While many people believe that all gaming accessories are expensive, you can get a good pair of gaming headsets for under $50.
Many headsets in this price range can recognize sound effects well in gaming environments and have microphones with good recording quality, so your teammates can hear clearly.
While some may lack features like wireless connectivity or customization options found on more expensive pairs, there are plenty of cool options you can use with your console or PC that won’t break your budget.
We’ve tested over 750 pairs of headphones and here are our recommendations for the best budget gaming headphones.
Also, check out our recommendations for the best gaming headsets, Save 50% With These Best Gaming Headsets In The USA 2023, and Meta Quest 3 VR Headset And Accessories Pre-order Hot Deals.
Choose On Your Preference:
Logitech g432 Buy On Amazon
Beach Turtle Recon 50X/Recon 50P Buy On Amazon
Logitech g435 Lightspeed Wireless Buy On Amazon
Astro A10 Buy On Amazon
Arctic Steel Series 1 Buy On Amazon
HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II Buy On Amazon
Best Budget Gaming Headset 2024
1. Logitech g432
Wireless game | 5.7 |
Wired game | 7.4 |
Type | over ear |
Wireless | No |
converter | dynamic |
Noise cancellation | No |
Mic | Yes |
Reason To Buy
- Graphic equalizer and presets in the accompanying software.
- Comfortable fit.
- Good microphone performance.
Reason To Avoid
- Quality plastic construction.
- Audio delivery varies widely between users.
The best budget gaming headset we’ve tested is the Logitech G432. These wired headphones have a 1/8-inch TRRS cable, which allows you to connect to most consoles using an analog connection.
It also has a USB adapter that offers ultra-low latency, so audio and visual files stay in sync while gaming. It is well-designed, comfortable, and lightweight for long gaming sessions.
Furthermore, it is suitable for multiplayer gaming due to its built-in microphone, which does a great job of ensuring that your voice is clear even in moderately noisy environments.
Its sound profile lacks bass, which can make action-packed games seem less enjoyable, but the dialogue still sounds present and clear.
The accompanying software offers a graphic equalizer and presets to help improve your balanced sound.
Unfortunately, they produce inconsistent sounds, so you’ll have to adjust their fit and placement to get the same sound every time you use them.
The Logitech G335 costs about the same and offers more consistent sound. You may like them because they are more comfortable and durable, but they produce less bass and have no apps or features to customize the sound.
Best Cheap Gaming Headsets
2. Beach Turtle Recon 50X/Recon 50P
Wireless game | 5.2 |
Wired game | 7.0 |
Type | over ear |
Wireless | No |
converter | dynamic |
Noise cancellation | No |
Mic | Yes |
The Turtle Beach Recon 50X/Recon 50P is an affordable gaming headset. Although its simple and flexible design is a step down from the Logitech G432, it’s worth considering if price is an important factor for you.
Prices vary for some color variants, but all models will work with any device with an AUX port. The large ear cups are well-padded and comfortable enough for long gaming sessions.
Due to its wired design, the Boom Microphone offers better overall performance than the similarly priced Logitech G435 Lightspeed Wireless, which is great if you want to communicate with your teammates.
Your voice sounds clear and easy to understand, even if you’re playing in a noisy environment. Its sound also includes a strong boost in the bass range, which can enhance sound effects such as explosions during playback.
However, the excess bass overwhelms and distorts dialogue and instruments. It also doesn’t have audio customization features to help you adjust the sound to your liking, which isn’t ideal, but may be a fair deal if you’re shopping on a budget.
Best Cheap Wireless Gaming Headsets
3. Logitech g435 Lightspeed Wireless
Wireless game | 6.9 |
Wired game | 5.5 |
Type | over ear |
Wireless | Yes |
converter | dynamic |
Noice cancelling | No |
Mic | Yes |
Reason To Buy
- Lightweight and comfortable design.
- Very good battery performance.
- good recording quality
Reason To Avoid
- There is no equivalent.
- No multi-device pairing.
- Bluetooth is not high-latency wireless.
Although it may be difficult to find a wireless option at this price, the best gaming headset under $50 that we’ve tested with this design is the Logitech G435 Lightspeed Wireless.
They’re a solid choice if you don’t want to deal with cables, and they’re designed for people with smaller heads, so they’re more compact than other gaming headsets.
You can find the Turtle Beach Recon 50X/Recon 50P for a similar price, but they have a better design and are more comfortable.
You can easily pair these headphones with computers and PlayStation consoles using a dongle, or you can use Bluetooth with your Nintendo Switch and your smartphone with significantly lower latency.
It also supports Bluetooth and non-Bluetooth wireless technology, meaning you can use it while gaming or even during daily work.
However, its built-in microphone struggles to isolate voices from background noise, especially compared to Turtle Beach, so it’s not ideal for multiplayer gaming.
The good thing is that its warm sound profile is ideal for gaming. The added warmth and bounce help draw attention to sound effects like footsteps, while dialogue and instruments remain clear.
Lacks proper customization features. If you want to customize your wireless headphones to your liking, you must go up to a higher price range.
The Logitech G535 Lightspeed Wireless is a bit more expensive but still costs under $100. It works with the Logitech G Hub software, which includes a graphic equalizer and presets so you can fine-tune your sound profile.
They also provide long, consistent battery life and lower latency than wireless connectivity without Bluetooth.
Best Budget Gaming Headsets For Microphone Performance
4. Astro A10
Wireless game | 5.3 |
Wired game | 7.3 |
Type | over ear |
Wireless | No |
converter | dynamic |
Noice cancelling | No |
Mic | Yes |
Reason To Buy
- Incredible microphone recording quality.
Reason To Avoid
- There are no audio customization features.
If you’re looking for an affordable headset with solid microphone performance, look no further than the Astro A10.
These headphones are the previous generation Astro A10 Gen 2 and offer better microphone performance at a lower price. A powerful microphone makes recorded speech clear, detailed, and complete.
It does a great job of isolating your voice from background noise, including loud noises like a busy street outside your window, so your teammates can hear you clearly no matter where you play.
These headphones are well-designed and quite comfortable, with a detachable audio cable that’s easy to replace if it gets damaged.
As far as sound goes, it adds a bit of punch and boom to emphasize sound effects like footsteps. However, dialogue and instruments are placed at the end of the mix and there are no EQ presets to customize your sound.
If you don’t mind pricier headphones, the Astro A20 Gen 2 Wireless has a more balanced midrange, so elements like vocals are more present in the mix.
However, their microphone performance is not good and they also do not have an app with customization tools.
Best Budget Gaming Headsets With Detachable Microphone
5. Arctic Steel Series 1
Wireless game | 5.1 |
Wired game | 7.1 |
Type | over ear |
Wireless | No |
converter | dynamic |
Noice cancelling | No |
Mic | Yes |
Reason To Buy
- Excellent microphone performance.
- Absolutely comfortable.
- Comes with a Y-shaped divider.
Reason To Avoid
- Cheap plastic construction.
- Software support for customization options is lacking.
- Bass and treble delivery vary widely between users. Sensitive to glasses.
The best gaming headset under $50 with a detachable microphone we tested is the SteelSeries Arctis 1. This is especially useful if you’re looking for a versatile headset for casual use, as you can remove the microphone to listen.
Music while you’re in the office or on the go. Although these are being phased out, you can still find them online through some retailers.
Although it’s more expensive than the Logitech G432, it offers a more comfortable fit and a better-balanced sound profile with a little extra bounce that can help emphasize vocal effects.
However, they don’t have any apps or features to customize the sound.
The microphone has excellent recording quality, so your voice is heard clearly when you play online. It also does a good job of isolating your voice from background noise, although this isn’t ideal if you often play in a noisy venue.
However, headphones don’t isolate you from many ambient sounds. Its build quality feels flexible and not particularly durable, but the good thing is that the onboard controls are easy to use and include a microphone mute switch on one earcup.
The Most Durable Budget Gaming Headsets
6. HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II
Wireless game | 5.6 |
Wired game | 7.6 |
Type | over ear |
Wireless | No |
converter | dynamic |
Noice cancelling | No |
Mic | Yes |
Reason To Buy
- Latency is negligible.
- Good sound and microphone reproduction.
- Well built with and comfortable design.
Reason To Avoid
- A little huge.
- Bass delivery varies greatly between users. Sensitive to glasses.
It is not easy to get powerful headphones at this price. Our top pick has a nice design, but if you want a more durable headset, check out the HyperX Cloud 2/Cloud II.
Their price depends on what color you buy, and they usually cost at least $50 more, but their construction pales in comparison to any of the headphones we tested below that price.
The quality is better. Plus, it outperforms the next-generation HyperX Cloud III at a lower price, thanks to better audio delivery and microphone performance.
It works with most consoles via analog connection and comes with a US dongle that provides lower latency with PC and PlayStation and gives you more features like channel mixing and virtual surround sound.
The recording quality of the detachable microphone is similar to that of the Astro A10, although your voice sounds a little less dense.
They do a better job of isolating your voice from background noise, but they’re a bit more expensive, so the Astro is still the best option if you’re looking for great microphone performance at a lower price.
These headphones have a bass-rich sound profile that can help bring out game sound effects.
However, instruments and vocals lack some detail and expression, and unlike our top pick, it doesn’t have an app or come with sound customization features.
My Last Word
Our recommendations above are what we believe are currently the best budget-friendly gaming headsets that most people can buy. We take into account price (cheaper good gaming headphones outperform more expensive headphones if the difference isn’t worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no headphones are hard to find or out of stock almost everywhere).
If you want to choose for yourself, here’s a list of all our reviews of Amazon gaming headset/headphones under $50, ranked by gaming performance. Be careful not to get bogged down in details. There are no perfect headphones. Personal taste, preferences, and listening habits will be more important in your choice, especially if you don’t mind microphones or wireless features.
How We Gadget Reviews?
Sometimes this means testing some of the latest tech using review samples, which in turn helps us test things like resolution, refresh rate, and responsiveness.
Naturally, this is the best way to see if your gadgets and devices can deliver a good experience, providing great resolution, color, and contrast that enhances immersion as you relive your favorite adventures.
Why can you trust RMP?
The products discussed here were independently selected by our editors and received our honest opinions. This way you can be sure you are buying the best. Review Mobile Point may receive a share of the revenue if you purchase something featured on our site.
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