The best Apple headphones for gaming

As an Apple user who loves playing games, you may struggle to find headphones that sync flawlessly with Apple products. Instead of settling for headphones that do not work well within the Apple ecosystem, you can get one that delivers excellent audio and work seamlessly with Apple gadgets.

Here are our favorite tested and reviewed Apple headphones to level up your gaming experience.

AirPods Max — best for sound effects

AirPods Max are wireless over-ear headphones that deliver high-fidelity sound and spatial audio. We were amazed by the effect of spatial audio during testing. The audio seemed to come from the characters on-screen, no matter how we turned our heads.

Spatial audio lets you hear sound from all around you when the audio is mixed in Dolby 7.1 surround or Dolby Atmos. The effect is impressive with Atmos, as sound can come from above, behind, or in any direction.

With AirPods Max, you can enjoy immersive sound effects if you have a game and device that support Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos.

When playing a game, you can use the Digital Crown on the right ear cup to adjust the volume, take or reject calls, activate Siri, and use the button on the left ear cup to switch between ANC and transparency mode. You can enable ANC to focus and win your game or transparency mode for hearing your surroundings.

Your AirPods Max can last up to 20 hours of listening time with ANC or transparency mode enabled, and you can charge them with a Lightning cable.

You can treat yourself to a pair of AirPods Max headphones, normally priced at $549, but on sale now for $449.99 from Amazon. These are the best Apple headphones you can buy when looking for an over-ear pair.

AirPods Pro 2 — best for travel or commute

The AirPods Pro 2 are perfect Apple headphones for gamers who play on the go. They are small, wireless, noise-canceling, and low-latency. They also have a comfortable and premium design, support spatial audio, and integrate with Siri.

The upgraded H2 chip allows you to easily switch between your Apple devices, such as your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV, without manually pairing them each time. This feature can save you time and hassle when you want to game on different devices.

With improved latency, the AirPods Pro 2 gives you a more responsive and accurate gaming experience, so you can hear the sound more in sync with your screen, which can help you win in competitive games.

You can also enjoy noise active noise cancellation (ANC), which shuts out distracting noises and lets you concentrate on the game. If you need to hear what's happening around you, you can switch to transparency mode to be aware of your surroundings without removing your earbuds.

The AirPods Pro 2 has a sleek and lightweight design that fits snugly in your ears, so you can stay comfortable while playing games. They also come with four sizes of silicone ear tips for optimal fit and seal.

You can purchase a pair of the AirPods Pro 2, normally for $249, but now on sale now from Amazon for $199.99.

Beats Studio3 - best for long gaming sessions

The Beats Studio3 wireless headphones are noise-canceling and have long battery life. They also have a comfortable and snug fit, which is crucial when playing games for many hours.

Before settling in for long hours of gameplay, you can check the battery level with the LED indicator on the right ear cup, in Settings, or by asking Siri. You can also use the Fast Fuel feature to charge your headphones quickly when they need more juice.

The battery life is 40 hours without Pure ANC and 22 hours with it on (the default setting). That's great news for people who want to use Studio3 for long gaming sessions.

In our test, we used Studio3 heavily for two days with noise cancellation most of the time, and we still had 51 percent charge left.

Apple's Fast Fuel technology gives you 3 hours of playback with a 10-minute charge. When we tested it, we could charge from 51 to 60 percent in five minutes and from 60 to 80 in 15 minutes.

The easiest way to use the Beats Studio3 to play games is to pair them wirelessly with your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. You can also use them with a wired connection using the 3.5 mm audio cable included with the headphones.

The Beats Studio3 headphones still retail for $349.95. However, they are on sale on Amazon for $169, making them great budget-friendly over-ear Apple headphones.

Beats Studio Buds — best for budget-conscious gamers

Although they look nothing like Apple AirPods, Beats Studio Buds work seamlessly with Apple devices. You can enjoy features like Spatial Audio, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and Transparency Mode for an immersive listening experience.

With one-touch pairing, you can connect your Beats Studio Buds to all your iCloud devices in seconds. You can also use the "Hey Siri" voice assistant and the Find My feature to control your earbuds and track them down if they go missing.

Each earbud has a button that lets you switch between ANC, Transparency Mode, and media controls.

If you want to play games without worrying about the battery, these earbuds have 8 hours of battery life. When used with the charging case, it gives you two more full charges for 24 hours of gaming fun with the charging case.

The Beats Studio Buds stand out from Apple's white earbuds with six color options, including the vibrant Ocean Blue we tried. They are IPX4 rated to resist sweat and water and have Class-1 Bluetooth for a strong connection.

You can snag a colorful pair of Beats Studio Buds from Amazon for $149.95. That price makes them an excellent option for workout-focused Apple headphones.