piece of kit that you’re missing from your set up, treat yourself to something better than muffled speakers, and look no further than our speedy guide to choosing the perfect gaming headset for you.
There are all manner of differences between headsets, but we’re going to focus on a couple of key features – the difference between ‘open’ and ‘closed’ headsets, and the differences between wired and wireless headsets.
Open vs Closed
When you’re looking at headsets, you’ll often see the words ‘closed’ and ‘open’ acoustic. For example, the EPOS H6PRO headset comes in open and closed forms, as well as three different colours, but otherwise function the same. So what does this mean, and which should you choose?
The main factor here is outside noise. A set of closed acoustic headphones function the same way as passive noise-cancelling varieties, muffling outside sound and isolating the noises from your game. This is perfect for stealth-based games, or anything that relies on clever sound design to form audio cues, such as Call Of Duty: Warzone or any number of battle royales, where intense bursts of sound have to be closely monitored with no distractions. As with the H6PRO above, they will often feature a detachable boom mic positioned for optimal voice pickup.
That being said, open acoustic headphones are better for gamers who spend a lot of hours at a time on a game, as they are softer on the ears, and provide a more natural, rounded sound. Playing immersive games like The Last Of Us or story-based RPGs like Disco Elysium with a pair of open acoustic headphones will create a richer dynamic and protect your ears from heat build up.
Wired vs Wireless
When it comes to the wired vs wireless debate, many will assume that wireless equals better, but this isn’t always the case for gamers. Once again, it all comes down to prioritising specific elements of gameplay, and deciding if infallible reliability or seamless portability will add more value to your setup.
Wireless headsets are best for those who play on the go, using their mobile or a Switch to catch up on the latest games wherever they are. Non-interactive audio – so single player games or games where the soundtrack remains constant throughout – will run smoothly through wireless headphones, and can prevent the dreaded pocket tangle that wired headsets can produce. This applies to games like Animal Crossing, The Sims, or Genshin Impact.
However, if you like to play games on consoles or PC with more interactive audio – so battle royales, online multiplayer games, or driving games – a wired headset may be more your style. Apex Legends and Forza Horizon 5 would both be better suited for a wired headset, given that every second of audio counts, as the wire should keep any latency at bay.
Of course, if you’re the type to play all kinds of games and want an adaptable headset that will keep you going at home and on the go, a piece of kit like the EPOS H3 Hybrid could solve all your problems. This headset allows for maximum versatility, working both with and without a cable, and can even use both at the same time – allowing you to chat wirelessly and play with a wired connection on different devices.
Hopefully with those two key pieces of jargon busted, choosing your ideal headset will be an easy task, making your gaming setup better than ever. Be sure to check out the EPOS H6PRO and H3 Hybrid headsets for a high-quality audio experience, available now from Argos.