On-ear vs over-ear headphones – The South African gamer’s guide

Choosing the right pair of headphones is essential for an enjoyable gaming experience, and South African gamers have two main options.

These are on-ear and over-ear designs, which each offer distinct advantages for gamers.

The main difference between these headphones is that on-ear headphone earcups rest directly on your ears, while over-ear headphone earcups fully enclose your ears.

Beyond this core feature, there are several other reasons to buy one of these headphone variants over the others.

We unpack the features of each type, below.

On-ear headphones

Typically, the key advantage of on-ear headphones is their compact and lightweight size, with many models even being foldable for better portability.

If you’re an on-the-go gamer with a handheld device, the flexibility this offers should not be underestimated, as the headphones can easily be packed alongside the device when you’re going out.

Additionally, on-ear headphones offer greater situational awareness by letting in more ambient sound, so you can better pay attention to your surroundings.

This is important if you’re gaming in a public space to stay safe, but it also has its advantages when playing at home – such as keeping an ear open for a delivery or getting called for dinner.

However, this does mean that audio quality and in-game immersion will sometimes suffer.

Over-ear headphones

Over-ear headphones offer better audio quality thanks to their larger design, which completely surrounds your ears when worn.

This creates a physical seal around your ears, blocking ambient sounds more effectively and improving in-game immersion.

Thanks to this, sounds such as the hum of your PC’s fans won’t distract you from your gaming experience.

Additionally, the headphone’s speakers are positioned farther from your ears in this design, creating a wider ‘soundstage’ for audio.

This makes it easier to pinpoint audio, such as footsteps and distant gunfire, enabling more precise gameplay.

For longer gaming sessions, headphones that don’t press directly against your ears also help with comfort.

However, this functionality comes at the cost of size and portability, as over-ear headphones usually can’t be folded and are difficult to pack in the sort of bag normally used to carry handheld devices or laptops.

The best choice

For gamers who spend more time playing on handheld devices or laptops, on-ear headphones are the ideal choice thanks to their better spatial awareness and portability.

However, if you mainly game on a PC or console in a set location, the better audio quality and immersion of over-ear headphones make them an attractive choice.

We have compiled a table below comparing each headphone’s advantages.