Gaming headsets can get expensive fast — just look at Turtle Beach’s latest flagship headset if you need a good case in point. Fortunately, budget-friendly wireless options do exist, offering a way for players to achieve more immersive sound quality without draining their bank account. This is especially true now that Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless Headset is seeing a rare $15 discount at Amazon, dropping the affordable headset down to a mere $85.
In terms of features, Microsoft’s official Xbox headset offers a lot of bang for your buck. The attractive matte black accessory is compatible with the Xbox Wireless protocol, meaning it works with both Xbox One and Xbox Series X / S consoles, and it even offers Bluetooth support for concurrent pairing with your tablet, laptop, and a range of other devices. What’s more, it sports a comfortable design and intuitive dial controls that allow you to fine-tune your game / chat audio mix on the fly. It lacks noise cancellation and more premium features found on higher-end headsets, but again, it’s hard to complain given the cost.
Furbo’s newer pet cam remains a favorite among Verge staffers (and rightly so). The tower-like gadget can rotate and automatically track your dog — or your feline friend — as they roam around your home, allowing you to keep a closer eye on your pet when you’re away via a mobile app. The 1080p gadget also offers a range of other features in addition to its wide-angle lens, including color night vision, two-way audio so you can chat with your pet, and the ability to fling treats on command. The latter means you can still shower your pooch with affection, or at least beef bites, when you’re not at home.
For those of us looking to focus on health and fitness as we emerge from our winter cocoons, the Oura Ring Generation 3 is seeing a rare discount. The gold heritage version of the latest Oura Ring is selling for $409 ($40 off) at Best Buy, where you can now go into a store to be sized. While there are cheaper versions of the Ring Gen 3 in a simpler silver or black, the gold offers a touch of pop and visual flare that may better blend in with your personal ensemble or stand out as an accent piece.
Style aside, the merits of the Oura Ring Gen 3 are in its health tracking, which is focused on sleep and heart rate monitoring, recovery, meditation, SpO2 measurements, period predicting, and some light exercise. The Ring may not have the more hardcore fitness tracking of a smartwatch, but in addition to being a good introduction to wearables, the Ring can make a great complement to your existing watch. You may even find that you don’t need to wear a smartwatch as often, which can be particularly freeing when you want to dress up and not wear a big honking computer on your wrist.
