The Astro A20 X doesn't get any points for originality, but it's still a
great gaming headset

Date:
Fri, 26 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Description:
The Astro A20 X is just a Logitech G522 Lightspeed with a new platform switching feature, but that still means it offers great sound.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Astro A20 X: Two-minute review

The Astro A20 X is basically a jazzed-up version of the Logitech G522 Lightspeed - but is that such a bad thing? That latter headset is, in my
eyes, one of the best wireless gaming headsets of the year, and many of its strongest qualities have carried forward into the Astro A20 X.

Youre still getting fantastic, well-balanced sound that, despite lacking a
bit of bass out of the box, can be easily tweaked to perfection in the strong Logitech G Hub companion software. On PC, theres support for DTS Headphone:X too, which delivers immersive spatial audio thats perfect for immersive story titles like Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 .

It features the same excellent detachable 48kHz microphone, which picks up your voice clearly when youre chatting on services like Discord, and the
handy red LED indicator that tells you when its muted.

The level of comfort offered by the headset is unchanged, too. Its
lightweight but feels suitably durable, with plush earcups and a pleasantly soft headband. The design looks bulky on my head, but it's hard to complain about this too much when its so comfortable to wear. (Image credit: Future)

So what is actually new this time around? The big new addition isnt found on the headset itself, but rather what else you get in the box. The Astro A20 X comes bundled with a small Playsync base and two USB Type-C cables. This is its wireless dongle, and it can be plugged into two different systems at the same time.

Tapping a tiny new button found on the back of the headset itself switches between the two systems almost instantaneously, which is a game-changer if youre like me and use a PlayStation 5 and PC (or Xbox and PC) with the same display. The feature works fantastically, but I cant help but feel that the use of the Astro branding is a bit of a misstep from Logitech.

Sure, Astro products do generally support multiple platforms - but the headsets design looks nothing like existing models like the Astro A50 X or Astro A10 .

It doesnt even have an Astro logo on it - bearing the same Logitech G
branding as the Logitech G522 Lightspeed. As a big fan of the Astro brand, theres something a little sad about seeing it lose some of its identity like this. (Image credit: Future) Astro A20 X: Price and availability Costs
$179.99 / 169.99 / AU$349.99 More expensive than the G522 Lightspeed Worth it if you use multiple platforms

At $179.99 / 169.99 / AU$349.99, the Astro A20 X is priced just a touch
higher than the Logitech G522 Lightspeed, which costs $159.99 / 139.99 / AU$299.99. It can be found at most of the same retailers, meaning Amazon and Best Buy in the US or Amazon, Currys, and Argos in the UK. In Australia, it can be purchased at Amazon and JB Hi-Fi.

Whether the extra $20 / 30 / AU$50 is worth it compared to the Logitech G522 Lightspeed is largely going to come down to your platform preferences. If you use two or more platforms in the same setup, the Astro A20 X makes a lot of sense and will be the more convenient option.

At this increased price point, you will need to consider alternatives like
the Razer BlackShark V3 or SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless more seriously, though. That latter model is significantly cheaper at $129.99 / 129.99 / AU$139.95 and offers similarly good audio quality, though you do miss out on the convenient platform switching. Astro A20 X: Specs

Price

$179.99 / 169.99 / AU$349.99

Weight

10.23oz / 290g

Compatibility

PC, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Android, iOS

Connection type

Bluetooth, Lightspeed Wireless, Wired USB-C

Battery life

40 hrs (default lighting), 90hrs (RGB off)

Features

Detachable 48kHz / 16 bit omni microphone, Lightsync RGB, Playsync Base

Software

Logitech G Hub (PC) / Logitech G app (mobile) Astro A20 X: Design and
features Almost identical to the G522 New platform switching button and base Spatial audio support on PC

Logitech hasnt taken any risks with the design of the Astro A20 X, making
only minimal changes compared to the G522 Lightspeed. On the headset itself, the only noticeable change is two extra buttons on the back of the right earcup.

One is a volume mix rocker that increases or decreases the volume of a call compared to your game, while the other is a little red switching button. This works in tandem with the new Playsync Base - a super compact dongle that connects to two systems with USB Type-C.

The front of the base features two LED lights, which illuminate to denote
your selected input device. On the back, youll find the two USB Type-C ports and two little switches. (Image credit: Future)

These switches are labeled Xbox / USB and PC / USB, respectively, and should be selected depending on what you have plugged in. Luckily, a useful guide is printed on the bottom of the Base to tell you what you need to choose if you want to use a PC, Xbox, PlayStation, or Switch.

The Base has two little rubber feet that help it grip the surface of your
desk a little better, though I find that it can still slip off from time to time. The base is very, very light, and even just the weight of the
plugged-in USB cables can move it around.

The new platform switching aside, the Astro A20 X otherwise boasts identical features to the Logitech G522 Lightspeed, with highlights like PC spatial audio support and customizable RGB zones on each earcup. The colorways of the Astro A20 X are also slightly different from the G522 Lightspeed. Theres
still a Black and White option, but both feature red accent colors rather
than blue. (Image credit: Future) Astro A20 X: Performance Comfortable to
wear High quality audio Great microphone

Being nearly identical to the excellent G522 Lightspeed, its very hard to fault the performance of the Astro A20 X.

It sounds great out of the box, though as with that headset, I would personally use the companion Logitech G Hub software to crank the low frequencies (20Hz, 50Hz and 125Hz) up by 3dB, 2dB, and 1dB then add 0.5dB at the higher end for slightly better all-round sound as the bass is a little weak by default.

You can access all the same good presets of the G522 Lightspeed with the
Astro A20 X, too, including a bass boost mode, gaming mode, dedicated FPS mode, and a media mode, or download hundreds of alternatives created by the community.

The microphone is indistinguishable too. Its high-fidelity at 48kHz and picks up your voice well, though it does tend to allow in background noise, so I would suggest making sure the noise cancellation features of the Logitech G Hub software are on.

Battery life is identical to the G522 as well, and in my testing, I easily managed a touch over 40 hours with RGB enabled, which is a decent result.

On top of all this, the new platform switching feature works flawlessly with no noticeable delay, swapping you over, and has no issues with pairing.
(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Astro A20 X? Buy it if...

You play on two systems on one display
The platform switching feature of the Astro A20 X makes it a great choice if you play on a console and PC or two consoles via the same display.

Youd like strong audio and a great mic
The Astro A20 X has the same audio chops as the G522 Lightspeed. It sounds clear and crisp out of the box, with a killer microphone to boot. Don't buy
it if...

You dont need to frequently swap platforms
If youre only going to be playing on one system or dont switch between them often, you're better off with the G522. Moving its dongle between machines isnt too much of a hassle, and youll save some cash. Also consider...

Not sold on the Astro A20 X? Here are two other options to consider, including the original Logitech G522 Lightspeed.

Astro A20 X

Logitech G522 Lightspeed

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5

Price

$179.99 / 169.99 / AU$349.99

$159.99 / 139.99 / AU$229

$129.99 / 129.99 / AU$139.95

Weight

10.23oz / 290g

10.22oz / 290g

9.5oz / 266g

Compatibility

PC, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Android, iOS

PC, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Android, iOS

Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Mobile

Connection type

Bluetooth, Lightspeed Wireless, Wired USB-C

Bluetooth, Lightspeed Wireless, Wired USB-C

Wireless (2.4GHz via dongle), Wired (USB-C), Bluetooth 5.3

Battery life

40 hrs (default lighting), 90hrs (RGB off)

40 hrs (default lighting), 90hrs (RGB off)

Up to 60 hours

Features

Detachable 48kHz / 16 bit omni microphone, Lightsync RGB, Playsync Base

Detachable 48kHz / 16 bit omni microphone, Lightsync RGB

360-degree spatial audio, retractable ClearCast 2.X mic

Software

Logitech G Hub (PC) / Logitech G app (mobile)

Logitech G Hub (PC) / Logitech G app (mobile)

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Companion App (mobile), SteelSeries GG

Logitech G522 Lightspeed
The Logitech G522 Lightspeed is nearly identical to the Astro A20 X minus the platform switching feature, but it comes in cheaper. You can still use it
with multiple systems if youre willing to manually swap the dongle or Bluetooth pairing each time.

For more information, check out our full Logitech G522 Lightspeed review

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5
The SteelSeries Arcis Nova 5 is an absolute titan of the mid-range headset demographic and becomes a seriously tempting option compared to the Astro A20 X. Its much cheaper, but still offers great sound - you do lose the functionality of the Playsync Base though.

For more information, check out our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 review
How I tested the Astro A20 X Tested for multiple months Tried with a wide range of games Tested with PC, Xbox, and PS5

I tested the Astro A20 X over a period of multiple months, using it with PlayStation 5 , Xbox Series X , and PC. In that time, I played plenty of
games with it, including Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and subsequently Black Ops 7 , plus the likes of Astro Bot , Sniper Elite: Resistance , Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade , Lego Horizon Adventures , Dead Island 2 , and more.

Throughout my time with the headset, I compared its performance to a range of other models that Ive tested, including the Logitech G522 Lightspeed and SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5, plus more premium alternatives like the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro and Astro A50 X .

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September-December 2025



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/gaming/astro-a20-x-review


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