People buy gaming headsets for different reasons. Some simply want the most intense sound they can get, others look for a great microphone. Some look for something a tad understated so you can bring it out of the house.
Though its microphone is merely okay for its price point, the Asus ROG Pelta does almost everything else on the list, and it's light and comfortable enough that I've used it on hot days and barely worked up a sweat. If you fancy one for yourself, it's dropped down to $79 at Amazon, an over $50 saving.
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I gave the headset 84% in my review last year, and that was when it sold at $130. Down to just under $80, it's a great deal. First, its sound is good. It's distinct enough to make out footsteps in competitive shooters, and full enough to add weight to a heartfelt cutscene. Bass doesn't quite boom as you may want in a headset, but it's certainly present, and you won't be missing a bassline in a good mix.
As I said at the time, "Genesis Noir's jazzy, vibey soundtrack slickly oozes out of the Asus ROG Pelta, with both the squealing of smooth sax and the pitter-patter of jazz brushes coming through clear."
It's not heavy-duty or designed for audiophiles. It's got solid sound, but not thundering; this also works in its favour. At 309 grams, it's not massively heavy, and the earcups are super soft and made out of a breathable material. If you detach the microphone, I would happily wear this out of the house or on a bus. The only part that might distract is the ROG logo on the right earcup.
Speaking of earcups, controls are built into the left earcup and work perfectly fine. They're not super smart, but they're also not hard to find.
The Pelta is made better day to day by its 90-hour battery life (in Bluetooth mode with RGB off and mic muted). That is tons for pretty much any type of gamer, and more than enough to justify throwing these in a backpack when you're away on a long weekend. The microphone also performed fine, being clear enough for a call with friends, or even a quick meeting, but not strong enough to justify for the likes of a podcast.
The Asus ROG Pelta might not be the best in every regard, but it stands out in terms of comfort and feel. It's a super solid all-rounder, and a headset I used for pretty much the entirety of summer last year and never got tired of it. That's a pretty great feat in my book. My big ol' gaming headset book, that is.
1. Best overall:
Razer BlackShark V3
2. Best budget:
Corsair HS55 Stereo
3. Best wired:
HyperX Cloud Alpha
4. Best mid-range wireless:
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X
5. Best audiophile:
Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro
6. Best wireless audiophile:
Audeze Maxwell
7. Best for streaming:
Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet
8. Best noise-cancelling:
AceZone A-Spire
9. Best earbuds:
Steelseries Arctis GameBuds
