The headset is a crucial piece of equipment when gaming on your Xbox One. It could make the difference between first or second place when playing your favorite first-person shooter. A good gaming headset could also help immerse you further into the story of your new adventure game. It also could help your marriage by allowing you to stay up late into the night playing without disturbing your partner. Here's a buying guide for your next gaming Xbox One headset.
Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter
BYOH : Bring your headset to the party with the Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter. The Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter is an inexpensive accessory that plugs into the bottom of your Xbox One controller. With it, you plug in any 3.5mm stereo headset to receive game audio. You can get game audio and chat functionality by plugging in any headset with a built-in microphone. We recommend grabbing this little adapter no matter what route you go. Some older gaming headsets not designed for Xbox One will need this adapter for chat capabilities. Retails for $24.99 [Amazon].
Xbox One Stereo Headset
Best for beginners : The Xbox One Stereo headset is Microsoft's own gaming headset solution. It launched a few months after the Xbox One and is a great headset to buy if you're a casual gamer. It doesn't have all the whiz-bang features of higher-end headsets, but you do get stereo sound, unidirectional microphone for clear voice capture and more. It also includes the Xbox One Stereo Headset Adapter. Retails for $79.99, but can be found for less [Amazon].
Polk Audio 4Shot
Best multi-purpose headset : The Polk Audio 4Shot is one nice looking headset. It is the result of collaboration between audio engineers and game designers from Microsoft Studios. We like the 4Shot because you can use it on your Xbox One, but also take it out to use in public and not look too ridiculous. Most gaming headsets look pretty cartoonish, but the 4Shot is a handsome headset we'd use with our other devices. At launch, there were mic issues, but those have been addressed with subsequent firmware updates from Polk and Microsoft. You find the 4Shot in three color options, though we'd personally spring for blue. Retails for $159.95 [Amazon].
Turtle Beach Ear Force XO Seven
Best bang for your buck headset : The Force XO Seven is one great headset if you want to get your money's worth. Most gamers pickup the Force XO Seven if they want a great sounding headset that doesn't break the bank, but also gives them that competitive advantage. Full-range 50mm speakers help deliver stellar audio. You can even customize the look of your headset with swappable speaker plates. You can game for hours in comfort with the noise-isolating memory foam ear cushions. The mic boom can be removed as well if you want to take this out in public and not look like a commando. Retails for $159.95, but can easily be found for less [Amazon].
Astro A50
Best to PwN nOoBs : You can't go wrong with the Astro A50 wireless headset for your Xbox One. This premium headset delivers 7.1 surround sound to your ears. 5.8GHz wireless technology delivers clarity and range when using the Astro A50. You will need to connect a cable to your Xbox One controller to chat, but that's a small price to pay for one of the best sounding headsets around. Pro tip: Grab the Astro A40 if you prefer a wired version of the same headset. Retails for $299.99 [Amazon].
Turtle Beach Ear Force Stealth 500X Headphones
For the future : Turtle Beach has the Ear Force Stealth 500X coming out on October 31, and we already have our pre-orders in. The Stealth 500X will be a completely wireless DTS headset with 7.1 channel surround sound. You'll get 15 hours of gameplay on a single charge. It's truly completely wireless and doesn't even need a cable connected to the controller to allow you to chat. We can't wait to play Halo: The Master Chief Collection with the Stealth 500X. Retails for $229.99 [Amazon].
What do headset do you use with your Xbox One? Let us and others know!