One of the challenges when it comes to switching gaming setups from the Windows world to Linux, is fully-featured hardware support.

The Xbox Wireless Headset + official dongle does a decent job with a lot of bang for the buck. However, It’s not (yet) supported by XONE or any other driver. I can connect it via bluetooth, but then it just sounds dull - no surprise!

That’s why I’m now looking for a new headset which is approved by the community. It must offer decent (surround-)sound in games.

  • @[email protected]English
    9•1 year ago

    A few of things I’d look out for:

    • Bluetooth protocol. Many Bluetooth headsets switch to a low-bandwidth but full-duplex mode when used as a headset. As a result you can hear and be heard at the same time, but at abysmal quality. Think old phone. You want a headset that supports at least AptX, which supports full-duplex communication at reasonable bandwidth and thus quality.
    • Spatial audio. Don’t bother! It’s a non-issue that you can replicate in software, with the help of pipewire. I wouldn’t spend money on it.
    • I’d stay away from proprietary 2.4GHz connectors and stick with plain Bluetooth, as that doesn’t require a specialised driver that possibly requires support from the vendor.
    • N3Cr0OPEnglish
      3•1 year ago

      I’m not sure AptX is capable enough. In LowLatency mode, it may sound dull again. But higher bitrates come with too much latency.

      I guess LLAC would be the codec to go, but I lack the experience with it.

    • bgtlover
      2•1 year ago

      @Chais @n3cr0 how do you replicate that with pipewire anyway? Sure, you can rig up the nodes and all, but are games actually outputting surround nowadays, or how do you benefit from all that work?

      • N3Cr0OPEnglish
        3•1 year ago

        Since pipewire is the default in Nobara (I recently started with it), I hope I don’t need to care too much about it (fingers crossed!). What I want to achieve is a realistic feeling of the room accoustics in games. I recently noticed that in Cyberpunk 2077 (windows, with the xbox headset): I could close my eyes and still tell where I am in the game.

        • bgtlover
          3•1 year ago

          @n3cr0 ahh, I guess that’s more or less normal hrtf, which any respectable audiogame can replicate

      • @[email protected]English
        1•1 year ago

        Exactly. You set up the virtual sink for 5.1 output and make pipewire convolute the signal with a suitable impulse response to turn it into a stereo signal that sounds like it’s coming from the correct direction. And yes, most games will output surround sound, given the option.

        • bgtlover
          0•1 year ago

          @Chais do games actually output 5.1 nowadays? Most of those I know use libraries like steamaudio, which simulates it using in-app hrtf, mixing the signal on its own

          • onoEnglish
            1•1 year ago

            It depends on the game. I have 5.1 speakers on my computer and can hear things behind me in some games, but not others.

          • @[email protected]English
            1•1 year ago

            At least I can play games and get directional audio. Beyond that I care little how they achieve it.

    • onoEnglish
      2•1 year ago

      a headset that supports at least AptX, which supports full-duplex communication at reasonable bandwidth and thus quality

      Specifically, I think you mean AptX Low Latency. FastStream can reportedly do this as well. Both are nonstandard extensions to Bluetooth, so we have to look for them as features rather than assuming they’ll be present.

      https://habr.com/en/post/456182/

      • @[email protected]English
        1•1 year ago

        Maybe. Every time I’ve looked into this so far I found it confusing enough to just go with a cable.

    • ChewyEnglish
      1•1 year ago

      I’d rather go with proprietary 2.4 GHz than only Bluetooth. Especially because many 2.4 GHz devices have Bluetooth additionally.

      To me, Bluetooth has too many latency and quality problems if used for a long time or gaming. It’s one reason I’m still sticking to headphones with external DAC on my pc.