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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-22 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
• Orzly Gaming Headset — biggest strength: over-ear design with 50 mm dynamic drivers, a foldable boom microphone, inline volume controls and an aluminum build, so it feels like proper gaming gear rather than an accessory.
• Orzly Gaming Headset — biggest trade-off: it's a wired, full-size headset that weighs about 0.36 kg, so it lives at your desk or dock and isn't something you'd casually pocket.
• PowerA Earbuds — biggest strength: an in-ear design that weighs only about 18 g, with 8 mm drivers, three swappable tips and an inline mic with a mute slider — genuinely pocketable.
• PowerA Earbuds — biggest trade-off: earbuds can't match the physical presence of over-ear cups, and the sound isolation comes from the silicone seal rather than any active noise cancellation.
• Who Orzly is for: players who sit down for long sessions at a Switch, PC or console and want an immersive, comfortable over-ear setup.
• Who PowerA is for: handheld and on-the-go players who want light, fuss-free audio and chat without carrying a headset around.
The Orzly RXH-20 Tanami Edition is a classic over-ear gaming headset, and its spec sheet tells you exactly what that means in practice. The 50 mm dynamic drivers are the headline number here. In my opinion, driver size is the single most useful spec on this sheet: bigger drivers generally move more air, and Orzly pairs them with a 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz frequency range, which is the full span of human hearing. Orzly's own pitch is "deep bass and crisp highs," and the physical design backs up the bass side of that claim — over-ear cups with soft ear pads tend to give you a fuller, more enclosed sound than anything that sits inside your ear canal.
The comfort story matters as much as the sound. Over-ear placement with soft ear pads is explicitly aimed at "prolonged gaming sessions," and that tracks: the pads spread pressure around your ear rather than pressing into it. The aluminum enclosure is a nice touch too — it suggests a frame that can take being tossed into a bag, and Orzly ships a black carrying case along with the cable and replacement ear cushions.
Then there's the practical stuff. The microphone folds away when you're not using it, the volume lives on a remote on the cord, and everything runs through a single 3.5 mm jack. That last point is quietly important: a 3.5 mm connection means this headset works with the Switch's headphone port, a PC, a controller with a jack, a phone with an adapter — no dongles, no pairing, no charging. It's wired, so it never dies mid-match.
Who should skip it: if you mostly play in handheld mode on the bus, on a plane, or in bed, a 0.36 kg over-ear headset is the wrong tool. There's no noise control listed here either — no active cancellation, no isolation rating — so if you're trying to block out a noisy room, this isn't designed for that.
PowerA Earbuds: Who It's For
The PowerA Wired Earbuds are the opposite philosophy, and I mean that as a compliment. At roughly 18 g, they're about a twentieth of the weight of the Orzly headset. That's the entire point: these are built to disappear into a pocket or a Switch case and be there when you need them.
The in-ear design is the core feature. PowerA includes three swappable tips, and that's not filler — fit is everything with earbuds. The right tip creates a seal, and that seal is what gives you bass and what gives you passive noise isolation, which PowerA lists as "sound isolation." No tip, no seal, no low end. So the three sizes are really three different chances to get the product working properly for your ears.
Inside, you get 8 mm dynamic drivers covering the same 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz range as the Orzly set, with 16 ohm impedance. Lower impedance generally means easier to drive from a small device's headphone output, which is exactly what you want from something plugged into a handheld console. Eight millimetres is a small driver, and I won't pretend otherwise — it's not going to produce the physical thump of a 50 mm over-ear cup. What it will do is deliver clear, direct audio straight into your ear canal with minimal leakage.
For chat, there's an inline mic with a push-button control and a mute slider switch, so you can kill your mic without digging through menus. There's also an adjustable cable slider that keeps the wire from tangling in use or in storage, plus a drawstring bag to protect them. PowerA backs the earbuds with a two-year limited warranty, and they're officially licensed for the Nintendo Switch 2, meaning they went through Nintendo's compatibility testing. Note the fine print on chat: online voice needs an internet connection, a Nintendo Account and a Nintendo Switch Online membership, which are sold separately.
Who should buy it: handheld players, commuters, and anyone who wants a spare set of earbuds that just works with a 3.5 mm jack and never needs charging. The lighter, more portable form factor is the whole reason to pick these.
Who should skip it: if you play marathon desktop sessions and want the widest, most immersive soundstage you can get, earbuds will feel like a compromise. And if you hate anything in your ear canal, this isn't the format for you.
• Best for long sessions at a desk or dock → Orzly Gaming Headset. Over-ear pads and a 0.36 kg frame built for hours of wear.
• Best for portability → PowerA Earbuds. About 18 g, with a drawstring bag and a cable slider to stop tangling.
• Best for immersive, bass-forward sound → Orzly Gaming Headset. 50 mm drivers and enclosed over-ear cups versus 8 mm in-ear drivers.
• Best for handheld play → PowerA Earbuds. Light, low-impedance (16 ohm) and designed to hang off a portable console without dragging on the jack.
• Best for mic control → PowerA Earbuds. A dedicated mute slider switch right on the cable is faster than reaching for anything else.
• Best for a foldable boom mic → Orzly Gaming Headset. The mic folds away when you're not talking and the volume sits on the cord remote.
• Best fit flexibility → PowerA Earbuds. Three swappable tips let you tune the seal to your ears; the Orzly headset is one fixed over-ear size.
• Best for build and looks → Orzly Gaming Headset. Aluminum enclosure, a colourway matched to Joy-Con colours, and a carrying case in the box.
If I had to pick one for myself, I'd take the Orzly Gaming Headset. My reasoning is simple: most of my gaming happens in one spot, and the 50 mm over-ear setup with soft pads and a foldable boom mic is the better fit for that pattern — fuller sound, no charging, no tip-fiddling. I'd only switch to the PowerA Earbuds if portability were my top priority, because at 18 g with a storage bag and a mic mute slider, they solve a problem the Orzly headset simply doesn't try to solve. Whichever way you lean, check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since that's the one thing that can tip a close call.
Not "better" — different. The PowerA Earbuds are officially licensed for the Nintendo Switch 2 and built for handheld, portable play. The Orzly headset works through the same 3.5 mm jack and gives you over-ear cups and 50 mm drivers for a bigger, more enclosed sound. Pick based on where you play, not which is objectively superior.
No. The spec sheet lists sound isolation, which comes from the silicone tips sealing your ear canal — it's passive, not active cancellation. The Orzly headset lists no noise control at all. Neither product blocks noise electronically; the earbuds just seal better by design.
Both have mics, but they're shaped differently. The Orzly headset uses a foldable boom mic positioned closer to your mouth, with volume controls on the cord. The PowerA Earbuds use an inline mic with a push-button control and a mute slider. For pure convenience of muting, the earbuds' slider is hard to beat; for mic placement, a boom wins.
Ask two questions. Do you play in one place for hours? Then the over-ear Orzly, with its soft pads and larger drivers, is the more comfortable, immersive choice. Do you play on the move and want something light? Then the 18 g PowerA Earbuds, with three tip sizes and a storage bag, are the practical pick. Weight and form factor decide this far more than anything else.
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