Why Do Pro Gamers Use two Headphones? (2023)

More and more esport events get broadcasted on Twitch or Youtube. On closer inspection, a new viewer always notices a strange detail: Each gamer wears two headphones on top of each other. Why do they do that?

At live events, pro gamers wear two headphones on top of each other. The inner in-ear headphone outputs the game sound. The outer headset blocks out all external noise with white noise. This includes noises from spectators or commentators that could influence or give information advantages.

Note: This article was written in English. Translations into other languages may not provide the same linguistic quality. We apologize for grammatical and semantic errors.

Massive Noises at Mass Events

Anyone who has ever been to an NFL game knows the volume level in such a place. Even at esport events, the decibel level can soar so high that a team could no longer concentrate properly on the game.

Especially with multiplayer shooters like Valorant, CSGO, or PUBG, a heard step of the opponent sometimes decides on victory or defeat.

Pro gamers must, therefore, always be able to hear 100% of the pure game sound. The superimposed headphones make this possible.

The in-ear headphones transmit all game sounds and team communication. The outer headset blocks out unwanted noise.

Honest recommendation: 
You have the skill, but your mouse doesn't support your aiming perfectly? Never struggle with your mouse grip again. Masakari and most pros rely on the Logitech G Pro X Superlight. See for yourself with this honest review written by Masakari or check out the technical details on Amazon right now.

A gaming mouse that fits you makes a significant difference!

Strictly by the Rulebook – Avoid Information Advantage

Live events in esports are always commented live so that the spectators on site can understand the games in the best possible way.

Many esport titles are much more complicated than football. The commentator explains everything in detail, from the characters, skills, and gameplays to the mostly unknown pro gamers.

If the players could hear the commentator, a team might have an unfair information advantage. Commentators often talk about individual players’ strategic positioning or what they are doing or trying to do.

If this information is known, it could be reacted to ad hoc. However, since the outer headset blocks all sounds from outside, viewers can get helpful information from the commentator. At the same time, the players can concentrate on the game.

At the big live events, this practice of wearing two headphones is part of the rules. If a player violates this rule, the game may be abandoned, the player or the team may be punished and disqualified.

An information advantage that a player gains by intentionally listening to the environment is called cheating.

Do Pro Gamers also Play at Home with two Headphones?

Outside a noisy environment, it makes no sense to wear two headsets on top of each other. This is uncomfortable in the long run.

When playing over the Internet at home or in a quiet environment, pro gamers usually use a gaming headset because in-ear headphones are less comfortable to wear.

The headset helps to block out the last external noises in a reasonably quiet environment. The player can then also concentrate fully on the game sound in this version.

How Do Pro Gamers Hear each other with two Headphones?

Not at all.

Just a little joke 😉

Communication is the most important part of pro gaming in a team. If we are very precise, we are not talking about two headphones, but one in-ear headphone and an ear-cup headset.

Because of the high volume in the hall, the microphones for this extreme situation are set to push-to-talk. This means that the players have to press a button to activate their microphone.

During these short activations, it can, of course, happen that the microphone also captures for a few seconds the external noise that the outer headset should actually block. This is accepted, however, because the information fragments are usually not usable by the player’s ad-hoc.

Another interesting question is whether wireless headsets are good for gaming, right?

Here is the answer:

We also compared earbuds directly with headsets. Which is better for gaming? Here is the result:

If you have a question about the post or pro gaming in general, write to us: contact@raiseyourskillz.com.

GL & HF! Flashback out.