When it comes to gaming – and especially online multiplayer gaming – there are loads of advantages to plugging in a dedicated headset over simply relying on your telly’s speakers.
The main key benefit that a headset offers is that it will filter sound directly into your ears and block out a decent chunk of ambient background noise.
In playing terms, this means you’ll have much greater clarity when it comes to the game’s sound design, so you’ll be more likely to twig those enemy footsteps creeping up behind you. In social terms, it means you won’t be disturbing your family or house buddies’ sleep during late-night gaming sessions.
The other benefit of a gaming headset is the microphone, which enables you to communicate with your teammates during a game. Chatting with your fellow gamers can be the key to winning the day – discussing your strategy, for example, or alerting each other to threats or enemy locations.
There’s a huge variety of gaming headsets on the market, ranging from basic-but-affordable ones to pricey, bells-and-whistles affairs. Once you’ve chosen your preferred cranial companion, hooking it up to your Xbox One console is easy. Here’s how to do it…
Connecting a gaming headset to your Xbox One
There are a few options for connecting a gaming headset to your Xbox One console, depending on the type of connection your device supports. Most wired headsets (and some wireless headset base stations) can simply be plugged into the 3.5mm headphone jack/expansion port on the bottom-side edge of the Xbox One controller.
If you’re using a wired USB headset or a wireless headset with a USB dongle, plugging it into the console itself should work (as long as it’s compatible with Xbox One).
Some wireless headsets that display the “Made for Xbox” seal can connect to the console without a dongle or base station via Xbox Wireless. To pair the two devices, simply press the console’s connect button (on the front of the Xbox One S and X; on the side of the original Xbox One) and press and hold the pairing button on the headset.
READ MORE: Razer Opus wireless headphones revealed
Connecting a wireless headset via Bluetooth
You can use wireless Bluetooth earphones with integrated mics, such as Apple AirPods or Samsung Galaxy Buds, with the Xbox One. But it’s not quite as easy as you might think – the Xbox One console doesn’t support Bluetooth connections in and of itself.
To do this, you’ll need to buy a separate Bluetooth adapter such as the Scosche FlyTunes dongle, which can be used to wirelessly transmit audio from the Xbox One controller to Bluetooth headphones. (Click that link to order one!)
Once the adapter is powered on, it can be plugged into the Xbox One controller’s headset port (on the bottom side of the controller) using the right auxiliary dock. You can then pair it with your headphones.
READ MORE: How to connect Bluetooth headphones to Xbox One
