Bottom line: Bose seems to be eying the gaming headset market with a gaming version of its QC35 II noise-canceling headphones. Although they support wireless audio over Bluetooth, the new variant will reportedly feature a microphone attachment that can only be used when the headset is plugged in, likely catering to the gaming community's demand for a lag-free and stable audio experience.
The gaming headphones market is a pretty crowded place with players like Astro, Turtle Beach, Corsair, HyperX, Logitech, Steelseries, and Skullcandy, all vying for your gaming dollar. It now seems that Bose is looking to join that club with a gaming variant of its QC35 II wireless headphones.
9to5Google reports of the discovery in the Bose Connect app's code, where it found references to a device codenamed "Tibbers," which is the name of a stuffed bear belonging to a League of Legends character. The code also mentions strings relating to the headphone's gaming microphone and a setting to disable its Bluetooth upon connecting the accessory, which hides the headphones from the Bose Connect app.
There's also a brief video clip detailing the headphone's functionality with the mic attachment, and a deep dive into the app's code shows that it will be branded as the "Bose QC35 II Gaming Headset."
Although the company's products have traditionally appealed to music fans and casual listeners, it stands a decent chance of competing in the gaming space as good sound quality, noise cancellation, and comfortable wear are traits worth having in any gaming headphone, which is usually sought for its gamer aesthetic and features.