Microsoft and Tritton Team Up for New Xbox 360 Headsets

Wireless gaming headphones afford players freedom to roam, but Xbox 360 users have always been tethered to their controller via the require chat cable, until now.

Microsoft has teamed up with Tritton to produce a series of cobranded headsets, which will offer unparalleled integration with the Xbox 360, including on-screen battery status and 100-percent wire-free functionality with both game audio and chat.

Devastator with Base Station

The range is broken down into two premium wireless headsets, the Warhead 7.1 and Devastator, and an entry-level wired solution, the Detonator. 

All three headsets utilize stereo 50mm drivers, though only the Warhead 7.1 supports Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, and Dolby Headphone decoding for simulated surround sound. The Devastator and Detonator only produce stereo audio. 

Both the Warhead 7.1 and Devastator utilize 5.8GHz wireless technology, for stronger, clearer connectivity, and come with a specialized wireless base station that uses only two cables connected to the Xbox 360 -- USB for power and optical digital or stereo RCA for audio. Additionally, the base stations accept auxiliary input from iPods or smartphones. 

For those who want to share the experience, the base stations bundled with the Warhead 7.1 and Devastator can feed audio to four headsets simultaneously. Both also support three different listening modes for either gaming, movies, or music. 

All three headsets feature active voice monitoring, so you'll never find yourself shouting unnecessarily, as well as removable boom microphones with easy-to-reach mute buttons, and an LED lights located at the end to indicate when the microphone is active. 

Detonator, Devastator, Warhead 7.1

For power, the Detonator is powered by wired USB, while the Devastator uses AA battery, and the Warhead 7.1 uses a specialized rechargeable battery pack system. The wireless transmitter base station features an integrated battery charger, allowing users to seamlessly swap between two included battery packs for uninterrupted gameplay. Since the base station is powered by the Xbox 360, if you power down the console before the battery is fully recharged, it will continue charging through standby power until complete. 

In terms of design, all three headsets feature earcups that turn inward for easy shoulder resting, as well as streamlined headband padding, and isolating around the ear padding. The Devastator and Warhead 7.1 sport easily accessible volume, preset, power, voice monitoring, and syncing controls built into the headsets themselves, while the Detonator has an inline cable controller. 

Warhad 7.1 Headband

Though official pricing and release information has yet to be revealed, Tritton assures us that all three models will be available before Holiday 2011 and none of the headsets will exceed $300.