Best Budget Gaming Headsets Under $100: 2017 Review

Last Updated: Oct 2, 2017

If you're on the hunt for the best budget gaming headsets under $100 we've got you covered. For this review we carefully considered and analyzed the top PC headsets in this price range in terms of sound quality, features, comfort, mic quality, and overall reliability and narrowed it down to our top 3 hand-picked choices to help you decide between the swamp of different headsets out there.

Don't just take our word for it though; make sure to do your own research into which gaming headset is best for you and don't miss our more thorough buying guide on choosing a good computer headset to know more about what to keep on eye out for on your hunt.

It was tough separating the following top headsets and we've listed them below in no particular order; choosing between them will come down to personal preference as well as comparing current prices.

Alright, let's get into our top 3 hand-picked best budget gaming headsets under $100.

See Also: The Best Wireless Headsets

Best Budget Gaming Headset Under $100 (Option #1):

The Sennheiser GSP 300

True audio geeks and audiophiles will be happy to see a Sennheiser within our recommendations, and for good reason as they've been one of the most trusted names in the game for a long time.

The Sennheiser GSP 300 Gaming Headset is a stereo headset (as in it's not 5.1 or 7.1) but don't let that fool you as the sound quality for the price is very good and you don't NEED 5.1 or 7.1 as high-quality stereo still provides an immersive experience. Some will even go as far to say that 5.1 and 7.1 features on a headset are simply marketing gimmicks.

The GSP 300 is widely reported as being a very comfortable fit for most heads with its extra large memory foam earpads which is perfect for those long sessions tearing up your competition. The noise-canceling mic is also very decent and will minimize background noise fairly effectively, and you can mute it by simply lifting the arm.

A cool, slick design tops things off. Easily one of the best budget gaming headsets under $100 right now.

Model:

Style:

Audio:

Frequency Response:

Connection:

Platforms:

Weight:

Microphone Type:

Sennheiser GSP 300

Closed-back / Closed-ear

Stereo

15 - 26,000 Hz

2 x 3.5 mm / 1 x 3.5 mm

PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Mobiles

12.8 Ounces

Noise Canceling, Folding

Best Budget Gaming Headset Under $100 (Option #2):

The HyperX Cloud II

Next up in our top 4 best budget gaming headsets under 100 bucks is the popular HyperX Cloud II Gaming Headset which offers similar quality sound to the above Sennheiser but also comes with 7.1 surround sound support if that's a requirement for you.

The HyperX Cloud II's noise canceling mic is also quite decent, and comfort is regarded as top notch. A nice touch is the headset comes with interchangeable ear cushions (leatherette and velour) so you can mix and match for what feels best for you.

Choosing between this and the above Sennheiser GSP 300 will basically come down to personal preference, whether you must have 7.1 surround sound (and whether you believe it's worth it), as well as comparing the current price of each.

Model:

Style:

Audio:

Frequency Response:

Connection:

Platforms:

Weight:

Microphone Type:

HyperX Cloud II

Closed-back / Closed-ear

7.1 Virtual Surround Sound

15 - 25,000 Hz

1 x 3.5mm

PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One

12.3 Ounces

Noise Canceling, Detachable

Best Budget Gaming Headset Under $100 (Option #3):

The SteelSeries Arctis 5

Our third pick of the best budget headsets for PC gaming would be the SteelSeries Arctic 5 Gaming Headset. Another excellent value for money mid-tier headset with very good quality sound, an awesome standout design, and a unique flexible elastic headband which contours around your head nicely making it one of the most comfortable gaming headsets around.

The mic is conveniently well-hidden and very solid quality with effective background noise cancellation, and it's got handy on-ear audio controls for volume adjustment and microphone muting.

Then there's the RGB illumination which you can fully customize including choosing from 16.8 million colors and applying effects like color shifting and color breathing which is pretty cool if you ask me.

Model:

Style:

Audio:

Frequency Response:

Connection:

Platforms:

Weight:

Microphone Type:

SteelSeries Arctic 5

Closed-back / Closed-ear

7.1 Virtual Surround Sound

20 - 22,000 Hz

USB or 1 x 3.5 mm

PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Mobiles

9.9 Ounces

Noise Canceling, Retractable

About the Author

A hobbyist game programmer turned hardware enthusiast, Julien "cyberjulz" is the founder of BGC and has kept a keen eye on the latest in DIY gaming ever since starting BGC back in '06 as an almost laughably-basic and brief 20 page site with the aim to make building PCs more accessible to the average gamer since most resources weren't too noob friendly. Over countless reinventions and reiterations to the quality, depth and usefulness of the content over many years the site has steadily grown into the expansive, comprehensive and ever-updated first-time PC builder resource that it is today that now reaches and helps thousands of gamers and power users each month to more easily plan optimal setups for their exact needs. You can learn more about the BGC mission and ways to support it here.

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