Wireless Gaming Headset Case Study

Overview

Gaming headsets give gamers a convenient, portable way to listen and communicate while playing, without the need to set up separate headphones and microphone. Most gaming headsets are wired either to analog audio using a 3.5mm jack, or to a USB port on the gaming console. Wired headsets limit the convenience by tethering gamers to the console, thereby preventing them from getting up to grab a snack or, well, for other things.

Wireless gaming headsets using Bluetooth audio exist, but they have notoriously poor sound quality, limited range, and noticeably high latency. 

Audality WiC wireless audio technology offers the best of all worlds - letting gamers get up and move around while listening and communicating with high quality sound, low latency, and incredible range. 

  The cables of wired gaming headsets, in particular, are liable to tangles, as well as wear and tear over time. This makes them more prone to damage and breakage compared to wireless gaming headsets. 

Because these headsets have cables or wires, they can prove to be quite the inconvenience when you want to play games on your TV and sit down on your couch, or want to walk to the kitchen in between games without having to put the headset down.

Approach

Architecting the solution

We embedded the WiC™ wireless receiver and battery within the headset, inside the headband. The antenna, the wiring connections to the earpieces, and the microphone wiring are hidden inside the headset where they are safe from any chance of damage. 

The set includes the Audality USB transmitter/receiver, which plugs into the gaming console.

Integrating the package

The mechanical design is very simple because all of the components are small and lightweight. Audality has also completed all of the necessary certifications for safety, including SAR safety for proximity to the body, FCC, and CE certification.

Operating the headset

The gaming headset is turned on with the power button located on the microphone arm. The headset is paired to the USB transmitter/receiver using a simple, one-touch pairing process. The USB transmitter/receiver and headset “remember” each other, so they do not have to be paired again. The pairing button has multiple functions of turning the headset on and off, pairing, and muting the microphone. 

Entering full production

Audality provided engineering and documentation support to prepare user guides and technical support materials. Audality provided guidance on manufacturing and assembly to automate the assembly and testing.