You’ve got to be pretty bold to make a claim like having the “ultimate console gaming headset” but that’s what Logitech did at its annual LogiPLAY event, which I attended amid a host of other products from the brand’s gaming division.
As such, I got a close look at the new Astro A20 X gaming headset, which aims to be the one headset to rule them all when it comes to playing on PS5, Xbox Series X, or Nintendo Switch 2. I left impressed but a little underwhelmed.
The A20 X effectively replaces the A20 as the new entry-level headset in the premium Astro audio range. But as our Hardware Writer, Dash Wood, pointed out in his news coverage of the headset announcement, the A20 X doesn’t sport many of the angular design cues one expects with the Astro series.
Rather, it looks an awful, awful lot like the Logitech G522 Lightspeed, with a rounded aesthetic that’s more in keeping with some of the best wireless headphones than gamer-grade headsets.
That’s not inherently a bad thing, as the G522 reviewed very well. But it was my first disappointment with the A20 X; I don’t buy into the angular ‘gamer’ aesthetic that still percolates from hardware makers like Asus and Acer, but it feels there was scope for Logitech G to be a bit more adventurous with A20 X’s design rather than just copy the G522’s homework, despite some customizable RGB.
However, putting design aside, the core feature of the A20 X is its Playsync audio system and base unit, which comes as part of the $179.99 / £169.99 (there’s no Australian release on the cards at the time of writing) package. This is the key to letting the headset swap between two devices, connected to the hub via USB-C, at the touch of a button.
Now I’ve heard such promises before and have yet to find a system that works slickly, beyond a little Logitech wireless mouse I use with my MacBook Air M2. But trying out the A20 X, I was genuinely impressed at how fast and seamless the switching was – a quick press saw me jump from a PC (I think as the showcase was rather dark) and an Xbox, with another press jumping back to the PC, all accompanied by a virtual voice telling me which system I’d switched to.
My main PC and Xbox gaming headset is a Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal, which offers fantastic audio, but only sports the Xbox Wireless protocol, meaning it won’t play nice with my PS5. The A20 X and Playsync seem to be the easy solution to this, as well as any dodgy connectivity issues with wireless connections with consoles that might be behind your TV, rather than in the line of sight with a headset.
Such swapping isn’t new, as the other higher-end Astro headsets offer Playsync, but at under $200 / £200, I believe the A20 X is the only headset to offer such on-the-fly switching chops. As such, if I weren’t a diehard PS5 Pulse 3D wireless headset user, I could see the Astro A20 X integrating very nicely with my console setup.
The only slightly, and arguably disappointing, thing with the A20 X’s connectivity is that its Bluetooth 5.3 can only connect to one device at a time with no concurrent connectivity support. Hardly a deal breaker, but perhaps an area where Logitech G could have pushed that bit further.
Given I was on quite a noisy showcase floor and didn’t get a chance to have some solid gaming time with the Astro A20 X, it’s hard to get a feel for its audio quality. But the little bit I did hear sounded crisp and clear, with a somewhat flat tone – that’s something I appreciate for gaming, as I’d rather keep warm mid-range and sparkling treble for my music listening on the likes of the best Sony headphones.
Going by the quality of other Logitech gaming headsets and the presence of the G522 Lightspeed on our best wireless gaming headsets, I’d be confident in the A20 X’s audio abilities.
The quality of the hardware, from the headband to the buttons, and the nice progressive feel of the volume wheel, all felt good to my touch and in keeping with what I expect at the A20 X’s price point.
Passive noise cancellation was rather solid, with the memory foam ear cups feeling suitably plush and good at isolating unwanted external sound. I was also impressed at how lightweight the headset felt – it comes in at 290g, which is light on paper and reflected in real-life use.
Sure, I’d have liked a little bit more pizazz in the design department. But if the audio stands up in our testing, having a quality headset that’s well built and can quickly switch on the fly might set a new standard for sub-$200 / £200 gaming headphones.
