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Finding the best headset for racing is key to capturing the essence of real-life racing through fully immersive audio. With the wide variety of options available though, choosing the right one can be challenging.
To help, we've compiled a list of the best gaming headsets for racing based on price, reviews, and standout features. For an immersive experience, standout features tend to include things like 360-degree audio to heighten your awareness of your surroundings, and carefully considered padding for comfort during long sessions.
That's only the start though, but we've covered a range of headsets for different platforms, including PS5, Xbox, and even earbuds, that cover all these points while ensuring there's an option for everyone no matter the platform.
Best headsets for racing
- Razer BlackShark V2 Pro - a well-rounded choice for most people
- SteelSeries Arctis Pro - the best choice for PlayStation
- Razer Kraken V3 - a superb alternative for Xbox
- Logitech G Astro A50 X - top pick for PC
- EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid - best earbuds for gaming
1. Razer BlackShark V2 Pro
Best headset for racing overall
Where to buy *
* prices are accurate at the time of last update
The Razer Blackshark V2 Pro is one of the best headsets for racing we've come across. Its standout feature is its emphasis on positional audio, improving your awareness of your surroundings on the track, ensuring clear communication and immersion during online competitions, and providing excellent noise cancellation.
The headset is equipped with powerful 50mm titanium drivers, enhanced by Razer's innovative Triforce technology. This allows the drivers to deliver exceptional high, mid, and low frequencies, resulting in clear trebles, vibrant mids, and deep bass to make any vehicle in-game sound as though you're sat in it.
The titanium-coated diaphragms further enhance in-game clarity, ensuring you don't miss a single detail. Additionally, the Advanced Passive Noise Isolation technology, combined with closed earcups, effectively blocks out external distractions, allowing for complete immersion in your gaming experience.
If you're in search of a great wireless gaming headset that offers a truly immersive audio environment, the Razer Blackshark V2 Pro is a compelling choice worth considering.
Reasons to buy:
- Big 50mm titanium drivers can produce impressive sound
- Advanced Passive Noise Isolation technology keeps you focused
Read More: Best racing wheels
2. SteelSeries Arctis Pro
Best PlayStation headset for racing
Where to buy *
* prices are accurate at the time of last update
The SteelSeries Arctis Pro stands out as a premium headset, specifically for the PS5, featuring top-of-the-line wireless 2.4G audio and advanced 40,000Hz solution speakers. These cutting-edge components are meticulously crafted to deliver unparalleled realism and crystal-clear sound clarity, ensuring an exceptional racing experience.
The headset also boasts a ClearCast microphone, engineered to elevate vocal quality while effectively reducing background noise. With this feature, your friends will be able to hear your enthusiastic celebrations as you zoom past them in online races without any distractions.
Moreover, the Arctis Pro impresses with its extensive 20-hour battery life for wireless gaming, making it an excellent choice for fulfilling all your racing game needs and, in turn, one of the best headsets for the PS5 around.
Reasons to buy:
- You get advanced 40,000Hz speakers
- ClearCast mic for online chat
Read More: Best wheels for PS5
3. Razer Kraken V3
Best Xbox headset for racing
Where to buy *
* prices are accurate at the time of last update
If a top Xbox headset is what you're after, the Razer Kraken V3 is a fantastic choice. Its abundance of soft cushioning ensures lasting comfort throughout the day and longer racing sessions.
More specifically, it features memory foam cushioning on both sides, delivering exceptional comfort and improved sound isolation. The headband is also cushioned to minimize pressure on the top of your head.
In terms of performance, the headset boasts 50mm Triforce titanium drivers that provide 7.1 surround sound. This results in lifelike and accurate sound reproduction, immersing you in the roars of an engine and cheers from a crowd.
On the whole, the Razer Kraken V3 excels in comfort and sound quality, all at a relatively inexpensive price. Its compatibility with PCs further solidifies its position as one of the best gaming headsets available, particularly for racing games.
Reasons to buy:
- Memory foam cushioning adds comfort
- 7.1 Surround Sound
Read More: Best wheels for Xbox Series X
4. Logitech G Astro A50 X
Best PC headset for racing
Where to buy *
* prices are accurate at the time of last update
The Logitech G Astro A50 X stands out as one of the best gaming headsets for PC, particularly excelling in racing games. For starters, it's equipped with PRO-G GRAPHENE drivers, meaning the A50 X can deliver unparalleled audio clarity and precision. At 40mm, they provide accurate audio separation, location, and timing, which are essential in racing games where hearing every detail—from the engine's roar to subtle tire screeches—can significantly impact performance.
Furthermore, the A50 X features pro-grade LIGHTSPEED Wireless technology and a broadcast-quality mic, ensuring ultra-responsive audio and crystal-clear communication if you're playing online. The wireless dual-device mixing allows gamers to hear game audio and chat simultaneously via Bluetooth, making it easier to coordinate with teammates or engage in multiplayer racing events as well.
It has a battery that can last over 24 hours too, plus you can fine-tune your audio settings for optimal performance and comfort during long gaming sessions via Logitech's G-HUB. These features collectively make the A50 X an exceptional choice for serious PC gamers and racing enthusiasts.
Reasons to buy:
- It has powerful 40mm PRO-G GRAPHENE drivers
- LIGHTSPEED technology ensures a smooth wireless connection
Read More: Best monitors for racing
5. EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid
Best earbuds for racing
Where to buy *
* prices are accurate at the time of last update
For those who prefer in-ear headphones as opposed to over-ear headsets, we'd recommend checking out these EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid earbuds - arguably some of the best gaming earbuds around.
With a total of twenty hours of battery life, you can race for nearly a full day without needing to recharge. They're also highly versatile as you can connect seamlessly to the PS4, PS5, Xbox, PC, Nintendo Switch, and smartphones through Bluetooth and a low-latency USB-C dongle.
When it comes to sound, the GTW 270 Hybrid earbuds can deliver deep bass, rich mid-tones, and remarkable directional audio so you know exactly where your opposition is around you on the track. Additionally, they offer noise isolation for those times when you want to tune out distractions and focus on your racing.
One minor drawback is that the built-in microphone is only compatible with Bluetooth connectivity, not the USB-C dongle that comes with the headphones. However, this is because the dongle prioritizes low-latency audio to avoid delays, thus adding to the realism of your sim racing experience. So, considering their price and performance, we'd say these EPOS earbuds are an excellent pick.
Reasons to buy:
- They are a great in-ear alternative
- Compatible across all platforms
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When it comes to finding the right headset for gaming, there are usually a few questions that pop up, we're here to answer some of the more common queries.
How much should I spend on a headset for racing?
As racing games aren't so much about listening out for footsteps and gunshots like FPS games are, a high-end headset may not be entirely necessary for improving your in-game performance.
Therefore, how much you spend really depends on you and your budget.
If you're looking for a headset to use solely for racing games, then you're probably better off going for one of the slightly more affordable options as you'll only really need the mic to talk to your friends online.
However, if you're after something to hear all the sounds of your favorite titles in exceptional quality, then you may be more tempted by one of the more premium options out there.
Does a headset improve racing games?
For FPS games, headsets can improve your in-game performance as they can allow you to gain a better understanding of your surroundings to outperform your competition.
However, for racing games, a headset's primary use would be to enhance the sound quality whilst giving you the ability to minimize the sound produced while gaming.
This is ideal if you prefer to game at night and want to keep the noise to a minimum to avoid disturbing neighbors, but won't necessarily improve your racing ability.
Are bigger drivers better for headsets?
The size of a headset's driver refers to the size of the diaphragm, the component that vibrates to produce sound.
In general, larger drivers produce stronger sound waves, particularly in the bass, but this doesn't mean they sound better as it's just one factor among many that influence sound quality.
Impedance, damping and tuning, frequency response, driver positioning, and the headphone signal amplifier all play roles in the sound and bass response, so it's worth finding a good balance between all components if you're looking for the best sound.
Having said that, we'd recommend 40 - 50mm drivers as a good starting point for exceptional audio quality.
What does noise canceling do?
Noise-canceling headsets are designed to reduce unwanted background noise using active noise control, making it easier to listen to your surroundings and car on games like Gran Turismo.
This is also beneficial when talking to your mates online as you don't want your mic picking up unnecessary noise over your voice.
Is surround sound necessary for racing games?
As previously mentioned, if the main reason you wear a headset is so you can listen to the game audio rather than through the TV then purchasing a headset with surround sound might help you become more immersed in the atmosphere of your racing games.
However, surround sound isn't essential, particularly if you just need a headset so you can chat with your friends whilst playing online, so the choice is really down to you and your personal preference.
Should you get a wireless or wired headset for racing games?
Ultimately, this will depend on a number of factors surrounding your racing setup.
For example, if you're a PC gamer, then we'd recommend going down the wired route as there will be no latency between the outputted game audio and when you hear it, thus delivering crisp and smooth audio quality.
However, a wireless headset has the advantage of providing you with more freedom to game either at your racing rig or from the comfort of your own sofa.
Also, due to recent advances in technology, latency shouldn't be too big of an issue with a wireless headset these days either.
Are all headsets compatible with both Xbox and PlayStation consoles?
Unfortunately, not all headsets are compatible with both consoles, therefore, you'll often find devices that have versions for PS4 and PS5, and separate headsets for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
Some devices do cross over, notably, those with 3.5mm wired connections, but the difference is mainly due to different audio firmware, inputs, and capabilities between consoles.
We'd advise checking each manufacturer's website to see if any given headset is compatible with the console in question.
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