Review – GameSkulls GS-1 Tactical Helmet Gaming Headset

I remember the first time I attended BoilerFrag, a LAN event up at Purdue University, I heard about this thing called GameSkulls. I had no idea what it was, and I remember thinking it was some sort of plastic skull that held your games or something of the sort. As the event went on and prizes were handed out, I was completely wrong. GameSkulls is a series of headsets for the most hardcore of gamers. They’re literally headsets built into helmets. Luckily for me, later on I managed to win one of these bad boys at a LAN War event at IU, and it allowed me to try the set out. It’s like nothing I’ve experienced before.

Out of the Box

The GS-1 comes in a nice square box that’s simple, with the GameSkulls logo on it. Opening the box, you’ll see the helmet tucked tightly inside with a sort of cloth bag around it. I suppose the bag is meant to keep the headset readily available for transport, because I don’t see any other use for it.

The headset itself is quite sturdy and large. It’s made from a tough black plastic, and it definitely isn’t weightless. Underneath the helmet you’ll see where the headset rests, along with straps that make for a nice fit around the head. The set is wired, so there’s a long wire that’s connected to the right earpiece. Finally, there’s a nice metal logo on the front of the helmet that stands out nicely.

Comfort and Performance

If you’ve seen me you’ll know I’m a little bit larger than your average dude. Due to that I have an exceptionally large noggin. The GS-1 fit snugly around my head, and it isolated my ears quite firmly. I wouldn’t exactly call this headset noise-canceling, but it did offer some silence from outside distractions. The straps inside the helmet offered some comfort, and allowed it to rest easily atop my head without any issues. It was nice, though after a while it became too tight for me to handle. My ears started hurting and I needed to take the headset off. In the headset’s defense, though, I do have a big head and large gauges in my ears, so it could have just been a coincidence.

When it comes to performance I was surprised with the headset at first. It’s a full stereo headset, which means the sound comes in on more than one channel. While I was playing games the sound was all around me, and while it wasn’t the best quality it was really cool. With the whole set on my head it made me feel a little deeper inside the game, which was a different experience than usual. The headset connects to your normal headphone and microphone jack, with no USB connector out of the box.

If you’re using the headset to listen to music, however, you’re going to have a bad time. It just feels like the set isn’t made for that sort of entertainment, mainly because it can’t handle the deep bass. I listened to different songs and different genres, and the performance stayed the same throughout. It’s simply not that sort of product.

The microphone worked well, and didn’t offer any feedback or noise. It was close enough that I was loud, yet it didn’t pickup any of my breathing. The connecting wire to the set is a little stiff, though, and it juts out just a bit too much for my liking. That’s purely aesthetic, though.

Conclusion

Overall the GameSkulls GS-1 Tactical Helmet Gaming Headset is a pretty cool device. You won’t own anything else like it, that’s for sure. If you’re a hardcore gamer, you probably already own something along a more professional line of headset, so this wouldn’t interest you. To a guy like me who likes to have cool stuff at his disposal, it’s pretty awesome. You’re sure to be the coolest dude at any LAN party with this helmet, hands down. The helmet is listed at $89.95, but right now it’s on sale for $59.95. That’s not the worst price, so if you’re looking for it you’d better grab it while it’s on sale.