As Fortnite enters a new phase, it may be time to consider upgrading to one of the best Fortnite headsets. If you’re looking to make gains next season and win more Victory Royales, some new gear may help.
Audio is crucial for Battle Royale games like Fortnite. If you have surround sound, you can hear where gunfire is coming from, whether it's in the distance or a bullet whizzes past your head. You also want high-quality sound, so everything comes in clear and you can quickly take in every sound and react.
We also think that, because a lot of Fortnite players are in-game for long stretches, you should make sure to buy something comfortable. A lot of competitive players don’t think enough about how comfort affects your game: For starters, adjusting your headset mid-game serves up a perfect opportunity for someone to get the drop on you. These are all important factors in picking the a gaming headset no matter what you’re playing, so don’t fret you have an amazing headset that’s not on this list. If you’re in the market for a new headset, though, and Fortnite is your game, these picks are especially fine-tuned to your needs.
The elder statesman of PC gaming headsets is back at its most regal with the latest Alpha incarnation of the HyperX Cloud. Unlike most Alphas it won’t tell you about its gym routine and macronutrient profile in painstaking detail, but it will make Fortnite sound like the jamboree of explosive mirth it was intended to. It doesn't have simulated 7.1 surround sound like its competitors, but those dual-chamber drivers actually simulate audio better and with more clarity than other headsets we've tested (in the same price region).
We love the generous padding, which seems to keep the headset feeling light as air indefinitely, and while we’ve never had problems with cable or mic connection breakages it’s reassuring this model features replaceable parts on both these fronts. As for the mic, an ample foam shield and smart noise cancellation keep your voice clear and pop-free even if you’re warning squadmates about a perp with a pump shotgun at Pleasant Park. At this price, with such audio pedigree and comforting feel, the Alpha is tough to beat.
If you want cat-like hearing, razor-sharp communication with squadmates and prolonged comfort while fighting to the death in Fortnite, Sennheiser’s ol’ reliable GAME ONE headset is the ideal pick. Headset microphones simply don’t get better than this, and the sheer size of this one lets you know it means business. It’s decent at noise-cancelling though some keyboard and mouse noise will still filter through, and it’s worth it for the quality of your voice broadcasting. Friends often comment that we sound louder and clearer than usual whenever we use the GAME ONE.
The GAME ONE is a rarity in the gaming headset market in that it’s open-backed, which means it trades sound leakage both in and out of the headphones for a more spacious sound. Making a bit more noise through your headphones shouldn’t be a problem in Fortnite unless you’re in the habit of playing down in your local library, and the roomy soundscape is worth it. Picking out pockets of distant gunfire and not-so distant footsteps is easy—and it might save your life.
Headsets don't come much more powerful than the Razer Kraken TE, a righteous pair of cans rocking the latest 50mm neodymium speakers. While they don't have the widest frequency response gamut, the cooling gel-infused earcups and noise cancelling, retractible unidirectional mic more than make up for the corners it cuts elsewhere. Given its use of the gradually expiring 3.5mm headphone jack, it's platform agnostic, too, perfect for gaming on PC and other devices which shall not be named here on this sacred website. However, if you are playing on PC, you do get 7.1 THX sound, which is incredibly handy for Fortnite.
Design-wise, the Razer Kraken TE is a massive departure from the usual slew of products from the San Franciscan tri-snake-emblazoned gaming tech company. It's kind of subtle, with no ostentatious RGB lighting or gimmicky software integrations in sight. In other words, it's purely focused on the hardware. All the controls you could ever need are mounted to the 4.3-foot braided cable protruding from its undergut: volume and mic mute.
It turns out Astro can kick it with the budget players just as well as the high end wireless crowd. This is the company’s first attempt at a low cost gaming headset, taking its cues from the pricier A50, and it loses very little in the process—particularly if you’re after a no-nonsense Fortnite audio setup. The mic’s dependable if not the outright best of the group, and as with Sennheiser’s GAME ONE it’s always handy to be able to flip the boom up to mute yourself.
Meanwhile audio and build quality hit the mark very well, built to a sprightly 346g and well-padded. The earcups are quite a tight fit if you happen to be of the larger-eared persuasion, but that’s really the extent of the A10’s drawbacks. A pro gaming staple brand, on a budget—perfect for your next jaunt in Dusty Depot.
We’ve said it many times: we really like the Arctis 7. It brings you a hassle free wireless setup with good battery life, an innovative headband design that takes the weight away from the top of your head, stellar sound quality and a sensible control layout on the headset itself. We always miss the chat/game mix scroll wheel when we use other headsets, and in a game like Fortnite where hitting the right volume balance between the two is paramount, that handy feature becomes an essential addition.
A massive 24-hour battery life ensures those annoying beeps don’t kick in until well after you’ve ignored the advice of every medical professional about play session duration. The fit can loosen over time—and we mean months here, not days—but thankfully new headbands and earcup covers of different designs are available from Steelseries, so you can freshen up the Arctis’s look as well as revitalize its fit when the time comes.
If you want to go wireless with your Fortnite setup but don’t feel like spending much in doing so, say hello to your new friend. Corsair’s latest budget wireless model features up to 16 hours of battery charge and formidable audio quality without any niggling audio dropout that might have spoiled the party in older wireless headsets.
To get the negatives out of the way: yes, we found the headband a little uncomfortable after long sessions, but the time it takes for it to dig in exceeds our tolerance threshold for being demolished by strangers with Hunting Rifles anyway—so no biggie here. Although the mic isn’t quite on the same level as Sennheiser’s peerless GAME ONE, it’s nicely adjustable and offers more than adequate quality for keeping squadmates in check. It’s available in either black or white too, so aesthetes who want to match their headset with their rig are covered.
The old G-Pro was a favorite among the PC Gamer team, but the newer X version is a genuine step-up in quality. Gone are the 40mm drivers that lacked punch compared to other headsets, like the HyperX, and in are the new 50mm versions capable of producing incredible 7.1 sound, a necessity for a game like Fortnite. The Logitech comfort is still present, even in the new design, although there's still no concession for glasses-wearers, unlike the relief system offered by the likes of Turtle Beach.
What really impresses on the G-Pro X, however, is the mic. This is easily one of the clearest mics in the business, and is perfect for anyone playing Fortnite competitively or in a tight squad of friends. If you're a lone player the sound is a great selling point for the X, but the clarity of communication really is what makes this one special. On top of all that the G-Hub software supporting this headset allows you to tweak a decent amount of settings, so you can get your audio just right to suit the way you play. While the price-tag is a bit high, this one is essential for anyone who plays Fortnite as more than just a hobby.
You may know Turtle Beach best for its console headsets, but the company assures us its latest PC-first headset is more than an easy cash-in. In fact, it was developed in partnership with a slew of renowned esports teams, such as Astralis, OpTic Gaming, Splyce and Manchester City. None Fortnite teams, sure, but we're convinced the Turtle Beach Elite Atlas is well worth your while if you're champing at the bit for your next Victory Royale.
By now, you're presumably well aware that effective communication is of the utmost importance in a game like Fortnite. Especially in Save the World mode, the ability to intelligibly relay instructions to teammates puts your quartet at a considerable advantage. And because the detachable boom mic on the Turtle Beach Elite Atlas punches above its weight when it comes to noise cancellation, we're willing to say it's the best Fortnite headset for voice chat. On top of that, should its mic, ear cushions or speaker plates be lost or damaged, you can easily order replacement parts for the Elite Atlas via Turtle Beach's online storefront. Although the speakers leave a lot to be desired, the mic quality alone makes this headset worth your while.
