Why Are Gaming Headsets So Bad? 5 Reasons


Headsets might provide comparatively more features, but they offer significantly less value per feature when it comes to per-part value. For example, you essentially don’t require a sound card or a mic for the headset, but anyone whose friend has a gaming headset will narrate that their mic sounds awful.

Most gaming headsets are termed bad because of their build quality since most manufacturers do not bother to produce a gaming headset that accurately meets quality standards. Another important reason is the price: the best gaming headsets are pretty expensive, which is why some manufacturers produce cheap headsets using low-quality standards merely to entice gamers. 

The efficiency of gaming headsets is synonymous with a road that merely goes downhill. However, it is essential to consider the factors that make gaming headsets so bad. Please browse through the following article to discover the reasons that contribute to it! 

1. Build Quality is Not Industry Standard

Gaming headsets incorporate plenty of stuff jammed right into them. This stuff has to function together and add to it; the headset has to bear a competitive price mark to produce a decent profit for the manufacturer. 

A typical gaming headset includes a mic, cabling, onboard audio drivers, speakers, noise cancellation, internal mountings, headband, earpads, and much more. To produce a product that meets a competitive price mark and makes a tidy profit, some listed have to compromise quality. 

2. Audio Drivers Aren’t Up to Date

Audio is a crucial part of gaming; therefore, an ideal gaming headset must deliver or receive messages to other similar gamers. For example, you might be in the middle of a curious game, and one side of your headset freezes all of a sudden, which is frustrating as you might lose the game. 

The audio drivers are either located on your motherboard or in a sound card. Still, the internal audio processing in your PC is compromised due to all kinds of radio frequency interference from your video card, power supply, and mainboard residing in your PC. 

The audio processing thing will be located on your board in high-quality motherboards, where it will be physically isolated from the rest of the circuitry. 

This condition does help to an extent, but ultimately, the power inside your PC and the physical proximity to all the electronics significantly reduce the sound quality. This issue can only be negated by taking it outside. 

Unlike the fairly “word of mouth” driven era of hi-fi audio gear, gaming gear is essentially driven by marketing and advertising. Instead, the market budget is incorporated in the production cost of a gaming headset, so those are just dollars being subtracted from quality assembly and components. 

3. Companies Counterfeiting Products

A menace in the manufacturing industry is counterfeiting because many top brands experience losses from knock-off brands. Instead, some companies merely rely on making knock-off items of famous brands and trick gamers into buying these items. 

You might end up buying the wrong gaming headset if you do not know how to differentiate between a fake gaming headset and an original one. Knock-off gaming headsets generally appear the same as their original counterparts, but they accommodate low-quality material and are less durable. 

Always consider the price and ensure that you purchase your headset from an authorized dealer or the maker if you wish to avoid knock-off gaming headsets. In addition, because they are made from low-quality materials, such headsets tend to fall apart in no time. 

4. Product is Made with Cheap Parts

A low price point often refers to low-quality standards, and you might be required to purchase a new gaming headset every two months because some part of the set keeps breaking every time. 

The problems you’re more likely to face if you buy cheap gaming headsets are ear pads falling off, being uncomfortable when used for a long time, faulty aux, and battery failing to charge. 

Audio drivers are essential for a gaming headset to deliver the best quality audio. Quite often, the issue of poor sound quality via your gaming headset is exacerbated because of out-of-date drivers in your gaming PC or console. 

For example, outdated audio drivers in a good-quality headset might result in the sound appearing far worse off. If your gaming headset incorporates below-par audio drivers, its sound card or internal audio processor cannot save your low-quality gaming headsets from producing an awful sound. 

5. Terrible Handling with Equipment

The way you handle your gaming set can sometimes make all the difference. For example, gaming headsets include small components and delicate wiring inside them that are likely to be damaged if you do not handle them the right way. 

Mistakenly dropping the gaming headset or poor handling will cause the small components incorporated in your headset to fall apart. Cheap gaming headsets are likely to break instantly; they should always be handled with care and placed in safe areas. 

Final Words

Consoles gamers occupy a tough spot as they don’t have many options about the microphone input. However, given that all the consoles provide an output of compressed audio, the essential difference in audio quality between regular headphones and a gaming headset might not be good enough to warrant sacrificing VOIP functionality. 

The common issues that produce poor-quality gaming headsets include low-quality products, poor handling, audio drivers, and counterfeit products. It is not easy to salvage a gaming headset when it breaks; therefore, you will be required to replace your headset every few months if you keep buying the wrong one. 

Read reviews from other gamers and do a little window-shopping from other gamers to determine the gaming headset which lasts longer and has good quality sound. The bottom line states that you don’t need to buy a gaming headset unless you’re willing to sacrifice build and audio quality to get it. 

In a nutshell, gaming headsets can be termed the Swiss army of headphones. But, no matter how many bucks you spend, you’re always going to get something that offers plenty of features at the cost of functionality, value, and above all, quality. 

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