Best Gaming Headset With Sidetone

What Is Sidetone?

Sidetone, also called mic monitoring, plays the sound from your headset’s microphone back into your ears in real time. Closed-back ear cups block most outside sound, including your own voice, so without sidetone you hear yourself as a muffled hum and tend to talk louder than you need to. With it, you can tell how loud you are, which keeps you from blasting teammates on Discord or waking up the rest of the house.

It matters even more for some players. Someone who is hard of hearing may find it hard to speak normally in voice chat without hearing their own voice in the headset.

Best Gaming Headset With Sidetone: Our Picks in Detail

1 Best Overall

Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3

Bottom line: The best gaming headset with sidetone for most players, with mic monitoring you can adjust right on the headset.

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 is the best gaming headset with sidetone for most people, because its mic monitoring works the same on Xbox, PlayStation and PC and you can adjust it right on the headset.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Variable mic monitoring you can change without a PC
• Two dongles for Xbox plus PlayStation or PC
• Very long battery life
• Sidetone works the same on every platform
• 60mm drivers with AI noise reduction mic

Cons

• Heavier than most picks here
• Swarm II app can be buggy

Why We Picked It

Turtle Beach has built variable mic monitoring into its headsets for years, and the Stealth 700 Gen 3's mic monitoring is still excellent. You can set the level in the Swarm II app on your phone or PC, and you can also change it on the headset. With Bluetooth off, press the button above the Bluetooth volume wheel to switch to mic monitoring, then turn the mixer wheel. The Xbox version comes with two USB dongles, so you can keep one in your Xbox and one in your PS5 or PC and swap with a button on the ear cup. Its battery is rated for 80 hours, and it easily lasts through several long Call of Duty sessions.

Who It's For

You move between Xbox, PlayStation and PC and want your own voice at a level you can set anywhere. Two dongles let you keep one in each system and swap with a button on the ear cup, while the headset's mode button and wheel handle sidetone without an app. The 80-hour battery carries you through long online sessions.

Specs & Configurations

Type

wireless, closed-back, over-ear

Connection

2.4GHz wireless (two dongles on the Xbox version) plus Bluetooth

Battery

up to 80 hours

Drivers

60mm Eclipse dual drivers

Mic

flip-to-mute with AI noise reduction

Sidetone control

Swarm II app, or on the headset with the mode button and wheel

Works with

Xbox, PlayStation, PC, mobile

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2 Best for PS5

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2

Bottom line: The best sidetone headset for PS5, with a physical wheel that sets it instantly without an app.

The Arctis Nova 7P Gen 2 is the easiest headset to adjust sidetone on, because it has a wheel just for that.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Physical sidetone wheel, no app needed
• Light and comfortable for long sessions
• Game audio and Bluetooth at the same time
• About 326g and comfortable with glasses
• Retractable mic with noise rejection

Cons

• No Xbox support on this version
• Custom EQ needs the desktop app

Why We Picked It

SteelSeries made the 7P for PlayStation. The PS5 doesn't let third-party headsets control ChatMix, so SteelSeries swapped the ChatMix dial on the right ear cup for a sidetone wheel. That lets you turn sidetone up for chat-heavy online games and back down for single-player games without opening an app. At 326g it's much lighter than the Stealth 700 Gen 3 and comfortable all day, even with glasses. Its battery runs about 52 hours in practice, close to SteelSeries' 54-hour rating. If you play on Xbox, the Arctis Nova 7X Gen 2 is the version to get, and it has the same sidetone wheel.

Who It's For

You play on a PS5 and jump between chat-heavy online games and quiet single-player ones. The dedicated wheel on the right ear cup raises or lowers sidetone in a second, the light frame stays comfortable all day even with glasses, and Bluetooth runs alongside game audio for your phone.

Specs & Configurations

Type

wireless, closed-back, over-ear

Connection

2.4GHz USB-C dongle plus simultaneous Bluetooth

Battery

50+ hours

Weight

326g

Mic

retractable ClearCast Gen 2 with noise rejection

Sidetone control

dedicated wheel on the right ear cup

Works with

PS5, PS4, PC, Mac, Switch, Switch 2, mobile

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3 Best for Xbox

Xbox Wireless Headset

Bottom line: The easiest sidetone headset for Xbox, pairing straight to the console, though you set the level in the app.

The Xbox Wireless Headset is the simplest way to get adjustable sidetone on an Xbox.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Pairs to Xbox without a dongle
• Rotating ear cup dials for volume and game/chat balance
• Dolby Atmos included
• Bluetooth 5.3 for phone and PC
• Dual boom mics with auto-mute

Cons

• Shorter battery life than the Turtle Beach picks
• Sidetone level is set in the app, not on the headset

Why We Picked It

It pairs directly to your Xbox like a controller, so there's no dongle or base station. You set the mic monitoring level, EQ, bass boost and auto-mute sensitivity in the Xbox Accessories app on your console or a Windows PC. Day to day, you turn the left ear cup to balance game and chat audio and the right one to change volume, which makes adjustments easy. The 2024 refresh raised battery life from 15 to 20 hours and added Bluetooth 5.3, and Dolby Atmos is included at no extra cost.

Who It's For

You play on an Xbox Series X/S or Xbox One and want a headset that pairs like a controller, with no dongle or base station. Turn the left ear cup to balance game and chat, the right one for volume, and set your sidetone once in the Xbox Accessories app.

Specs & Configurations

Type

wireless, closed-back, over-ear

Connection

Xbox Wireless plus Bluetooth 5.3 (with LE Audio)

Battery

up to 20 hours

Drivers

40mm

Mic

dual boom mics with auto-mute and voice isolation

Sidetone control

Xbox Accessories app on Xbox or PC

Works with

Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, mobile

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4 Best Value Wireless

Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3

Bottom line: The best value wireless pick, giving you flagship-style mic monitoring and an 80-hour battery for much less.

The Stealth 600 Gen 3 gives you Turtle Beach's mic monitoring and long battery life for much less than the Stealth 700.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Variable mic monitoring for much less than flagship headsets
• 80-hour battery
• Glasses-friendly memory foam cushions
• Bluetooth for your phone
• Secondary wheel can be assigned to mic monitoring

Cons

• Only one dongle
• You have to assign the wheel to mic monitoring first

Why We Picked It

You adjust its mic monitoring in the Swarm II app on your phone or PC, and you can assign the secondary wheel to mic monitoring so you can change it on the headset. Its battery is rated for 80 hours, the same as the Stealth 700 Gen 3, and it adds Bluetooth for your phone. The memory foam cushions use Turtle Beach's glasses-friendly design, which is why it's also on our list of the best gaming headsets for glasses wearers. The Xbox version works on Xbox, PlayStation and PC, while the PlayStation version skips Xbox.

Who It's For

You play on a console, want to hear your own voice while chatting and would rather keep the budget modest. You set mic monitoring in the Swarm II app or assign the secondary wheel to it, wear glasses comfortably thanks to the memory foam cushions, and get through long sessions on an 80-hour battery.

Specs & Configurations

Type

wireless, closed-back, over-ear

Connection

2.4GHz wireless plus Bluetooth

Battery

up to 80 hours

Drivers

50mm Nanoclear

Mic

flip-to-mute with AI noise reduction

Sidetone control

Swarm II app, or a secondary wheel you can assign to mic monitoring

Works with

Xbox, PlayStation, PC, mobile (Xbox and PlayStation versions)

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Learn More

Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3 Review

5 Best Budget

Turtle Beach Recon 200 Gen 2

Bottom line: The best budget pick and the only wired headset here with real hardware sidetone that works on every console.

The Recon 200 Gen 2 is the cheapest way to get real, adjustable sidetone on a console.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Hardware sidetone wheel that works on every platform
• No app or PC needed
• Glasses-friendly cushions and bass boost
• Works with Xbox, PlayStation, PC and mobile
• Keeps playing game audio in passive mode when the battery runs out

Cons

• Needs charging for amplified features
• Wired only

Why We Picked It

Most wired headsets can't do sidetone on their own, because a plain 3.5mm headset has no electronics to send your voice back to your ears. The Recon 200 Gen 2 has a rechargeable battery that powers its amplifier and its variable mic monitoring, and you set the level with a dedicated wheel on the headset. Because it's all handled inside the headset, it works the same on Xbox, PlayStation, PC and mobile, with no app or console settings. A switch sets it up for Xbox or PlayStation, and when the battery runs out it keeps playing game audio in passive mode.

Who It's For

You plug a headset straight into your controller's headphone jack on Xbox or PlayStation and want sidetone without settings menus or an app. The wheel on the headset sets your mic monitoring directly, a switch matches it to your console, and it stays budget-friendly.

Specs & Configurations

Type

wired, closed-back, over-ear, amplified

Connection

3.5mm

Battery

rechargeable, up to 12 hours (passive mode for game audio when it runs out)

Drivers

40mm, amplified

Mic

flip-to-mute, high-sensitivity

Sidetone control

variable mic monitoring wheel on the headset

Works with

Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC, mobile

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Where Sidetone Works: Headset vs. App

Not all sidetone is the same. Some headsets let you control it on the headset, so it works on any platform. Others only let you change it in software, which can lock it to one system. Corsair, for example, says sidetone on its headsets only works on PC, because you control it through its iCUE software.

If you play on a console, look for a sidetone wheel or button on the headset, or an app that runs on your phone or your console. If the only way to change sidetone is a PC program, it may not work on your PS5 or Xbox at all.

Headsets With Sidetone That Disappoints

Having sidetone on the spec sheet doesn’t mean it sounds good. These popular headsets have sidetone, but it has known problems.

• Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed: You set its sidetone in G Hub on a PC, so you can’t change it on the headset when you’re on a PS5. Its sidetone also sounds muffled and stays too quiet even at the highest setting.
• Audeze Maxwell: Its sidetone is adjustable with the game/chat wheel and can get very loud, but some units produce static when sidetone is on, a hardware issue on that side of the headset.
• Razer BlackShark V2 Pro: Its sidetone can sound muffled, and hearing your own voice may require turning the headset volume all the way up, which brings a constant hiss.

How to Turn On Sidetone

The steps depend on your headset and system.

• Turtle Beach Stealth Gen 3 headsets: Open the Swarm II app and set the mic monitoring level. On the Stealth 700 Gen 3, you can also turn Bluetooth off, press the button above the Bluetooth volume wheel to switch to mic monitoring, and turn the mixer wheel. If mic monitoring turns on every time you power up and you don’t want it, set its level to zero.
• SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P and 7X Gen 2: Turn the wheel on the right ear cup, or use the Sidetone slider in the Microphone settings of the Arctis Companion app.
• Xbox Wireless Headset: Open the Xbox Accessories app on your Xbox or PC, select the headset and adjust the mic monitoring level.
• Corsair headsets: Open iCUE on your PC, go to the headset’s settings and use the sidetone slider. Your mic has to be unmuted. If the slider is greyed out, turn off Windows Spatial Audio for that headset.
• Any headset on Windows: If your headset has no sidetone, you can turn on “Listen to this device” in your microphone’s properties in Windows sound settings.

FAQ

What is the best gaming headset with sidetone?

The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 is our top pick because its mic monitoring works on Xbox, PlayStation and PC and you can adjust it on the headset. On a PS5, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Gen 2 is the easiest to adjust, thanks to its dedicated sidetone wheel.

Is sidetone the same as mic monitoring?

Yes. Sidetone and mic monitoring are two names for the same feature: your microphone’s sound played back through your headset so you can hear yourself.

Is sidetone good for gaming?

It isn’t better or worse for gameplay, but it makes voice chat more comfortable. You hear how loud you’re talking, and your voice doesn’t sound muffled inside closed-back ear cups. If you play alone, you can turn it down or off.

Do gaming headsets have sidetone on PS5 and Xbox?

Some do. Headsets with a sidetone wheel or button, like the Arctis Nova 7P Gen 2 and Turtle Beach Recon 200 Gen 2, work on consoles. Headsets that only offer sidetone through PC software, like Corsair’s, don’t support it on PS5 or Xbox.

Do open-back headsets need sidetone?

Usually not as much. Open-back ear cups let outside sound in, so you hear your own voice more naturally without sidetone.