Best Surround Sound Gaming Headsets for 2023

Surround sound is one of those you-don’t-miss-it-until-you’ve-had-it gaming setup features. It’s not a must-have, but surround sound’s absence is noticeable once gamers are accustomed to having it. Gaming headsets are a simpler alternative to expensive, elaborate, multi-component surround sound systems. With the same audio capabilities, they are generally more affordable, easier to set up and use, and more mobile — not confined to a single desk or console. While some audiophiles might argue that headphones are not true surround sound, they are much more accessible for a lot of gamers, especially for those who play online with friends.

When shopping for a new headset, it’s not even a requirement to look at gaming-specific options. Generally speaking, headsets tailored for gamers will offer the fastest, most reliable connection and versatile audio performance. With the addition of surround sound, the sound of virtual boots crunching softly through leaves, an arrow whistling through the air, or the ground-quaking rumble of a distant explosion will all take on a new aspect of realism.

Key Factors For Finding The Best Surround Sound Gaming Headset

• Console compatibility: Many headphones are optimized for certain consoles or exclude others in their compatibility, although in many cases adapters and dongles exist to make these headsets more universal.
• Surround sound or spatial audio: 7.1 surround sound, which is simply a way to refer to an audio system featuring eight channels, is the most conventional approach to more sophisticated audio in headsets. However, spatial audio is a more complex type of immersive audio, so products featuring spatial audio were considered for this roundup in consideration of players looking for an even more global listening experience.
• Wireless vs. wired: This is always an important consideration when shopping for gaming audio devices, as some players may stick to wired headsets to minimize concerns of latency and poor connectivity.

The Best Surround Sound Gaming Headsets

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless is hands-down the best overall gaming headset with surround sound. Players who want breathtakingly powerful immersive audio, without the staggeringly high price tag, will find value in the Arctis Nova 7 — especially since it’s available to all consoles, including PlayStation, Nintendo, Xbox, and PC, along with mobile devices.

SteelSeries’ 360-degree Spatial Audio tech powers the surround sound in the Arctis Nova 7, which is also compatible with PlayStation 5’s Tempest 3D and Microsoft Spatial Sound. Although the sound is not the most balanced between the lows and the highs, this headset handles game audio fantastically. In competitive games like Apex Legends, where good spatial awareness gives gamers an edge, this headset renders footsteps and enemy movement accurately and makes them easy to place.

Another fascinating feature of the Arctis 7, SteelSeries’ Sonar software powers a parametric equalizer, which takes all-around-you sound one step further by allowing fine-tuned customization of in-game environmental noise prevalence, including footsteps and weapons. Overall, the Arctis 7 is the best surround sound gaming headset you can buy for under $200. It guarantees an incredible audio experience for just about any player.

When gamers need the freedom of untethering from wired headsets, consider the Logitech Astro Gaming A30 Wireless Headset. Dolby Atmos surround sound and 3D audio are available with this headset, elevating an already intense audio experience thanks to 40mm drivers and low-latency LIGHTSPEED connectivity from Logitech. This headset can connect to three devices at the same time, which makes it incredibly convenient to chat with friends on Discord while playing games on a console.

The Astro A30 has a typical gaming headset sound profile, with more emphasis on the lows and mids, and there’s a pretty dramatic fall-off in the highs. For most games, this is no problem, and for gamers who enjoy heavy bass music, this headset sounds excellent when playing music as well. Regardless of the connection type of platform used, this headset provides excellent stereo separation, which allows for easy spatial awareness in competitive games and immersive sound design in story-driven games.

This headset is a bit on the pricier side, especially compared to the Razer Barracuda X. However, the sound quality, surround sound support, and fantastic wireless connection make the Astro A30 well worth the higher price tag.

The HyperX Cloud Orbit S is one of the most premium gaming headsets that gamers can get if they can afford it. Using the same drivers as the discontinued Audeze Mobius, this headset provides an audiophile headphone experience in a gaming headset package. The Cloud Orbit S uses planar magnetic drivers instead of the typical dynamic drivers most headsets use, and while this doesn’t make them automatically sound better, these drivers do provide some of the best sound quality on a gaming headset for under $400.

But sound quality alone is not why gamers are looking at this guide for the best surround sound gaming headset, and the Cloud Orbit S does not disappoint. This headset uses Waves Nx 3D audio tech not only to create the standard 7.1 surround sound used in many video games but also a simulated 3D audio environment using head tracking. However, the true surround sound experience is incompatible with consoles, so gamers will have to use it on a PC to get the most out of this headset.

The Logitech G432 is living proof that gamers do not need to spend an arm and a leg to get an excellent surround-sound gaming experience. Of course, at this lower price point, some concessions will need to be made. However, for gamers who want a headset that will sound pretty good, feel comfortable to wear for long gaming sessions, and still provide surround sound, the G432 is the perfect headset.

This is not the best-sounding gaming headset out there, but for under $50, it is incredibly enjoyable to game on and even to listen to music. In games, sounds are easy to pick out, and it doesn’t feel like any frequencies are fighting each other; however, for the surround sound support, gamers must use it on a PC. While listening to music, the shortcomings of the G432 are a bit more apparent, with the lows overpowering the highs, but for fans of bassy music, it sounds pretty good.

Luckily, there are a good number of budget gaming headsets to choose from these days, like the Razer Kraken V3 X, which offers pretty similar performance and surround sound support for a similar price. But the G432 just barely beats it out with better spatial sounds and a more balanced sound profile.

Audeze is no stranger to making gaming headsets geared towards audiophile users, and the Audeze Maxwell is the new hotness from this powerhouse brand. The Maxwell feels like an audiophile headphone that has been combined with the creature comforts and features gamers have to come to expect from gaming headsets. Just like the Cloud Orbit S, this headset uses planar magnetic drivers, but it also has a proprietary wireless dongle that allows for ultra-low-latency wireless connection with pretty much any console out there.

The Maxwell has a very cool industrial design that feels robust and surprisingly comfortable. However, instead of going with a typical headband adjustment system, Audeze decided to use a suspended strap. If gamers need to adjust the sizing of this strap, they will have to unscrew four screws, which feels a bit overly complicated.

This weird design decision is easy to overlook once gamers hear how good this headset sounds though. The 90mm planar magnetic drivers deliver superb sound whether gaming or listening to music. Using Audeze’s app, gamers can fine-tune the EQ exactly to their liking. While Dolby Atmos is only supported on the Xbox version, PlayStation users are not left out on surround sound gaming with support for Tempest 3D audio on the PlayStation version.

The JBL Quantum 910X Gaming Headset makes an excellent Xbox companion for any players looking to add quality spatial sound to their setup. This product employs specialized JBL QuantumSPATIAL 360 immersive audio technology to make the sound of wind shuffling through tree branches or the hiss of an arrow realistic enough to stand one’s neck hairs on end.

Despite its higher price tag, the 910X packs value into each dollar you invest in it. It offers active noise cancelation, powerful 50mm drivers, and a 37-hour battery life with a dongle. The main downside is that it’s a bit pricey.

PlayStation gamers have no shortage of surround sound gaming headsets to choose from, but an excellent PlayStation-optimized choice can be found in the Corsair Void RGB Elite Wireless Gaming Headset. It boasts 7.1 surround sound (except on Apple M1 devices) and 50mm drivers to create a deeply cinematic experience for users.

The battery life of this headset is solid, and its frame is made of solid, sturdy aluminum. This Corsair pick for PlayStation also features active noise cancelation and an expanded frequency range for the best listening experience possible. Looking for a dependable, less-bells-and-whistles gaming headset from Corsair? Check out the Virtuoso Pro, which focuses on classic headset features without the extras.

Surround Sound Is A Game Changer

What is the ideal price point for a gaming headset? That depends on who you ask, especially once surround sound is thrown into the mix. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 is an excellent pick for casual gamers looking to elevate their game audio with top-notch spatial audio. On the other hand, the Redragon H848 IRE Pro wireless gaming headset still manages to keep 7.1 surround sound on its list of perks without the price tag breaking $50.

All in all, a reliable gaming headset with impressive surround sound and at least a few other preferred speakers is most likely going to cost somewhere in the range of $150-$300, but there are options outside this spectrum in both directions for gamers with varying needs.

FAQ

Q: What is the difference between surround sound and spatial sound?

A good way to illustrate the difference between surround sound and spatial sound is that traditional stereo surround sound comes at the listener from distinct angles — from the left and the right, and from the front and the back. Spatial audio and virtual surround sound are sometimes used interchangeably, and both denote a more global approach to immersive sound, and can be heard in an entire 360-degree circle around the listener.

Q: What does it mean if a headset is ‘Dolby Atmos compatible’?

Dolby Atmos is a surround sound provider, in the form of a software that can be retroactively implemented into a headset after it’s been purchased by the user. If the product packaging claims the headset is “Dolby Atmos compatible,” that means that Dolby surround sound is possible on the headset, but not automatically available (heads up – whether specifically stated by the manufacturer or not, Dolby Atmos can provide virtual surround sound through any headset with a typical two-driver setup). The first step to implementing Dolby Atmos on a headset is by downloading the corresponding Dolby Atmos mobile app.