Best Nintendo Switch headset 2023: Budget, surround sound, cross-compatible

Nintendo Switch headset: Which should you go for? Let's find out

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Today, we’re going to find the best Nintendo Switch headset in 2024, but why?

Well, if you want to take your gaming on the go the Nintendo Switch is your ideal option, but if you don’t want to blast those around you with your Zelda battles or subject them to the roar of Mario Kart’s engines, you’re going to need a headset as well. There’s an overwhelming amount of choice out there but don’t worry, we’re here to help with our roundup of the best headsets to use with the Nintendo Switch.

Today’s best peripheral deals

Wearing a headset for your gaming is a game-changer. It’s a great way to get a competitive edge and fully immerse yourself in a game. With a headset, you’ll be able to truly experience all the sounds you have previously missed. You’ll be able to locate different sounds more easily, whether it’s incoming enemy fire or just a hiding mole cricket in Animal Crossing.

The great thing about gaming headsets is that most also pull excellent double duty for listening to music and watching movies as well. While some audiophiles will always want a dedicated pair of headphones for this, if you’re looking for something which can do it all then investing in a decent headset is a great move.

Best wireless headset for Nintendo Switch: Razer Barracuda X

Razer Barracuda X wireless gaming headset

Frequency response

20Hz – 20kHz

Connectivity

Wireless

Driver Size

40mm

How We Review

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Pros

• Lightweight
• Excellent sound quality
• Stylish aesthetics in several colors

Cons

• Over $100

We’re going to kick off our list of the best Nintendo Switch headsets with a great all-round option. The Razer Barracuda X headset is our standout performer and one that falls around the $100 price point – depending on sales that are running – making it one of the best value for money headsets as well.

This is a gamer’s headset at heart, available in a variety of colors with some being as bright as you’re likely to ever see on a headset. While you might think a gaming headset falls into the uncomfortable bracket, that isn’t the case with this wireless headset. As this is geared towards gamers, the sound profile on this headset is especially bassy. This is great for games where you’re in the heat of action but we can’t see you getting too much use out of this if you watch a lot of TV shows or movies – unless bass is really your thing.

The build quality is also above average when considering its price tag. We’ve reviewed a tonne of Razer headsets in the past and have found the build quality to be one of the standout features. Additionally, users will enjoy its wireless functionality, sporting a long battery life and excellent range – which continues to provide powerful audio thanks to its 2.4GHz bandwidth.

Overall, a great headset that is perfect for not only the Switch, but for all other platforms as well.

Best Nintendo Switch headset under $50: SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wired

The runner up

SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wired gaming headset

Frequency response

20–20000 Hz

Connectivity

Wired (3.5mm)

Mic response

100Hz–10000Hz

How We Review

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Pros

• Well-balanced audio
• Multi platform fucntionality
• Comfortable design

Cons

• Can generate heat on the ears

If you’d like to do away with wires altogether, the Steelseries Arctis 1 is a great wireless option with an impressive battery life. This is a pretty stylish headset as well and we could easily see ourselves using this to stream TV in a coffee shop once the microphone has been detached.

The steel core padded headband also does a great job of making this headset feel premium. This is one of the more comfortable options on our list today but as with most headsets, even with the padding, it can become uncomfortable during a really long play session.

The wireless technology is the main draw here. With the ability to use your Nintendo Switch on the move, it seems like a shame to tether it to your head with a long dangling wire. The battery life is great too, on a full charge you can expect up to 20 hours of play which is more than enough for a weekend of gaming without having to root out the cable. If you do get caught short, you can also use this headset with a wire as well.

If you want, you can also use this on your PC where it even comes with some customization in the form of the SteelSeries Engine software. You can adjust the equalizer or even select sound presets depending on your preferences.

Best wired Nintendo Switch headset: HyperX Cloud Alpha

The gamer pick

HyperX Cloud Alpha

Frequency Response

13 Hz – 27 kHz

Connection Type

Wired, 1.3 m cable length

Weight

298g

How We Review

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Pros

• Excellent frequency
• Gamey aesthetics
• Decent cable length

Cons

• Not wireless

If you are looking for a headset with a clear gaming style, then the HyperX Cloud Alpha is the set for you. With a colorful yet simple design, this headset will look great as part of anyone’s gaming setup but isn’t so loud as to draw too much attention. The ear cups have a decent amount of padding in as does the headband so it’s something that you’ll find comfortable wearing for hours. The downside to this great design is that it’s a pretty heavy headset when compared to the others.

This headset offers great sound quality with clear audio and a well-balanced mix between bass, highs, and mid-highs. HyperX manages to do this with a two-chamber spec which allows the bass and mid frequencies to reverberate within their own compartments to minimize distortion and boost clarity. This makes it a great choice for those who also wish to use the headset for listening to music or picking out the finest details in an intense gaming session.

Overall, this is a great headset that is reasonably priced for the quality on offer. The lack of extra features could put some people off, but that’s why it’s so affordable for such high-end audio.

If you are interested in hearing about other HyperX gaming headsets, be sure to check out our roundup of the best HyperX headsets.

Best Nintendo Switch headset for audio quality & streaming: Corsair Virtuoso Pro

Corsair Virtuoso Pro

Type

Over-ear

Frequency Range

20-40,000 Hz

Wireless?

No

Noise-cancelling

No

Enclosure

Open-back

How We Review

Hands-on Review

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Pros

• Excellent sound quality makes any game soundtrack a treat
• Lightweight and comfortable
• Premium build quality that will last
• Top-tier option for streamers

Cons

• Expensive option for casual gamers
• Open-back design not great for use in noisy environments

Finally, we have a headset that caters towards those who want the top-tier high-fidelity audio quality. You’ve probably already heard of Corsair before, and this pair of headphones represents an unusual venture in open-back territory. They are famously known for creating high-quality peripherals, and their range of comfortable, great-sounding headphones are part of that.

The Corsair Virtuoso Pro headset is super comfortable, something we quickly found out while reviewing it. Even though there’s a premium aluminum finish, the headset remains lightweight and you barely notice it is thereafter a while. You will have to pay a bit of a premium when it comes to the price of this headset, however. Although this headset is closer to what a Nintendo Switch actually costs than other picks, you can also use it on your PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and your mobile devices to get the most out of your money.

Corsair usually goes for a more ‘gamer’ inspired design included RGB, but the Virtuoso Pro is pretty muted and sleek in comparison. The open-back design means it’s great for music quality. We think it’s great for streaming in particular, for you Nintendo specialists building an audience with some fan-favorite games. The microphone sounds great, but it’s easily detachable if you wish to favor your desktop mic. We can’t really recommend this one for playing with your Switch on the go, but it certainly is a top pick in the comfort of your own home.

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How we choose

It’s important to us that we’re only picking the headsets that we would be happy to use ourselves. We do this through a combination of product research, in-house testing, and looking at as much customer feedback as possible to get a full picture of how each product performs.

Once we’ve chosen our top picks, we put them together in an easy-to-understand guide like this. We aim to cut down on the technical talk when we recommend a headset because we know not everyone knows how to decipher jargon!

How we test

Testing is a huge part of our recommendations. This is where we look below the surface to get an in-depth view of each product to see what makes them great and where they fall short.

When looking at headsets, we look at price, comfort, sound quality, and extra features. There’s also build quality, weight, and the microphone to consider, which we will cover below. We also look at how these products perform against the competition.

Once we’ve taken a look at the full picture, we will write reviews and produce a buyer’s guide like this to help our readers pick the best headset for them.

Things to consider when buying a headset for Nintendo Switch

Gaming headsets are one of the most over-priced categories of gaming tech. Unfortunately, there isn’t much anyone can do about it so you’ll probably end up paying more than you should. Given this sad reality, there are a few key areas of consideration you should be aware of before pressing the ‘buy’ button. So, let’s have a look at these areas.

Price

Perhaps the first thing to consider is the price of the headsets you’re looking at and the budget you have. It’s a good idea to have a budget in mind so you can target your search within that price range.

If you’re looking at budget headsets, you’ll find plenty of options but you might end up missing out on a couple of extra features. If those features are important to you, then you might need to increase your budget. However, if they’re not, there’s no need to fork out for an expensive set if a budget one will suit you fine.

Typically, if you’re looking at the low-end of the pricing range, you’ll be able to pick up a headset for between $40 to $80. This should get you a perfectly good headset for gaming but it may fall short in terms of sound quality if you’re listening to music. If you want the best sound quality for gaming, music, and movies, then you’ll probably have to look at headsets for $80 to $100 or above. High-end headsets can drive the price up even more so you might want to weigh up whether you’ll be getting extra value if budget is a concern for you.

Volume control

Another key advantage of a dedicated Nintendo switch headset over the built-in speakers is the volume control. Handhelds have famously weak speakers and even weaker volume control and the Nintendo Switch is no exception. Having dedicated on-ear volume control makes for a far more enjoyable gaming experience and less time worrying and more time gaming.

Sound quality

After looking at the price, sound quality is the next thing to consider. Sound quality can make or break a gaming headset so this is not something you’ll want to overlook. Sound quality is of course linked to the price of the headset so if you want something that sounds amazing, you’ll have to pay a hefty figure for the privilege.

That isn’t to say budget headsets sound bad, but their audio may be a bit muddy sounding or heavy on the bass. You might not need a bass-heavy headset if you’re just using your Nintendo Switch for Animal Crossing. In this case, there’s probably not much use in spending a huge amount to get the best quality.

However, if you’re going to be playing FPS games and watching movies with this headset, it’s best to invest a bit more in the sound quality for a faithful audio representation.

Of course, there are other things relating to audio quality that you should be considering, primarily surround sound. Surround sound allows you to more accurately certain the location of enemy footsteps and gunshots. This is invaluable for competitive play in your game of choice, and also makes for far more enjoyable viewing of other content like TV shows and movies. In our minds surround sound is an absolute must, if it’s within your budget, it’s a game-changer.

Earbuds are also a very valid option, we haven’t included any here as they don’t typically have very good mics. However, given the portability of the switch, a more compact solution might be preferable. Earbuds are the best solution for this as they are cross-compatible, easy to carry, and ever-dropping in price. Don’t sleep on earbuds, as they might be the solution for you. It’s worth noting here that the Nintendo Switch doesn’t allow mic input via Bluetooth, meaning that earbuds are only good for listening, but if you like to take your switch out of the house, a good set of earbuds is worth considering.

Mic quality

Of course, being able to hear the game and your teammates is only half the battle when it comes to picking the best Nintendo Switch headset. You also have to consider the mic quality. The mic is a vital aspect of a gaming headset, especially for those of you brave enough to play competitive FPS with a Nintendo switch.

While it’s perhaps not an additional feature for a headset, it’s still something we typically don’t think too much on. However, your microphone quality is important to consider if you’ll be chatting with other gamers online. In this case, clarity and lack of distortion are important. Some headsets even feature AI noise cancellation tech that helps to further reduce unwanted background noise. If you frequently play Nintendo Switch games online with friends, a headset with a noise-canceling microphone should be a priority.

Whether the microphone can be detached or flipped back is also a nice feature to have, particularly if you won’t always be using it during gaming sessions. The best gaming headsets typically feature a unidirectional pickup pattern. This means the mic is aware of everything around it, making it easier to isolate and remove unwanted noise.

Voice chat

As mentioned earlier, you’re unlikely to succeed in Fortnite, or any game for that matter if your voice chat isn’t up to scratch. Valuable not only for trash-talking opponents but also for team-based communication. Luckily for you, dear reader, we have only included headsets here that have good voice chat clarity, so all those Fortnite losses will be a thing of the past. Or not, maybe you’re just bad at Fortnite, sorry to say but a headset won’t solve that, pal.

Portability

Portability is one of the defining factors of Nintendo Switch gaming. This means the headset should be similarly portable. Wireless gaming headsets are ideal for this as it means you don’t have to be tethered to the console and only really have to carry around a USB-C dongle. Additionally, a removable or flip-up mic is good here as it allows you to keep it out of the way using transit which will reduce the chance of damage.

Comfort

Another thing to think about is the comfort of the headphones. This is something that often gets overlooked but if you’re going to be using the headset for hours of gaming, you need to know it’s comfortable. Just because a headset looks like it’s got some padding doesn’t mean it’s comfortable three hours into a gaming session.

Things to look out for include the thickness of the padding, the material of the padding, and the weight of the headset. Some headsets offer fantastic padding, others offer a quite firm earcup that digs into the back of your ears. The material also comes into this because some materials can make your ears feel too hot. Leather for example might be great for style or durability but it can be annoying if it gets too hot. Mesh fabric might be better if you live in a hot climate. The weight is also a factor because a heavy headset will eventually feel uncomfortable on your head and neck.

Features

When all the basics have been carefully considered, it’s time to look at the extras. What other features can you benefit from? On the practical side, you might want to weigh up wired vs. wireless headsets to avoid tripping over wires. On the design side, you might be happy to splash out for a unique, colorful headset or one with RGB lighting in if you really want to get fancy.

Consoles and cross-compatibility

Unlike the always-stubborn Xbox, Nintendo switch headsets aren’t subject to limiting proprietary audio standards. this means, that as long as it has a 3.5mm interface, you can use any headset across your PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch with essentially no setup and the coveted limitless battery life that continues to keep wired headsets appealing to the masses. This is particularly advantageous for those of you looking for a solution that will work across your additional consoles, saving money, space, and lowering the e-waste that is normally present in huge amounts from the production of gaming headsets for consoles.

Best headset for Nintendo Switch FAQs

Are all headsets compatible with Nintendo Switch?

You may be happy to hear that many gaming headsets will work with your Nintendo Switch, thanks to the common 3.5mm port and Bluetooth audio device connectivity.

One downside however is that Bluetooth-connected microphones are not supported, so you’ll need a wired alternative for this functionality.

Can you use a USB headset with the Nintendo Switch?

Yes, it is possible to use a USB headset with the Switch. There are three USB ports on the Switch’s dock, while the handheld itself has a USB-C port.

Final word

We hope you enjoyed the article and found some helpful recommendations. Rounding up the best headsets is always a bit of a tricky task, but we think we found a good bunch for you. To recap: the Razer Barracuda X is the best wireless option, the SteelSeries Arctis 1 is the best budget option under $50, the HyperX Cloud Alpha is the best wired headset, and the Sennheiser GSP 550 is the high-end option.

With buying a headset being a pretty big decision, especially as it’s something you’re going to be using a lot, feel free to ask any questions down in the comments section below. We’ll do our best to get back to you and help you out.