Finding out the best form factor for the most optimal gaming experience and a competitive edge.
Introduction
If you’re an avid gamer, then you should understand how important audio quality is in the overall gaming experience. You must get a good pair of headphones, especially if you play highly competitive online multiplayer games. But with so many options available, where do you even start?
Although there are a wide variety of headphones that cover different price ranges in the market, you may find it difficult to choose between getting wired or wireless gaming headsets. Each has its unique features and determining the right one for you may not be that easy at first glance.
That’s why we’ve made this article to help you decide on which form factor best suits your needs so that you can have the best gaming experience. More specifically, we’ve listed some of the factors you should take into consideration when buying a new pair of gaming headphones.
What Are Wired Gaming Headsets?
Wired gaming headsets use a cable or wire to connect the headphones to your PC or any other audio device through USB or a 3.5mm jack port.
In most cases, it’s important to note that wired gaming headsets do provide better sound, but this is only really applicable if you’re listening to raw music files or high-quality audio. For use in playing games, most gamers won’t be able to tell the difference in audio quality at all.
One of the more important things to know about wired headsets is that they can restrict your overall movement during gaming. This shouldn’t be a problem in most cases since you’ll often be sitting still while gaming in front of the PC.
What Are Wireless Gaming Headsets?
On the other hand, wireless gaming headsets do not have wires or any cables attached to them, instead, these use a Bluetooth connection. Also, wireless headphones sometimes come with a wireless USB audio dongle that you plug into a USB port to connect with the device.
The main takeaway about wireless headphones is that you’re free to move around without having to worry about wires limiting your range of movement.
This is great if you often find yourself getting up from your seat to grab something in the other room, but you don’t want to stop the audio or go through the hassle of taking off your headset. Wireless headsets are almost always recommended when playing VR games, as these often require you to move around. Having cables dangling would simply get in your way.
You can click here to find out the best wireless gaming headset in the market.
What to Look Out for in Gaming Headsets
Wired and wireless gaming headsets each have their pros and cons. Below are some of the things you should take into consideration when picking between the two.
Sound quality
Sound quality is probably at the top of the list of important features to look out for in headphones. Although it can be said that wired headsets provide better audio compared to wireless ones, the difference is usually due to the overall quality of the headphone speaker drivers themselves.
A more high-quality wireless headset will always sound better than a mediocre wired headset and vice versa. However, when generally comparing wired and wireless headsets, the sound quality is indistinguishable to most people.
As long as you’re gaming or listening to simple MP3 music files, you’ll most likely not be able to tell the difference between the two headsets.
Compatibility with other audio devices
If you’re planning to use your gaming headset for your PC, then it doesn’t matter what you choose since both wired and wireless are compatible.
A wired headset with a headphone jack can connect to any device that has the appropriate 3.5mm audio port. If it uses a USB interface instead, then it isn’t possible to use it with your mobile phone.
On the other hand, wireless headsets can easily pair up with smartphones and other Bluetooth compatible devices. But if it uses a wireless USB audio dongle, then it won’t be possible to pair it up with your phone.
Be sure to understand where you’ll be using your gaming headset so you know what type of interface to look out for.
Overall convenience
In regards to overall convenience, many people believe that wireless gaming headsets are the way to go.
With wireless headphones, you won’t have any restricted movement, meaning you can easily stand up and walk around as you please without worrying about tugging on any cord or getting caught up in wires. These are especially useful if you’re the type of gamer who tends to jump off their chair after winning an intense game.
The downside of having a wireless headset is that you’ll have to charge it up, and how often you charge it depends on how often you use it.
With wired headphones though, you don’t need to charge them up. You can simply plug them in anytime and get straight to the gaming experience. However, as mentioned earlier, your movement is restricted to the overall length of the cord.
Price
Although headphones come in a wide range of prices, you’ll often see that wireless headphones are more expensive than wired ones, and this is due to the added technology needed for the device to function.
When picking out headphones, it usually boils down to the personal preference of the user and their overall budget. If you prefer convenience over price, then you might opt to go for wireless headphones, but if you find that you’re on a tight budget, then it’s possible to seek wired headphones with similar features.
Whether the price is a major factor for you or not, there are several options out there that can suit your needs while meeting your budget.
Conclusion
To recap here’s what you need to consider:
- In normal circumstances, wired and wireless headsets both sound the same
- Check what devices you’ll be using your headphones on and pick the headset with the most appropriate interface
- Determine what is more convenient for you (non-restricted movement or plug-and-play)
- The capacity of your budget
With all these in mind, you should now be able to determine whether you should go for a wired or wireless gaming headset. A proper headset can make your gaming session better by improving your audio senses in-game and adding that extra bit of immersive experience.
