For $ 99.99, it will be sold at a price point similar to many gaming-focused headsets, and is priced at the equivalent of the Sony Pulse 3D headset for PlayStation 5. Similar to the PS5, the Xbox Series X / S has dedicated custom audio hardware to allow spatial audio over headphones. The new Xbox Wireless Headset supports Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos and DTS Headphone: X, the trio of 3D audio systems available on Xbox.
Although the headset comes in the wake of the Xbox Series X / S, it is compatible with all Microsoft compatible devices and therefore will also work with Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs. The headset uses the technology system Xbox Wireless to connect to Xbox consoles without the need for a dongle and can pair with a phone or PC via Bluetooth.
The headset can also pair simultaneously with a phone and a console. This, for example, will allow you to play on your Xbox while chatting with friends on Discord using the same headset, which is perfect for multiplatform games.On the microphone side, the headset uses dual beam-forming microphone elements to pick up your voice instead of background and ambient noise. Voice isolation adjustment also helps to adjust the amount of ambient noise that the microphone picks up. There is also an optional automatic mute function that turns off the microphone when you are not speaking. The active and mute states are indicated by an LED light.
The Xbox Wireless Headset will be available from March 16 in “most” markets, with pre-orders available from the Microsoft Store and a few other retailers today.
For more information about Xbox, check out the latest episode of our dedicated Xbox program, Unlocked.
Matt Purslow is the news and entertainment writer for IGN in the UK.