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2.4GHz vs. Bluetooth: Which is Better?

Finding the appropriate headset, keyboard, or mouse for your long gaming sessions is crucial. With wireless headsets especially, the extended sessions are more tolerable as you don't have to wrestle with, or ensure careful, maneuvering around the cable. An unmentioned quirk is how you're able to take a short break away from your battle station and not even need to remove your headset—go ahead, grab that drink whilst keeping a tab on the action.

As wireless peripherals have become highly sought after, shoppers will routinely perform research on which wireless devices are the best. As we know, not all wireless devices are equal. One especially important difference is whether the wireless device utilizes either the 2.4GHz band or Bluetooth. Which is better?

Latency

For our situation, latency refers to the delay duration between the wireless device and your PC. The lower the latency, the better. With a high latency, you'll be able to notice a delay from your gameplay or media. An example would be playing FPS games (Valorant, Counter-Strike, etc.)—a mouse with a high-latency will delay your clicks and snappy reaction reflexes, which isn't ideal for those clutch FPS moments. Another example would be with a high-latency headset where you're watching a YouTube video, you may notice that the speech audio isn't properly synchronizing with an individual's speech on video.

2.4 GHz SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS	2.4 GHz	Bluetooth 5.2	Bluetooth 5.0
≤1ms	≥20ms	≥8ms	≥40ms

Bandwidth

In regard to headsets specifically, the wireless bandwidth capability is especially important. With a high-speed wireless connection, you're able to enjoy the best audio quality offered. 2.4GHz will generally offer a better experience in regard to audio quality, as there's little to no compression required for the audio. With Bluetooth, the bandwidth is generally limited in comparison to 2.4GHz—requiring more audio compression and resulting in varying degree of audio quality degradation. Of course, there are certain Bluetooth codecs, such as aptX HD that specifically address audio quality, but such codecs are primarily limited to mobile devices and not integrated into computer systems.

Range

Below is a table of wireless range capabilities, based on our wireless headsets. This is an important consideration in case you'll find yourself a certain distance from your gaming PC and want to be able to move around without being bound by a wireless signal limitation.

2.4 GHz SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS	2.4 GHz	Bluetooth 5.2
≤60 ft	≤50 ft	≤30 ft

Clear Winner

While we've just scratched the surface of the wireless showdown, we can see that 2.4GHz is the victor when it comes to gaming. However, when it comes to mobile devices and wider compatibility, Bluetooth is the ideal choice. Whilst 2.4GHz currently holds the crown for gaming, it'll be exciting to continue witnessing the evolution of both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth technology.

For many of our peripherals, you can take advantage of both worlds—stay versatile by harnessing the 2.4GHz advantage at your gaming PC and utilize Bluetooth when on the move.

Headsets:

Mice:

Keyboards:

Note: 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth integration varies by product.