Can You Use Gaming Headphones for Distance Learning Headsets?

 

If your kid is a gamer, you’ll be excited to hear this: he or she may already have the very thing they need to enhance the distance learning experience right in their bedroom!

With a large percentage of students in elementary through high school still unable to attend classes in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents are doing everything they can to ensure that their distance learning experience is as rewarding and stress-free as possible. For many parents, this means having to pick up costly headsets optimized for remote work or distance learning. However, because gaming headsets share many of the properties of these specially-designated distance learning headsets, they can be used just as effectively for both purposes. That’s right- if your kid already has a headset that he or she uses for Fortnite, Minecraft, and more, you can save money while still giving your child a quality online learning experience! 

How Gaming Headsets are Similar to Distance Learning Headsets

For a quality distance learning headset, you want three things: a noise-canceling feature, a mutable microphone, and a comfortable fit for prolonged daily use. The inclusion of these three factors can help you ensure that your student is learning and participating in class discussions, all in a distraction-free environment that allows them to concentrate on the task at hand. Because gaming headsets are optimized for prolonged periods of concentration during gameplay and are equipped with microphones for chatting during online matches, they actually make ideal distance learning headsets! 

Why This is Good News

Chances are you still remember exactly how expensive your child’s gaming headset was when you first purchased it. Even the most affordable ones are seldom cheap. However, it’s about to get an important second purpose, which will save you the expense of having to buy a separate headset dedicated to distance learning only. More importantly, since your child is already familiar with his or her gaming headset, you won’t be fighting any uphill battles to get him or her used to wearing it during online class sessions.

We Don’t Have a Gaming Headset or a Distance Learning Headset- Which One Should I Buy?

If you want more bang for your buck and you have a child who will almost certainly use the headset for gaming as well as school, go ahead and opt for the gaming headset! Since they are optimized for transmitting enhanced sound effects in games, the quality of the sound your child is hearing will also be enhanced for school lessons, increasing their ability to focus and pay attention to their teacher. Additionally, a gaming headset is potentially going to be less expensive than a headset specifically designated for distance learning or remote work, yet it will be just as effective in the long run.

Bottom line: if your child already has a gaming headset, make sure it’s compatible with his or her laptop and you’re good to go!