The budget wireless gaming headset I always steal from the PC Gamer kit cupboard is down to $55 in the early Black Friday sales, and it's surprisingly good

The Corsair HS55 Wireless Core gaming headset on a Black Friday deals background — (Image credit: Corsair)

I've got a confession to make: When I take a trip into the PC Gamer offices, I wear a set of Heavys H1H headphones, because they're comfy, sound great, and I like looking like a fool on the train with my massive headgear.

When I get there, however, the first thing I do is raid our overflowing kit cupboard for a replacement. Why, you ask? Because the Heavys only have beamforming mics, and that's no bueno in a noisy office when I'm attending video meetings.

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So, I grab this Corsair HS55 Wireless instead. Okay, actually it's the non-Core model in the office, but the headset itself is identical, apart from not having iCUE support. Not exactly a great loss, that.

Anyway, each time I use it I'm surprised by how good it is, especially when you can pick one up for just $55 at Newegg right now. It's our best budget wireless gaming headset pick for a reason, and over the past year I've found out why.

For this sort of money you're probably not expecting a lot out of a wireless set of cans, but I'm pleased to report that it's got it where it counts. For a start, it's very comfy and lightweight, treading the line between easy on the neck and heavy enough to feel cossetting against your skull.

Then there are the drivers to consider. I've got a soft spot for how Corsair headsets sound, and this is a good example of why. The 50 mm units here are capable of a proper weighty dose of bass, without losing too much clarity. They're not mind-blowingly good, mind, but I'm the sort of person that grinds my teeth when audio is less than great. These ones are grand, especially for the money.

The mic isn't the greatest, I'll admit, but it gets the job done just fine. It's still a lot better than many budget models, and miles better than any beamformers I've heard.

What else? Well, it's got a subtle black finish that looks as good as it did when I first yanked it from the box, and fits into a professional environment without making me look like Captain Gamer of Gamerville in my job at, err, PC Gamer.

Our Jacob thought they looked a little cheap in his review, but I have to respectfully disagree. Horses for courses and all that, but I think they look just dandy, and they've stood up to regular office abuse with aplomb.

Ol' Reliable, that's what I've started calling them. So, if you're looking for a set of gaming cans that have withstood the disaster of a human being that is me, this is it. It might not be phenomenal, but it gets on with the business of being a very good budget gaming headset with nary a complaint.

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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.