Hardware review – Skullcandy SLYR

I didn’t realize that my game experience was lacking until I put on this headset. I’ve been playing my Xbox One on a regular stereo TV with the standard Microsoft headset plugged in for over a year now. I was getting a pretty decent experience out of that and it was good enough for me. When I got an offer to review the Skullcandy SLYR headset, I figured that it might be a bit more comfortable than the foam square poking into the left side of my head while playing Destiny, so I signed up. What I wasn’t expecting was just how much of a difference a quality set of headphones can make for my console experience. The TV will now be on mute and people are going to need to shout to get my attention because I can’t imagine a better way to play anymore.

This certainly isn’t my first experience with Skullcandy headphones – I had bought their earbuds in the past to replace a pair that had met an unfortunate end. So I was already familiar with the quality of their products. I also use headphones while gaming on my PC on a fairly regular basis. I can’t explain why I didn’t think to improve my console experience with a pair sooner.

The Skullcandy SLYR headset is paired with the GMX-1 module which allows it to be plugged straight into an Xbox One controller. It’s a quick and easy replacement for the standard Microsoft headset. The difference here is that the SLYR will pump the game audio directly into your ears instead of being a simple mono source for voice chat. Of course, the SLYR does have voice chat capabilities as well. There’s a nifty button right on the GMX-1 that adjusts the game to voice mix for the headset. The Skullcandy logo on the GMX-1 is a mute button for the outgoing mic on the headset. And if you’re not using it, the microphone swings conveniently up into the headphones until you want it. Please note that if you activate the mute, the skull turns red and Captain America cries.

Of course, I immediately decided to test the SLYR using Destiny. While not really a great game for story, it has a lot going on in terms of audio and I really didn’t just want to go straight for Fantasia. What I didn’t expect (and what blew me away the most) was that when I had a friend join me in game, their voice was handled in stereo based on the location of their avatar thanks to having the voice option in the game set to speakers only (for streaming purposes). I had been used to having every voice piped in through a single channel for so long that I actually had him talk to me while moving around my character. We even found that it switches from directional to a sort of crackling radio when he moved outside of my radar range. It was silly and fantastic. I didn’t even realize that I needed that level of immersion from a headset, but it turns out that I do. It provides a cleaner sound quality and a sort of center channel effect when the voice option is set to headset only. However, since the headphones handle both the game and the headset audio, I do not recommend using the blended option for voice.

If you’re not rocking a killer surround sound system for your gaming, but you still want a rich audio experience, I would certainly recommend the Skullcandy SLYR headset. It’s a simple plug and play piece of hardware that will let you enjoy your games while keeping the world peaceful for those around you. As an over the ear headset, I found these far more comfortable for long game sessions than the Microsoft headset. I love the black and green color scheme, but it is available in other colors as well. Suggested retail on them is $99.99, but you can also find them a bit more affordably priced on Amazon if you look around a bit. (Or follow that link.)