From Expedition 33 and Cyberpunk 2077 to F1 22 — these are the 5 games I always play to test gaming headsets

Tom's Guide

2 days ago

Looking to elevate your gaming experience by making it more immersive? Whether you're on a budget or need a console-specific set of cans, we've ranked the best gaming headsets!
I've been a gamer for as long as I can remember, and that's about 15 years. I remember my dad's PC had a demo of the 1997 Tomb Raider with one level where you had to fight it out with a couple of tigers. I'd play it on repeat, thinking it was the greatest thing ever. Video games have come a long way since then, and 2025 has been an outstanding year for consoles and titles so far. Not just that, but we've seen gaming accessories, such as headsets, become better than ever this year.
As a reviews writer at Tom's Guide, it's my job to test the best gaming headsets — that means I have an excuse to forego social obligations and play video games (I know, great, isn't it?). You'll usually find me sinking hours into RPGs on my PS5 Slim unless I'm out and about with my camera or at a concert.
But how do I even begin testing a gaming headset? It's a long process where I wear a set of cans for hours to determine its comfort level and battery life, and look out for the finest details in sound. To determine whether a headset is a good value for your money, I need to feel like I'm the protagonist as much as possible — I need to be immersed in the game. But with so many games out there, I can't play all of them, but these five titles never let me down.
When Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was announced, I knew I had to get the reactive turn-based game, and it took just the 30-minute-long prologue to make it my frontrunner for Game of the Year. In my opinion, it has the best soundtrack of any game I've ever played. Its orchestral power ballads elevate every cutscene, battle and free-roaming experience. You need a capable headset to ensure you appreciate the soundscapes as the developers intended.
Because most battles are soundtracked by said power ballads, featuring a plethora of instruments, it's crucial for a good headset to ensure the OST doesn't overpower the battle sounds. There needs to be a perfect balance between the sound of your weapon slashing (or your fireballs burning the enemies, etc.) and the song playing in the background.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless is an extremely comfortable gaming headset thanks to its memory foam ear cups, and it comes with a detailed companion app that offers 200+ game-tailored presets — most of which work excellently. The detachable mic is loud and clear too.
Another set of sounds I look out for when playing Expedition 33 to test a set of cans? Audio cues in battles. Some attacks have a sharp ding that plays right before an enemy's attack lands, and this can help you time your parry perfectly to deal massive damage. I've tested a couple of headsets where the ding sounds muffled and muddled with the soundtrack, so if that's what it sounds like, I wouldn't consider it a good set of cans.
Headset I recommend for RPG titles: SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wireless (4.5 stars)
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
I'm not a huge fan of first-person shooters (as I prefer third-person POVs), but Cyberpunk 2077 (and its Phantom Liberty DLC) is the only exception to that rule. It's one of my favorite games, and I've thoroughly enjoyed exploring its various dialogue options and areas. It's also different from most of the RPGs I play, as it emphasizes and rewards stealthy gameplay. Therefore, I need a headset that can help me gauge enemy positions by pinpointing the source of their footsteps when I'm, say, hiding behind a door.
Directional audio (where sound travels from one earcup to the other) in a headset is then crucial for this game. Some cans offer the ability to adjust the loudness of footsteps specifically, and these are usually designed for professional eSports players.
Designed for professional gamers, the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro boasts fantastic sound with spatial audio support that gives you a competitive edge. It's extremely comfortable, features highly effective ANC, and comes with a detachable mic that makes you sound loud and clear. No compromises have been made, and you're getting your money's worth.
For Cyberpunk 2077, you'd want a headset that's an all-rounder. The game is soundtracked by high-tempo techno music that can get very loud and make you feel like you're at a rave. The game's loud tracks can easily overwhelm headsets — in audio terms, imagine if you were listening to a Charli XCX track on a cheap pair of earbuds and it sounded hella tinny with booming bass. That's what you want to avoid, so that's what I look for when playing Cyberpunk 2077.
Headset I recommend for FPS titles: Razer BlackShark V3 Pro (5 stars)
Horror movies and video games, as is their nature, scare the living daylight out of me, but I can't deny their charm and the rush of adrenaline they provide. Horror games are also great to play when I want to test if a gaming headset can replicate the atmospheric sound design to fully immerse me to the point I feel like I'm the one being terrorized by in-game demons. This is why I always play Alan Wake 2, because what good is a headset if the game doesn't have me at the edge of my seat and my hands shaking?
Alan Wake 2 features detailed, intricate sound design, and it utilizes audio cues to build tension and guide the player. This means that if you're using just a flashlight to navigate through the woods at night, you'll hear leaves rustling to alert you of cultists' positions — especially if a headset has great spatial audio.
With 50mm drivers and virtual surround sound, the Asus ROG Pelta is a fantastic gaming headset for horror, RPGs and FPS titles. It's extremely comfortable for long gaming sessions, and it's compatible with many devices. Offering a lot of customization potential, you can tailor the sound according to your preferences, too.
It's not just subtle, easy-to-miss sounds that make Alan Wake 2 terrifying, but black-and-white jumpscares that pop up every now and then when you're roaming around the world. These are accompanied by screeches or other loud noises that make you flinch. For that reason, the ideal gaming headset needs a wide frequency response range to ensure you hear soft and loud sounds equally as clearly.
Headset I recommend for horror games: Asus ROG Pelta (4.5 stars)
Racing games can feel extremely immersive, especially if you're using a sim racing rig. If you don't have a sim wheel, you need a great gaming headset at the very least to make you feel like you're the driver behind the wheel. There are two racing games I always play to test a headset: Need for Speed Heat and F1 22. The latter is the better pick because it's extremely easy to slip up and let an opponent overtake you if you drop your guard (and it's what I play to test the best game controllers, too).
F1 22 boasts a dynamic soundscape made up of crowds cheering or booing depending on your actions, the sound of the engine depending on your speed and gear, your engineer popping on the radio for advice and strategy, and so on.
Sleek, lightweight, and premium-looking, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 is an excellent headset to use with an array of gaming devices. It's extremely comfortable, boasts great sound quality, and the companion app lets you customize your gaming experience further.
In F1 22, if an opponent is slowly gaining on me and is in my DRS range, I hear it through my headset if the set of cans is capable. The headset should also be able to tell me exactly when I need to shift gears. To fully immerse myself in the game, I like to hear the roaring of the crowd if I'm leading the race while making my way through Eau Rouge at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
Headset I recommend for racing games: SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 (5 stars)
It blows my mind that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild came out eight years ago. Its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, is just as good if not better, and is two years old, so why pick the old game? Well, not only has it aged beautifully, but it's still one of my go-to games when I'm testing a headset for the Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2, thanks to its wide variety of environmental sounds.
The reason I chose Breath of the Wild over Tears of the Kingdom is that the former has one thing the latter doesn't: bone-chilling sounds of Guardians locking onto you when you're running through a field, indicated by high-pitched, panic-inducing music. A good gaming headset will ensure I'm feeling the calmest I've ever been while strolling leisurely, enjoying the sound of soft grass under Link's feet, and then have my heart racing as the music dramatically picks up.
The Turtle Beach Airlite Fit is a fantastic headset for Nintendo Switch consoles. It elevates your gaming experience by creating immersive soundscapes, thanks to the 40mm drivers. It comes with a flip-to-mute mic that makes you sound loud and clear, and I really like its colorful design, which complements the Switch's playful nature.
In line with that, I enjoy using either of the Zelda games when I want to relax and see whether a headset can make me feel at peace. Again, a wide frequency response range helps here as it ensures I hear the delicate sound of drizzling rain as well as the stream's water washing up against my horse's legs as I admire the landscape.
Headset I recommend for Nintendo Switch games: Turtle Beach Airlite Fit (4.5 stars)
And there you have it! The five games I always play to test sound quality are Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2, F1 22 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. There are other games I sometimes play too, such as Baldur's Gate 3 (the G.O.A.T. by the way), but I've found the five I've talked about the most important in terms of soundscapes.