2026 seems to be the year that more tech brands try their hand at headsets, as Epomaker just launched its first-ever pair. The Epomaker GX1 Headset is a wireless headset for PC, PS5, and the Switch 2 that looks pretty swanky with its black-and-red contrasting colorway. But it's not its Shadow the Hedgehog-like design that has caught my attention, but the fact that it's an open-back pair of cups.
With a price of just $49.99 at Amazon, the GX1 is now one of the cheapest ways to get an open-back sound for gaming. The best gaming headsets that utilize this form factor often come with price ranges starting from $150, but the keyboard brand has managed to cram the audiophile-friendly sound into a budget pair that also sports tri-mode connectivity and has multiple colors available from the get-go. Sign me up!
The last few open-back headsets I've tested, from the Sony Inzone H6 Air to the Skullcandy Crusher PLYR 720, were not cheap. Though they had their own set of features that contributed to their lofty prices, forking out $199.99 or $279.99 (their respective prices) and anything in between is what I'd normally expect. Cue my surprise and delight to see the GX1's more-than-reasonable $49.99 price, especially when you factor in all else it has to offer.
Besides the promise of a "wide, airy soundscape" that Epomaker boasts can make your "games feel more alive", the headset is also rocking 50mm dynamic audio drivers, wired, Bluetooth, and 2.4GHz wireless connectivity, and a detachable ENC noise-cancelling microphone. It's even got an up to a 70-hour battery on board, which is actually far grander than the 48 hours managed by the Skullcandy Crusher PLYR 720.
Like with other new headset lines, I fully expected the black and red version I spotted within Epomaker's marketing imagery to be the only pair available. Brands like Glorious launched their first wireless headset with the Glorious GHS Wireless InfinitePlay, and it had a black-and-white version, and that was it. Meanwhile, Epomaker has those, but the GX1 is also available in a 'Pink' model to add a bit more variety, particularly for those with a cute and cozy gaming setup like myself. Each model also has some RGB lighting in case you're a fan of that gamer-fied aesthetic, though it does limit the battery to only 30 hours.
Whether the Epomaker GX1's open-back natural sound and feature-full package will measure up to other pairs I've tested remains to be seen. Luckily, I won't have to wait long to find out for myself, as a sample is on its way, and I should have a review up within the next few weeks.
If you want to wait for my thoughts, feel free, but you might miss out on the current coupon discount that's currently sitting on Amazon. Sadly, the white model isn't included, but $42.49 for an open-back headset is a deal not worth missing, even if you're limited to just two color options.
- View all open-back gaming headsets at Amazon
If you'd rather a closed-back pair instead, check out our best PC headsets for gaming, the best PS5 headsets, and the best Xbox Series X headsets guides for our top traditional picks.
