The best gaming headsets are going on sale for Black Friday throughout the end of November, and we're here to help you find the best deals on a new pair of cans. Peripherals like headsets are in the perfect price range to make great gifts as we head into the holidays, plus they can be great compliments to make sure you're getting the most out of the best gaming PCs as you upgrade.
Headsets make for a perfect way to get high-quality audio without spending big on a surround sound setup, plus they're borderline necessary if you live in a crowded place. Some also come with nice extras, like noise cancellation, which you can't get on speakers or soundbars. And the built-in microphones make for an easy way to communicate with teammates and coworkers.
Some content even sounds better on headsets than any other kind of listening device. Take ASMR, which is often recorded with binaural microphones meant to mimic the human ear. Listening to this type of content on a good headset can make it sound like the speaker is right there in the room with you.
All these benefits and use cases mean there are a lot of different types of headsets out there, so we're making this list to help you separate the good from the bad as you shop for a gaming headset deal.
Specs to Look For: Black Friday Gaming Headset Deals
Wired or Wireless? - Wireless lag arguably doesn't matter as much for headsets as it does for other gaming peripherals, since the only input you'll be making with them is via your voice. Still, it's never fun to have lag so extreme that your audio and video are out of sync. With more wireless headsets communicating over 2.4GHz and above, that's now less of a concern, but you'll pay more for the privilege.
Active or Passive Noise Cancellation? - There are actually two kinds of noise cancellation out there. Passive noise cancellation is similar to what earplugs or some earmuffs will give you, in that the headset's construction naturally blocks outside noise. Active noise cancellation, meanwhile, uses microphones on the outside of the headset to produce an inverse sound signal to cancel unwanted noise out.
Type of microphone - Microphones built into headsets usually won't cut it for professional, stream-quality audio, but most are still plenty good for conversing with teammates and coworkers. The best of the best here are boom mics, with some having a bidirectional pickup pattern and others favoring unidirectional or even omnidirectional pickup patterns. Which will work best for you depends on your setup, so you'll also want to look into bass pickup and general quality, as well as bonus features like being able to store the microphone inside the headset or mute it just by flipping it up.
Haptic feedback - Haptic feedback is a rare feature starting to make its way into some higher-end headsets. Think of it as rumble, but more advanced and for your head. This can provide greater immersion, and with the right software, can also accurately recreate the feeling of certain in-game events, like bullets flying over you. It's not to everyone's taste, but keep an eye out for it if you like to adopt new features early.
Black Friday Gaming Headset Deals: Quick Links
- Amazon: Razer, HyperX headsets starting at $30
- Best Buy: Save up to $70 on Razer, Logitech, Astro headsets
- Razer: Up to $105 off Razer headsets
- Newegg: Up to 49% off Corsair, Logitech gaming headsets
Best Black Friday Gaming Headset Deals
Razer Kraken X: was $49, now $29 at Amazon
This basic wired gaming headset from Razer is a few generations behind, but still comes with 7.1 surround sound and is light on the head at 250g. Its memory foam cushions and headband padding also help its over ear form factor sit easy on the head, and its mic has the common and reliable cardioid pickup pattern. It comes in 2 colors.
Razer Kraken Ultimate: was $129, now $59 at Amazon
The wired Kraken Ultimate has 50mm drivers, Chroma RGB, a retractable active noise cancelling cardioid microphone, on-earcup controls and 7.1 surround sound. It's also got an integrated spatial DAC for more realistic audio mapping of 3D spaces.
Razer Kraken: was $79, now $39 at Amazon
The original Razer Kraken headset, this wired pair of cans comes with 50mm drivers, 7.1 surround sound, a retractable noise isolating cardioid microphone and in-line audio controls.
Razer Kraken Tournament Edition: was $99, now $49 at Amazon
This esports version of the Razer Kraken boasts many of the same specs as the standard version, but has a snazzy green paintjob option and now has an in-line audio control box. Alongside 50mm drivers and 7.1 surround sound, you'll also get a DAC and a retractable active noise cancelling microphone.
Razer BlackShark V2 X: was $59, now $34 at Amazon
The wired BlackShark V2 X expands on the Kraken X by using Razer's 50mm Triforce drivers, the same used in its most recent Kraken refreshes, plus adding in passive noise cancellation and cutting the weight down to 240g. It still has a cardioid mic and 7.1 surround sound, and it comes in 5 colors.
Razer BlackShark V2 Pro Wireless: was $179, now $129 at Amazon
This is a wireless, pro version of the BlackShark V2. It ups the game on its predecessor with Hyperspeed wirless connectivity (the same kind used in Razer's wireless mice) and a detachable supercardioid mic. It also comes with the same 50mm Triforce drivers and 7.1 surround sound, and can be used wired via a removable 3.5mm jack.
Razer Barracuda X: was $99, now $69 at Amazon
The Barracuda X is a wireless headset that aims for simplicity across multiple devices. It's got 2.4GHz connectivity, a 250g lightweight design, 40mm Triforce drivers, on-headset controls and a detachable cardioid mic. You can also use it wired via a 3.5mm jack.
Razer Kraken BT Kitty Edition: was $99, now $79 at Amazon
A favorite of streamers, the obvious appeal for this headset is the kitty ear design and the Chroma RGB capability. Nonetheless, it's got 40mm drivers, can connect via Bluetooth 5.0 and has 2 beamforming mics that won't be as accurate as boom mics but are still strong thanks to clever signal processing. Razer also boasts a low latency "gaming mode" with about 40ms of lag.
Razer Kraken Kitty RGB: was $149, now $99 at Amazon
A wired version of the Razer's kitty ear headset, this version has 7.1 surround sound, gel-infused cooling ear cushions, on-earcup controls and a retractable active noise cancelling cardioid microphone. Plus, you still get Chroma RGB.
Razer Nari Ultimate: was $199, now $117 at Amazon
This is a high-spec wireless Razer headset with "Hypersense" haptic feedback that uses smart software to insert head-based rumble into games not programmed with it. It's also got 50mm drivers, 7.1 surround sound, 2.4GHz connectivity and 3.5mm jack compatibility, plus a retractable mic and on-earcup controls.
HyperX Cloud II: was $99, now $79 at Amazon
The HyperX Cloud II is a wired gaming headset with 53mm drivers, 7.1 virtual surround sound, passive noise cancellation and a detachable active noise cancelling mic. It comes with an audio control box and is built with a durable aluminum frame.
HyperX Cloud Alpha: was $99, now $59 at Amazon
The HyperX Cloud Alpha has unique 50mm dual chamber drivers that claim to physically separate mids, highs and bass for more distinction and less distortion. It also comes with a detachable active noise cancelling microphone, an in-line audio control box and a durable aluminum frame.
HyperX Cloud II Wireless: was $149, now $129 at Amazon
The wireless version of the Cloud II Wireless adds 2.4GHz connectivity to the Cloud II and not much else. You'll get the same 53mm drivers, 7.1 surround sound, passive noise cancelling earcups and active noise cancelling detachable mic. Also new here is an LED the lights up when your mic is muted, plus in-ear monitoring for your mic output.
Logitech G335: was $69, now $49 at Amazon
The G335 is a basic wired gaming headset from Logitech, with a lightweight 240g design, a snazzy looking adjustable suspension headband and a flip-up boom microphone. The drivers are 40mm, the volume controls are on the headset and you can mute the mic just by flipping it up. It comes in 3 colors.
Logitech G535 Lightspeed: was $129, now $84 at Best Buy
This headset is similar to the Logitech G335 headset, but features Logitech's fast Lightspeed wireless connectivity (the same kind it uses on its gaming mice). It's got 40mm drivers, on-headset controls and a flip-to-mute mic.
Logitech G432: was $79, now $39 at Amazon
This is a more advanced wired headset from Logitech, with 50mm drivers, DTS Headphone:X 2.0 surround sound, a flip-to-mute mic and on-earcup controls.
SteelSeries Arctis 7: was $169, now $119 at Amazon
This is a somewhat older premium wireless headset with 40mm drivers, 2.4GHz connectivity, a retractable bidirectional microphone with a mute LED, on-headset controls and DTS Headphone:X 2.0 surround sound when on PC.
Corsair Virtuoso RGB SE Wireless: was $209, now $169 at Best Buy
This is a premium headset from Corsair with gunmetal gray metal construction. It connects either via fast Slipstream wireless, USB or a 3.5mm jack. You get 50mm drivers, 7.1 surround sound, RGB lighting and a detachable, high bandwidth 96KHz microphone.
Corsair Virtuoso RGB XT Wireless: was $269, now $249 at Best Buy
This update on the Corsair Virtuoso RGB SE adds Bluetooth and the ability to be connected to a phone or other device and your PC at the same time. It still has 50mm drivers, 7.1 surround sound, RGB lighting and a 96KHz detachable microphone. You can also still connect via Slipstream, USB or a 3.5mm jack.
Astro Gaming A40 TR: was $249, now $199 at Best Buy
This is a wired headset with a metal construction built for customizable sound mixing. Get 40mm drivers, a flip-up mic and a special MixAmp Pro TR controller that lets you easily adjust your voice and game sound mix. Connects via 3.5mm.
Best Black Friday Productivity Headset Deals
Not all headsets are built for gaming. Here's some listening and productivity headset deals.
Bose QuietComfort 35 II: was $329, now $279 at Best Buy
This Bose headset is marketed for gaming, but maintains the best the QuietComfort 35 II has to offer. It maintains the active noise cancelling tech Bose is known for, plus adds in a detachable noise rejecting microphone. It connects via Bluetooth, 3.5mm or USB via the included desktop controller. The controller allows volume control and mic monitoring.
Logitech USB Headset H540: was $49, now $29 at Amazon
This is a lightweight, plus and play, wired USB headset with a flip-up mic and simple on-headset controls. Perfect if you don't like the feel of over-ear headsets.
You can find even more savings at our best Black Friday PC gaming deals page. We're also tracking the best Black Friday monitor deals , best Black Friday CPU deals , best Black Friday SSD deals , best Black Friday gaming laptop deals , best Black Friday 3D printer deals , best Black Friday Raspberry Pi deals and the Best Black Friday PC hardware deals overall.
