5 Underrated Earbuds That Can Replace Your Gaming Headset

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There are three things people get wrong about personal gaming audio. In my experience buying and testing earbuds and headsets, the big brands aren’t always the best option, gamers don’t need big headsets, and most importantly, earbuds don’t need the word “gaming” in them to be great for video games. But are earbuds good for gaming? Yes, absolutely, especially for low latency, microphone quality, and a secure fit without sweaty ears.

One of the biggest benefits of choosing earbuds over headphones is zero clamping pressure on your temples and ears, no moisture-wicking ear cushions to replace, and easier wear for long gaming sessions. And, of course, they’re far more portable. However, there are trade-offs to consider, including smaller drivers, wireless battery life and how the quality compares to a full boom mic.

The earbuds below range from $60 to $250, giving users a solid solution for every budget in mind and showing that quality personal audio isn’t just locked down to Bose or Apple. I’m not going to say that earbuds are better than headphones, but there’s a solid argument to be made for an alternative to headsets that match multiple users’ preferences. 

I wanted to kick things off with my favorite personal audio brand, Heavys. I love the Heavys H1H headphones, but the H1E packs in the same full-spectrum quality while also packing a punch, making them fantastic for all kinds of games. Users get seven hours of battery life on a single charge, boosted to 24 hours with the charging case. The buds take 90 minutes to fully charge, and the case takes two hours via USB-C.

H1E is packed with tech that makes these earbuds stand above any others I’ve tried. In-ear TWS, dynamic drivers, Bluetooth 5.4 with multi-device, and multiple codec support including SBC/AAC/aptX/aptX Adaptive/aptX HD. They also pack in a dual-mic system, one for passive isolation and another for active noise cancellation, which Heavys have branded as “Hellblocker”, which is ridiculously and rightfully metal.

H1C features high-quality memory foam and silicone tips that are comfortable for long gaming sessions and keep the earbuds in place. They also offer IPX5 sweat resistance and touch controls, plus a companion app for EQ and firmware updates. aptX Adaptive keeps latency respectable for casual play, while the foam tips seal the fit so users can benefit from positional audio. For $189 right now with a $209 MSRP, Heavys H1C is my go-to earbuds for not just gaming, but everything.

My backup pair of earbuds, the Status Pro X, are fantastic for gaming while still being a relatively unknown brand. At $249 right now (MSRP $299), these earbuds pack hybrid triple drivers with LDAC and Bluetooth LE Audio support. Breaking the design down further, each bud has a 12mm dynamic driver alongside dual Knowles balanced armature drivers. This layout supports LDAC at 24-bit/96 kHz up to 990 kbps, plus Hi-Res Wireless certification from the Japan Audio Society.

The Bluetooth 5.3 and LE Audio support, backed up by the LC3 codec and Auracast support, is literally future-proofing these earbuds until they die. All of this technical jargon translates into hearing every footstep and feeling every explosion in-game while leaving the door open for the high-resolution audio current and future gaming setups will put out.

Each Status Pro X has six beamforming microphones backed by Voiceloom AI speech enhancement, so online voice quality won’t be a problem either. This technology also makes for some amazing adaptive noise canceling; in fact, it’s one of the best instances of ANC I’ve experienced in a set of earbuds. The buds last for 8 hours per charge, with a combined 24-hour runtime including the battery case, which can be charged wirelessly or via USB-C. The Status Hub app also offers full EQ, control remapping, earbud GPS tracking, multipoint, and supports Android Fast Pair / Microsoft Swift Pair.

OK, guilty. Shure is a massive brand, but it’s best known for professional audio equipment and broadcasting microphones. That’s not taking away from the quality of the SE215 PRO, a $116.98 wired over-ear wireform design with a pure passive seal to block up to 37 dB of ambient noise, no ANC required. They also feature a detachable MMCX cable with 360-degree rotation and lock-snap, meaning a broken cable is a $20 fix, not a broken set of earbuds.

Wired earbuds are better for gaming, specifically competitive titles, as there’s zero latency. For casual gamers and anything non-competitive, players likely won’t notice the low-latency features of wireless earbuds, but every millisecond counts in a match. Hearing footsteps round a corner a couple of milliseconds too late could cost the game at the end of the day.

SE215 PRO comes with three sizes of flex and foam sleeves per earbud, which means better isolation, bass, and immersive gaming. Cheaper earbuds don’t show off a game’s full soundstage, but playing “Tears of the Kingdom” and “The Witcher 3” with these earbuds will pick out every environmental nuance and capture hectic fight scenes perfectly. The only downside here is there’s no microphone functionality, which is just a case of a cable switch or separate microphone setup, which is honestly a great trade-off for quality earbud audio.

Looking for a bargain set of wired earbuds for $60 that punch way above their weight? The KZ AS10 are dual in-ear monitors (IEMs) that feature five balanced armature drivers each. Specifically, that’s one big low-frequency driver that acts almost like a dynamic bass, one mid, two highs, and one mid/high hybrid. Long story short, these earbuds deliver surprising audio clarity for competitive gaming.

As for the audiophile specs, they have a 105 dB sensitivity, 14 ohms impedance and a frequency range of 20 Hz to 40 kHz. The build consists of the earbuds and a detachable 2-pin cable with a 0.75mm connection, making cable upgrades and replacements cheap and easy. The low-impedance drivers are easily powered by a phone, laptop, or controller, so the KZ-AS10 will be plug-and-play on PC and console.

Again, there’s no microphone functionality here, which makes these wired buds a great choice for offline or competitive gaming without shouting into a microphone. The cable can be a bit fiddly to plug into and out of the buds, too, but for $60 there’s very little to complain about. This is a solid budget set of wired earbuds for gamers who want the best positional audio for the price.

Gravastar Sirius Plus are the gaming earbuds you’ve never heard of, and they’re currently $79.95, down from the $89.95 MSRP. They feature Bluetooth 5.3, a 10mm composite diaphragm dynamic driver, hybrid dual-feed ANC and transparency mode, all of which are fantastic features in a wireless set of earbuds at this price point. 

Battery life doesn’t disappoint either, with 7 hours of runtime on one charge and 28 hours total with the case, which is more than other earbuds in this article at more than double the price. The earbuds also charge in 90 minutes, which matches higher-tier earbuds. The build quality is great too, with an aluminum alloy chassis, customizable RGB ambient light and IPX4 water resistance for sweat protection during long gaming sessions.

The only issue is that no low-latency, gaming-focused codec like aptX LL is listed, so the Gravastar Sirius Plus won’t be fast enough to keep up. But for casual and story-driven games? They’ll work just fine. For what you get at $79.95, the Gravastar Sirius Plus is a great buy, with aesthetics to match. Wireless convenience, solid ANC, and a good driver setup are rare at this price point, with premium build quality to match.

There’s no single set of “best” gaming earbuds. It depends on the type of gamer, competitive or not, and also a user’s hearing preference. For example, I grew up playing in bands for ten years, so I prefer the punchy audio and quality ANC found in Heavys H1C, which might be too isolating and strong for others. Others might not want wireless functionality at all and opt for zero-latency wired options.

Convenience is also a factor, as the ideal set of gaming earbuds would include the latest low-latency codecs like aptX Adaptive and LE Audio; however, that comes at a higher cost. That’s why I included budget wireless options like the GravaStar Sirius Plus, which also highlights the price-to-spec value many buyers look for.

The criteria are simple enough: Good sound quality/detail, low to zero latency, good comfort and fit for long gaming sessions, and solid value for money. Long story short, earbuds are good for gaming, but they’re a preference rather than a statement that gaming headsets are obsolete. I like having my Heavys H1C and H1E on hand depending on whether I’m traveling or locking in at home. It’s always a good idea to look at Amazon customer reviews for hands-on experience with a set of earbuds before buying. Buyers might even find a sneaky discount while they’re at it.