Best Budget Gaming Headsets

1. HyperX Cloud Stinger

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Editor’s Rating: 4.7/5

The HyperX Cloud Stinger is one of the most popular budget gaming headsets on the market. It’s an over-the-ear headset with a minimalist design, with manufacturer Kingston obviously prioritizing function over fancy cosmetics.

The Stinger is made of plastic, which contributes to its ultra-lightweight design. It has large, rotating ear cups that can go all the way to a flat state, making it easy to store. The ear cups are big enough to completely cover your ears, helping muffle background noise in the process. The Stinger is extremely comfortable to wear, with the memory foam ear cushions tag-teaming with the adjustable steel slider to ensure it never feels like a hard clamp on the head during extended gaming sessions.

This gaming headset comes with on-cup audio controls. The volume slider is located under the right ear cup, making it easy to access mid-game. On the other cup, the Stinger has a noise-canceling mic. It has a swivel-to-mute function. Just swivel it in an upward position parallel to the headband and it sets to mute. It can’t be removed from the ear cup, though.

Compatible with multiple platforms, including PS4 and Xbox One, the Stinger has a well-balanced sound quality, with clear details and the right level of bass to ensure an immersive experience across different games, and that includes first-person shooters and expansive open-world games. While not on par with dedicated gaming mics, the built-in mic gets the job done.

In summary, the Stinger is a budget gaming headset that delivers on nearly all fronts. It has excellent sound quality and a comfortable design with on-cup controls and also comes with a long cable. If you want the best gaming headset under $50, get the Stinger.

2. Sades A60/OMG

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Editor’s Rating: 4.3/5

In appearance, the Sades A60/OMG is the opposite of the HyperX Cloud Stinger. It’s a $30 gaming headset that can probably pass off as a $100 gaming headset, featuring a striking design complete with LED lights on the ear cups. But the A60/OMG is not just about looks; it also brings real value to the table.

The A60/OMG is an over-the-ear gaming headset with large memory foam-equipped ear cups that can easily cover your ears. It has a padded headband for additional comfort. The large ear cups keep background noise to a minimum, helping you stay focused on games, especially the ones that require quick reactions. Compared to the Stinger, this gaming headset is on the heavy side. It can feel a bit uncomfortable after around six hours of non-stop use.

The omnidirectional mic is on the left ear cup. While non-removable, it can retract into the ear cup when not in use. The mic quality is good but not great. It’s clear and can easily pick up whispers, but at the same time, it lacks a noise-canceling function. When it comes to sound quality, the A60/OMG is good for its price. It’s quite heavy on the bass and can get really loud sometimes, so make sure to turn the volume down before you go for a test run. For casual gaming, the sound quality of this gaming headset should be enough.

Overall, the build quality of the A60/OMG is solid, but don’t expect it to be as durable as $200 gaming headsets. Similar to most, if not all of the gaming headsets under $30, this gaming headset is made of plastic, so it does feel cheap. But on the bright side, the braided cable is really tough.

For a $30 gaming headset, the A60/OMG exceeds expectations. It has a solid construction with a handsome design and comes with good sound quality. It’s not compatible with gaming consoles, though, but it works really well on PC. If you can’t afford to spend more than $30 on a gaming headset, the A60/OMG is one of the best options on the market.

3. Logitech G430

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Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5

Logitech is one of the most well-known brands when it comes to gaming accessories, producing a wide range of products that cater to both casual and hardcore gamers.

If you spend a lot of time watching gamers on YouTube or Twitch, there’s a good chance you’ve already seen the Logitech G430 at least once. It’s an affordable gaming headset most gamers can easily recognize at a single glance, courtesy of its distinct design. It’s also notable for being one of the few budget gaming headsets that offer a virtual surround sound option that actually works.

An over-the-ear gaming headset, the G430 comes with a pair of large ear cups held together by a padded headband. The ear cups can rotate to a flat position, making the headset easy to store for transport. The ear cups come with a breathable pair of cushions that can be removed for cleaning. The G430 has a noise-canceling mic, translating to a better communication line between you and your teammates in multiplayer games. The mic is non-removable, though, but it can fold out of the way when not in use.

Like the HyperX Cloud Stinger, the G430 has a lightweight frame, making it less of a burden on the head during marathon gaming sessions. But on the flip side, the G430 has a rather flimsy construction, the chief reason the Stinger is regarded as the better option despite its lack of a virtual surround sound option. In particular, the area that connects the ear cups and the headband is prone to cracking, as noted by several users.

The G430 sound experience is really good. It has the right amount of bass. But with the virtual surround sound option, accessed via the included USB dongle, the sound quality turns from really good to great. The advertised immersive sound experience is on point.

Considering everything it brings to the table, the G430 is a steal. It has a simple, lightweight design with an extra-long braided cable. It’s comfortable on the head even if you’re wearing glasses. And it has good sound quality, with or without the virtual surround sound. All of that for less than $50.

4. Turtle Beach Ear Force Recon 50X

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Editor’s Rating: 4.2/5

Turtle Beach is a popular gaming headset brand, boasting an extensive lineup of products that range from budget to high-end. The Turtle Beach Ear Force Recon 50 belongs in the former category. It’s a gaming headset that comes in three colors: red for PC, blue for PS4, and green for Xbox One. Of the three, the Ear Force Recon 50X, or the Xbox One model, is often the cheapest on Amazon.

The Ear Force Recon 50X is an over-the-ear gaming headset with a simple but effective design. It has a pair of large ear cups with synthetic leather cushions. The ear cups are large enough to cover most ear sizes, which translates to a passive noise-canceling function that tunes out background noise, keeping you focused on the game. Though the headband padding is not as generous, the overall design of the Ear Force Recon 50X is comfortable, making it a good companion during extended gaming sessions.

Unlike our top three products here, the Ear Force Recon 50X has a gooseneck mic design, which is a lot more flexible. In addition, the mic can be removed from its socket, but there’s no option to switch the mic location from the left ear cup to the right, which can be a negative for some people. Built-in mics on budget gaming headsets are often subpar, but in this case, the mic is actually good. It has crystal clear quality, leading to better team chats.

The Ear Force Recon 50X is built for gaming. It has good sound quality for gaming but lacks juice for watching movies and listening to music. It has a balanced bass and clear mids and lows. The audio controls can be found on the cable. Sadly, there’s no way to adjust the game and chat volumes individually. If you want to lower the chat volume, the game volume goes down with it.

With the Ear Force Recon 50X, you get a quality gaming headset for just $30. It has a lightweight and comfortable design, a flexible mic, and good sound quality. It has a flimsy plastic construction, though, so it can’t take a lot of punishment.

5. Corsair HS50

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Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5

The Corsair HS50 is a gaming headset that doesn’t look the part. It has an all-business design, making it an excellent fit for both gaming and everyday outdoor use.

The HS50 is an over-the-ear headset housed in a well-built and durable frame. It’s not as flimsy as most plastic-made gaming headsets out on the market. It has a pair of large ear cups with firm but comfortable cushions. But while the ear cups feel good on the ears, the cushions are not the most breathable, which leads to sweaty ears in the long run.

Like the Turtle Beach Ear Force Recon 50X, the HS50 has a flexible mic on the left ear cup. It’s a little short, though, so it rests on your cheek. If you don’t plan to use it, you can simply remove it from the ear cup. Behind the left ear cup is a set of audio controls, including a mute button. The volume wheel is easy to access, although some people might find the location awkward.

The HS50 comes with a long cable that ends with a 3.5-millimeter jack. Corsair opted for a non-braided cable for this gaming headset, so the cable is not the most durable. Make sure to secure the long cable with a clip or something to lower your chances of ending up with a tangled cable.

The sound quality of the HS50 is good but not great. It has a punchy bass and decent mids and highs. It can be really loud, though, which can be a good thing or a bad thing – it depends on your preferences. Not surprisingly, the mic quality is pretty average. It has a noise-canceling function that keeps communication lines free from background noise, but it can be too sensitive sometimes.

Overall, the HS50 is a budget gaming headset that offers great value for just $50. It’s not as comfortable as the HyperX Cloud Stinger, but it has a more solid construction. It’s compatible with multiple gaming platforms, including the PS4 and the Nintendo Switch, and comes with a 2-year warranty.

6. PDP Afterglow LVL 5+

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Editor’s Rating: 4.1/5

In design, the PDP Afterglow LVL 5+ is in the same boat as the Sades A60/OMG. It has that unmistakable flashy look that immediately tells you it’s a gaming headset. The Afterglow LVL 5+ comes in either blue or green, with each color representing the PS4 and the Xbox One, respectively. Other than the color, there are no other significant differences between them.

The Afterglow LVL 5+ is an over-the-ear gaming headset with a bulkier frame than most of the products listed here. It’s also on the heavy side, though the batteries that power up the LED lights on the ear cups add to the overall weight. With the batteries removed, it becomes more lightweight.

This gaming headset comes with generous padding on both the ear cups and the headband, making it comfortable to wear for long stretches. But it’s clear that PDP designed the Afterglow LVL 5+ with kids and teenagers in mind. The ear cups are slightly smaller than usual and might have trouble covering large ears, which can affect their passive noise-canceling function.

The flexible mic is on the left ear cup. It has a noise-canceling feature that ensures your voice is delivered to your teammates in crystal clear quality. While non-detachable, the mic can be easily swiveled out of the way when not in use.

The audio controls are also located on the left ear cup. On the positive side, the location and size of the audio buttons make them easy to access mid-game. But on the negative side, the buttons can be hard to press in the beginning – a volume slider or wheel is the more suitable choice for on-cup controls.

When it comes to sound quality, the Afterglow LVL 5+ is just about what you’d expect from a $50 gaming headset: good but not exactly spectacular. In its default form, it has a well-balanced sound with adequate bass. But with the bass boost, courtesy of the dynamic haptic drivers, the Afterglow LVL 5+ offers a more immersive sound experience.

The Afterglow LVL 5+ is one of the best entry-level gaming headsets on the market. It has a comfortable and flexible frame with generous paddings and comes with that sexy bass boost. It has good audio quality, with or without the bass boost, and comes with a noise-canceling mic designed for team chats.