Much less Annoying Than a Headset

I’m an enormous fan of open wi-fi earbuds, and I’m an enormous fan of gaming, so after I noticed that Asus ROG was mashing the 2 collectively at CES 2026, I had my controller prepared, ready to get my ears on the Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds.

As the saying goes, good issues come to those that wait, and based mostly on my expertise, that applies to open-style wi-fi gaming earbuds, too.

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I by no means wish to return to common gaming buds

Open-style wi-fi earbuds are nice for a couple of causes, and one of many greatest causes is consolation. They don’t plug your ears up, and that’s simply extra tolerable throughout longer durations of use. Not plugging your ears with silicone ideas additionally has one other profit—it makes speaking extra pure. When your ears are all stuffed up, you hear the reverberation of your personal voice in your head, and it simply sounds… unhealthy. With open earbuds, although, your ears can breathe, so to talk, and conversations sound much more pure.

Arguably, the most important perk, although, is that—with out silicone ideas or earcups over your ears—you possibly can hear your environment when sporting open earbuds, making them supreme for operating or biking; just about any exercise the place that you must hear your environment to remain secure.

While wi-fi earbuds for operating and common audio playback, just like the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds or Soundpeats Clip1, have taken benefit of the open type issue to a lot success, gaming earbuds in an open type haven’t been simple to come back by, which is a disgrace, as a result of after utilizing the Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds, I by no means wish to return to gaming earbuds with tips about them.

As I suspected, the $230 Cetra are very snug. Similar to the wonderful Shokz OpenMatch Pro that I lately reviewed, the Cetra wrap round your ear, with a speaker that rests on the surface, leaving area between your ear canal and the half that truly tasks audio. Without silicone crammed in your ear, it’s simple to overlook that you’ve got the Cetra earbuds on, which is good because you’re in all probability going to wish to sport for at the very least an hour—that’s, you probably have self-restraint, not like me. If you discover the wi-fi earbuds unstable in any means, although, in addition they include a strap that connects them which you can toss on the again. I think most individuals gained’t use the pinnacle strap, nevertheless it’s good to have.

They additionally help you hear your environment and nonetheless get all of the essential sport audio. While sitting at my desk enjoying Cyberpunk 2077 on a Lenovo Legion Go S handheld, I used to be nonetheless in a position to hear my colleagues deal with me as gunfire exploded within the background. As is the case with any open-style wi-fi earbuds, it’s not probably the most immersive expertise since there’s no energetic noise cancellation (ANC) or passive noise cancellation that comes from over-ear wi-fi headsets, however I didn’t discover the combo of ambient and sport audio distracting.

Even with simulated noise on my laptop computer—somebody scrubbing dishes in a sink to imitate the racket you would possibly encounter at house—I used to be in a position to hear a sport of Fortnite simply positive at about 50% quantity. If you have been to make use of these wi-fi earbuds on the subway in New York, for instance, you would possibly wrestle, however in most settings the place you’re gaming, these present an incredible mixture of ambient and in-game sound.

The different good half is that speaking to teammates feels pure because you don’t have something blocking your ears. You can hear your personal voice clearly, and there’s no bizarre stress in your ears. Just like non-gaming open wi-fi earbuds are nice for taking calls, Asus ROG’s Cetra are nice for in-game comms. From a consolation and value standpoint, every little thing that makes common open wi-fi earbuds superior for listening to music and podcasts or calling, additionally makes the Cetra stable for gaming.

For avid gamers solely

As the title implies, the Cetra are undoubtedly geared in the direction of avid gamers. One hallmark of any pair of gaming wi-fi earbuds is that they typically include a USB dongle that transmits audio at 2.4GHz, and the Cetra aren’t any completely different. With the included USB-C dongle, you get super-low-latency audio, which is essential if you’re enjoying fast-paced video games. I examined the Cetra by enjoying about an hour of Fortnite on an Asus gaming laptop computer and was happy with how responsive they have been. I don’t really feel like I missed a step, even when they’re nonetheless technically greater latency than wired audio.

One cool perk concerning the Cetra’s USB-C dongle is that it has its personal USB-C port on the surface, which permits for charging passthrough. That means for those who plug it into your telephone, for instance, you possibly can simply plug within the charging cable to the surface and proceed topping up your system. I attempted it on my iPhone 17 and my MacBook Air, and it labored simply positive—dongle makers ought to take notice.

As for the sound, I additionally haven’t any complaints right here. I discover that the Cetra maintain their very own throughout several types of video games—I examined them on Fortnite, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Cyberpunk 2077, Gears of War: Reloaded, and Minecraft. While these wi-fi earbuds don’t supplant my favourite gaming audio headset within the sound division, Sony’s Inzone H9 II, they’re greater than appropriate for many video games. And as stable as they’re within the sound division, they’re additionally nice for capturing your voice.

I performed about an hour of Fortnite with my companion, with the dongle hooked into an Asus Zephyrus laptop computer, and he or she mentioned my audio was coming in loud and clear. She gave the audio high quality a ten/10, which is a robust endorsement, although I sometimes use an inexpensive over-ear headset after I play on-line, so possibly the bar is low.

I even tried to simulate noise whereas we performed (once more, dishes being scrubbed and clanging round within the sink, enjoying at full quantity on my telephone), and the Cetra remained steadfast on my voice as an alternative of the ambient noise. That’s due to the four-mic array with AI noise cancellation, which is a crucial inclusion for not annoying the sh*t out of your teammates with disruptive background noise.

Another welcome shock is that the Cetra are as simple to make use of as they’re versatile. I examined these gaming open wi-fi earbuds on a MacBook, an iPhone 17, a Nintendo Switch, a Lenovo Legion Go S, and a PlayStation 5 utilizing the dongle and had virtually zero points. I say “almost” as a result of after I linked the Cetra to the PlayStation 5, the audio turned pretty quiet even if the console audio was turned up all the way in which, although I think there’s some type of setting, unknown to me, that I have to tweak on the console to repair that. One factor you can’t do is use the Cetra with an Xbox, although that’s not Asus ROG’s fault. Microsoft has particular codecs that make USB-C dongles unsupported on its Xbox consoles, which is why rivals like Razer, for instance, should promote specific gaming earbuds for Xbox consoles.

Generally talking, the Cetra felt very plug and play, which is good for if you wish to simply pop in your buds and begin gaming. You can even use the Cetra as common Bluetooth wi-fi earbuds, although you gained’t get the identical low latency, and the sound high quality undoubtedly diminishes considerably. I examined the Bluetooth connection on my telephone, laptop computer, and Switch, and I see no cause to not simply use the dongle.

You may theoretically use the Cetra for issues apart from gaming, like listening to music, however these aren’t the open wi-fi earbuds I’d advocate for that. I examined the Cetra out by listening to some songs off Neil Young’s album “On the Beach,” and so they have been serviceable, however not nice. You gained’t get practically the identical nuance and dimension as you’ll on the Soundpeats Clip1 or Shokz OpenMatch Pro.

That’s okay, although, since these are in the end gaming wi-fi earbuds for, properly, enjoying video games, and on that entrance, they’re an interesting mixture of comfort, performance, and good-quality sound.

RGB is the way in which to be

The Cetra scream gamer within the seems to be division, with compulsory RGB lights on the aspect and all. If sporting the buds outdoors your home is in your agenda, and also you don’t wish to look all gamer-y in public (or if you wish to preserve battery), it’s also possible to flip the lights off with Asus ROG’s free Gear Link app. (A notice right here: to make use of the Gear Link app, that you must hook up with your system through Bluetooth, and not the USB-C dongle since that’s not presently supported, although Asus says that might be added sooner or later replace).

Alternatively, if you wish to lean into the gamer of all of it, you possibly can customise the lighting on the surface, selecting between completely different results (static, respiration, strobing, and colour cycle) in addition to completely different colours and brightness settings. It’s a pleasant contact! Probably not one thing you’re going to be enjoying round with on a regular basis, however hey, possibly you need the proper impact on your subsequent Twitch stream—who am I to rain in your RGB parade? Speaking of obnoxious, the case can also be big, like many open-style wi-fi earbuds instances typically are, so simply be ready for that for those who plan on maintaining these in your pocket.

Just a few power-ups

Inside the app, it’s also possible to do different helpful stuff, like select between completely different preset EQs. There aren’t a ton, to be sincere—seven in complete, together with one for music, RPGs, FPS, and a common “gaming” setting. I examined a couple of out whereas enjoying Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and didn’t discover an enormous distinction, so whereas the thought is sweet, I can’t see myself going into the app and messing round with EQ loads.

One of the extra intriguing options is “Immersion Mode,” which is a competitor to the noise cancellation of comparable wi-fi earbuds like Shokz’s OpenMatch Pro, and based on Asus ROG, can block out low-frequency noise like followers. Unlike precise ANC, which requires a good seal round or in your ear to work, open earbuds suppress noise, making it much less intrusive, theoretically. While I used to be fairly impressed with Shokz’s noise cancellation talents, I’m much less enthused with the Cetra’s model.

To take a look at the characteristic, I performed simulated fan noise on a MacBook Air at about 50% quantity whereas additionally listening to music, and I can’t say I observed a lot of a distinction. I even turned the quantity all the way down to rather less than midway, and I can’t say I felt any extra immersed. If you’re in search of Shokz-level noise-cancellation right here, chances are you’ll be upset.

While Immersion Mode felt underwhelming, Asus ROG’s “Phantom Bass” characteristic undoubtedly has the alternative impact. Phantom Bass is mainly only a bass enhance which you can activate within the Gear Link app, which is designed to amplify the low finish. It undoubtedly does its job. When listening to audio with Phantom Bass on, I’d argue that the entire soundstage feels loads greater. In truth, it might be my most popular means to make use of the Cetra earbuds, particularly when gaming. While enjoying Fortnite, I may hear footfalls and different in-game cues with a lot larger ease when Phantom Bass was turned on.

Like different companion apps, it’s also possible to modify settings, like what the buttons on the earbuds do. By default, these buttons (there’s one on each earbuds) management play/pause, monitoring skipping, and pairing mode. It’s additionally in all probability price noting right here that they work simply positive—on this case, I favor the bodily buttons over one thing touch-sensitive, simply because it’s simpler to inform for those who appropriately pressed one or not.

Pretty stable battery life

The Cetra additionally get good battery life and even nice, relying on how you utilize them. After a bit of over an hour, the Cetra dropped from 98% battery to 86% whereas listening to audio at about 50% quantity through the USB-C dongle on my telephone. Asus ROG says these wi-fi earbuds are rated for about 16 hours of battery life with a further 48 hours within the case, for a complete of 64 hours, although that’ll rely on the way you’re utilizing them. The 16-hour determine is with Immersion Mode, Phantom Bass, and RGB lighting turned off. If you’re utilizing a mixture of these options like I did (particularly Phantom Bass and RGB lighting), chances are you’ll get nearer to 12-14 hours based mostly on my testing.

Either means, that’s a superb battery life and possibly even higher than a few of my favourite open-ear buds just like the Shokz OpenMatch Pro, which rise up to 12 hours with noise-cancelling turned off and simply 6 hours with the characteristic turned on.

Time to divulge heart’s contents to open-ear gaming?

Whether these Asus ROG Cetra Open Wireless Gaming Earbuds are the gaming earbuds for you’ll rely on how a lot you worth ANC. If you need one thing to dam out non-gaming noise when you play, you possibly can overlook concerning the Cetra for now. If you worth consolation and the power to listen to your environment, nevertheless, these are among the many most snug you should purchase, and also you don’t have to fret about blocking out individuals round you.

And with nice mic high quality, the power to cancel environmental noise, and stable audio for gaming, I personally would discover myself reaching for the Cetra earlier than rivals with silicone ear ideas. It took some time for gaming buds to undertake an open-ear type, however to me, that pattern is best late than by no means.