I am an Apple devotee. Ever since I have involved AirPods in my life for routine tasks, say, taking a shower, driving to the office or listening to podcasts, life has never been the same as before. I can audaciously declare that the sound quality and the noise cancellation that the AirPods offer, is unmatched.
During my breathing spell, I mostly play Red Dead Redemption 2 on my Nintendo Switch. No lacuna during gaming and a continuous supply of grilled cheese sandwiches and pizza rolls ! That is literally every pro gamer’s dream ! But this is only possible when your girlfriend’s not only a fellow-gamer but also a good cook.
Michelle, my girlfriend, is a regular on weekends lately since her Nintendo Switch’s Dock is damaged and she is clueless about how this can be rectified. After I taught her how to connect her Nintendo Switch to the TV when the Dock was damaged, she bakes waffles for me now.
Michelle rather loves to cast Steam to Chromecast to level-up her gaming session. Last night, while I had my AirPods plugged in and was trying to sleep, my girlfriend popped up the question from nowhere, “Can you use AirPods for gaming?”
This made me dig deeper into my thoughts because the AirPods have been my all-time-favourite companion. I was ecstatic to test if the AirPods were up for the task and the discovery was enchanting !
“ AirPods are an excellent option for moderate gaming. The best ones for gaming are the AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max because of the unbeatable sound quality, audio range, sound direction, microphone and the noise cancellation feature. However, they have not been designed for a pro-level gaming and find it tough to sync themselves with the non-Apple products.”
Since AirPods are extremely popular, I wanted to dispense all my findings to you all so that next time when you set out for a bang-on gaming session, you won’t have to stop and wonder,”Are AirPods good for gaming?” Rather, you will confidently proceed with gaming on Xbox and Oculus Quest, wearing your AirPods to experience games in the best way ever !
You would agree that every pro-gamer has a must-have checklist for the gaming device or the accessories. Why Compromise, isn’t it ! Before I dispel your doubts about using AirPods or AirPods Pro for your gaming sessions, I believe you should be aware of what exclusive gaming features you should be looking for while you make your best pick for gaming.
Take a quick look at the basic needs of any gamer so that the gaming experience doesn’t leave you flabbergasted in the end due to small hitches.
Every Gamer’s Needs For Gaming
Just because the AirPods Pro or the AirPods Max are way more expensive than the AirPods ( 2nd or 3rd Gen), it doesn’t declare them inherently better for gaming. There are specific and very logical criteria on which the judgments for the best AirPods for gaming are made.
Read through the following and understand to make the best choice as per your gaming needs.
You’ll learn in the further part of the article about why the AirPods Pro are a better choice for gamers than the standard AirPods ( 2nd or the 3rd Gen). Before that, compare the features here so that you know what exclusive features you are taking home on your pick.
| AirPods ( 2nd Gen) | AirPods ( 3rd Gen) | AirPods Pro | AirPods Max | |
| Listening Time | 5 hours | 6 hours | 4.5 hours | 20 hours |
| Sound Quality | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Audio Range | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Directional Sound | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Noise Cancellation | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Appropriate Gaming Level | Light Gaming | Light Gaming | Moderate Gaming | Moderate and Advanced Gaming |
- Light Gaming : Offline game-play which doesn’t need directional sound.
High-action games, online plays and First-person shooters are not recommended.
- Moderate Gaming : Permits First-person shooters, high-actions games, casual gaming.
- Advanced Gaming : Includes all kinds of games, online plays.
So, you now have with you what the AirPods ( 2nd or 3rd Gen), the premium AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max offer when it comes to gaming and how they differ from each other on the special features.
You can easily understand and differentiate now which AirPods are best for gaming as per the kind of gaming preferences you play on.
Are AirPods Good For Gaming ?
To be specific, AirPods have not purposefully been designed for gaming but undoubtedly, they offer a superior audio experience as they come laced with excellent features like EQ ( Equaliser), the dynamic head tracking with the Spatial audio, the Noise Cancellation etc.
What I learnt is that AirPods can be used while gaming for the good sound quality they offer but they are not meant for playing hard-core games like The Call Of Duty or Contra.
For playing moderate games like The Dragon Age : The Inquisition and Star Wars – Knights of the Republic, the AirPods are a perfect choice. The lightweight design of the AirPods will keep you comfortable when you play for long hours. The in-built microphones will allow you to communicate easily with your fellow gamers.
If I were to answer that are Apple earbuds good for gaming, I would suggest that AirPods are a fabulous pick but only for light gaming. I don’t think you will ever face any issue with the sound quality during light games if you wear AirPods.
But, if you only prefer hard core games like The Call Of Duty, then AirPods are not the perfect choice for you. There will be a lot of audio delays to frustrate you and you won’t like that for sure.
Take a look at more issues you may face if you use AirPods for heavy gaming :
Issues You May Face While Using AirPods For Gaming
As declared above, you should not prefer AirPods if you are a fan of hard-core games but if you are into light or moderate gaming, AirPods won’t create any trouble rather will boost the overall sound experience.
I am going to be explaining a few issues here which have been encountered by users when they used AirPods for gaming. Read through them and you’ll understand how you are going to be using AirPods to avoid these issues while you play and there are no hitches in your game-time.
- High Latency
- Poor Bass
- Battery Life
- The Microphone Issues
- Inaccurate Connection
There should not be any lags when you are all set for gaming and especially when you have invited your buddies over for the gaming night. So, it’s best to know the ‘whys–hows’ of the AirPods if you are going to use them during your game and should you even use them, in the first place.
Now, understand here the issues which I have listed above to comprehend if the AirPods fulfil the requirements one may have while gaming.
1. High Latency
Latency basically means ‘ a delay’ before the transfer of the data begins. Here, in the case of using AirPods for gaming, it means, you may face audio delays during the game and trust me, a slightest delay in hearing the enemy fire or the sound-prompts can drop at the heartbreaking ‘Game–Over’ or ‘Defeat’ screen.
Since the AirPods use Bluetooth to connect, slight audio delays are bound to happen but the AirPods ( Gen 2 and Gen 3) have high latency issues which creates longer audio delays. This can be a nightmare for any gamer. Imagine you hear ‘Shoot’ and by the time you pick up your gun, you are ‘Dead’ !
You may not notice latency in casual single-player gaming but it will annoy you to your core in competitive games like CS Go.
2. Poor Bass
The audio quality on the AirPods is superb, no doubt about that but the bass is somewhat poor. The AirPods do not come with overboard rich bass which you get on proper gaming headsets.
Due to this poor bass feature, the ‘surround sound’ audio isn’t very impressive while you play games.
Please refrain from using AirPods on aggressive games that rely on 3D cues for audio.
3. Battery Life
The battery life on AirPods , in general, is impressive but it can embarrass you during the gaming session and nothing can be as disheartening as that !
When the microphones are disbaled, there can be a battery on the AirPods for 2-3 hours but on enabling the microphones, the battery won’t last for more than an hour.
On an average, the AirPods can offer 5 hours of the listening time and 3 hours of the talking time on a single charge. If you use AirPods for gaming, be it even the low-level games, the battery consumption on the AirPods will be very fast and you will be left wondering why are your AirPods dying so fast.
Also let me warn you, if you keep charging up the AirPods repeatedly, you won’t be able to crack nuts focusedly in your game. If you won’t and will leave AirPods dead in one corner, you will lose your AirPods and it’s tough to trace them when they’re dead.
So, in a nutshell, if you are going to be bashing a heavy-duty game or even a low-level one, the battery life of AirPods won’t cooperate and will keep pausing the AirPods in between till they die.
4. The Microphone Issues
It’s actually tough to use AirPods as ‘headsets’ for Discord and the rest of the voice programs. Particularly, the microphone won’t be compatible on all the gaming consoles like the Nintendo Switch or an Xbox.
There are no appropriate drivers on ‘Windows 10’ which can smoothly support both the mic and the audio on the AirPods at one given point of time. Ofcourse, there are hacks available always to get both of them working at the same time but this will ditch the ‘audio level’ dramatically, dropping the ‘audio quality hysterically.
5. Inaccurate Connection
You know how unreliable a bluetooth connection can be ! Even after you have set everything correctly, you may face annoying times when the bluetooth off a device refuses to pair up and just disconnects.
It’s also very easy for other wireless signals to interfere with the bluetooth connection on your device which causes unexplained lags in your device’s connection.
See, bluetooth’s range is very limited and the signals get blocked very easily. Either the wired headsets or the wireless headsets without a bluetooth connection are recommended for gaming so that there is no interference with the bluetooth signals and you play the games without any interruption.
To help you make a selection easily, I would recommend Sony ZX Series Wired Headphones. It’s easily available on Amazon and you know what mindblowing quality does Sony Headphones offer.
If you are more comfortable with a wireless connection, I would suggest Avantree HT280 with a cool 100ft range. This one claims for no delays in the audio and a simple plug-and-play mechanism.
The Bottom Line :
So, if I cut the story short, AirPods are the best choice for casual gaming but not recommended for aggressive games which rely a lot on audio cues.
Nonetheless, as long as you are using Bluetooth as your platform for connection, the AirPods can be paired up easily for a wireless audio connection but I have explained above how the audio quality will be risked and there are always chances for interruption.
So, Are AirPods good for gaming ? As explained above, use AirPods only if your aim is to play casual low-level games, nothing combative. And, I won’t suggest purchasing AirPods especially for gaming because there are far better options of wired headsets available (check out the links I have attached above) to give you a great gaming experience without any lags.
Are AirPods Pro Good For Gaming?
The ‘wireless audio freedom’ is so liberating ! Especially when it comes to gaming using a console or a PC in the room, all you need is a wireless connection like AirPods.
Using a wired connection is very annoying as you will keep tangling in or skipping over the wires, or might even pull the whole set-up out during the game.
In the section just above, I explained briefly the limitations of using AirPods for gaming, the latency issue being the most pertinent one. Now, if you own an AirPods Pro and ask me,”are AirPods Pro good for gaming,” there is good news for you !
“The AirPods Pro were designed mainly for gaming on mobiles and Mac applications, pleasing the users with very little to negligible latency between the audio-visual performances.”
Read further to get into the aesthetics of connecting the AirPods Pro for gaming so that you can compare the AirPods and the AirPods Pro logically and appreciate the difference between them.
Why Are The AirPods Pro A Good Choice For Gaming?
The AirPods Pro were launched much before the 3rd Gen AirPods but are costlier and carry better features. They can be termed ‘unique’ as they offer silicone ear tips in three different sizes which you can select from depending on the size, shape and depth of your ears.
Explore the special features mentioned above so that you can weigh the pros and cons smartly and make the best selection as per your gaming preferences.
- Negligible latency – much better audio-visual experience.
- Better seal for more enhanced noise-cancellation experience, which is crucial for gaming.
- The transparency mode either blocks out the background noise or blends your audio with it so that what you hear isn’t out-of-sync.
- Pressure Equalization Vent System – to make them comfortable for long-time wear.
Apple has compared it’s best models of AirPods and claims that the rest of the features remain the same as the 3rd Gen AirPods which are suitable for light-gaming experiences. Take a look at the shared but important features on the AirPods Pro.
- Spatial Audio Technology
- Vigorous Head Tracking
- Robust EQ ( Equalizer )
- The Motion Accelerometer
- Microphones that face inwards
- Comfortable Wireless Charging
- Water-resistant nature
- Stem-Force Sensor
So, over-all I can say that the AirPods Pro are a good pick for moderate gaming, still not the best choice for emolous and aggressive gaming. No doubt, you will feel the difference when you switch from the standard AirPods to the AirPods Pro for gaming, but there will be lags if you want an aggressive performance for your heavy–duty games.
Since you have been trying to understand if AirPods are good for gaming and I hope I have been able to demonstrate that well, it is proven that you are a regular gamer and want to enhance your gaming experience to another level by any means.
I personally prefer to play games on Nintendo Switch for gaming but Sam, my friend, owns an Xbox. When I met him last time in Vegas, we played consecutively for two days. There, we ended up discussing ,”Can you use AirPods on Xbox Series X or S?” He had already done his share of research about it and shared interesting excerpts with me.
Stay with me to know if it is possible to use AirPods on Xbox Series X or S. The research will amaze you and you’ll know if you can use your AirPods during gaming on Xbox.
Can You Use AirPods On Xbox Series X or S?
The popular gaming consoles like the Xbox and the Jackbox are every gamer’s best pals. It’s nothing less than a party when friends come up together and flip over the whole living room set up when the gaming session gets aggressive.
I was pretty keen to learn about using AirPods on Xbox. So, I asked Sam,”Can you use AirPods on Xbox series X or S?” He made me understand that no matter how tempted you are to pair your AirPods to your Xbox, it is not possible to use AirPods on Xbox controllers.
- The AirPods connect via bluetooth and this bluetooth connection isn’t supported on these Xbox Controllers.
- You will be using the Xbox app to connect your AirPods to these controllers on Xbox X/ S, which you will learn now in this section.
See, the Xbox X or S controllers mainly depend on Bluetooth to connect. So, it reasons out that these Xbox Controllers come with installed Bluetooth settings and should be compatible with the rest of the Bluetooth accessories. The only catch is that these controllers do not support ‘audio connectivity’ over Bluetooth.
Can You Use AirPods On Xbox Series X or S Via Bluetooth?
As I stated above, the Xbox Series X or S have bluetooth and should connect with other bluetooth accessories but unfortunately, that’s not the case here.
It is just not possible to connect any sort of Bluetooth headphones, or earbuds, or say AirPods with the Xbox Series X or S since ‘audio connectivity’ isn’t backed up on this series of controllers.
“You’ll require a suitable USB Adapter to connect a wireless audio device like AirPods or Headphones to your Xbox Series X or S controllers.”
Here, I will be assisting you to use your AirPods on these Xbox Controllers via the Xbox App on your mobile phone so that you don’t feel left out of the connection of AirPods to your Xbox and can use them freely on your gaming consoles.
How To Use AirPods On Xbox Series X or S Using The Xbox App
This is the best possible solution when you want to connect AirPods to your Xbox Series X or S but just cannot. In such a case, the Xbox App pops up magically to help you to dispel your queries about – “Can you use AirPods on Xbox Series X or S?”
You can connect to Party Chat on your phone. Since your AirPods also will be connected to your phone, you can then communicate with your friends over the Xbox App while playing on the Xbox Series X or S.
Take a look at the step-by-step guide to connect your AirPods to your Xbox Series X /S controllers via the Xbox app.
- First of all, pair up with AirPods to your iOS or the iPadOs device.
- Now, download the Xbox app on your device.
- Now, click ‘Open’ the Xbox app and then, ‘sign-in’ into the app on your device.
- Use the same account to log in onto your Xbox series X or S.
- You’ll see an option ‘Let’s Go.’ Click on it to proceed.
- There is an icon indicating ‘People’ at the bottom left of the screen. To be specific, it’s the second icon from the left. Now, scroll to the upper right corner and click on the ‘headset’ icon.
- Select your friends you wish to add into your game and tap on ‘Add People’ to add them.
- Now, you can chat easily with your Xbox Series X/S buddies using your AirPods.
Alternative Method To Use AirPods On Xbox Series X/S: Via Streaming
There is another way to use your AirPods on the Xbox Series X/S controllers. If the Xbox Series X or S consoles are streamed onto your phone using the Xbox app, the AirPods can easily be used.
Here’s how you can connect AirPods to your Xbox Series X or S controllers via Streaming.
- To begin, your AirPods should be paired up with your phone. If they aren’t connected already, pair them up.
- Now, pair one Controller to your phone. You can connect using the USB also if it is supported on your phone.
- Now, switch ‘on’ your Xbox Series X or S.
- Open the Xbox app on your phone. If you don’t have it already, download it from here and click on the ‘Console’ icon in the upper corner, towards the right.
- You’ll see an option,’Remote Play on this device’. Click on it and then, click ‘Next’.
- Now using your Xbox Series X or S, click on ‘Enable’.
- Wait for a while to let the process settle and let the connection set-up.
- Now, your Xbox Series X or S will stream onto your phone. Once it begins to stream, choose a game to play.
Now, relax ! All is set and you can begin playing games on your Xbox Series X/S and can chat or connect simultaneously with your friends on the AirPods.
It was a bit methodological , I can say but not difficult, wasn’t it ! It’s fun streaming your Xbox Series X or S on your phone and playing games this way and I personally prefer ‘streaming’ this way rather than using the Xbox app solely.
By the way, I have also received queries regarding another very popular VR( Virtual Reality) Set, the Oculus Quest 2, renamed Meta Quest 2 in January 2022. It is one of the best VR sets, both for the beginners and the top-notch gamers, enhancing the gaming experience to an unbelievably-real level.
I had some of my readers inquiring as to “can you use AirPods with Oculus Quest 2?” Given its solid fan-base and popularity, I decided to find out more about it and guide my readers with a better hand.
Read further to know if AirPods can be used on Oculus Quest 2 aka Meta Quest 2.
Can You Use AirPods With Oculus Quest 2?
The Oculus Quest 2 is undoubtedly one of the most popular VR( Virtual Reality) headsets. It has developed a solid fan community and is fondly admired since it’s very lightweight to hold, comfortable and extremely powerful to run a meticulous virtual reality experience.
According to the a authentic gaming-news portal, the Oculus Quest 2 is no longer known by its original game but now, known as Meta Quest 2 from January 2022, onwards.
Having used it personally, I can claim profoundly that you must have this device if you have been looking for a top-notch VR System which does not require extra wires for setting it up, unlike the Oculus Rift S, which has now been discontinued.
Let me kill the suspense now and have you head on straight into this interesting section where you’ll figure out if can you use AirPods with Oculus Quest 2 and if yes, how can that be done.
How To Use AirPods With Oculus Quest 2
No doubt, AirPods have revolutionised listening to music and podcasts and now, with the new Oculus Quest 2, you can enjoy gaming seamlessly without having to worry about wires all over the floor, waiting to strangle your feet and lay you down.
“ The AirPods are nearly a perfect solution to let you enjoy games hasslefree and the best part is, they connect easily with the Oculus Quest 2, reducing the inconvenience of having extra wires around.”
It’s not a difficult task to connect the AirPods to the Oculus Quest 2 and use them together for a commodious gaming-session.
Here are the step-by-step instructions to help you use your AirPods on the Oculus Quest 2 so that your gameplay is effortless and undisturbed.
- First things first ! Ensure that your AirPods are fully charged and are safe inside their Case. No, don’t remove them as of now. Let them rest.
- Now, press and hold the ‘pairing’ button which is at the backside of the Charging Case.
- This will start the ‘pairing up’ and a light on the front side will begin to flash.
- Now, switch ‘on’ your Oculus Quest 2.
- Scroll to the bottom right section to reach the ‘battery’ and the ‘Wi-Fi indicator’.
- Now, scroll up and click on the ‘Settings’ button, located in the top-right corner.
- Now, go to the ‘Experimental’ features button and click on it.
- There, you will see the ‘Bluetooth Pairing Button’. Click on it and you might have to wait for about 30 seconds to receive the option ‘ Ready to Pair’.
- Now, on this Oculus Quest 2 of yours, you will see a list of ‘devices’ for pairing up. When your AirPods’s name pops up, click on it.
- If you don’t see your AirPods, don’t worry. Ensure that your AirPods are correctly set up in the pairing mode.
- If they are in the pairing mode and still can’t be read by your Oculus Quest 2, shut down and restart your device.
- Follow the same process all over again till the Oculus Quest 2 reads your AirPods and they are ready to be paired on your gaming console.
- Click on your AirPods when you can locate them in the device list on Oculus Quest 2 and tap on ‘Pair.’
Voila! It’s done !! Now, you are all set to revel in the fun gaming session and it’s going to be more delightful with the AirPods ‘on’.
What i liked the most is the Oculus Quest 2 requires only a bluetooth connection to connect which is very simple and straightforward. On clicking the bluetooth ‘on’, your gaming experience can turn a thousand times better.
I hope I have made the process of using AirPods for gaming easy and uncomplicated for you. I am always up for mixing up my favourite devices together and testing if they are compatible with each other and if the results are positive, trust me, it’s worth a shot !
FAQs
Q1. Can I use my AirPods for game audio?
Answer – Even if you are wearing AirPods while gaming, you won’t be able to hear the game’s audio through them. The gaming console’s audio will come only through the TV and hence, to you through its speakers. So, you can use AirPods only to chat with your friends.
Q2. Are AirPods good for PUBG?
Answer – It’s safe to play PUBG using the AirPods. Few months back, while playing PUBG, the microphone died and I proceeded with my AirPods. That’s when I realised that the AirPods are actually safe and can easily be used for playing games like PUBG.
Q3. Do the AirPods have latency for gaming?
Answer – Luckily, the AirPods boast of the new H1 chip and deliver 30% lower gaming latency in comparison to the previous W1 chip from the AirPods 1. The aptX Low Latency ( LL) has made it more attractive to the gaming community.
Q4. Why do my AirPods lag ?
Answer – Your AirPods might be lagging if you have too many apps running in the background. It slows down the performance by interfering with the Bluetooth connection required by the AirPods. It can also occur if there is any pending update on the system’s software. In addition, the audio enhancements in the audio source can also result in audio cut outs.
Q5. Can I use my AirPods on my XBox 1?
Answer – If you are using the Xbox Console Companion app, you can connect your AirPods to the Xbox using it. Although it was initially manufactured to stream games to the mobile devices, now the Xbox app allows the users to stream the Xbox audio files to other external audio outputs effortlessly.
The Last Words
I have realised over the years that I have churned out a lot of money on gadgets and it hasn’t been a happy discovery. Gaming gadgets these days are pretty expensive and they get to face a lot of wear and tear during regular usage.
I always recommend creating work-around gadgets now. If you own a pair of AirPods, I don’t think you should require an additional pair of headsets. By now you must have understood the bottom line that AirPods can be used during the game-time, of course you will have to be a little selective while you make a selection of games while gaming using the AirPods.
Even the pricey and the premium AirPods Pro support moderate gaming only but it’s better to be selective for games rather than buying a pair of headsets, specifically for the purpose of playing games. They will only keep sulking in the corner when not in use. The AirPods, on the other hand, are very versatile.
So, keep your tiny AirPods charged up and enjoy your casual games. For heavy–duty games, patch up with the friend who owns an Oculus Quest 2. Have fun and keep gaming!
As an engineering graduate (and a full-time layabout), I am always looking for smart technological innovations to make my life simpler and more automated so that I can be even lazier than usual.
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