5 Best Headphones For Role Playing Games
This post may contain affiliate links which means that, if you choose to make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
When we talk about gaming headphones, we often mention and compare headphones suitable for playing FPS or competitive eSport games. However, many players only play single-player RPG games to get lost in the immersive game-world, create a whole new identity for themselves, and escape reality for a few hours.
That’s why RPG game developers focus on the story, graphics, and game soundtrack more than anything else. The soundtrack of The Witcher 3 is wonderful and perfectly sets the game’s tone and theme. The soundtrack of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is as iconic as it can get and evokes a whole host of emotions.
However, if you play RPGs such as The Witcher 3 and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim using a headphone that doesn’t have a suitable sound signature, you would not get the best experience or may even get frustrated.
What to look for when purchasing headphones for Role Playing Games
1. Sound Quality – When looking for headphones to play role-playing games, the number one factor that you should focus on is the sound quality. If your headphone’s sound quality is not great, you won’t be able to experience the true delight of RPG soundtracks. Fantasy RPG games often include masterful ambient music and a musical score that uses various complex instruments.
To hear all the individual instruments separately and clearly, the headphone needs to have a wide soundstage and clear sound signature. Open-back headphones are most suitable for playing RPG games that feature exceptional soundtracks and game music such as NieR: Automata, The Wither 3, Skyrim, Divinity: Original Sin II, and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Surround sound headphones could also be a good option but they are mostly a hit-or-miss. The virtual surround sound of cheap headphones often sounds worse than the stereo sound of expensive headphones.
2. Mic performance – People who only play single-player RPGs don’t need to worry about mic performance. However, if you want to play multiplayer or co-op RPGs such as World of Warcraft, Divinity: Original Sin II, Torchlight, etc. you need to purchase a headset with a good mic. Without a good mic, it could become extremely difficult to communicate with your team members. This can ruin the gaming experience for everybody.
3. Comfort – Gaming headphones that don’t feature adequate cushioning on the earpads or have too much clamping force can hurt your ears when worn for an hour or longer. Users who wear glasses have to suffer more discomfort. Thus, without a comfortable headphone, gaming for more than a few hours can become impossible.
If you love playing RPGs, chances are that you like to game for hours on end. So, it’s crucial to choose a headphone that won’t hurt your ears or head even when you wear them for a long period.
4. Price – Headphones that feature amazing audio quality and are comfortable to wear can cost quite a bit. Therefore, you have to consider whether paying that much for an expensive pair of headphones is worth it for your gaming and music listening needs.
A comparison table of the best gaming headsets for playing role-playing games s is listed below:
| Name | Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro | Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero | EPOS Sennheiser GSP 600 | Razer BlackShark V2 Pro | HyperX Cloud Stinger S |
| Connection type | Wired | Wireless | Wired | Wireless | Wired |
| Surround sound type | – | Waves Nx 3d Audio | – | THX Spatial Audio | Virtual 7.1 surround sound |
| Weight | 8.8 oz | – | 13.9 oz | 11.2 oz | 9.7 oz |
| Design type | Open-back | Closed-Back | Closed-Back | Closed Back | Closed-Back |
| Noise cancellation mic type | – | TruSpeak Technology | Passive Noise Reduction design | Hyperclear Supercardioid | Uni-directional |
| Compatible devices | PC, Mac, Mobile, Xbox One PS4, Nintendo Switch | PC, Mac, Mobile, Xbox One PS4, PS4 Pro, Nintendo Switch | PC, Mac, Mobile, Xbox One (with Stereo Adapter) PS4, Nintendo Switch | PC, Mac, PS4, Nintendo Switch | PC, Mac, Mobile, Xbox One PS4, Nintendo Switch |
| Price | Latest Price on Amazon | Latest Price on Amazon | Latest Price on Amazon | Latest Price on Amazon | Latest Price on Amazon |
#1 Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro: Best Single Player
The Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro is advertised as an open-back studio headphone for professional mixing, mastering, and editing audio. However, it sounds amazing while playing role-playing games such as Fallout 4 and Final Fantasy XV due to its wide soundstage and imaging.
As expected of an open-back headphone, the soundstage feels very open, transparent, and spacious. The instrument separation is almost as good as HD 6XX, as a result of which you would be able to hear every little audio detail in the game. The sound signature is a little bright and treble-heavy. But the mids and bass are definitely enjoyable. Needless to say that using these headphones to listen to Jazz music feels great.
The build quality of the DT 990 Pro is not great since almost everything is made of plastic. The headband is flexible enough but since there are no hinges, you cannot fold the headphone and store them in a bag or pouch. Another factor that might not please many people is that the cables are not detachable.
The iconic black color and open-back grill-design of Beyerdynamic looks simple and provides no isolation at all. So, these are not suitable as travel or commute headphones.
However, the headphone is very comfortable to wear as the ear pads contain memory foam and are wrapped in velour. Plus, the clamping force of the headphone is just right. On top of that, since the headphone is very lightweight as well, you may forget you are wearing something on your head after a few minutes.
If you are confused about choosing between the 80-ohm version and the 250-ohm version, we recommend you get the 250-ohm version if you have a headphone amp or want to purchase a headphone amp. You can still use the 250-ohm version without an amp but would need to crank up the volume to max. Otherwise, the 80-ohm version would do just fine.
Pros
- Good soundstage
- Neutral sound signature
- Very comfortable
Cons
- Requires an amp for the 250 ohms version
- The build quality is not great
- Non-detachable cables
#2 Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero: Best Wireless
The Turtle Beach Elite Atlas Aero is one of the best wireless PC gaming headsets that sounds phenomenal when using it for playing role-playing games. The headset is primarily designed to work with PC in the wireless mode but it is still compatible with consoles such as PS4 and Xbox One with the 3.5 mm wired connection.
The Elite Atlas Pro feels heavy but has a good build quality due to its metal construction. It comes with gel-infused memory foam ear cushions that makes the product quite comfortable to wear. However, they may feel a bit more restrictive to people with big heads due to the suspended padding on the headband. The left ear cup features a button for the ‘Superhuman hearing’ mode, a volume wheel for adjusting headphone or mic audio, a MicroUSB port for charging, and a 3.5 mm audio jack.
The sound performance of the headset is good out of the box due to Turtle Beach’s 50 mm Nanoclear speakers. It has a wide and clear soundstage. Turning on the ‘Superhuman Hearing mode’ makes a massive improvement in the game audio detail. This is a must while playing RPGs if you want to hear details like the chirping of birds, insects, and animal noises and other background noises better. However, the Waves NX 3D audio technology feels more suitable for movie viewing than gaming.
The Turtle Beach Control Studio allows the user to remap the volume control wheel and the ‘Superhuman Hearing’ button. It also allows the user to completely customize the audio of the headset and the mic to their liking. You can also customize the macro settings and use one of the various game presets.
The mic performance of the product is alright but nothing too good. The battery life of the product is also decent and you can expect the power to last for about 15 hours with ‘Superhuman hearing’ or 3D audio enabled.
Pros
- Turtle Beach Control Studio offers great customization options
- Good sound quality
- Turtle Beach Superhuman Hearing mode is great
Cons
- The mic is not great
- Wireless only on PC
- Not comfortable for people with big heads
#3 EPOS Sennheiser gsp 600: Best Comfort
EPOS and Sennheiser have jointly developed many good gaming headsets and the EPOS Sennheiser GSP 600 is their premium offering. And, it feels every bit as premium as the price tag. Although the headset is mostly built with plastic, the quality of materials used and the solid metal hinges make it feel quite sturdy in hand. The plastic build also makes the product feel lighter than it actually looks.
The headset is very comfortable to use and you can adjust the tension sliders on the headband to customize the fit according to the shape and size of your head. It features thick ear pads made of memory foam and leatherette. The clamping force doesn’t feel restricting at all but it creates a good seal that provides very good noise isolation. There is no heat build-up even if you wear them for long periods.
The soundstage of the GSP 600 is very good despite it being a closed-back headset. The stereo imaging is almost as good as the ‘Game Zero’ headset and the vocals feel further away, which creates a sense of openness. The mid-range sounds good too but is pushed back to expand the sound environment.
The low-end feels more powerful while the high-end sounds smoother. However, the sound signature is not harsh, as a result of which you won’t experience ear fatigue even when playing for hours. Due to the deep bass and incredible sound clarity, playing open-world RPGs such as Cyberpunk 2077 is a treat to the ears.
The design of the product along with its color profile makes it seem like a proper gaming headset. However, some people may not like the design and color combination of the device. The right ear cup has a built-in volume control wheel that feels solid as well. The left ear cup houses the mic and the detachable 3.5 mm braided cables that can be plugged into a PC, mobile, or any console that supports it.
The mic is more sensitive than the ‘Game Zero’ and ‘Game One’ headsets. Due to this, although your voice would sound better, it would also pick up more background noise.
Pros
- Very comfortable
- Excellent isolation
- Good build quality
Cons
- The design may not appeal to everybody
- The mic is very sensitive
#4 Razer BlackShark V2 Pro: Best Multiplayer
If you like to play multiplayer role-playing games such as Baldur’s Gate III or Divinity: Original Sin II, it is not enough to have a headphone that sounds great. You need to have a headset with a good mic and the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro can fulfill that need effortlessly.
In terms of look and design, the BlackShark V2 Pro looks exactly the same as the wired version of the same product, the BlackShark V2. The only difference is that the Razer logo on the ear cup is black instead of green in the Pro version.
The ear cups of the headphone are fitted with memory foam wrapped in plush leatherette. Thus, ear pads provide great comfort and also reduce the clamping force. However, the isolation is not as good as the BlackShark V2. The left ear cup features the 3.5 mm jack, micro-USB charging port, a mic mute button, and a power button.
The BlackShark V2 Pro connects wirelessly to PC, Mac, PS4, Switch via the wireless dongle that it comes with. However, you can connect the headset to Xbox in the wired mode with the help of the 3.5 mm wired cable.
The TriForce Titanium 50 mm drivers perform flawlessly. So, you can expect the product to have powerful lows, richer mids, and clearer highs. You can use the Razer Synapse software to enable the THX Spatial Audio which introduces the feel of surround sound.
The detachable cardioid mic is the biggest improvement in the Pro version of BlackShark V2. It now captures even more accurate audio without any hint of sibilance. Thus, your voice would sound crisp and clean even if you have a deep voice. The battery life of the headphone is good as well and you can expect it to last for about 24 hours on a single charge.
Pros
- Excellent mic
- THX Spatial Audio sounds great
- Good sound signature
Cons
- Expensive compared to the wired version
- The build quality is not great
#5 HyperX Cloud Stinger S: Best Budget
HyperX is known to manufacture exceptional gaming headsets at a fair price and the HyperX Cloud Stinger S doesn’t disappoint at all as a budget offering. The black color and design of the headset are not a head-turner and the plastic build, except for the adjustable steel sliders is also nothing to brag about. However, the headset maintains the signature HyperX comfort.
Even at this price point, you get rotatable ear cups which is always good to see and the headset is quite lightweight. The ear cups feature dense memory foam encased in plush, leatherette that feels comfortable even during a marathon gaming session.
The right ear cup features a volume slider that lets you control the audio volume. It doesn’t come with any other physical buttons. It’s compatible with all gaming platforms that support the 3.5 mm audio port.
Coming to the sound performance, it’s surprisingly similar to the more expensive Cloud II and Cloud Alpha. The 50 mm drivers offer a balanced sound signature in stereo mode and if you enable the 7.1 surround sound via HyperX NGENUITY software, the immersion is improved further. The directional audio is also quite good that would allow you to spot enemies behind cover or prevent somebody from sneaking behind you.
The Cloud Stinger S comes with a swivel-to-mute mic that gets the job done but you can expect it to pick up some background noise. Overall, if you love to play RPGs but don’t have a lot of cash to spare on a new headset, you should definitely check out the Cloud Stinger S. At this price point, there are not a lot of headsets that feel comfortable, offer a balanced sound with the option of enabling 7.1 virtual surround sound, and that also come with a decent mic.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Compatible with all platforms
- Balanced sound signature
Cons
- The mic is not great
- Build quality is not great
Conclusion
You can spend hundreds of hours playing a good role-playing game that features an amazing story, lots of character customization options, detailed graphics, and a stunning soundtrack. So, it makes sense to invest in a good headphone or headset if you also play online to make the gaming experience as enjoyable as possible. Just be sure to carefully consider your needs before finalizing on a headset.
