The 5 Best Headphones for Oculus Quest

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Penned by Kody Wirth

Kody is our expert Destiny 2 and shooter genre writer. He lives in Oregon.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

VR was once hailed as the final frontier of gaming. No more sitting in front of your TV or monitor holding a controller or tapping away at a keyboard — now you could experience full immersion that placed you in the middle of the action. Unfortunately, these bold promises initially fell very flat, with lackluster or gimmicky experiences and costly hardware.

But VR wouldn’t enter the hallowed halls of failed gaming hardware alongside the GameGear and Kinect. Instead, it would evolve and improve. Thanks to the likes of PSVR, HTC Vive, and the original Oculus, VR found its footing.

Where is VR today? Thankfully, it’s in a much better position. Just look at the new Oculus Quest, which requires no wires, no PC, and can turn into an Oculus Rift, all with a reasonable purchase price. It even includes positional audio built directly into the headset! And while this sound quality is decent enough, a good pair of headphones can boost your immersive experience even further.

Interested in upgrading your VR play with a good set of headphones? Read on for our top 5 headphones for the Oculus Quest.

Zoom In: The 5 Best Oculus Quest Headphones

Let’s scope out the top Oculus Quest headphones, starting with our favorite.

1. HyperX Cloud Alpha S

The best headphones for Oculus Quest overall

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Manufacturer: HyperX | Weight: 10.9 ounces | Connectivity: Wired | Output: Surround Sound | Price: 💰💰💰

The HyperX Cloud Alpha S is perfect for both VR and traditional gaming use. With the Oculus, it’s one of the more comfortable over-the-ear wired headphones that doesn’t substitute comfort for durability. With an aluminum frame and threaded cord, you don’t have to worry about the headset degrading or breaking as you move around. And to top it all off, the audio quality is top-notch.

Featuring 7.1 surround sound that auto-detects supported games, it’s perfect for taking advantage of 3D or spatial audio in VR titles. You get full control over your listening experience with on-ear bass sliders where you can tune bass frequencies separately thanks to its dual-chamber drives. And with the advanced audio control mixer, you can truly personalize your audio experience.

Sometimes one of the best headsets for PC is also the best headset for VR. Simple as that.

2. Oculus Quest In-Ear Headphones

The best headphones designed for Oculus Quest compatibility

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Manufacturer: Oculus | Weight: 3.36 ounces | Connectivity: Wired | Output: Surround Sound | Price: 💰💰

If you want headphones that allow you to disregard concerns over compatibility, the Oculus-developed in-ear headphones are right for you. These Oculus Quest earbuds are designed to function specifically with the headset, taking full advantage of the dual audio ports. They’re even designed with shorter cord length, so you can avoid having to tuck lengthier headset connections away and jump straight into the action.

Typically, over-the-ear headphones are the go-to for immersive audio, but these earbuds are on par with the big boys. That said, there’ve been reports that the Oculus In-Ear Headphones can only achieve mono audio output, making it challenging to understand where sound is coming from in-game. This appears to be a QC issue, as they’re designed to leverage Oculus’s spatial audio, with all the benefits you’d expect from that. If you’re experiencing mono output, you may just need to return it and ask for a replacement.

Overall, it’s not the fanciest headset out there, but it’s easily the best earbuds for Oculus Quest. It’s a reasonably good experience at a lower price point.

3. SteelSeries Arctis 5

The most versatile wired headset for Oculus Quest

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Manufacturer: SteelSeries | Weight: 12.8 ounces | Connectivity: Wired | Output: Surround Sound | Price: 💰💰💰

Similar to the HyperX, the Arctis 5 provides incredible audio quality. While the former was only compatible with PC and VR headsets, the SteelSeries headset throws console compatibility into the mix. This makes the headset incredibly versatile and ensures that you’re getting more bang for your buck, even if you don’t end up diving into VR consistently.

It’s built with style and comfort in mind, with every control subtly lying on the earmuffs for quick and seamless adjustments. And if you want to look a bit flashier as you jam your way through BeatSaber, the RGB effects make this headset a must-have. Featuring intuitive and robust editing software, it’s fully customizable and easy to adjust whenever you’d like. 

The only drawback is that this headset isn’t built to last. Most reviews found pieces breaking or the earmuffs degrading within a year, and trying to utilize the warranty isn’t a simple process. But if you’re not worried about that and traditionally take good care of your headsets, the Arctis 5 is a worthy option for all varieties of gaming.

4. SpectraShell OQ9 Earbuds

The cheapest wired earbuds for Oculus Quest

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Manufacturer: SpectraShell | Weight: 3.17 ounces | Connectivity: Wired | Output: Surround Sound | Price: 💰

If you don’t plan on playing VR all that often and just want a simple and inexpensive audio option, the SpectraShell OQ9’s fit the bill. Similar to the proprietary earbuds from Oculus, these earbuds are designed specifically for the headset. They’re split into two separate headphones to take full advantage of the dual audio ports and are designed with shorter cords.

But you’ll get what you pay for. These earbuds are made of relatively cheap material, and while the audio doesn’t sway between mono and surround sound like the Quest version, it’s been known to become muddled or drop altogether. 

These are a great option if you’re considering the Oculus In-Ear headphones and don’t want to shell out $50. They’re not exactly high-quality headphones, but they’re great if you’re going to experiment with VR headphones and don’t want to break the bank.

5. Corsair HS70 V2 Pro

The best wireless headphones for Oculus Quest

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Manufacturer: Corsair | Weight: 11.7 ounces | Connectivity: Wireless | Output: Surround Sound | Price: 💰💰💰

Incredibly lightweight, comfortable, and easy to use, this headset is a premium experience at a reasonable price. Featuring a fully detachable, noise-canceling microphone and on-ear volume and mute controls, it’s made with ease-of-use and quick action in mind. And with 16-hours of battery life, you can easily use the headset throughout your longest gaming jams, no problem.

Typically, a reliable wireless headset would be higher on most lists. Unfortunately, the Corsair HS70 has been known to have connectivity issues with the Quest, making wired options the go-to in most cases. But, avid VR users have found ways to make Corsair wireless headsets work consistently, so I’d be remiss not to include the HS70 V2 Pro on this list.

Buyer’s Guide: Headphones for Oculus Quest

Choosing headphones is tricky, even without throwing VR compatibility into the equation. To help you narrow down your search, check out our headphones guide and think about the following three things while searching.

1. Headphone Type and Brand

With headphones, much of the choice comes down to preference. Do you want over-the-ear headphones or earbuds? Wired vs. wireless? Keep in mind that wireless has a spotty track record with VR headsets, so do your research.

Making these decisions up-front can help you eliminate hundreds of options from consideration. And if you have a brand or two that you love or want to try, that can help you narrow things down even further. By cutting out things you don’t want, you’ll have an easier time comparing models.

2. Sound Quality

The entire reason you’re purchasing headphones is to improve your audio experience, but the level of improvement is solely up to you. Maybe you’re an audiophile and nothing but the cleanest spatial sound will do. Or perhaps you simply want to hear your friends over voice chat without it sounding like everyone’s swallowing their mic. 

Establish how much audio quality matters to you and go from there. But remember: for VR use, you’ll want to find headphones capable of surround sound. This is a must. The speakers, base, and other audio quality functions are where you get to pick and choose.

3. Comfort

Lastly, you can’t forget about the comfort of your headphones. You’ll be using these for multiple hour sessions, and the last thing you want is discomfort.

There are plenty of high-quality, silky-smooth audio headsets out there that simply aren’t comfortable. Whether it’s a design issue, lack of padding, or inability to adapt the frame, there are many potential issues to think about.

Often, sticking with a brand you trust or checking reviews can give you a good idea of how comfortable a potential headset will be. And if you do make a purchase and find that it doesn’t fit your comfort needs, simply return it and try again. Don’t settle, because your headphones may quickly turn into a $100-$150 paperweight if you do.

Our Process

For this guide on headphones for Oculus Quest, our writers spent 3 hours researching over 25 of the most popular options from brands big and small. After comparing this data, we then read over 125 user reviews and narrowed our list down to the top 5 Oculus Quest headphones on the market. All of this research adds up to recommendations you can trust.

We hope you’ve found the perfect model for your setup. Happy Gaming!

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