Looking for the best PS4 headset on the market? Sure you are, and we've got a selection of picks for you that'll cater for every budget.
It might be Sony's new hardware enjoying the limelight right now, but there's plenty of life left in the trusty old PS4. Headset options for a platform this mature are abundant, but among the morass of models vying for your attention, the best PS4 headsets offer a different class of sound, comfort and functionality.
- Check out our PS5 review
- Check out our reviews of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S
- PS5 vs Xbox Series X: which console should you buy?
So if you're in the market for a new one, we've got you covered. Our guide covers both wired and wireless variants, and runs the gamut of pricing from bargains right up to the upper echelons.
Sound reproduction and comfort are the hot-button issues in the headset world, but they're not entirely separate from one another. A snug fit around the earcup helps the drivers produce powerful sounds that resonate around in a chamber. Mic quality and ease of control are other major factors to keep in mind, along with battery life and charge tie with wireless models.
We've tested a wide spectrum of PS4 headsets with these criteria in mind to bring you the picks of the bunch.
- These are the best PC gaming headsets of 2020
- Best PS4 games: the most essential PlayStation 4 releases
- Best PS4 accessories: all the extras you need to own for your PlayStation 4
Best PS4 headsets on Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Black Friday falls on November 27 this year, followed by Cyber Monday on November 30, and we're expecting to see fantastic deals on the best PS4 headsets during this period.
We see small discounts on PS4 headsets throughout the year, but Black Friday and Prime Day sales periods are when we'll likely see the biggest price cuts on the best PS4 headsets. There's truly no better time to get a fantastic deal on a gaming headset
If you have plans to upgrade to a PS5 (or already have) and are concerned about picking up a new PS4 headset, then the good news is that many PS4 headsets are backwards compatible with the PS5. However, there are restrictions and not all the ones listed below will work with your PS5.
Sony has specified that its Platinum and Gold Wireless Headsets are compatible with PS5, as are third-party headsets that connect via USB port or audio jack. But the headset companion app is not compatible with PS5. It's also worth noting these headsets may not make the most of Sony's new 3D Audio.
So if you've been playing around with the idea of picking up a PS4 headset in the near future, or a compatible headset for the PS5, we would advise holding off until these sales periods - you'll be grateful you did.
We’ll be showcasing the best PS4 headset Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals on TechRadar. Keep an eye on our dedicated PS4 and PS4 Pro Black Friday deals page for all the biggest discounts. But also be sure to check back here too where our price finding system will bring you the best prices on all the products we’ve selected below.
HyperX Cloud Revolver S
Fantastic performance at a reasonable price
HyperX has developed a sizeable following among the pro-gaming community over the years. Its newest headset, the Cloud Revolver S, adds Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound to the blueprint offered by the hugely popular Cloud Revolver, without requiring you to take out a second mortgage.
Quite simply, the Cloud Revolver S sounds astonishingly good, especially at the price. You will marvel in particular at the dynamics of its sound: deep, rumbling bass and crisp, never shrieky treble that lets you hear every sound effect and totally immerses you in the ambience created by in-game music.
It's pretty well made, comfortable and classily finished, and Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound is the cherry on top, allowing you to pinpoint incoming enemies in first-person shooters – particularly if you explore the preset equalisation modes into which pro-gamers had lots of input. A truly high-end-sounding headset at a mid-range price.
Read the full review: HyperX Cloud Revolver S
PlayStation Platinum Wireless Headset
Easy to set up with an excellent sound
It might not look like much, but the PlayStation Platinum Wireless is a really solid headset with an exceptional level of audio quality.
As well as being ludicrously simple to set up, the headset sounds great and is comfortable to wear to boot.
The sound quality is balanced, offering a decent mix of low and high frequencies, and people on the other end of the line reported that its microphone delivered a decent level of audio quality.
Our one reservation is regarding the headset's "3D Audio", which fell down slightly compared to what's offered by the competition; but this is made up for the headset's very reasonable price tag.
Read the full review: PlayStation Platinum Wireless headset
SteelSeries Arctis Pro + GameDAC
Audiophile-pleasing sound
The SteelSeries Arctis Pro is one of the best-sounding headsets you can buy. As such, it's doubly worth considering if you use your PlayStation 4 to watch films and listen to music as well as play games.
Clarity and audio balance are much better than most of the other sets here. Both the Arctic Pro Wireless and GameDAC versions will work with a PlayStation 4 console, but the vanilla wired version is just for PC – so make sure you pick the right set before buying.
The GameDAC model has an outboard box with top quality Hi-Res audio converters. It needs to be wired-in though, so this may not be the best choice if you play a few meters away from your PS4. The wireless version may be a better choice.
All versions have LEDs around the cups. It may be made for audio perfectionists, but it's still a gamer headset.
Read the full review: SteelSeries Arctis Pro review.
Turtle Beach EarForce PX24
A budget price for acceptable compromises
Being strapped for cash doesn’t necessarily mean having to settle for an inferior gaming headset, and Turtle Beach’s EarForce PX24 does a pretty decent job of embarrassing plenty of its more expensive rivals. Sure, it makes more extensive use of plastic than headsets which are twice the price, but it still looks and feels sufficiently robust, and its overall lightness renders it pretty comfortable for prolonged use.
And in the areas that really matter – sound and configurability – the Ear Force PX24 is way better than it has any right to be at the price. While it doesn’t have the bass extension you'll find in a more premium headset, and its treble is a bit dry in comparison with other options at this price level, it still sounds remarkably good – and thanks to an amplifier which clips between the headset and the PS4 controller, you can boost the bass, engage Superhuman Hearing mode for first-person shooters, and even fiddle around with a virtual surround sound effect.
Finding such features, and very decent sound indeed, is a revelation for such a cheap headset. You could quibble about the EarForce PX24's slightly plasticky overall finish, but in our opinion, that's a small price to pay for a great headset at a decent cost.
Sennheiser GSP 670
No-compromise wireless luxury
This is the top-of-the-line headset from a manufacturer that knows a thing or two about great audio equipment. As such, the GSP 670 is just bursting with intelligent design touches like headband tension adjusters, a silent hinge, and above all, the most detailed soundscape you'll hear through a wireless headset. This is a model just as at home bringing newfound articulation into Spotify tracks you've heard a quintillion times as it is capturing the environmental sounds of your games.
When you are in-game though, a close but super-clear sound stage makes every bullet and revving engine really sing. The low end's pronounced, but never muddy or overpowering.
Setup on PS4 is super simple, and the USB receiver dongle is unobtrusive. Once you're up and running you can expect about 15-16 hours of charge time, and it's fast one to recharge too - offering two hours of play after just seven minutes plugged in.
Steelseries Arctis 9
The future-proof wireless option
The Arctis family has many variants, but for the PS4 gamer with their eyes on the near future, the Arctis 9 is your best bet.
It's wireless, features Bluetooth connectivity on top of that, and lets you run speaker inputs through the hub so you don't have to change audio ins and outs manually - just turn the headset on and off and let your system figure out the rest.
Like all models in this illustrious family, the response is flatter and more like a set of studio cans than other gaming models. That means a less pronounced bass response, so drum and bass devotees may perhaps want to look elsewhere. Everyone else is treated to a rich soundscape that's perfect for gaming but not so tightly tuned that it can't work for music or movies, too.
Virtual surround is on the menu - and actually quite hard to turn off, though possible - but the best sound comes from the stereo configuration. The retractable mic isn't a highlight, coming across quite thin compared with other mics, but it's clear, reliable, and great at noise-cancelling away those keyboard clacks.
Best of all, the Arctis 9 is compatible with PS5 right off the bat, so no need to rethink your audio setup come preorder arrival day.
Astro A50
For those who literally put their money where their mouth is
Astro's reputation in the gaming headset sphere has been the envy of other manufacturers for the better part of a decade now. Like all previous versions of the A50, this refreshed model is about as expensive as the market gets, but it's also right at the high-tide line for quality.
You'd expect some pretty special build quality for the price and what you get is a design that not only looks great sitting on your desk thanks to a combination of rubberised matte and gloss aluminium finishes, but delivers exceptional comfort too. There's more cushioning here around the earcups and headband than on a corner sofa, but it's not heavy or stifling as a result.
The sound is definitely designed with games as a priority, so you get a pronounced bass response that makes itself known when bullets fly, engines rev, and combustible objects combust, as they are wont to do in videogames. But it's not tweaked to such an extreme at the driver level that it sounds artificially scooped when you bring up Spotify or Netflix - and that subtlety it retains outside games really sets it apart.
It's not a perfect headset - they never are - and seems marginally slower to charge on its wireless base stand than we've come to expect from USB-charging wireless cans. On the topic of faint disappointment, the Command Center software is functional but not quite as feature-rich as you might expect for the A50's accompanying app.
Still, like we said, they're never perfect. But if the price doesn't put you off, this will get you close.
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