Astro A20 Generation 2 Review

New consoles means new headsets, and while there are a surprising number of recently released headsets that don’t work on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, we are happy to report that the Astro A20 Generation 2 set is not one of them. After a few weeks trying and testing the product, our impressions are pretty strong.

After using the headset for just a few days, we quickly placed it on our headset buying guide for holiday 2020, alongside a number of other quality headsets. Astro has always been linked to expensive price tags – at least that seems to be the assumption when talking to friends – but that isn’t always the case. After using these for just a few days, I assumed they were north of $150 USD. Add me to the group of folks shocked to see this headset available for only $119.99!

Negatives first, as always, The headband on the Astro A20 isn’t great. During shorter gaming sessions, it’s really not a big deal. I can easily deal with the seemingly padless headband and not have too many issues. When logging a few hours in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, however, and the comfort level takes a fairly quick dive. I’ve used worst, but headsets with a smaller price tag than this have managed to provide superior comfort, so this comes as a bit of a disappointment.

Past that, however, and it’s all up hill for this headset. Astro is no rookie to the headphones game, and have been creating quality audio experiences for as long as I can remember. They continue to push the limits of what a headset can do, while continually bring the price lower and lower. And I think that describes the Astro A20 perfectly.

Whether your snag the Xbox or PlayStation version, rest assured your new product will work quite well with bot the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X. We are using anecdotal evidence to support he Xbox claim, as we only used the PlayStation version. One downside here is that each version of the headset is specific to that console because of the wireless transmitter used – however, an additional transmitter can be purchased but you’ll have to resync the headset when moving between consoles. The wireless feature, however, is a huge plus.

The A20s are a bit boxy for my liking, but that doesn’t impede the fantastic audio quality. Whether listening to my games or listening to my friends, the sound coming from the cups was better than expected for around $100! And the breathable cups are super comfy, which just adds to the experience. The microphone is also above average for the price – while I had a few issues when playing Call of Duty, there is not way to tell whether it was my microphone or their headsets.

For the price, you cannot really go wrong if you are a fan of Astro products. Whether listening to the sounds of footsteps, or bombs going off close by or far off, the audio quality is right up there with headsets that cost significantly more. While other companies offer different options around this price point as well, you can rest assured that the great sound and microphone quality from Astro also comes with their great build quality, meaning the Astro A20s could last you multiple years without issue. If you can get passed a less-than-comfortable headband, there isn’t much to dislike here!