The Asus TUF Gaming H1 Gen II is a good headset that could have been great — here's what I'd change
I won't lie, I love the freedom a wireless headset provides as I don't have to contend with annoying cables, but wired sets of cans are great too, of course. I recently tested one such headset that I liked and, deep inside, wished I loved: the Asus TUF Gaming H1 Gen II. It sounds fantastic, it's comfortable, it's got an awesome mic, so why don't I love it?
Lightweight and comfortable, the Asus TUF Gaming H1 Gen II is a fantastic headset that doesn't break the bank. It boasts a wide soundstage thanks to powerful 40mm drivers, and features 7.1 virtual surround sound that makes games more immersive. However, there's no companion software, the design is divisive, the in-line controls are frustrating, and it's a wired-only headset.
If the H1 Gen II was a wireless headset, I wouldn't have as many qualms. As it stands, its wired connectivity and in-line controls grinds my gears as does the anime-themed Hatsune Miku design which I just cannot stomach. To take it from good to great, here's what I'd change about the H1 Gen II.
The Asus TUF Gaming H1 Gen II headset is fitted with a cable that's 2 metres long — the same amount of distance they wanted us to maintain during the pandemic in the U.K. The distance between my PS5 Slim and my couch is 3 metres, so to test the headset, I had to pull a chair up to the halfway point.
What's worse is that the headset needs to be plugged into a USB-A port which is located on the back of my PS5. Realistically, you can use the H1 Gen II only if your console (or PC) is on a desk or your couch is flush against your TV. This is why I would have loved a longer cable.
And speaking of, I wish the H1 Gen II's buttons were located on the earcups and not included as an in-line remote that's located halfway down the cable. Having to pull up the cable every time I wanted to adjust the volume or toggle 7.1 virtual surround sound proved frustrating and tedious. It did make me feel like I was a doctor adjusting a person's IV drip flow, though, which was cool.
I'm an emo kid at heart so if I was buying the Asus TUF Gaming H1 Gen II headset, I'd go for the black model. But I also can't deny the charm of a colorful headset, like the Cooler Master CH351. The H1 Gen II comes in a Hatsune Miku Edition, sporting near-identical colors as the CH351.
As I noted in my H1 Gen II review, prior to testing this headset, I did not know who Hatsune Miku was, but turns out she's a 'Vocaloid software voicebank' represented by a 16-year-old girl with long, turquoise twintails... and I do not like it.
To each their own, of course, but anime has never been my thing and I really don't like that her silhouette graces one of the earcups. Personally, I'm not comfortable with the portrayal of Hatsune Miku in this context, given the character is canonically a minor.
So yes, if the headset sported just the Asus TUF Gaming logo with the teal and pink colors, I would have liked it much, much more.
One thing I love when using a gaming headset is customizing the equalizer and trying out different lows, mids and highs to achieve the best sound possible — and I wish I could do that with the Asus TUF Gaming H1 Gen II. At the time of writing, there's no app support for the headset, which is a shame because Asus' other headsets (like the Asus ROG Pelta and the Asus ROG Delta II) allow for extensive customization.
I think Asus missed a trick here. Letting users customize a headset that doesn't cost over $100 would have been brilliant and a game-changer in the budget market. I do hope this changes in the future because having a companion app would take this headset from being a 3.5-star product to a 4-star product.
Of course, the H1 Gen II absolutely rocks when it comes to sound quality in games, as I discussed in detail in my H1 Gen II review. All of the flaws I've listed are subjective, and what I don't like, you may love, so take this with a grain of salt.
A personal opinion of mine, if it were up to me, I'd make the design more minimalist and without the 16-year-old girl on the earcups, extend the cable, and add companion software. Then we'd have a winner on our hands.
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