Razer's magnificent BlackShark V3 is the gaming headset we recommend time and time again, and at $120 it's the obvious choice for your next audio upgrade

(Image credit: Razer)

We crowned the BlackShark V3 as our best gaming headset overall last year, and it's yet to be beaten. Thanks to some very impressive upgraded 50 mm drivers, the Razer unit sounds clear as a bell for gaming, with excellent mids and an overall response that makes it great for your music, too. Plus, it's light, comfy, and much more affordable than the Pro variant—and all your really missing out on is ANC, which is no big deal.

Key specs: 50 mm Triforce Titanium Gen 2 drivers | 2.4 GHz + Bluetooth 5.3 | 12 - 28,000 Hz | Detachable Super Wideband mic | 70-hour battery life

Price check: Best Buy $119.99

"What is the best gaming headset overall?", I'm often asked when I'm on the bus. "Why, it's the Razer BlackShark V3", I reply. "Once you take into account the value of course, although audiophile headphones are worth consider..."

And at the moment, it's down to $120 at Amazon dot com. That's a $30 saving on a headset that was already good value to begin with.

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Razer BlackShark V3 gaming headset on a blue blackground — (Image credit: Future)

In a world where it's very easy to pay over $200 for a wireless gaming headset, the BlackShark V3 carves out a niche for itself as the obvious undercutting option. The addition of a harmonic distortion-reducing plug to its hefty 50 mm drivers means it sounds clear as a bell for gaming, and a 75% bigger magnet than previous versions ups the bass response in very pleasing ways, too.

It's also very comfortable, thanks to a 270 g weight and a refined design that allows it to sit gently atop your skull, while still retaining good clamping force.

It's got a good (although not spectacular) removable microphone, Bluetooth 5.3 support so you can take it out and about, and handsome good looks and build quality that means you feel like you've got your money's worth. Plus a really big knob on the side for volume control, which is very satisfying to use.

Actually, the control placement is a highlight of this particular design. Many gaming headsets are fiddly beasts to adjust once atop your head, but Razer has really thought about where the buttons should land, and it shows.

You could always consider the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro instead, which adds ANC (and a considerable amount of weight) into the mix. But our Dave wasn't a fan of the noise cancelling implementation, and the non-Pro version makes so much more sense for the money.

It's not completely perfect, because nothing ever is. The ultra-low-latency mode drains the battery rather quickly—and given it only shaves 10 ms off the already-good 25 ms response time, I'd leave it turned off to get the full 70-hour battery life instead. And there are hundreds of other gaming headsets to consider in the $100-$200 price bracket, many of which are worth your time and money.

But the BlackShark V3 is such a balanced, refined offering with so few drawbacks, it's become a firm favorite at PC Gamer Towers. It's the one I'd recommend to you if we were sitting next to each other on the bus, and it's the one I'm recommending through the glorious medium of text, too. Pass the sweets, would you?

Best gaming headset 2026

1. Best overall:
Razer BlackShark V3

2. Best budget:
Corsair HS55 Stereo

3. Best wired:
HyperX Cloud Alpha

4. Best mid-range wireless:
Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3

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

👉Check out our full gaming headset guide👈

Andy built his first gaming PC at the tender age of 12, when IDE cables were a thing and high resolution wasn't—and he hasn't stopped since. Now working as a hardware writer for PC Gamer, Andy spends his time jumping around the world attending product launches and trade shows, all the while reviewing every bit of PC gaming hardware he can get his hands on. You name it, if it's interesting hardware he'll write words about it, with opinions and everything.

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