How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a proven, do-it-all pair of gaming earbuds with a long single-charge runtime and a distinctive look, choose Black Shark Earbuds; if you need the lowest latency connection for a console or PC and a dongle that sidesteps Bluetooth entirely, choose ONIKUMA GAMING Earbuds 20ms. That's the short version. The longer version comes down to one question: do you game mostly on a phone, or on a system that has a USB port?
• Black Shark Earbuds — biggest strength: 45ms latency in gaming mode, a Music/Game dual-mode switch, Bluetooth 5.1, and up to 6 hours per charge with 24 hours total from the case.
• Black Shark Earbuds — biggest trade-off: No 2.4GHz dongle, so it lives and dies by Bluetooth, and there's no active noise cancellation.
• ONIKUMA GAMING Earbuds 20ms — biggest strength: A 2.4GHz USB-C dongle for PS5, PS4, Steam Deck and PC, plus simultaneous dual-device pairing so game audio and phone calls coexist.
• ONIKUMA GAMING Earbuds 20ms — biggest trade-off: Roughly 4 to 6 hours of battery life depending on volume and environment, and a 4-hour charge time.
• Choose Black Shark if you game on a phone or tablet, watch a lot of video, and hate charging.
• Choose ONIKUMA GAMING Earbuds 20ms if you game on a console, handheld or PC and want the connection itself to be the low-latency part.
The Black Shark Earbuds (model BS-T10W, sold as the Lucifer T10) are built around a 10mm dynamic driver and a 20Hz–20kHz frequency range. That's a mainstream full-range tuning, and the spec sheet leans into balance across bass, midrange and treble rather than a thumping, bass-first signature. For gaming, the number that matters is 45ms — the latency figure for its gaming mode. It also has a Music and Game dual-mode setup, so you can keep the low-latency path for gameplay and switch to the music mode when you're not playing. Footsteps, gunfire and engine noise are the kinds of sounds the design is aimed at reproducing accurately.
The practical story here is battery and convenience. Black Shark quotes up to 6 hours on a single charge and 24 hours total with the case, with the case itself holding an 18-hour reserve. A full charge takes about 1.5 hours over Type-C, and you can charge one earbud while using the other. Bluetooth 5.1 gives a stable connection with roughly 10 meters of range, and after the first pairing it reconnects to the last device automatically. The case has an LED indicator that glows red in battery-saving mode and white while charging — that's also where the emoji-style LED lighting on the buds comes in, which is either the coolest thing about them or the first thing you'd turn off, depending on your taste.
Buy them if you bounce between phone games, video and music all day and want one pair that handles all three without babysitting the battery. Skip them if your gaming life is centered on a PS5, a Steam Deck or a desktop PC — there's no dongle here, so you're relying on Bluetooth. Also skip if you want active noise cancellation; this model has none. The IPX5 rating covers sweat, splashes and light rain, which is fine for the gym and commuting but not for swimming or heavy downpours. Note that Switch users need the latest system software, and PlayStation or Xbox consoles need a Bluetooth audio adapter to connect at all.
The ONIKUMA GAMING Earbuds 20ms (model T271) are a different animal. Where Black Shark optimizes the Bluetooth link, ONIKUMA sidesteps Bluetooth for gaming by shipping a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle. That's the same idea as a wireless mouse dongle: a dedicated transmitter that keeps the audio path short and predictable. ONIKUMA rates it at 20ms ultra-low latency, and the supported list is explicit — PS5, PS4, "3/3S/2", Steam Deck, and PC or mobile. If you've ever fought with console Bluetooth audio, you already understand why the dongle matters.
The second headline feature is simultaneous dual-device pairing. The buds stay connected to your gaming system over 2.4GHz while remaining linked to your phone over Bluetooth 5.3. Audio routing is intelligent: when a call comes in, game audio pauses automatically, and you can take the call and switch back. For anyone who plays team games and keeps a phone within arm's reach, that's a genuinely useful design choice rather than a spec-sheet filler.
Audio is handled by a dynamic driver with a 20Hz–20,000Hz range, and the earbuds include Environmental Noise Cancellation — which in practice means background noise suppression aimed at voice pickup during chat. Controls run through touch and an app, so you can adjust settings without digging through your console menus. The trade-off is endurance: ONIKUMA states roughly 4 to 6 hours of battery life depending on environment and volume, and a full charge takes about 4 hours. Total battery life is listed at 24 hours, but the per-charge figure is the one you'll notice during a long session, and the charge time is the one you'll notice between them.
Buy them if your setup is a console, a Steam Deck or a gaming PC and you want the lowest-latency path available without a wired headset. Buy them if you take calls mid-session and hate unplugging. Skip them if you're a phone-first gamer who mostly watches video and listens to music — the dongle is the whole point here, and you'd be paying for a capability you won't use. Skip them, too, if you want marathon battery life per charge rather than a quick top-up cycle.
• Best for lowest latency → ONIKUMA GAMING Earbuds 20ms. A 2.4GHz dongle at a rated 20ms beats a Bluetooth gaming mode at 45ms on paper, and it removes Bluetooth variability from the equation.
• Best for console and PC gaming → ONIKUMA GAMING Earbuds 20ms. Explicit support for PS5, PS4, Steam Deck and PC via the USB-C transmitter.
• Best for phone-first gaming and everyday listening → Black Shark Earbuds. Bluetooth 5.1, dual Music/Game modes, and no dongle to lose.
• Best for battery life per charge → Black Shark Earbuds. Up to 6 hours per charge versus roughly 4 to 6 hours, plus a 1.5-hour charge time versus about 4 hours.
• Best for switching between game chat and phone calls → ONIKUMA GAMING Earbuds 20ms. Simultaneous dual-device pairing with automatic pausing of game audio during calls.
• Best for working out and light weather exposure → Black Shark Earbuds. IPX5 sweat and splash resistance is spelled out; that's a defined protection level.
• Best for a distinctive look → Black Shark Earbuds. The emoji LED lighting is unusual, and the charging case indicator doubles as a battery status cue.
• Best for tinkering and customization → ONIKUMA GAMING Earbuds 20ms. App-based control gives you a settings layer the Black Shark doesn't offer.
In my opinion, most people shopping this comparison should buy the ONIKUMA GAMING Earbuds 20ms. The reason is the connection: if you're buying "gaming earbuds" specifically, the 2.4GHz dongle at a rated 20ms is the feature that actually distinguishes a gaming product from a normal pair of wireless buds, and the dual-device pairing is a real quality-of-life win. I'd pick the Black Shark Earbuds instead if you game primarily on a phone, value the longer per-charge runtime and faster 1.5-hour recharge, or simply don't want to manage a dongle. Either way, check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since that's the one variable I can't weigh for you.
FAQ
what is low latency gaming in earbuds
which low latency is best for gaming earbuds
Lower is generally better, because less delay means audio stays closer to what's happening on screen. By the numbers here, the ONIKUMA's rated 20ms over 2.4GHz is lower than the Black Shark's rated 45ms over Bluetooth — though the Black Shark also gives you a dedicated music mode when you're not gaming.
what is low latency gaming mode in earbuds
It's a setting that shortens the audio transmission path to reduce delay, usually at some cost elsewhere. On the Black Shark Earbuds it's one half of a Music and Game dual-mode system, toggled by touch controls; on the ONIKUMA GAMING Earbuds 20ms the low-latency path comes from the 2.4GHz USB-C dongle rather than a Bluetooth mode.
do these gaming earbuds work with PS5 and Steam Deck
The ONIKUMA GAMING Earbuds 20ms explicitly support PS5, PS4, Steam Deck and PC through the included USB-C dongle, plus Bluetooth 5.3 for mobile. The Black Shark Earbuds are Bluetooth 5.1 only, so PlayStation and Xbox require a Bluetooth audio adapter and the Switch needs the latest system software.
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