Surprise! Guardians of the Galaxy is actually a very good video game. Let Cardy, Matt and Jesse tell you why, as well as how much fun Resident 4 VR is. The announcement of the remastered GTA Trilogy has summoned a pang of nostalgia in the air as memories of GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas flood back. There's also papable excitement for Toy Story spin-off, Lightyear.
Want to submit your own Endless Search, food opinion, or a bit of other nonsense? Feel free to get in touch with the podcast at: [email protected].
The SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ takes an excellent wireless gaming headset and makes it better. A minor revision of 2020’s Arctis 7P, the new version adds USB-C quick charging and boosts overall battery life by 25% while retaining everything that made it excellent the first time around. It features a fantastic design to match your new PS5 and is extremely comfortable for long sessions thanks to its unique headband and breathable ear cups. It’s also fully compatible with Sony’s Tempest 3D Audio to deliver more immersive audio in select PS5 games. If you’re primarily a PlayStation gamer, this is hands down one of the best headsets available.
SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ – Design and Features
Since this is such a minor revision, most of what was stated in our original SteelSeries Arctis 7P review still holds up. It largely retains the same construction, including a durable steel headband and its signature ski goggle design that makes it so damn comfortable.
The 40mm audio drivers and frequency are identical to the previous generation headset, as is the retractable bidirectional noise-canceling microphone. It also fully supports Sony’s Tempest 3D audio right out of the box, allowing you to experience 360-degree immersive audio in supported PS5 games.
The primary new feature this time around is the addition of a USB-C charging port that replaces the previous generation’s Micro USB port. Not only is this a welcome change since most peripherals have made the switch to USB-C in recent years (including all of Sony’s first-party accessories for PlayStation 5), but it brings along quick charging capabilities as well. With just 15 minutes of charge time, you’ll get three hours of listening time.
Even better, SteelSeries has managed to squeeze even more battery out of the Arctis 7P+, which now boasts over 30 hours of listening time on a single charge – up from the 24 hours found in the previous generation headset. Unsurprisingly, I never found myself running low on battery during the entirety of my testing, making this a standout feature when compared to many other gaming headsets on the market.
As far as platform support goes, the Arctis 7P+ is compatible with both the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, as well as PC and Nintendo Switch, all via a 2.4 GHz USB-C dongle. For mobile devices, it’s still compatible with USB-C Android devices as well as newer models of iPad such as iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini. It also adds compatibility for Oculus Quest 2 and the official Google Stadia controller. Still notably absent is Xbox, making this a difficult recommendation for those with both PlayStation and Xbox consoles, especially considering that the current Arctis 7X headset works with everything and still tops the charts as our favorite wireless headset for 2021. However, if your primary console is PlayStation and you also dabble in some other platforms outside of Xbox, then this is easily one of the best headsets around – not to mention an outright upgrade over the Arctis 7P.
SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ – Software
While the Arctis 7P+ headset sounds great out of the box, it can be tweaked slightly to your liking. The SteelSeries GG app for PC (previously SteelSeries Engine) acts as a hub for all of your SteelSeries devices and allows you to adjust EQ settings, select presets, as well as save custom configurations for specific games. You can also adjust the microphone volume and set your headphones to automatically power off after a specific period of time to preserve battery life. It’s also required to update the firmware for both the headphones and the multimedia dongle.
SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ – Gaming
My actual gaming experience with the Arctis 7P+ was nearly identical to my review last year. Since the audio drivers were unchanged, everything still sounds fantastic from an audio perspective. And because the Arctis 7P+ utilizes a USB dongle for transmission, you’ll have lossless audio streamed directly into your ears over the 2.4GHz spectrum, a stark upgrade over your typical Bluetooth headsets.
Most of my time with the Arctis 7P+ was spent testing 3D Audio since all of SteelSeries’ PS5-compatible headsets now support Sony’s Tempest 3D AudioTech. I was captivated while walking through Zurkie’s Bar in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart as the music blared and patrons chattered. I could close my eyes and hear individual conversations happening all around me with pinpoint accuracy. Even the music coming from the jukebox was directional, moving with me as I walked around the noisy bar. While in combat, I was able to easily determine enemies’ precise location without even needing to turn around. It’s more than just simple surround sound as all the audio exists in what feels like a true 360-degree space.
I also took Returnal for a spin, and from the moment Selene stepped out of her ship I was enveloped in audio. Even through the deafening sound of the rain, I could still make out the various sounds coming from the flora and fauna all around me. What benefited most from the directional audio, though, was the frenetic combat. I could easily tell the location of every enemy in the heat of the moment, and even pinpoint their attacks while running around dodging incoming projectiles.
Even games that don’t natively support 3D Audio sounded great, such as Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Although the surround sound was noticeably less precise, I could still easily discern the general direction enemies were coming from. What’s great about 3D Audio is that you don’t really need to do anything to take advantage of it. If the game supports it, your headset will just sound that much better. For everything else, though, it’s still a fantastic sounding headset. Even listening to music or watching movies works extremely well on the Arctis 7P+.
Not to mention, the Arctis 7 series are still the most comfortable headsets I’ve ever worn. The floating design of the Ski Goggle Headband takes all the pressure off the top of your head, while the lightweight and breathable Airweave ear cushions allow you to play or listen for hours with little to no fatigue. The earcups are also extremely friendly for those that wear glasses as they don’t press against your head.
Capcom has said that Resident Evil Village is set to receive free DLC sometime in the future.
News of the free DLC was published in the company's recent annual integrated report. As part of the lengthy document, which looks back on the studio's year as a whole and also outlines its plans for the future, Capcom's Director and Executive Officer, Yoichi Egawa, spoke briefly about the company's development strategy and how plans for Resident Evil Village would factor into that.
"We will drive our customer management to understand the playing trends and preferences of users while also building a business model for online operations," said Egawa. "Taking into account the situation of our free additional DLC for titles such as Monster Hunter Rise and Resident Evil Village."
Currently, it's unclear what this free DLC will be. During its E3 panel earlier this year, Capcom confirmed that due to "popular demand," the studio was working on additional DLC for the game. However, since then, little more has been said on the topic.
Resident Evil Village's previously released Trauma Pack DLC, which launched packaged with the Collector's, Deluxe, and Complete versions of the game, was mostly made up of cosmetic content. While Capcom hasn't stipulated whether or not any further free DLC would be story-driven or cosmetic-based, it may be that fans receive something similar to the Trauma Pack as part of its free DLC in a future update.
In other news, Capcom recently announced that Resident Evil Village has now sold over 5 million copies globally, reaching the milestone quicker than its predecessor Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. News of Village's success comes amid further celebrations for Capcom, as the studio also recently reported record-level sales and profits for a second quarter.
For more on Resident Evil Village, make sure to check out our review of the game. Alternatively, if you're currently in need of a few Village tips and tricks, our handy walkthroughs are there to help.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Getting the best gaming headset doesn't need to cost a fortune. Rather there are plenty of budget gaming headsets that incorporate fantastically comfortable designs. What's more they can offer a surprising array of audio features for surround sound and enhanced sound, and most importantly a decent microphone for above potato quality team chat. Memory foam, sizable speaker drivers, metal construction, clear microphones, virtual surround sound, and even wireless connectivity, it can all be had with a surprising number of budget gaming headset.
While there are so many available options, we've cut through the fluff to find and test the best options for you. These inexpensive options offer a ton of value for around $100 or less. Whether you're playing on an Xbox Series X/S or PS5, or a gaming PC, we've picked out some truly outstanding budget options so you can be sure you're getting your money's worth — you can find them here in the UK. If you want to try to snag some more premium headsets at a discount, don’t miss these deals on certified refurbished video game accessories from eBay.
TL; DR – These are the Best Budget Gaming Headsets:
Imagine this: one headset that supports pretty much all of your devices, but it’s also affordable and offers wireless connectivity. Boom, you’ve got it with the Razer Barracuda X (read our review). This budget gaming headset costs $100, but it’ll fill in for a whole host of headphones you might otherwise be toting around throughout your day.
With its USB-C dongle, the Razer Barracuda X is able to wirelessly support PS5, PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch, and Android. It even supports the PS5’s Tempest 3D audio for powerful surround sound. For everything else, you can connect the Razer Barracuda X with a 3.5mm headphone cable. The headset will even give you a considerable 20-hour battery life. Whichever way you connect, you’ll be getting well balanced audio from the headset’s 40mm TriForce drivers, helping you hear all the in-game audio cues you need to stay competitive and immersed. When you’re gaming, the boom mic will help you communicate clearly with your teammates, but you can detach it when you’re on the go and just want headphones for private listening.
2. Corsair HS35
Best Ultra Cheap Gaming Headset
Corsair launched its very first ultra-cheap gaming headset, the HS35 (read our review), recently and it's extremely good, especially for its $35 price. It's only a stereo headset, so there's no fancy surround sound, but you can't really ask for more from this extremely low price point.
It fully cross-platform though, so you can use it on PC, consoles, and even your phone/tablet. Its large 50mm drivers deliver an expansive soundstage. Its flexible boom mic also delivers great sound quality and it's Discord Certified too. That all said, the audio balance of the HS35 is only so-so due and the bass can be a little too heavy for my taste. There's some give and take, but you won't find a cheaper quality gaming headset than this.
You don't have to spend a ton to get a good wireless gaming headset that's going to work seamlessly with your Xbox Series S or X. The new Xbox Wireless Headset is built to connect directly with your Xbox using the Xbox Wireless protocol, so you won't need any extra dongles or accessories cluttering your gaming setup. And, since it's made specifically for the system, you'll get to enjoy digital surround sound support in your games.
The Xbox Wireless Headset has all you need to get in the game. From its large over-ear headphones with 40mm speaker drives and its retractable boom mic, it's got the hardware for you to hear the game and be heard by your teammates. If you want your headphones to do a little more than just game, you can also use these headphones with computers and mobile devices over Bluetooth or 3.5mm audio cables, letting you get that much more functionality for your money.
You might expect a first-party product to cost extra, but the Sony Pulse 3D (read our review) headset is actually fairly affordable. At just $99, you're getting a pair of wireless gaming headphones that are going to work seamlessly with your PS5. Considering wireless headsets aren't too commonplace at this price point, these headphones become an even better offer.The headset is designed for PS5 and will deliver Sony's special blend of spatial sound through Tempest 3D audio, giving you a more realistic experience in games.
The headset will also work with PS4, PC, and Mac wirelessly. With a 3.5mm audio cable and USB-C connection, it can support even more devices. With 12 hours of battery life, it may not be the most power-packed headset, but it should have enough juice to get you through a couple of long gaming sessions as long as you remember to recharge regularly. Of course, you can always just wire the headset into your controller if you run out of power.
5. Turtle Beach Recon 500
Best Wired Gaming Headset
Turtle Beach hasn’t just released another pair of cheap headphones with the Recon 500 (read our review). Instead, it’s taken the time to revamp the audio coming through by introducing new 60mm dual drivers that split up the high and low frequencies for impressive audio detail. That might all sound like PR speak, but we tested them, and they sound great in games with engines revving and explosive booms all coming through clear.
That high-quality audio is something you can take with you from platform to platform, as the Turtle Beach Recon 500 uses a 3.5mm wired connection, so it can support just about any platform. The headset has convenient controls with a volume dial on the left earcup and a simple-to-push button to mute the mic. The subtle looks of the headset also make it one you can wear away from your gaming setup, and you can detach the mic to remain even more discreet.
The Corsair HS70 (read our review) was one of the first cheap wireless gaming headsets, and it's only gotten better with the upgrade to the HS70 Pro. You can use it for both PS4 and PC, with support for 7.1-channel surround sound on the latter.
You're getting a well-crafted headset with a headband and ear cups that are both made of an incredibly plush memory foam material, so you won't find many gaming headsets more comfortable than the Corsair HS70 Pro. If you want to go wireless and stay on budget, this is the best option for you.
7. SteelSeries Arctis 7X
Best Multi-Platform Budget Gaming Headset
Short of using a wired connection, it can be pretty hard to get a good headset that'll play nice with both sides of the console market. But, the SteelSeries Arctis 7X (read our review) will do just that. It's not going to be as cheap as some of the other headsets on this list, but it's nearly doing the impossible by supporting both the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 – wait for it – wirelessly. Yep, that's right. The SteelSeries Arctis 7X supports a wired connection if you need it, but the USB-C dongle will let you connect to the next-gen console of your choice wirelessly.
That alone is some serious value for a headset to offer, but the SteelSeries Arctis 7X doesn't stop there. You're also getting support for Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac. That's thanks to a wide variety of connectivity options. Depending on which platform you're on, you can even get virtual surround sound. All that, and it offers a comfortable design and a 24-hour battery life. (Note: the near-identical Arctis 7P does not support Xbox Series X.)
With the PDP LVL50 (read our review), we've come to another affordable wireless gaming headset option. It's a stand out $80 headset that'll work with the Xbox One, PS4, and PC thanks to its dedicated wireless dongle that makes setup easy.
This pair of cans push out some seriously loud audio, to the point that we had to keep the volume nob at 50% most of the time. There's no fancy surround sound here, but positional audio was still pretty good even with just stereo. The only thing holding back this wireless gaming headset is its all plastic and sometimes creaky build quality.
HyperX's Cloud Stinger design continues to evolve, and with the Cloud Stringer S you get to level up the experience with virtual surround sound for a solid combination of comfort and audio. The HyperX Cloud Stinger S offers up a lightweight design at just 275 grams, so you'll barely feel it on top of your head, but it's still squeezing in 50mm drivers for powerful sound.
The headset can connect to almost any device using its 3.5mm audio cable, but that won't give you the 7.1-channel surround sound experience. For that, you'll need to connect to a Windows PC using HyperX's USB dongle. Then you'll really be getting the most out of the HyperX Cloud Stinger S. If you're not gaming on PC, you can skip the surround sound and save a few bucks by going with the simple Cloud Stinger or even the cheaper Cloud Stinger Core.
Headphones are great for getting full immersion in your games, particularly thanks to the positional audio you can get. But, most headphones lack the oomph to make you physically feel the sounds in the game – something a dedicated subwoofer can do in a speaker setup. Fortunately, haptic headsets are a thing, and Corsair's HS60 Haptic is an affordable option.
This headset will connect to your PC over a USB connection and deliver the rumble from your games right into each ear cup with its haptic motors. Pair that with support for Windows Sonic surround sound, and you'll get a bit of extra immersion that standard headphones wouldn't offer. Corsair also takes pains to make sure its headsets are comfortable, and the Corsair HS60 Haptic has spacious ear cups and a headband with plenty of cushioning packed inside and a study build to help make sure this is a headset that'll last.
Where to Get the Best Budget Gaming Headsets in the UK
Finding the right gaming headset can be a match made in heaven, but you don't need to pay above and beyond to find your lucky set. Out of all the headsets we've tested on this list, every single one is available to pick up in the UK, and at a reasonable price. Whether it's our favourite the SteelSeries Arctis 1, or the incredibly affordable Turtle Beach Recon 70, there is a headset ready and waiting for you. Don't see the headsets below? Click here.
What to look for in a Budget Gaming Headset
We've picked out the cream of the crop when it comes to budget gaming headsets, but you can still run into a lot of bad apples. Here we'll tell you about a few things you should expect from this market of cheap gaming headsets including build and sound quality.
Of the budget gaming headsets we've tested, we found that build quality can run the gamut between flimsy and cheap to super sturdy to the point of being almost too heavy. Of course, you’ll also get better build quality as you move up the price scale—less molded plastic and more metal. If you can check out these gaming headsets in store, be sure to not just put them on but give them a decent stretch (without snapping them in half!) and see if it creaks at all.
Although you will find scratchy fabric ear cups on some models, you’ll also encounter smooth synthetic leather and soft fabric, too. When it comes to leather vs fabric, it all comes down to your preference, but know that leather offers more sound isolation while fabrics are more breathable. Also be on the lookout for memory-foam padding as it offers the cushiest, most comfortable fit against your head.
Sound quality can be impressive across the board, though the tendency we found across the category was to favor low frequencies instead of highs or mids. You’ll get cleaner highs and better separation between mid and low frequencies in the midrange gaming headsets or higher class peripherals.
Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam
Mark Knapp is a regular contributor to IGN and an irregular Tweeter on Twitter @Techn0Mark
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Thank your own personal God—possibly Amaterasu—it's Friday! In today's episode of Holy Crap You're Aging at a Fantastic Rate, the Tomb Raider series is a quarter of a century old, and you can save big on it. Those and many more deals await you below. Stay safe, save often and see you on Monday!
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Adam's an Aussie deals person who still gets warm shivers when he hears the title music for the original Tomb Raider. He's@Grizwords.
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