Sometimes video game tie-ins make no sense. That is anything but true with ASTRO Gaming’s new special Halo Edition A50 wireless headset for Xbox One. Halo: The Master Chief Collection is coming next week (we’ll post our review shortly), and this wireless headset is the perfect complement to those late-night Slayer matches on your horizon.
ASTRO Gaming has released a few wireless headsets for Xbox One and PS4, including the A50 just a few weeks ago. This new Halo edition of the A50 looks like a great addition to the lineup.
Technically speaking the special Halo Edition A50 wireless headset is identical to the core A50. The most important part for audiophiles is its full Dolby 7.1 surround-sound support, though it also has three custom audio/EQ modes for tweaking. It also includes integrated wireless “MixAmp” technology for master volume and game-to-voice audio balancing for on-the-fly adjustments.
But those are the speeds and feeds. What makes this a special Halo edition are the custom color and graphical treatment. For instance, check out the “117” on the side, a specific reference to Master Chief’s “call sign.” The army green palette of the MJOLNIR armor is complemented by honeycomb ear cups and gold accents.
In other words, it won’t make you look like Master Chief, but it’ll sure make you feel powerful as you pinpoint enemy locations using the surround sound.
Though the $300 price point may be offputting to some, that’s a screaming deal for a full 7.1 surround-sound experience.
Since the special Halo Edition A50 wireless headset is wireless, it relies on lithium-ion batteries to pump the audio through. Those batterirs are rechargeable via USB connect to an included display stand. I hope to get my hands on the Halo Edition A50 headset to test the battery life, as it’s currently unclear how it performs in that regard.
If the A50s are a bit out of your range, ASTRO Gaming also announced a series of Halo Speaker Tags for their A40 Headset. Each of these Halo Speaker Tags is themed after Halo: CE, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3 or Halo 4 and features artwork derived directly from the game. The Speaker Tags are magnetically interchangeable art designed specifically for the A40.
The special Halo Edition of the A50 wireless Xbox One headsets aren’t available at Amazon, though the A50 headsets are