Check out more of the year's best tech in our PC Gamer Hardware Awards 2025 coverage.
2025 has been a bumper year for gaming headsets. I should know, I've been testing loads of them (along with the rest of the PCG hardware team) on a near-weekly basis. We put every headset we review through the ringer, judging it not just on audio quality, but on comfort, build quality, connection options, and much, much more.
So when it comes to picking just three, it's been something of a tough call. Still, first and foremost has to be the Fractal Design Scape, a headset with a clever magnetic wireless charging system that's been something of a game changer for me, and takes pride of place on my desk.
Ah, if only the Scape had its own way. Extremely tough competition, though, comes in the form of the Razer BlackShark V3, an updated model that managed to knock the long-reigning HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless from its top cable-free spot in our best gaming headset guide when we reviewed it earlier this year.
My hardware overlord, Dave, wears this Razer set atop his skull every day in the office, and I often receive my commands through it. What's that, Dave? Finish the article? Yes indeed, back to it.
Wrapping things up, we've even got a set of earbuds in the mix. Yes, given that handheld gaming PCs are a thing, and gaming earbuds have come a long way in recent years, this particular set has earned a place in our nominations. Just ask our Jacob, who uses the EarFun Air Pro 4 buds every single day. We can't pull them out of his head at this point, which probably goes some way to explaining why they have to be a contender here. Let's have a proper look at our best of the best of 2025, shall we?
Best gaming headset 2025: the nominees
Fractal Design Scape
Ah, my pretty. There's something wonderfully Nordic about the Scape's design, being a handsome wireless set with plush, fabric earcups and a matching headband. It's full of clever design touches, complete with some subtle RGB lighting and a fully-detachable, yet also flip-to-mute, microphone.
The real game changer, though, is the wireless charging dock. Two fabric ovals magnetically pull the headset into position, with no cables or clunky sockets required (other than the one connecting the base to your PC, obviously).
It sounds great, too, with some warm-yet-accurate drivers. It's tuned pretty neutrally out of the box, but Fractal Design's software allows you to easily set your own EQ, which really helps the Scape to come alive. It's capable of a serious punch of bass with some tweaking, without losing its shiny treble at the top end of the spectrum. What a nice thing, ey?
Read our full Fractal Design Scape review.
Razer BlackShark V3
The BlackShark has been around in various iterations for a while, but with the V3 version, Razer has finally nailed the formula. Its titanium drivers now have the addition of a "driver plug" to reduce harmonic distortion, and the 75% larger magnet makes for a seriously detailed, tight-and-punchy audio experience.
There's no noise cancelling, unlike the BlackShark V3 Pro, but we weren't particularly impressed with it on the more expensive model anyway. It's also 100 g lighter than the top-spec model, which means it's very comfortable to use over a full day's gaming, or in the office, should you so require.
And if you're really serious about your competitive gaming, the HyperSpeed Wireless interface has a low-latency mode, dropping the connection speed to just 10 ms. You'd likely need to be an esports gamer to really tell the difference, but if you want the fastest-responding wireless set on the market, this is it. I'm singing the Jaws theme in my head right now, how about you?
Read our full Razer BlackShark V3 review.
EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds
$80. That's a very reasonable price for a set of do-everything earbuds, but you can often find the EarFun Air Pro 4 beasties for more like $50-$60, and that's an outrageously good price for any quality piece of audio gear.
And quality, these really are. While the default sound profile is merely average, a tweak of the EQ with the excellent app allows these buds to get really, really detailed in their sound presentation. There's a low-latency game mode as well, along with some excellent ANC which makes these buds perfect travel companions, as well as stay-at-home gamers.
The mic isn't wonderful, but then that's true of just about all gaming earbuds at this point. Similarly, on-bud touch controls are easy to hit accidentally. Again, it's the same with all of them. Really though, what you're getting here is a set of excellent buds that can compete with some of the best on the market, for the sort of price that occasionally verges into budget territory. Our Jacob loves these buds so much, he takes them everywhere he goes—and you can't really get a higher recommendation than that, can you?
Read our full EarFun Air Pro 4 review.
So, which shall triumph, and which shall falter at the last hurdle? Only one of these brilliant audio bangers can win our coveted award, but you'll have to check back on New Year's Eve to find out which has won the top spot overall. Any would make a worthy addition to your setup, but when it comes to the best of 2025, it's still all to play for at this point.
