Sometimes when we are playing our games, we do so in a rush between other activities. In these situations, it is sometimes easier to just use our normal in-ear headphones, like, our AirPods or EarBuds. The question is, are they actually good gaming?
Airpods are good for gaming on mobile devices and PC’s that support Bluetooth. They are especially good for gaming on IOS phones and Macbooks as there is little to no latency from the device to the AirPods. Using AirPods on a console is possible but requires the use of third party devices, and even then, you cannot use the chat function. For these reasons, AirPods are not good for gaming on a console in my experience.
Still interested in gaming with your AirPods? Let’s look through a few things that you will need. I also want to look at a few alternatives, and finally, we will discuss how to get the best possible experience while gaming with in-ear headphones.
Can you use AirPods for gaming?
In short, yes, you can. How you do so depends on what device you are planning on using them on.
How to use AirPods on PC or MAC
To connect your AirPods to a PC, follow these 10 easy steps:
- While your AirPods are in their case, turn on discover mode, this allows whichever device to find the AirPods. On the back of your case is a little button, hold that button in for a few seconds.
- The case should be open when putting it into discover mode. Just underneath the lid, there should be a small light that is flashing white. This means that the AirPods are in discover mode.
- On your PC, go to the Windows menu and go into settings.
- Once there, go to a setting that says “Devices.”
- Toggle Bluetooth on. Remember, if you do not see “Bluetooth,” it could mean that your PC does not have Bluetooth. It means that you will have to buy a Bluetooth dongle.
- Now that you have toggled your Bluetooth on, You want to click, “Add Bluetooth or other devices.”
- A window should open with three options, click the “Bluetooth” option.
- Your PC will start searching for devices. Make sure that your AirPods are still in Discover mode.
- Once your PC has found the AirPods, it will show up as “Headphones,” it is best practice to wait until the text changes to “AirPods.”
- Once it says “Airpods” click connect, and you should be good. It might take a few seconds to connect.
How to connect your AirPods to your MAC
Even though connecting your AirPods to your MAC is similar to connecting them to a PC, I think it is important to be thorough.
Here is how to connect your AirPods to your MAC in 7 easy steps.
- While your AirPods are in their case, turn on discover mode, this allows whichever device to find the AirPods. On the back of your case is a little button, hold that button in for a few seconds.
- The case should be open when putting it into discover mode. Just underneath the lid, there should be a small light that is flashing white. This means that the AirPods are in discover mode.
- On your MAC, click on the Apple logo and go to “System preferences.”
- Once there, go to a setting that says “Bluetooth.”
- Toggle Bluetooth on. Remember, if you do not see “Bluetooth,” it could mean that your MAC does not have Bluetooth. It means that you will have to buy a Bluetooth dongle. Most Macbooks do support Bluetooth, so this should not be a problem.
- When you toggle Bluetooth on, your MacBook will automatically start searching for devices.
- Once your MAC finds the AirPods, click “connect.” After a few seconds, you will be connected and ready to game.
Using your AirPods for Mobile gaming
For this part, I don’t believe we need a step by step guide. The process is similar to connecting to your MAC or PC. The Bluetooth can be toggled on and off in the Bluetooth menu settings on your phone.
AirPods can work on any android device, but it works best on an iPhone or an iPad. Apple has optimized the pods for use on their own devices. The latency between the AirPods and IOS devices is lower than if you use them on android. This gives a better experience when gaming.
The sound that you get from using Airpods for gaming is pretty satisfying. Apple definitely didn’t skimp on quality, so you get good bass and treble when playing. Because they are stereo, hearing footsteps and being able to pinpoint the location of enemy players is also really good. So, when playing mobile shooter games like Fortnite or COD mobile, you might actually have a slight advantage.
Using Airpods for console gaming
As good as the Airpods are, they have one flaw. Maybe you could think of it as a flaw within consoles instead of the AirPods. Airpods generally do not work on consoles.
Some people say that they do get it to work, some say they don’t work, and some people say that they work only for audio.
To test this, I borrowed a pair and tried connecting them to my PS4, the PS4 found the pods but said that they were not compatible. If you have AirPods and a console, it will be worth testing it yourself.
Here is a quick guide on how to test your AirPods on the PS4 in 7 steps.
- Go to your PS4 settings.
- Click on “Devices.”
- Then, Click on “Bluetooth devices.”
- Open your AirPods case.
- Hold down the button at the back to make your device discoverable.
- Once the white light starts flashing on your case, you should see the device pop up on your PS4.
- Click the Airpods option in the PS4 menu, and this is where it will either work or give you an error.
On Xbox, the process is different, and in my experience, I could only hear party chat. To set up your Airpods with an Xbox One, you need to pair your pods with your phone. Then open the mobile Xbox app, go to parties and you can chat with your friends while playing.
Are Airpods good for PUBG?
PUBG is one of the biggest, if not the biggest mobile games out right now. The mobile game has a whopping 600 million downloads as of the time of writing this article. That number only is expected to grow.
Being able to use your wireless headphones for this game is convenient. For the best experience, using AirPods with an IOS device will give you the best latency.
PUBG sounds really good on the AirPods. The atmospheric sounds are immersive, but the best feature is being able to locate where sounds are coming from. Having this feature gives you a clear advantage in a match.
Conclusion
Now that we have reached the end of the article let’s go over some important points.
Wireless headphones, whether they are AirPods or not, add a certain convenience that is hard to go back from. When you add that convenience with the build and sound quality of the Apple AirPods, gaming with them is so pleasant.
Not only do you give yourself an advantage in-game, but you also get to experience the best of what the developers try and achieve in the audio department of a game.
You can get yourself a pair of Apple Airpods from Amazon, the retail price is $159 but you can sometimes get them on special for less. Click this link for more info.