Best Headsets for Modern Warfare 4 (2026)
Six well-reviewed headsets for MW4 and DMZ, from a $50 wired pick to premium planar wireless, so you hear footsteps first.
Last updated: October 23, 2026
Modern Warfare 4 is out, and in DMZ the squad that hears the other one first usually wins the fight: footsteps on a stairwell, a reload behind a wall. A good headset won't fix your aim, but it gets you that information sooner.
We went through current reviews from Tom's Guide, RTINGS, TechRadar, PCGamesN, Trusted Reviews and others and picked six headsets still sold in 2026, each for a different need. Prices move constantly, so treat every price as approximate and check before you buy.
Quick picks
- Best overall: SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless (around $130 to $150)
- Best budget: HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 (around $50 or less)
- Best wireless for console (PS5 and Xbox): SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X Gen 2 (around $200)
- Best for PC: Razer BlackShark V3 Pro (around $250)
- Best for late-night play: Sony Inzone H5 (around $150 to $180)
- Best premium: Audeze Maxwell 2 (around $330 to $350)
The best headsets for Modern Warfare 4
1. SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless: best overall
Tom's Guide's current best overall pick, and a great fit for long DMZ nights. It's wireless over a 2.4GHz dongle plus Bluetooth 5.3, with a claimed battery life of up to 60 hours; in Tom's Guide's testing, 15 minutes of charging gave roughly 5 hours of play. The reviewer called it the most comfortable headset they'd owned and reported no soreness after seven straight hours.
For shooters specifically, the SteelSeries companion app has 100+ game presets, and Tom's Guide found the FPS footsteps preset made faint footsteps and whispers behind doors audible in testing. The ClearCast 2.X mic was described as clear, with adjustable sidetone.
Platforms: buy the version for your console. The Nova 5P is the PlayStation model and the Nova 5X is the Xbox model; per Tom's Guide, both also work with PC, Switch, Android, iOS and Meta Quest. Best Buy's listing for the PlayStation version notes it isn't compatible with Xbox.
Price: it launched at $129; Best Buy currently lists it at around $150.
Downside: no active noise cancellation, and Tom's Guide found the earcups got warm after about three hours.
2. HyperX Cloud Stinger 2: best budget
Tom's Guide's current budget pick is a simple wired headset with a 3.5mm jack: plug it into a controller, PC or Switch, with no dongle, no battery and no wireless lag. Tom's Guide found it comfortable for long sessions, even with glasses, and called the sound "great, for the price." It also comes with a code for DTS surround software on PC.
Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Switch (wired).
Price: around $50 at list, and it frequently goes on sale for less, so don't pay full price if you can wait a week.
Downside: the mic. Tom's Guide found it quieter than most headset mics and the fixed boom a bit cumbersome, which matters if you're the squad's shot-caller. The all-plastic build also feels flimsy.
3. SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X Gen 2: best wireless for console (PS5 and Xbox)
If you play on both PS5 and Xbox, get the Xbox version of the Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2. Wccftech's review notes that the Xbox model works with both Xbox and PlayStation, while the PlayStation model doesn't work on Xbox, and Best Buy's listing for the 7X Gen 2 includes Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5 and Switch.
It runs 2.4GHz and Bluetooth simultaneously, so game audio and a Discord call on your phone can play at once. SteelSeries rates the battery at 50+ hours, and Wccftech's reviewer went several days without charging. They also found it comfortable over long sessions and called its directional audio "trustworthy and consistent" for competitive play.
Price: around $200 at Best Buy.
Downside: Wccftech found the mic fine for party chat but a little thin, and the treble can sound sharp until you adjust the EQ.
Tighter budget? The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 (Gen 3) is a well-reviewed wireless option that has been selling for around $95 to $110, with 80-hour battery life and a strong mic, though TechRadar found the clamp tight on longer sessions. Check that the version you buy lists your console (see the Stealth 600 Gen 3 on Amazon).
4. Razer BlackShark V3 Pro: best for PC
PCGamesN called the BlackShark V3 Pro the best headset for daily PC gaming and long competitive sessions, and it's built with shooters in mind. It uses Razer's HyperSpeed Gen-2 2.4GHz wireless, supports THX Spatial Audio, and Razer ships EQ profiles for several shooters, including Call of Duty. The reviewer tested the Apex and CS2 profiles and found they brought out footsteps and made enemies easier to track.
It also has active noise cancellation and simultaneous Bluetooth plus wireless audio, and Razer claims around 70 hours of battery on the PC version (which held up in PCGamesN's testing). The upgraded mic was a clear improvement over the last generation.
Platforms: the reviewed model is the PC version. Razer also sells Xbox and PlayStation versions, which PCGamesN notes are rated for about 40 hours of battery.
Price: around $250 at list, though it has been discounted at Amazon before.
Downside: it's heavy and fit a bit loosely for PCGamesN's reviewer, who sometimes felt pressure from the ANC on long sessions.
5. Sony Inzone H5: best for late-night play
After midnight you need a headset that's comfortable for hours, keeps sound in, and has a mic that handles quiet talking. The Inzone H5 weighs about 260g (9.2oz), and Tom's Guide's reviewer often forgot he was wearing it over 20+ hours of play. Trusted Reviews praised its passive noise isolation.
The mic uses AI noise reduction: Trusted Reviews found it blocked a lot of ambient noise, and a teammate in Tom's Guide's testing could easily understand the reviewer. Battery is rated at 28 hours (confirmed by Trusted Reviews), and a 10-minute charge gives about 3 hours. On PS5 it supports the console's 3D audio, and Trusted Reviews found that turning on Spatial Audio on PC made enemies easier to place in shooters.
Platforms: wireless on PS5 and PC. Xbox and Switch work only over the 3.5mm cable.
Price: it lists at $149, and B&H currently shows around $178.
Downside: no Bluetooth, and Trusted Reviews found the clamp tight and the earcups shallow, so fit can vary by head.
6. Audeze Maxwell 2: best premium
The Maxwell 2 is RTINGS' top PC gaming headset pick and Tom's Guide's best Xbox headset. It uses 90mm planar magnetic drivers, and Tom's Guide found its spatial audio and clear high end helped with locating enemies and hearing footsteps in Counter-Strike 2 and Hell Let Loose. Battery is rated at 80 hours, and Tom's Guide still had 64% left after two weeks of gaming. Tom's Guide also praised the detachable mic as clear and warm, and recommended keeping its AI noise reduction on Low.
Platforms: it comes in PlayStation and Xbox versions. TechRadar lists PC, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, Switch and mobile (via Bluetooth). The Xbox version costs more because it includes a Dolby Atmos subscription, per Tom's Guide.
Price: around $330 (PlayStation) and $350 (Xbox).
Downside: it's heavy, and you can't use Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless at the same time. TechRadar also called the mic "merely okay" without tuning, and noted the original Maxwell sounds nearly the same for about $100 less.
What matters in a headset for MW4 and DMZ
- Sound positioning: you need to know where a sound came from. Look for a good spatial audio option (PS5 3D audio, Windows Sonic, DTS, THX or Dolby Atmos). FPS "footsteps" EQ presets are worth trying, but some sound thin or tinny.
- Open-back vs closed-back: open-back headsets can sound more spacious but leak sound both ways. If someone is sleeping nearby, go closed-back, like every pick here.
- Wired vs wireless: wired means no wireless lag and no battery. If you go wireless, use the headset's 2.4GHz dongle for game audio and keep Bluetooth for your phone or Discord.
- Platform compatibility: many wireless headsets come in separate PlayStation and Xbox versions. If you play on both, check that the version you buy supports both, or go wired.
- Mic: callouts keep your squad alive. A clear mic with noise reduction and an easy mute matters more than RGB.
MW4 audio settings to try
Dexerto's Modern Warfare 4 settings guide recommends this starting point for hearing footsteps. Settings menus can change with launch patches, so treat these as a starting point:
- Audio Mix: Headphones
- Speaker Output: Stereo
- Effects Volume: 100
- Gameplay Music Volume and Cinematic Music Volume: 0
- Dialogue Volume: 30
- Mono Audio: Off
- Reduce Tinnitus Sound: On
- Microphone Mode: Push to Talk (good for late nights when the house is quiet)
Dexerto also suggests turning on Loudness Equalization in Windows on PC, and setting Audio Focus to Boost High Pitch on PS5.
Keep going
New to extraction? Start with our DMZ beginner's guide. If launch-day servers are giving you trouble, check our MW4 fixes.
Looking for a late-night squad to run DMZ with? Join the 2nd Shift Discord. We're on after the day job too.
Sources: Tom's Guide (best gaming headsets), Tom's Guide (Arctis Nova 5 review), Tom's Guide (Cloud Stinger 2 review), Tom's Guide (Inzone H5 review), Tom's Guide (Maxwell 2 review), RTINGS, TechRadar (Maxwell 2), TechRadar (Stealth 600 Gen 3), PCGamesN, Trusted Reviews, Wccftech, Windows Central, Dexerto, Best Buy, B&H Photo
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