Official Xbox Wireless Headset gets a Dolby Atmos upgrade and new tricks

(Image credit: Xbox)

published 22 October 2024

Quick Summary

Microsoft has upgraded its own-brand gaming headset, with the new Xbox Wireless Headset now coming with longer battery life and enhanced microphone.

You also get Dolby Atmos support thrown in at no extra cost.

Microsoft's official gaming headset for the Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One has been refreshed with an enhanced model.

The new Xbox Wireless Headset for 2024 only a fraction more than the original at launch – £99.99 / $109.99 / AU$159.95 – but adds a few key extras and improvements that make it very much worth while.

For starters, you now get Dolby Atmos for Headphones for free with the new over-ears. You usually have to pay a one-off fee to use the expanded audio codec through a connected headset (which is priced at £14.24 in the UK), but that will be included in the overall price.

DTS Headphone:X is supported, too. And thanks to Bluetooth connectivity, you can use it with a mobile phone, not just an Xbox or PC.

There's also improved battery life, which can now run up 20 hours between charges.

Finally, an upgraded microphone can be found on the new version, which has enhanced auto-mute technology on board, plus better voice isolation.

The most eagle-eyed readers will notice that there's been a tweak to the design as well, with the green bands around the ear cups replaced with an all-black colour theme.

Considering the original is considered amongst the best gaming headsets around by Xbox console owners, the upgrades found here should make the new model a must-have this Christmas. And you don't even have to wait that long to get your hands on one, it's available now on the Xbox store.

You can also find a wired version there for just £54.99 / $59.99 / AU$89.95.

T3 hopes to get the new Xbox Wireless Headset in our testing labs soon, so we can bring you our impressions of its talents.

Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.

Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.