Best Gaming Headsets Under 25 – If you’re absolutely strapped for cash, then the headsets listed above will do in a pinch. But really, there’s no point in wasting money on a budget gaming headset if you can wait a bit and save up for a proper one. In that case, we definitely recommend looking into these wireless gaming headsets!
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best gaming headsets under $25 for most people to buy. We factor in the price (cheaper headphones win over pricier ones if the difference isn’t worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no headphones that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
ROUND UP
If you would like to choose for yourself, here is the list of all our reviews for headphones under $25, sorted by their gaming performance. Be careful not to get caught up in the details. There are no perfect headphones. Personal taste, preference, and listening habits will matter more in your selection, especially if you don’t care about having a microphone or wireless features
1.Turtle Beach Recon
back to menu ↑
2.NUBWO
back to menu ↑
3.Gaming Headset PS4
back to menu ↑
4.Xbox One Headset
back to menu ↑
5.Mpow Blue
back to menu ↑
6.HyperX Cloud Stinger
back to menu ↑
7.ASTRO A10
back to menu ↑
8.GX50 PS4
back to menu ↑
9.RUNMUS
back to menu ↑
10.Beexcellent
back to menu ↑
Best Gaming Headsets Under 25 – BUYER’S GUIDE
-
Comfort and build: All headsets are worn up to 6 hours (at least 3 hours) in a row; not just in gaming sessions; also on regular workdays. Comfort is tested on the pressure on your head; weight, headband and padding, cushion comfort and breathability, comfort with and without glasses. Headphones can get up to 5 stars on comfort quality; an average of headband and cushions scores. That’s why half scores can occur.
-
Microphone quality: All headsets are tested in play sessions on both PlayStation and Xbox, and in a dedicated laptop + Discord blind-testing setup with three experts: a gaming enthousiast, a hifi-specialist, and a professional podcaster. Before every headset, I didn’t tell them which model I would test now, to filter out any brand and price bias. Thanks again for your extensive and honest mic quality remarks, Matthijs, Corne and Henry. Microphone quality is rated 1 to 5 stars for each model.
-
Hardware: All headsets are tested on the latest Xbox One series and PlayStation 4, the way almost all gamers play: with the 3,5 mm audiojack plugged directly into the controller. Some USB-powered headphones are tested via the USB-port of the PlayStation 4. I stayed away from expensive audio setups, amps and equalizers: these headsets are tested the way they are used most often.
-
Sound quality for games: For gaming sound performance, all headsets are tested on overall sound quality, bass, mids/ highs, and sound positioning: the ability to hear footsteps and shots around you. The latter gives you an advantage in online games. Games played for testing are not limited to Apex Legends, Call of Duty, Destiny 2, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (of which the voices in the head of the player truly mark audio positioning) and Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer, which is a fantastic test case for audio positioning. Headsets can be awarded 5 points for gaming sound; a self-adjusted average for three factors: sound positioning, bass, mids/ highs.
-
What about ‘virtual 7.1 surround sound’? Some gaming headsets claim to have 7.1 surround sound, such as the Sades A6 and Klim Puma in this test. This function only works on PC and Mac, and not on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch or phones. The simulation of ‘7.1 surround sound’ requires a USB-port and a software driver, which gaming consoles don’t offer. Even though you can connect USB-headphones to your PlayStation, it won’t generate such an effect. Rest assured: you don’t need it. The headsets in this test are extensively tested on sound positioning, and some perform stellar without a simulated 7.1 effect.
-
Sound quality for music: While not the main focus in this test and not affecting the sound quality score, all headsets are also tested for music, with always the same (pop) songs on Spotify, always on the same laptop. Again: no amp, no equalizing, just straightforward everyday usage. You can see the sound scores in the spreadsheet + overall score with music score included here.
-
Volume controls: Most headphones have volume controls on the remote in the chord or directly on one of the earcups. Some don’t, however. This turned out to be such a big annoyance and comes back in user reviews so often, that the lack of a volume slider results in a deduction of 1 point on the total score.
Frequently Asked Questions
Other headsets that didn’t make this test (and why)?
There is an incredible amount of cheap gaming headsets below or for 25 dollars. Before doing this comparison, I selected which headphones to buy and which not to buy for this test. I deliberately left out headphones with many obviously fake reviews, which were already criticized hard by user reviews or by YouTubers in previous tests. These are other gaming headsets I looked at but decided not to let partake in this test.
back to menu ↑WRAP UP
A few years ago, finding a decent gaming headset under $ 100 was tough. At best, you’d have to sacrifice tons of features and sound quality for an uncomfortable hunk of junk.
But now there are all kinds of headsets for gamers on a budget, and many of them aren’t that bad—much better than what used to be available, that’s for sure. You just have to know where to look, what to look for, and be willing to settle for less than perfect.
Amazon.com