Best Overall Value
Ask any long-time PC gamer for a budget headset and this is the name that comes back. The Cloud II has sat near the top of value rankings for years, and around the fifty pound mark it still makes almost everything else here look expensive or flimsy. The 53mm drivers are larger than the 40mm units in the Turtle Beach Recon 70 and the Trust GXT 488, and that extra cone area shows in fuller mids and bass that has body without drowning the mid-range where footsteps and reload cues live.
What actually sells the Cloud II is the headband. HyperX borrowed the memory foam and leatherette from its Qpad heritage, and owners routinely report multi-hour sessions without the clamp fatigue that plagues cheaper sets. The aluminium frame flexes rather than creaks. Compare that to the all-plastic Ozeino or the Recon 70, both of which owners describe as comfy but creaky, and you can feel where the money went.
The detachable mic is the other headline. It clips out entirely, so the Cloud II moonlights as a normal pair of headphones on the train, something neither the Razer BlackShark V2 X (fixed boom) nor the Recon 70 can manage. Voice capture is clear and full, and owners consistently rank it above the thin mics on the sub-£30 wireless sets in this list. The bundled USB sound card adds virtual 7.1 for PC, though plenty of players leave it in stereo and plug the 3.5mm straight into a PS5 pad.
Where does it lose points? No wireless, no RGB, and the 7.1 is virtual rather than true surround. If cable-free movement is your priority, the Logitech G733 or the budget 2.4GHz sets are the ones to look at instead. But for pure sound-per-pound with a mic you can trust in ranked lobbies, nothing else here matches it. See our full HyperX Cloud II review for the full breakdown. HyperX also publishes full specs on the official HyperX site.
Pros
- Detachable mic doubles the headset as everyday headphones
- Aluminium frame rather than the all-plastic budget norm
- Two-year HyperX warranty, longer than most rivals here
- Plugs into PS5, PC and Xbox via 3.5mm without the USB card
Cons
- No wireless option at any price in this range
- Leatherette pads run warm in summer sessions
- 7.1 is virtual, processed by the USB dongle
Buy on Amazon£61.99Read full review
Best for Competitive Play
Weight decides this one. At 240g the BlackShark V2 X is one of the lightest sets here, and for competitive shooters where the headset stays on for hours, that lightness matters more than any spec sheet suggests. The Recon 70 is lighter still on paper, but the BlackShark pairs its low mass with 50mm Razer TriForce drivers that separate highs, mids and lows more clearly than the single-chamber 40mm units in the budget crowd.
The reason to buy it over the Cloud II comes down to the mic and the soundstage. The cardioid microphone picks up your voice from the front and rejects sound from the sides, so keyboard clatter and room noise stay out of team chat better than the Cloud II's omni-style boom. And the tuning leans towards clarity over warmth, which helps you place footsteps and gunfire directionally. That is exactly what a ranked player wants, even if it makes music sound a touch lean.
Passive noise cancellation from the thick memory foam seals out ambient noise without any battery or ANC circuitry, so there is no lag or hiss to worry about. It connects over plain 3.5mm, which means PS5, PC, Switch and Xbox controllers all work. The trade-off against the Cloud II: the boom mic is fixed, so this never becomes a discreet pair of street headphones. If you value that flexibility, the Cloud II wins; if you value mic isolation and low weight, this does. We covered the details in our Razer BlackShark V2 X review.
Pros
- Cardioid mic rejects side and rear noise better than most here
- 240g keeps long ranked sessions comfortable
- Cross-platform 3.5mm with no dongle needed
Cons
- Fixed boom mic, no detach option
- Lean bass makes it less fun for music and cinema
- No inline volume dial on the PlayStation variant
Buy on Amazon£29.00Read full review
Best Build Quality
The Alpha is what happens when HyperX rethinks the Cloud II's drivers. Instead of one chamber per ear, it splits each 50mm driver into two, keeping bass frequencies apart from mids and highs. The result, per HyperX and echoed by owners, is bass that hits harder without muddying voices. If you play a lot of bass-heavy singleplayer or want cinema thump, the Alpha edges the Cloud II. For pure competitive clarity, the Cloud II and BlackShark stay slightly ahead.
Build is where it genuinely leads this whole group. The exposed dual-frame aluminium is more rigid than the Cloud II's, and the detachable braided cable with inline volume control is a step up from a bare 3.5mm lead. Owners regularly report these lasting years of daily use, and the two-year warranty backs that. Against the plastic Recon 70 or the Ozeino, there is no contest on longevity.
It sits a few pounds above the Cloud II, which is the only real reason it isn't higher. You pay a small premium for tighter bass and a sturdier frame. If your budget is tight, the Cloud II gives you 90 percent of this for less; if you want the best-built wired set here and richer low end, spend the extra. Full notes are in our HyperX Cloud Alpha review.
Pros
- Dual-chamber drivers keep bass separate from vocals
- Detachable braided cable with inline volume control
- Aluminium dual frame is the sturdiest wired build here
Cons
- Costs more than the near-identical-performing Cloud II
- No USB sound card in the box, so no PC 7.1
- Detachable mic but a fixed pad style that warms up
Buy on Amazon£49.89Read full review
Best Wireless
The Recon 70 is the headset most people should try first if they've never owned a dedicated gaming set. The 40mm drivers won't rival the HyperX 53mm units, but the tuning is punchy and easy to like, and the flip-to-mute mic is the friendliest mic system here: swing it up, you're muted, swing it down, you're live. No fumbling for a switch mid-match.
It's light and multi-platform, plugging into PS5, Xbox, Switch and PC over 3.5mm. Owners like the lightweight fit, though the plastic frame creaks and the earcups are on the shallow side for larger ears. Against the Trust GXT 488 at the same price, the Recon 70 has the better-known name and the neater mute system; against the Cloud II, it's a clear step down in sound and build, but also cheaper.
Buy this if you want a no-nonsense first headset that just works across consoles. Spend more only when you know you want better audio. Our Recon 70 review covers the white version, which is mechanically identical.
Pros
- Flip-to-mute mic is the simplest mute here
- Genuinely cross-platform over 3.5mm
- Light enough for younger players
Cons
- Plastic frame creaks under pressure
- Shallow earcups press on larger ears
- Non-detachable cable
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Best Under £25 Console Pick
Same headset as the silver Recon 70, different colour, and often a few pounds cheaper at around twenty-five quid. The 40mm drivers, flip-to-mute mic and 3.5mm cross-platform connection are identical, so everything said about the silver applies here. The white shell shows grime faster, which is the only real reason to prefer the silver.
Against its own silver twin, buy whichever is cheaper on the day. Against the Trust GXT 488 at the same price, the Recon 70 keeps the flip-to-mute edge. It's the honest sub-£25 console pick: cheap, light, and does the basics without pretending to be more. Read our full Recon 70 White review.
Pros
- Frequently the cheapest way into the Recon 70
- Flip-to-mute mic carried over intact
- Works on PS5, Xbox, Switch and PC
Cons
- White finish marks easily
- Same creaky plastic frame as the silver
Buy on Amazon£24.99Read full review
Best Licensed PlayStation Pick
The Forze-G is officially licensed for PlayStation, which means the styling matches a PS5 setup and Sony has signed off on compatibility. Around twenty-five pounds it competes head-on with the Recon 70, and the inline remote on the cable is its main draw: volume and mute sit at your fingertips rather than on the earcup.
The flexible mic bends to position and the over-ear pads are comfy enough for a couple of hours. Sound is average, with a bass lean that suits big singleplayer moments more than competitive precision. Against the Recon 70, you trade the flip-to-mute for an inline remote; against the Cloud II, you're saving money and giving up a lot of sound quality. Buy it if you want a PlayStation-matched look on a tight budget. See our budget headset comparisons for how these bottom-end sets stack up.
Pros
- Officially licensed for PS4 and PS5
- Inline remote for volume and mute
- Flexible mic bends to fit
Cons
- Average, bass-leaning sound
- PlayStation focus limits Xbox appeal
- Plastic build like the rest of this bracket
Buy on Amazon£24.99Read full review
Best for PC and Voice Chat
The H390 isn't strictly a gaming headset, and that shapes who it suits. It's a USB-A office headset with a noise-cancelling boom mic and inline controls, built for calls and voice chat. But it doubles as a capable, cheap PC gaming set if your gaming is Discord-heavy and PC-only. The mic is its strength, and owners rate it clear for voice, better than the tinny mics on the budget wireless sets here.
The catch is stark: USB-A only means no PS5, no Xbox, no Switch. Plug it into anything without a USB port and it does nothing. Sound is stereo and modest, tuned for speech rather than explosions. So this is the pick only if you game on a PC or laptop and care more about being heard clearly than about immersive audio. For console players, the Recon 70 is the better twenty-five to thirty pound buy. Full notes in our Logitech H390 review.
Pros
- Clear noise-cancelling mic for chat
- Plug-and-play USB-A, no drivers needed
- Comfortable for long calls and sessions
Cons
- PC and laptop only, no console support
- Modest stereo sound tuned for speech
- No 3.5mm fallback
Buy on Amazon£29.90Read full review
Best for Travel and Dual-Use
These aren't a gaming headset in the traditional sense, they're hybrid ANC Bluetooth headphones with a 70-hour battery and a built-in mic. That makes them a dual-use buy: proper active noise cancelling for the commute, then gaming over Bluetooth at home. The catch for gaming is latency. Bluetooth adds audio delay, which is fine for singleplayer and casual play but hopeless for competitive shooters where sound timing matters.
The 70h battery dwarfs the G733's 29h, and the folding design travels far better than any boom-mic gaming set here. The mic is built for calls rather than team chat, so it's fine for party voice but thin next to the Cloud II. Buy these if you want one pair of headphones for travel, music and the odd relaxed game. If gaming is the whole point, the wired sets or the LIGHTSPEED G733 will serve you far better. Our RUNOLIM review has the detail.
Pros
- Hybrid ANC for travel and noisy rooms
- 70-hour battery outlasts every gaming set here
- Folds flat for a bag
Cons
- Bluetooth latency rules out competitive play
- Mic is call-grade, not team-chat grade
- No 2.4GHz low-latency option
Buy on Amazon£20.99Read full review
Best Budget Wireless
For under thirty pounds this squeezes in three connection types: 2.4GHz USB dongle, USB-C and Bluetooth, plus a 40-hour battery. That flexibility is the whole pitch, and it covers PS5, PC, Switch and phones. The 2.4GHz link keeps latency low enough for casual play, unlike the RUNOLIM's Bluetooth-only setup.
Drivers are average and the mic is weak, so this loses to the G733 on sound and mic clarity by a clear margin. But the G733 costs far more. If you want cable-free play cheap and won't fuss over audiophile detail, this is the sensible budget wireless choice. Our budget wireless headset review covers the near-identical sibling.
Pros
- 2.4GHz, USB-C and Bluetooth in one set
- 40-hour battery for the money
Cons
- Weak mic for team chat
- Average drivers next to wired rivals
Buy on AmazonRead full review
Best Cheapest Wireless
The cheapest wireless option here at around twenty-three pounds, with a 2.4GHz dongle, virtual 7.1 and a 40h-plus battery. It undercuts the triple-connection set above but drops a connection type and some build quality to get there. The 7.1 is software-processed and, as on most cheap sets, better switched off.
Against its slightly pricier sibling at number 10, you save a few pounds and lose USB-C and some polish. Fine for casual PS5 or PC play where you just want no cable. Not a set for ranked lobbies.
Pros
- Cheapest wireless entry here
- 40h-plus battery and 2.4GHz dongle
Cons
- Virtual 7.1 smears stereo detail
- Build and mic reflect the price
Buy on Amazon£22.99Read full review
Best for RGB on a Shoestring
The cheapest set on the list leans hard on looks: RGB lighting, memory foam earmuffs and a flexible mic for around twenty-two quid. It's wired 3.5mm, so it plugs into most platforms, and the RGB gives it more visual flash than anything else here.
Sound, though, is where the price shows. Owners describe it as cheap and boxy next to the Cloud II or even the Recon 70. Buy it if a young gamer wants lights and you want to spend the least possible. Everyone else should stretch to the Recon 70. Our Ozeino review has the full picture.
Pros
- RGB and looks for rock-bottom money
- Memory foam earmuffs are comfy
Cons
- Boxy, cheap sound
- RGB drains a USB port for lighting only
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