The Cetra Open Wireless earbuds stand out in the gaming world with their unique design. Unlike typical earbuds, these are larger and feature an open-style design that sits just outside your ears. This design allows game audio to blend with ambient sounds, making for an immersive experience—provided your surroundings are not too noisy. However, cranking up the volume might mean others can hear your audio.

Even if you’re a fan of open-style headphones like me, you might find they’re not suited for every listening situation or for everyone. Nonetheless, the Cetra Open offers remarkable comfort and a wealth of features, making them some of the best gaming earbuds I’ve tried. Although they don’t provide the bass depth of tightly sealed earbuds, their sound quality is impressive. Additionally, they come with an exceptional USB-C 2.4GHz audio transmitter that includes a passthrough USB-C port, allowing you to charge your device or another accessory while listening.

Before trying out the Cetra Open, I frequently used the SteelSeries Arctis Buds and Sony InZone Buds for gaming. Both models offer active noise cancellation, a secure fit, excellent sound quality, and USB-C transmitters of various sizes, perfect for my Steam Deck and Nintendo Switch 2. However, after using the Cetra Open, I had no desire to return to my previous earbuds. I’ve enjoyed playing games like Silent Hill F and Esoteric Ebb on my Steam Deck without missing any of their incredible soundscapes. They also work seamlessly with my PlayStation 5.

It’s likely that many companies would have loved to introduce the USB-C transmitter that Asus includes with the Cetra Open. This feature makes them indispensable for gamers who frequently play on handheld devices like the Switch 2 or Steam Deck. While the transmitter is limited to power passthrough and doesn’t support video or data, it does offer up to 60W one-way charging. According to Asus spokesperson Katie Grayum, this capacity is more than sufficient for today’s gaming handhelds.

In terms of audio performance, the Cetra Open delivers a rich sound profile with impressive bass and mids, courtesy of Asus’ Phantom Bass feature, which is enabled by default. I often use them during my workday for music, but they truly shine during nighttime gaming sessions on the couch, where I can enjoy game audio at a reasonable volume and still hear my wife as she reads nearby, without having to remove an earbud to join the conversation.

The charging case for these earbuds uses a USB-C connection (though it doesn’t support wireless charging) and can recharge the earbuds multiple times before it needs a power top-up itself. Asus states the earbuds can last up to 16 hours per charge in Bluetooth mode with the RGB LEDs and microphones turned off. In 2.4GHz mode, they last around 10 hours per charge, based on my tests. During my use, I only needed to charge the case twice, and the earbuds charge swiftly, reaching full capacity from 70 percent in under 20 minutes.

The Cetra Open boast multipoint connectivity, too, letting you connect to two Bluetooth devices at once or to one Bluetooth device while connected to its 2.4GHz transmitter. Switching between sources is mostly seamless and requires no buttons, though listening through two audio sources simultaneously isn’t supported.

Asus offers multiple ways to adjust earbud settings when you’re connected to the USB-C transmitter. On your phone, you can download the Armoury Crate app to dive into the options. On PC, you can simply use its browser-based Gear Link site — no download required. Both let you customize a host of audio and mic settings, as well as brightness and lighting effects. You can also change what happens when you press each of the earbud’s top-mounted buttons (custom commands can be set for single, double, triple, and quadruple presses). You can even switch the audio prompts between English and Chinese, or set it to play sounds instead of a prerecorded voice.

Great wireless earbuds for gaming already existed before the Cetra Open. The InZone Buds and Arctis Buds are the better choice if you value snug-fitting earbuds and active noise cancellation. However, Asus’ new earbuds are a fantastic set for different reasons. They’re comfortable and non-isolating, and their USB-C transmitter gives you more flexibility to charge your gadget while you game.

Photography by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge