It must have surround sound. Ideally wireless. Obviously I want the sound to be of excellent quality.
Then forget wireless.
- There are only few wireless headphones from audio makers I would trust to have good sound quality.
While gaming brands are pretty much just trinket production with huge profit margins, wires or no wires.
- And wired headphones never run out of battery in the middle of gaming and we already have enough things to charge...
I'm sure if you actually use it for its advertised use, you wouldn't call "smart"phones very smart with their battery always dumb.
And that surround in package of headphones themselves is marketing BS in any way:
- "True surround" headphones with garbage truck load of even cheaper trinket drivers are total scam.
Headphones can never create binaural cues, no matter the amount of drivers.
- Using mathematical HRTF algorithms with standard two channel stereo headphones is the proper way.
But to work well binaural cues need accurate reproduction and that's where gaming trinkets fall on their face more or less totally...
Especially when they're mostly using closed design, which is major challenge for sound quality even for audio makers.
Most sound cards have included HRTF before this modern gaming garbage headphone fad.
And for example Creative has better algorithm than common Dolby Headphone, likely used by dongles of most gaming headphones.
Creative also sells their algorithms in software package for use with any sound card already in PC.
Though OK good sound card doesn't cost much any compared to price we have to pay for high end graphics cards nowadays.
(even very high end sound cards are rather cheap compared to high end graphics card)
Also if you don't actually use it, that microphone would be another money drain, decreasing budget left sound quality.
And there are ways to later mod standard quality headphones to headset with mic, if you need it.
£100-150 I think, but could push a little higher. Depends on the offerings.
Fair £100 gets some very good headphones for binaural gaming from actual audio makers.
If you want maximal details AKG K702 with its neutral bass and analytical sound would be one of the absolutely best headphones for competitive gaming.
With good binaural sound simulation next step up would be game showing locations of sound sources in some on screen map.
Bass is there if you listen for it and actually goes pretty low, but it simply stays on back seat to details.
As downside AKG doesn't sell spare parts.
If you want more "balanced" gaming immersion with good fun bass Beyerdynamic DT990 would do that.
With open design punchy bass doesn't heavily bury details, unlike above neutral bass would do in closed headphones.
And Beyerdynamic sells everything as spare parts, if something wears out.
Also manual headband adjustment works better for different head shapes, than AKG's automatic adjustment:
It has lots of length adjustment for bigger head and unlike AKG doesn't feel like cups are trying to crawl down on smaller head.
There are couple different versions of it.
But looks like standard straight cable equipped version has come down in price closer to studio use meant coiled cable Pro version.
250 ohm version works fine with sound cards (except bad ones) because it actually doesn't demand much power, only some voltage.
Even integrated Realteks drive it loud.
Myself got 250 ohm DT990 Edition half dozen years ago, after fashion plastic of fashion design HD595 Sennheiser started rotting in 2½ years.
Since then have also gotten relatively similar sound AKG K712 (more expensive and AKG's replacement earpads insanely priced) and second hand K702 for that neutral bass comparison point.
Of course if environment is noisy open headphones have downside.
Unless covered by what you're listening, you hear sounds of environment basically normally through them.
But if you have own gaming room or corner in otherwise quieter environment that works also as advantage:
At lower volume you hear very easily talk of other person without need to talk loudly.
Same goes for getting attention. Other person doesn't have to come next to you and yell loudly, assuming you listen at hearing safe volume.
