SCUF H1 headset review
Two-minute review
The SCUF H1 is a high-end wired gaming headset that is specifically aimed at the more style-conscious gamer that values customization and comfort over anything else. Though it may not quite have the high-end sound delivery you can get from other headsets in the ~$129.99 / £119.99 price bracket, the SCUF H1 delivers a steady, decent sound and works a treat with PS4 and PS5 controllers. Easy to read – and even easier to use – this headset is a great choice for competitive gamers that want to switch up a headset’s utility in a breeze.
Fitted with a universal headphone jack, memory foam earpads, a synthetic, adjustable leather headband, and a nice chunky volume control that’s so tactile you can fiddle with it even in the middle of a firefight, it’s safe to say SCUF knows exactly the audience it wants (likely the same audience that’s enamored with the SCUF Vantage controller).
The serious gamer is going to be glued to their monitor/TV for hours at a time, and the comfort factor of the SCUF H1 has been wrangled to accommodate that. This reviewer has a fairly large head, and often headsets start to pinch and strain after a few hours. But even after a four-hour session of Call of Duty: Warzone, the SCUF H1 fits like a dream – even if it’s liable to overheat your ears a touch. The mouthier gamers in the world will need to keep the mic well away from your lips, though – this thing picks up pops and plosives with glee, and that may not be so pleasant for the other players in your lobby.
If you’re looking for a hard-wearing, long-lasting, comfort-focused wired headset for your PS4 or PS5, Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S, you could do worse than the SCUF H1 – though it’s worth noting you can get some decent wireless headsets for the asking price, too.
SCUF H1 headset price and release date
The SCUF H1 Headset is available from $129.99 / £119.99 / AU$169 (depending on your customization options) and is available now. It fits into the mid-range price for a wired headset, and its closest competition is probably the Razer Blackshark V2 X or the Razer Kraken Ultimate. The SCUF H1 can be plugged into any 3.5mm audio jack, and as such is compatible with PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Design
Perhaps the biggest draw of the SCUF H1 is the big, soft ear pads that sit over the drivers and allow comfort for hours of play at a time. Lightweight frames and an adjustable fit pairs nicely with the memory foam earpads to make a headset that really delivers on the comfort factor. The magnetic plates that pop on and off the outside of the ear cups are great – and make for some fun customization options – but ultimately, they’re a pretty useless feature. The mic that attaches via the underside of the left earcup; it can be uni- or omni-directional, depending on your setup, giving you a bit more control of the final look of the headset.
While the 6-foot 3.5mm audio cable that ships with the headset is long, and the volume control on it is decent, but at the end of the day, it’s a long audio cable – so its days are inherently numbered. This does mean it affords you a lot of freedom and flexibility when you’re plugged into your Xbox or PlayStation pad… but not as much as a truly wireless headset would. How much this bothers you comes down to whether you care about the trade-off between latency and utility between wired and wireless headsets.
Audio performance
The speakers come with precision-tuned 50mm high-density neodymium speaker drivers, which are geared to pushing through the mids more than anything else (standard in a gaming headset). This means, practically, you can hear the critical noises in busy games: footsteps, reloads, pings, and so on are all delivered with clarity and sharp diction. This comes at the cost of a solid, full-range sound profile if you’re playing non-competitive games or listening to music. But then, this is a headset aimed at competitive gamers, so that’s to be expected. Play Call of Duty or a similar shooter with the SCUF H1 and you’ll hear it at its best, for sure.
The H1 is "SCUF's version of the award-winning Corsair Virtuoso headset" – a result of Corsair acquiring SCUF back in 2020. You can tell Corsair is the brains behind this hardware; the sound is very similar to its own line of products, and that should be enough to sell anyone on how decent it sounds: the audio delivery isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t do anything particularly badly, either.
Microphone quality and wireless connectivity
A detachable microphone is a pretty big sell for any wired headset – and it means you can leave the house wearing the thing without looking like a maniac. The SCUF H1’s unidirectional and omni-directional mics are both made with quality, but neither are going to perform like a dedicated streaming mic, if that’s what you’re into. That said, we tested the omni-directional version, and aside from over-sensitive spikes when it comes to plosives, our teammates in games did compliment the clarity of the voice chat using this headset.
It’s worth noting, though, that the mic did drop out of the headset seemingly of its own accord twice whilst we were reviewing it. As comedic as it is, that could cost serious players a game if they can’t call out an enemy encampment or so on – bear that in mind, and perhaps find a better way to secure the pop-in mic if that becomes a persistent problem for you.
Should I buy the SCUF H1 headset?
Buy it if…
You like wired headsets
The SCUF H1 enables hassle-free, high-quality audio without any bells and whistles – suited to no-nonsense competitive gamers
You’re all-in on game audio
Whether you’ve got a keen ear tuned to the bottle-opening critical hit sound in Overwatch, or you know exactly where footsteps are coming from in Call of Duty, the SCUF H1 drivers will deliver great mid-range for you
You value customization
We think the customization options are pretty expensive for what they are, but if you want a library of tags that can be swapped in and out to go with your streaming setup and so on, the SCUF H1 offers some great utility
Don't buy it if...
You want to be a pro streamer
You’re definitely better off getting a headset with dedicated vocal setups – this mic is good, not great
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