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Headphones vs Earphones for Gaming: Which Is Better?

Aathityaa Swaminathan
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Headphones vs Earphones for Gaming: Which Is Better?

If you have been looking for a new audio accessory in the market for gaming, you might be wondering what to pick – gaming earphones or headphones. Both offer a varied set of advantages but the options often make the decision quite difficult. However, we’re here to help you choose your next headphone or gaming bud – keep reading to find out!

The root cause of the problem

The last two generations of consoles have seen a significant increase in the availability of compatible headphones and earphones – and what’s surprising is moreover, there has been an increase in connectivity options, surround sound tech, and also a large amount of drivers that have led to a thriving market filled with impressive PS5 headphones, Xbox Series X headphones, and Nintendo Switch headphones. Even the previous generation’s PS4 headphones and Xbox One headphones still work well with the current systems in the market.

This has created a choice paradox for the customers in the market – which as a result has made choosing between a gaming headphone and gaming earphones more complicated than ever. 

But do not worry! Keep reading, as we dive into all the important details to help you make a decision – quickly.

But, what is a headphone?

Headphones for Gaming

Beginning with the functionality, the main difference in design between a headphone and earphones lies in how they fit on your head and in your ears. A gaming headphone typically covers your entire head, with each of the ear cups enveloping your ears. Au contraire, gaming earphones sit snugly inside your ears, often designed with ergonomics in mind and featuring various tips to ensure a secure fit.

While both can be very comfortable, this is a highly personal and subjective matter – everyone’s ears are different. However, it’s reasonable to say that the extra cushioning, weight distribution, and overall design of a gaming headphone generally provide more comfort. 

But then, what is an earphone?

Gaming earphones rely more on how well they fit your ears. The compact design of earphones is less obstructive to the ear canal, making them a great option for someone who streams and prefers not to have bulky gaming gear obstructing their face or presentation. This compactness also means that earphones are much more portable than gaming headphones, whether stored in small carrying pouches or neat charging cases.

Both headphones and earphones can be found in wired or wireless versions, so there’s no clear distinction in that regard. Typically, wired versions of both are more budget-friendly, which might be a consideration for those watching their spending.

When it comes to features, the two types are often quite comparable these days. While headphones have more room for features due to their size and the ability to include buttons and controls, modern gaming earphones also provide a range of audio capabilities.

What adds value to the actual headphones or earphones?

One key distinguisher in the market is the companion apps and the value addition they bring to the actual hardware – since a lot of the mid-range to premium options on both the earphones and headphones’ sides – are customizable and have a fair amount of flexibility with equalizer tweaking and personalization. 

But do remember that gaming headphones usually have better microphone quality due to their head-centric design – which means that even though the built-in mics in earphones are decent they don’t match the quality of boom mics, which are only available in a few earphone models.

One more thing to consider while making the decision is to figure out which devices’ controls are easier – usually the headphones win here due to the larger space for buttons and dials. 

Wired earphones might offer in-line controls on the cable, whereas wireless earphones typically have tiny buttons or touch controls that users need to remember.

Gaming headphones vs gaming earphones – Price & Value

Here’s where things get complicated, since both markets are brimming with options, and there are only so many reasonable choices available across the budget-friendly, mid-tier, and high-end categories for both headphones and earphones.

Generally speaking, earphones are often more affordable especially due to their form factor and positioning to be available for a wider audience where prices for gaming headphones can soar. For example, a premium pair of earphones like the Sony Inzone Buds or Sony PlayStation Pulse Explore costs around $200, while top-of-the-line gaming headphones such as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless or the Astro A50 can exceed $300! 

At the lower end of the prices, the contrast only increases. Our key advice is to take some time to consider the various aspects and features we’ve discussed. These should help your spending to align with your specific needs. Once you know which device you need, making decisions about your budget will be much simpler

Finally, some thoughts on – Gaming headphones vs gaming earphones

More often than not, there are significant differences between these two audio devices, along with compelling reasons to choose either one of the options. This solely depends on your budget, and depending on whether it’s on the higher end of the spectrum, there’s also a strong case for using both in your setup, especially if your game is across multiple platforms.

Looking back at our experience and usage patterns, we strongly recommend both types of devices and many of our team members use both in their setups. However, if your main priority is achieving high-quality sound, clarity, and precision, we recommend purchasing a headphone, since the larger drivers and additional features would enhance your audio experience.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for something more portable and potentially more budget-friendly, gaming earphones are an excellent option!

If you have made up your mind on what to purchase but are still looking for more such guides, keep watching this space at Talkesport!

AMD’s New Ryzen 9 9900X3D & 9950X3D Processors Launched: Get Price, Specs, Benchmarks

Aathityaa Swaminathan
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0
AMD’s New Ryzen 9 9900X3D & 9950X3D Processors Launched: Get Price, Specs, Benchmarks

AMD just launched two of their latest generations of CPUs under the names of Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X3D and these newest CPUs have recently taken the enthusiast circles on the internet by storm due to their promise, which is – premium gaming performance at cost-effective price points. The hype around these CPUs is also because they are built on top of AMD’s latest X3D technology – the latest successors to the legendary 5800X3D and the 7800X3D. But, before you upgrade your rig, you need to understand the new processor’s features. 

Let’s take a look at these processors, their specifications, and their cost on the market before discussing their capabilities.

What Makes These CPUs Special? The X3D Factor

AM’s 3D V-Cache represents the fundamental technological element in these processors.  Adding extra cache memory layers to CPU cores functions similarly to constructing an elevated building of fast storage platforms. The massive data cache lets the CPU rapidly retrieve data it uses often so it delivers top-notch performance in games.  

The 3D V-Cache technology enables lightning-fast data retrieval through which users receive a performance boost faster frame rates and lower latency.

Ryzen 9 9950X3D: The King of the Hill

AMD recently released the Ryzen 9 9950X3D as their leading gaming processor for the market. This processor features 16 cores and 32 threads which ensure it can take on every video game and content development task with ease.

This CPU easily tops the list for gamers who demand ultimate performance without any trade-offs. You can expect peak operational efficiency at higher resolutions even when ray tracing is toggled within games!

Ryzen 9 9900X3D: The Sweet Spot?

9950X3D
Ryzen 9950X3D (Image Via: AMD)

Now let’s look at the Ryzen 9 9900X3D. This CPU has 12 cores and 24 threads making it great for gaming and multitasking. This also includes the 3D V-Cache giving you that big boost in game performance. Ideally, we believe that the audience will prefer the 9900X3D because it offers top-notch performance at a very reasonable price. This is what helps it strike a good balance between cost and power.

Ryzen 9 9950X3D Specs and Ryzen 9 9900X3D Specs: Under the Hood

Time to get into the details. While we understand the final retail versions could have slight differences from what we’ve mentioned, here’s a general overview based on what we know now:

Ryzen 9 9950X3D: 16 cores, 32 threads huge cache (exact size to be confirmed) fast clock speeds. TDP matters too, as it affects cooling needs.

Ryzen 9 9900X3D: 12 cores, 24 threads big cache (exact size to be confirmed) with insanely efficient clock speeds. TDP will be less than the 9950X3D.

Ryzen 9 9950X3D Price and Ryzen 9 9900X3D Price: The Main Mystery

We know that pricing is a major factor when considering building a gaming rig, but AMD has not yet officially declared the prices for these latest CPUs for all places, we’re getting hints that the Ryzen 9 9950X3D will most likely cost somewhere around the $800 mark which, to an extent es sense since it’s their top-of-the-line chip. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D will most likely be around the $630 mark, making it easier on the wallet – so more gamers can afford it. Just keep your eyes peeled for AMD and stores to spill the beans on the real prices soon.

Ryzen 9 9950X3D Benchmarks and Ryzen 9 9900X3D Benchmarks: 

The Numbers Don’t Lie. Sure, specs and prices don’t tell the whole story. The real proof lies in how these CPUs handle actual gaming situations. We’re all excited to see independent benchmarks come out. Early signs point to both the 9950X3D and the 9900X3D offering big performance boosts compared to older models in games that take advantage of the 3D V-Cache.

You can look forward to smoother gameplay higher minimum frame rates, and a more responsive gaming experience overall. Keep your eyes peeled for reviews from reliable tech websites and YouTube channels to get the full scoop on benchmark results.

Wrapping Up: Do These CPUs Deliver?

AMD’s CPU range gets its latest lineups updated with the launch of the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D. The 3D V-Cache is a piece of tech that has kept turning heads ever since its launch, and these new chips are no different from their predecessors. 

In fact, while the 9950X3D looks like it might be the top dog for gaming, instead the 9900X3D actually strikes a great balance between cost and power. We should know more about their real value once we see the official prices and full benchmark test results.

Until then, if you’re someone who’s into gaming and wants the best performance possible, you should definitely consider taking a look at these CPUs but shouldn’t forget to include the prices of a matching latest AM5 motherboard and cooler when you’re planning to bite the bullet!

For more such content around technology and e-sports, stay tuned to Talkesport!

Nvidia RTX 5060: Expected Indian Price, Release Date, Specs

Aathityaa Swaminathan
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0
Nvidia RTX 5060: Expected Indian Price, Release Date, Specs

Nvidia’s upcoming GeForce RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti graphics cards have stirred up a lot of excitement in the gaming community and offer quite a unique blend of performance and ability – an audience favorite in the Indian gaming community

The Incoming March Madness

In other words, buckle up for the third generation of RTX to arrive sometime in 2025, as a recent data mine of Chaintech – one of the main companies that supply video cards with chips and PCB – will be bringing the bleeding edge graphics cards launch timelines down to March 2025. 

This announcement has also reminded the community that there are other cards such as the B580 and how these 5000 series cards will perform against them.

Under the Hood

The RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti are based on Nvidia’s latest Blackwell GB206 architecture, which by the likes of it comes with a major performance improvement. Memory may be the most important differentiator because the RTX 5060 Ti will most likely launch with 2 variants, a 16GB card and an 8GB card variant with GDDR7 memory. This flexibility would also make it ideal for gamers with varying needs and budgets.

These entry-level RTC 5060 GPUs are expected to debut in 8GB variants that will enable budget 1080p gaming – RTX enabled. That’s right, with ray tracing since the GDDR7 memory will help these 5000 series cards be the game changers, literally. This generation of memory features major increases in bandwidth over the past generations, allowing for increased frame rates, smoother performance, and shortened load times.

The rise of the new 1440p Champ & 1080p Slayer

Nvidia has made it very clear who each card is for:

  • RTX 5060 Ti: A GPU designed for high-resolution gaming, it excels at 1440p with the 16GB VRAM option giving you enough overkill headroom for high-end AAA games and ray tracing effects.
  • RTX 5060: Aimed at more budget-conscious gamers, this model can provide a decent 1080p gaming experience and is a great value.

The Indian pricing madness

Here’s the catch the Indian pricing is yet to be revealed; nonetheless, we can hypothesize by looking at trends from the past and simply going by the international MSRP. Pricing for the RTX 5060 should hover around ₹25,000 – ₹30,000 and for the RTX 5060 Ti it should be somewhere in the ₹35,000 – ₹45,000 price bracket.

The Competition Heats Up

The RTX 5060 series launch will most likely shake up the mid-range gaming GPU space. AMD’s next-generation Radeon RX 9060 series and Intel’s Arc B580 will be fighting back against Nvidia’s supremacy. This does, of course, allow Nvidia to take advantage of a dual memory solution on the RTX 5060 Ti potentially, which could prove vital in giving it the upper hand against AMD – particularly at a time when gamers are asking for an increase in VRAM capacity for modern games at higher resolutions

A Sneak Peek at the Specs

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the rumored specs and features:

ModelRTX 5060 TiRTX 5060
ArchitectureBlackwell GB206Blackwell GB206
CUDA CoresTBCTBC
Memory16/8GB GDDR78GB GDDR7
Memory Clock28 Gbps~28 Gbps
Memory Bus128-bit128-bit
Memory Bandwidth~448 GB/s~448 GB/s
TDPTBCTBC

The Countdown Begins

With March 2025 drawing closer, the hype is really starting to kick up a notch for the Colourful RTX 5060 and 5060 Ti, courtesy of the recently released Spirit, GeForce, and Hammer graphics card variants. Well, these cards could change the mid-range gaming game with their impressive combination of specs and value. There’s a lot of buzz among gamers anticipating the upcoming advanced gaming graphics.

MongolZ Defeats Eternal Fire in IEM Katowice 2025 Quarter-final

Sarjyo Mukherjee
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MongolZ Defeats Eternal Fire in IEM Katowice 2025 Quarter-final

MongolZ have stunned the CS community beating Eternal Fire in the quarter-finals of IEM Katowice. Following a stunning display, Mongolz now finds themselves in a semi-final match against Vitality.

VETO

  • Eternal Fire removed Ancient
  • The MongolZ removed Train
  • Eternal Fire picked Anubis
  • The MongolZ picked Mirage
  • Eternal Fire removed Inferno
  • The MongolZ removed Dust2
  • Nuke was left over

Map 1: Anubis; Pick: Eternal Fire; Winner: The MongolZ

Starting strong, Eternal Fire was left stunned by a feisty Mongolz side. With fast-paced offensive CS, Eternal Fire failed to keep them at bay as a stunning T side laid out left little room for Eternal Fire to put up any form of defense. Swapping sides with 8 rounds to their name, Eternal Fire pulled a few rounds back but Mongolz got back to their winning ways to put together a streak of rounds closing the map with a dominant 13-7 scoreline. A stunning performance from 910 saw him go 13-8 with a 1.71 rating.

Map 2: Mirage; Pick: The MongolZ; Winner: The MongolZ

Yet another dominant start for MongolZ saw them replicate their offensive performance from Anubis. MongolZ ran a stellar T side, keeping EF at bay. Eternal Fire could manage 4 rounds before switching to the next half where the fight got close. Eternal Fire on their offense managed to return the favor taking the game to overtime. Overtime saw a string of back and forth between the two teams before Mongolz ran a perfect CT side in the fourth overtime.

BLAST Reveals Invited Teams for Open Lisbon 2025

Aritra Patra
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BLAST Reveals Invited Teams for Open Lisbon 2025

BLAST has revealed the twelve teams invited to BLAST Open Lisbon 2025. The tournament will begin with a group stage held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from March 19-24. This initial phase will utilize a best-of-three, double-elimination format.

Following the group stage, the six remaining teams will advance to the playoffs. These playoffs will take place at the MEO Arena in Lisbon, Portugal, from March 28-30, and will feature a single-elimination bracket. The total prize pool for the event is $400,000.

BLAST confirmed that all twelve invited teams accepted their invitations. These invitations were extended based on Valve’s global rankings as of February 3rd, ensuring the participation of many of the world’s top teams. The group stage will be held at BLAST Studios.

One notable absence is GamerLegion. They narrowly missed an invitation due to a quirk in the prize money calculations. Because they were still competing in IEM Katowice at the ranking cutoff, they hadn’t yet received prize money that would have contributed to their ranking. Conversely, teams already eliminated from IEM Katowice, despite their earlier exit, had their prize winnings factored into their ranking, giving them a slight edge.

In addition to the twelve invited teams, four more teams will earn their spots through the BLAST Rising qualifiers. These qualifiers will take place in four regions: Europe, North America, South America, and Asia.

The invited teams are: Spirit, G2, Natus Vincere, Vitality, FaZe, Eternal Fire, MOUZ, The MongolZ, Liquid, FURIA, Falcons, and Virtus.pro. The remaining four slots will be filled by the winners of the BLAST Rising qualifiers.

Football Manager 25 Officially Canceled

Aritra Patra
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Football Manager 25 Officially Canceled

In a surprising turn of events, the highly anticipated Football Manager 25 has been officially canceled. This marks the first time in the franchise’s 20-year history that a title has been scrapped. Sports Interactive and Sega, the game’s developers and publishers respectively, announced the decision, citing their inability to meet quality standards within a reasonable timeframe.  

FM25 was initially touted as a revolutionary step forward for the series. Developers had promised significant technical and visual enhancements, including improved animations, a revamped user interface, a completely overhauled matchday experience, and the long-awaited inclusion of women’s football. However, these ambitious goals proved challenging to achieve.

The game had already faced two delays, pushing its release from the usual autumn window to March 2025 – a move that raised eyebrows among fans. The lack of gameplay reveals and a missed development update in January further fueled concerns. Sports Interactive acknowledged the difficulties they encountered, citing both previously disclosed issues and unforeseen problems. They emphasized the immense effort put in by the team but ultimately admitted that they fell short of their targets.  

The developers explained that further delays were not a viable option, as releasing the game late in the football season would likely result in poor sales. They also ruled out a post-release patching strategy, stating that it wouldn’t be the right approach. Instead, they opted to cancel FM25 entirely and channel their efforts into the next installment, which is expected to launch in autumn 2025.

Sports Interactive apologized for the delayed communication regarding the cancellation, attributing it to legal and financial regulations associated with Sega’s status as a publicly traded company. They confirmed that pre-orders will be automatically refunded. Furthermore, they announced that Football Manager 2024 will not receive a seasonal data update, as this would require substantial work and divert resources from the development of the next game.

CS2 February 6 Update Adjusts Rank Disparity Issues in Premier Mode: Full Patch Notes

Sonu Banerjee
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CS2 February 6 Update Adjusts Rank Disparity Issues in Premier Mode: Full Patch Notes

Valve has shipped a new update to Counter-Strike 2, and it aims to address an issue that many players have been facing since the release of Premier Season 2.

Recently, social media forums have seen a number of CS2 players expressing their frustration on being unable to queue with their friends in matchmaking. According to some players, friends who they had queued with during Season 1 were no longer eligible to join their party in Season 2 due to newly implemented rank restrictions.

The February 6 CS2 update seems to address this problem.

CS2 February 6 Update Patch Notes

While the new CS2 update isn’t a massive overhaul, it brings some much-needed fixes to the competitive shooter.

The biggest and most important change in the latest patch is undoubtedly the change to the Premier matchmaking in CS2. The update addresses this issue by refining the matchmaking algorithm that determines the acceptable CS Rating differences between party members, ensuring that only those with significant disparities are prevented from queuing together.

“In most cases, players who used to play together as a party in Premier Season One will be able to party together in Premier Season Two,” the patch notes state.

There are also a few other minor changes and bug fixes included in this new update.

Here are the detailed patch notes of the February 6 CS2 update, as confirmed by Valve:

[ PREMIER ]

  • Adjusted the logic that determines when players are too far apart in CS Rating to participate in matchmaking together as a party. In most cases, players who used to play together as a party in Premier Season One will be able to party together in Premier Season Two.

[ UI ]

  • Added “Get Service Medal” UI element directly to the main menu profile card.
  • Fixed a case where main menu profiles were missing display medals.
  • Updated Dust II radar image to be more accurate.

[ MISC ]

  • Fixed a case where inspect or reload button presses could cause prediction errors.

Valorant February 2025 Night Market Dates Announced

Sonu Banerjee
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Valorant February 2025 Night Market Dates Announced

The release date of the Valorant Night Market for Episode 10 Act 1 has been confirmed by Riot Games, and players only need to wait a few more days to get their favorite skins at discounted rates.

For the uninitiated, Valorant Night Market is a limited-time event that returns to the shooter every couple of months and enables players to buy up to six different weapon skins at hefty discounts. These discounts are completely random and range from 10% to a whopping 49%.

However, not every skin in the Valorant arsenal is available in the Night Market. In fact, only the skins from the Select, Deluxe, or Premium edition are eligible to appear in your Night Market.

Let’s take a look at the confirmed dates for the February 2025 Valorant Night Market.

Valorant February 2025 Night Market Dates

According to a recent X (formerly Twitter) post from Riot Games, the next Valorant Night Market will kick off on February 13.

Fans will have just over three weeks to buy the skins that they want before the event comes to a conclusion on March 4.

That’s everything you need to know about the February 2025 Night Market in Valorant.

EA Announces Release Window for New Battlefield Game

Sarjyo Mukherjee
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0
EA Announces Release Window for New Battlefield Game

EA has announced that the new Battlefield game now has an expected release window as the first pre-alpha gameplay video for the upcoming Battlefield game goes viral.

According to their statement, the game is slated for release in the “expected fiscal year 2026,” which is the 12-month period beginning April 1, 2025, and ending March 31, 2026. While the game will undergo a year of development, EA has scheduled a community testing program for fans to get early access to limited content.

“This is an unprecedented moment for Battlefield,” EA revealed in their statement. “We will start by testing the pillars of play, like core combat and destruction. Then transition to balance and feedback for our weapons, vehicles, and gadgets, ultimately leading to where all these pieces come together in our maps, modes, and squad play.”

Players from North America and Europe will receive the first invites, and players may sign up today for the opportunity to take part in future testing. As of now, the testing program is limited to the aforementioned region, only time will tell if it expands beyond the current geographical borders.

Valorant Masters Bangkok 2025 Drops Leaked: All Rewards & How To Get

Sonu Banerjee
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0
Valorant Masters Bangkok 2025 Drops Leaked: All Rewards & How To Get

Only a few days remain before the highly anticipated Valorant Masters Bangkok 2025 kicks off, and fans of the competitive shooter can once again seize the opportunity to get their hands on some exclusive limited-time drops by tuning into the event.

For the uninitiated, Valorant Masters Bangkok 2025 marks the game’s first international tournament of the year. Running from February 20 to March 2, the event will showcase eight elite Valorant teams who will compete for the lion’s share of a $500,000 prize pool.

Throughout the tournament duration, Valorant fans can get some exciting rewards in the form of Twitch and YouTube drops. While Riot Games has yet to shed light on the Valorant Masters Bangkok 2025 drops, dataminers have already managed to dig up the list of rewards that the devs have in store for the fans. 

Valorant Masters Bangkok 2025 Drops: All Rewards

According to prominent Valorant leaker ‘VALORANTLeaksEN’ on X (formerly Twitter), the Valorant Masters Bangkok 2025 drops will include the following rewards for the viewers:

  • ‘Crispy’ Title
  • Tuktuk Spray

The Tuktuk spray features Agents Gekko, Harbor, Jett, and Clove riding around in a tuktuk—a three-wheeled motorized vehicle popular in many Asian countries—driven by Wingman.

Valorant Masters Bangkok 2025 Drops: How To Get

The Valorant Masters Bangkok 2025 drops can only be obtained by tuning into the official Twitch or YouTube handles of Valorant.

The “Crispy” title will be up for grabs from February 20th through March 1st, while the Tuktuk Spray will be exclusive to the grand final day, March 2nd.

After watching the matches live for the required duration, you’ll receive a notification prompting you to claim your drop. Just make sure that your Twitch and YouTube accounts are linked to your Riot Games ID beforehand—if they’re not, you won’t be eligible to claim the drop.

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