If you own an Xbox Series X/S, the new Xbox Wireless Headset is a feature-filled, budget-friendly device worth adding to your gaming setup.
Unless you’re a hardcore gamer, choosing the right headset is an intense process. Phrases like DTS, mod kits and nominal impedance get casually tossed about, leading most to simply scratch their heads in confusion.
The team at Xbox want to help simplify that process with the release of the Xbox Wireless Headset. Simply put, it’s a budget unit that ticks more boxes than you’d expect.
Let’s start with the price. The Xbox Wireless Headset will set you back $149.95 – about $20 cheaper than the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen we tested during our review of the Xbox Series S. It’s also $10 cheaper than PS5’s Pulse 3D wireless headset.
It’s one of the most affordable wireless units on the market, but you wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at it. This thing is incredibly simple and sleek. The subtle black and green colour combo make it great for taking with you on the go, and the artificial leather ear cups are wonderfully soft. There’s obviously a lot of plastic within the foundations, but it never felt flimsy or cheap. If your ears are on the larger side though, they might not nestle in neatly like they did for us.
A lot of thought has clearly gone into the design, which includes rotating earcup dials to adjust volume and game/chat levels. It’s a smart solution that avoids having to jump into menus or search for tiny volume wheels. Our one sticking point however is that the dial can occasionally be a bit touchy – boosting audio levels too much from a tiny rotation.
Watch the trailer for the Xbox Wireless Headset below:
Apart from that, the audio quality is exceptional for the price point. The default bass levels perform admirably, but almost everything can be tweaked via the Xbox Accessories app if you want a more personalised setup. Plus, combined with Dolby Atmos for headphones (an extra purchase) we never needed to play with regular TV speakers again.
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Game chat also seemed to be crystal clear, with an intelligent auto-mute feature attempting to remove unnecessary background noise for your friends. It won’t fix everything, but it’s a nice inclusion all the same. When you don’t need the mic, simply fold it back around the ear dial. It doesn’t detach, but blends in well enough.
Finally, there’s set-up and trust us when we tell you it’s a breeze. Seriously, pairing the headphones to our Series S took no more than about 10 seconds. There’s also no need for a dongle, which can otherwise be a real pain in the arse.
We hooked up the headphones to our PC and our iPhone as well, and both worked a treat. You’ll just need to use your phone volume control for the latter instead of the dials. The good news is that you’ll score about 12-15 hours of battery life before you need a recharge – no matter what you’re using it for.
It might sound like we’re gushing at this point, but that’s because the Xbox Wireless Headset really is that good. There are absolutely more professional, high-class units out there, but for the cost, Xbox has knocked it out of the park.
You can pick up one for yourself via most major retailers like EB Games or JB H-Fi.
You can read more about this topic over at the Gaming Observer.
