I wouldn't dare set sail in Sea of Thieves season 17 without this PC headset as my first mate

Season 17 of Sea of Thieves has kicked off, but before I settle down for pirate adventures, I wouldn't dare set sail without one of the best gaming headsets like the Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless headset.

Having one of the best gaming headsets at the ready for Sea of Thieves is a must for me. Two of my favorite aspects of Rare's swashbuckling online RPG stem from ensuring my headset doesn't skimp out on quality: having a high-quality microphone and spatial audio support. Corsair's high-end headset has that in spades.

Corsair Virtuoso MAX Wireless (White) | $329.99 $269.99 at Amazon
The Virtuoso Max Wireless is bursting at the seams with features that pair perfectly with the sea-faring adventures of Rare's Sea of Thieves.

The headset is decked out with simultaneous Bluetooth & 2.4GHz connectivity, bassy 50mm Custom Graphene audio drivers, active noise-canceling, up to 60 hours of battery life, and a high-quality detachable omnidirectional microphone, which is my go-to for the game's built-in voice chat. At 417g, it's not the comfiest of headsets, but for me, its wealth of features, high-end mic, and Dolby Atmos spatial audio support make it my go-to pick for taking to the seven seas.

UK: $279.99 $219.99 at Amazon

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The microphone of the Virtuoso Max is one of my favorites out of any PC headset out there.

No matter what bizarre shape you twist it into, its boom arm never springs back to its original shape. Never in my many hours battling it out with ghosts at Forts, or hunting for treasure, have I ever worried about it springing away from my face, which is ideal when most of my fun with the game depends on chatting to friends and random fellow pirates.

The quality of the mic isn't just found within its build, but it creates a broadcast-quality sound, which still impresses me now as it did when I originally wrote up my review. It's up there with the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro and SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless as being one of the best mics I've ever used, and all my favorite Sea of Thieves memories have happened with it at the helm.

From chatting with a bunch of players who commandeered my sloop just to show me their collection of pet pigs, to being reassured by a random pirate I found on an island that "we're just digging for teasure, we won't kill you" when my partner and I accidentally stumbled on a player ship, it's always been there. It's meant my conversations have been crystal which is incredibly important when situations can quickly turn and result in your goods being at the bottom of the sea.

Having a high-quality mic is perfect for in-game chats, but it's also the headset's Dolby Atmos spatial audio support that will have me reaching for it during this new season.

Sea of Thieves is still plenty of fun without the added immersion of spatial audio, but once you've experienced being at the bottom of your sloop, hearing the creaks of the ship's wood all around you, and the waves splashing against its hull, you can't go back.

Having that added sense of realism with 3D audio might sound a bit silly for a game whose style leans heavily on the cartoony side, but hear me out. Hearing the distant voices of Emissary representatives and merchants sound off all around you each time you return to an outpost helps draw you into the world and makes every quest, no matter how small, feel more exciting than the last.

Losing that spatial audio would mean losing that added sense of realism and would make the game feel less adventurous and enthralling. The Virtuoso Max is equipped with official Dolby Atmos support, as is Sea of Thieves, so they pair perfectly as long as spatial audio is enabled from the game's settings.

Unfortunately this is, begrudgingly, one of the most uncomfortable headsets I have amongst my gaming setup. At 417g and with padding that's a bit on the light side, it gets pretty uncomfortable fast, which does mean I'm constantly having to adjust it for some relief, or taking a quick break to let the blood flow seep back in and around my head.

If you have an extra sensitive head, there are plenty of other headsets with spatial audio support and great microphones like the Logitech Astro A50, but the Virtuoso Max will remain my first port of call with Sea for Thieves for the new season and the next.

• View all gaming headset deals at Amazon
• Logitech G Astro A50: $299 at Amazon
• Razer BlackShark V2 Pro: $199.99 $189.99 at Amazon

Not a Sea of Thieves PC player? Our guides to the best PS5 headsets, best Xbox Series X headsets, and the best wireless headsets are full of cups that'd pair perfectly with your future pirate adventures.