With a small child in the house, there are times where I need to try and limit the noise I make while gaming. Loud explosions, gunshots and in-game shouting tend to have a negative impact on child’s ability to sleep. That’s why headsets have become such an important part of my gaming loadout in recent years. While I previously used to be fine with some cheap thing just pushing chat audio through, now I need something of a much better quality. For years that has meant picking up a third party headset on Xbox, which have all be fantastic quality, but I’ve always wondered what a first party Xbox headset would be like. Well, I don’t need to wonder any more, with the new Xbox designed and developed Xbox Wireless Headset; a headset that impressive audio quality, tech and comfort for its price.

While audio quality may be the first thing that many people think about when it comes to a headset, my mind generally goes to comfort first. No matter how nice audio might sound, it doesn’t matter if the headset is uncomfortable to wear. Especially if I’m jumping into a multi-hour gaming session. This is an area that the Xbox Wireless Headset excels in. The earcups are made of an ultra-soft PU leather that are incredibly comfortable on the ears, with hardly any pressure exerted, making them great for long sessions. The headband cushion is a little less soft, seemingly backed by a slightly firmer foam, but it’s also super comfortable. The headband is also adjustable and flexible enough that there is little pressure applied on the side of the head, which makes it more wearable over long periods of time. Overall, it’s a pretty darn comfortable headset.

Second in my list of important aspects of a headset is its audio quality. A comfortable headset is all and well and good, but if the quality of its audio is horrendous than it can jog on. This is where the Xbox Wireless Headset does well but falls short of excelling. The headset has some pretty good sound clarity, so there’s never any issues picking out different audio aspects. The bass is wonderfully punchy, coming through without the muddiness that some other headsets seem to suffer from. There’s an overall warm tone to the sound, which I absolutely love. Where it falls short is in the presence of harsh tones that come through as well. I found it to be at its most obvious and distracting when grungy or electronic audio came through. Coming in at $149.95, this was never going to have the best quality audio possible, but it’s definitely batting above its average.

Where the Xbox Wireless Headset continues to excel is in its compatibility and tech. Thanks to supporting both the Xbox wireless protocol and standard Bluetooth, the headset is able to be connected to your Xbox console or any other device that supports Bluetooth. In fact, it can be connected to two devices at once, allowing you to use apps like Discord on your phone for chat, while remaining connected to your console for game audio. The best part of this is the ease of which you can alter the mix of these audios, simply twisting the left panel of the headset to shift the mix. Similarly, the headset’s microphone is fantastic, with the voice isolation working incredibly well and the auto-mute feature working close to flawlessly.

Finally, we come to the last aspect of the Xbox Wireless Headset that I love: its design. There’s nothing garish or overdesigned about the headset, instead it’s this sleek and unassuming figure that I love. Simple black plastic and black cushioning, along with flowing lines and circular cups come together to create a headset that I wouldn’t feel embarrassed to wear in my day-to-day life. In fact, the only easily noticeable thing that gives it away as an ‘Xbox’ accessory are the twin green lines that circle the ear cups. While some might find the design a little boring, I love it and think it also perfectly suits the minimalist and monolithic design of the Xbox Series X.

There is little doubt that a companies first entry in a new line of products can sometimes lead to failure, but the Xbox Wireless Headset is nothing short of fantastic. It boasts incredible comfort, overall fantastic audio quality and some interesting tech and design to pull it all together. If you’re looking for a new headset, I’d highly recommend taking a look at this one.

The Xbox Wireless Headset was reviewed using an iPhone, Windows 10 PC, Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch using a Bluetooth adaptor, with the unit provided by Xbox. It is available for purchase now and retails at $149.95. For more information, check the official website.