Xbox Wireless Headset review: $99 set with engineering wins, first-gen stumbles

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  The Xbox Wireless Headset, available for Xbox consoles and Windows 10 PCs starting this week for $99. [credit: Sam Machkovech ]

Tomorrow, March 16, Microsoft will launch its first official, Xbox-branded pair of headphones—a far leap beyond the cheapo, one-ear headsets packed into original Xbox 360 consoles. Headphone expectations have changed a lot since those days, and potential buyers have to weigh crucial elements like sound isolation, microphone quality, voice-chat volume management, and device compatibility before spending $100 and up.

While the Xbox Wireless Headset isn’t my de facto pick for the product category, it’s certainly a solid option for its $99 price. Plus, I’ve been looking for a reason to catch up with other gaming-specific headphones I’ve recently tested. Hence, this review compares the XWH with a few options for PC and console gamers in search of versatile, high-quality headphones.

Nifty dials, dual source support

I’ll start with the Xbox-specific stuff, because this $99 headset isn’t just a matter of repurposing existing headphones with neon-green accents. The XWH includes built-in compatibility with the 2.4GHz wireless protocol exclusive to Xbox consoles and accessories—arguably a clearer and more stable connection option than Bluetooth, depending on your ideal gaming room. If you own any Xbox console dating from 2013’s Xbox One to today’s Xbox Series X/S, you can sync this headset the same way you sync a wireless controller. (Same goes for Windows 10 PCs, but you’ll need an Xbox Wireless Adapter to wirelessly connect the XWH to your PC.)