Logitech has just bought one of the best gaming headset makers on the planet

Logitech wants gamers' ears. That much is obvious, given the fact it has just announced it is buying the premium gaming headset manufacturer Astro.

The company will be picking up the makers of the "preferred headset for console esports athletes" for a cool $85 million in cash. 

Though Logitech has a solid line-up of gaming headsets of its own, Astro's gear is often cited among the best-of-the-best when it comes to surround sound headsets, and were among the first to sell equipment with a dedicated mixamp. If Logitech has struggled to court the eSports pros, this purchase will certainly help in that regard.

A console play

Perhaps the most interesting aspect here however is that Astro has its A10 headset range – a console-focussed line of cans that moves away from Astro and Logitech's PC home-turf.

While Logitech's headset has previously supported consoles (if only passively) Astro has  amore defined position in the market. It opens Logitech up to that massive market in an aggressive way – and at a time when the console eSports scene is heating up.

It's a massively competitive market – you just need to look at the range of brands that make up our best gaming headset list to see that. Logitech and Astro both make an appearance, and together they could easily come out on top in the future.

Gerald Lynch

Gerald is Editor-in-Chief of iMore.com. Previously he was the Executive Editor for TechRadar, taking care of the site's home cinema, gaming, smart home, entertainment and audio output. He loves gaming, but don't expect him to play with you unless your console is hooked up to a 4K HDR screen and a 7.1 surround system. Before TechRadar, Gerald was Editor of Gizmodo UK. He is also the author of 'Get Technology: Upgrade Your Future', published by Aurum Press.