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Reading Time: 5 minutesYou might initially question why the Razer Kraken V3 X Wired USB Headset needs to exist at all. At a glance, it looks identical to the previous model. But Razer does a great job of regularly iterating on its products with small but meaningful upgrades, and that’s exactly what it has done with one of its best-selling, budget-friendly headsets.
Razer promises improved sound, a better microphone and enhanced comfort, which combines with its featherweight design to offer a headset purpose-built for long gaming sessions without fatigue. So when you have 2000 carrots to plant in your Valheim farm, you should be able to do so in one sitting without getting a sore neck.
The new Razer Kraken V3 X is an affordable headset that aims to close the gap to more premium offerings. And at $69.99, it’s also the cheapest headset with RGB Chroma lighting effects included, should you love the idea of your ears being lit up like a ’70s disco hall.
Razer Kraken V3 X Gaming Headset Technical Specifications
- Razer TriForce 40mm drivers
- 7.1 surround sound
- Memory foam faux leather cushions new breathable surface fabric
- HyperClear Cardioid mic
- Razer Chroma RGB lighting
- Easy-reach mic mute button and volume controls
- Weight: 285g
- USB Type-A connection
All-Day Comfort
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Every headset claims to be super-duper comfortable. Of course they do. So I decided to test this by wearing the Kraken V3 X headset all day. Not just while gaming. I mean, when making coffee, eating dinner, watching TV with the wife — everything except when taking a shower. For science.
The Kraken X line of headsets has always placed a priority on being incredibly lightweight. And this is certainly easier to achieve on the lower end of the headphone market where the heaviest parts of a headset, the speaker drivers, are typically smaller.
At 285g, the V3s are slightly heavier than previous models of the Kraken — which go down as low as 250g — but I can’t say I really noticed the extra 35g on my head. I got through breakfast and two hours of gaming, and weight wasn’t an issue.
My problem with lower budget headsets is usually clamping force. It takes good engineering and soft materials to get this right, and the Kraken V3 X performs admirably. The bridge of the headset is well-tuned with a moderate amount of grip, keeping the headset in place without being overly aggressive as I tended to late morning house errands.
Credit: Razer
The soft memory foam and faux leather earcups can’t match the feel of a high-end headset, but at this price point they certainly do a decent job of cushioning your head from the clamping pressure. And the cushions have been improved slightly on the V3, too, now coming with a layer of soft fabric on the contact-side of the ear cup to help increase breathability. Again, for the price, this is a nice touch.
At around six hours of wear time, the pressure around my ears started to get bothersome as the novelty of this test waned. At the eight hour mark I abandoned science and took them off. But I must say that was a great run for a headset in this price range, and I’ve owned more expensive cans that felt more uncomfortable within an hour. They’re super light and feel more expensive than they are.
Great Sound, but for PCs Only
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The Kraken V3 X also punches above its weight in the sound department. The drivers are still 40mm in size, but Razer has engineered a three-piece design called (buzzword alert) TriForce Drivers. The three zones of the TriForce driver allow for the individual reproduction of bass, mids and treble each on their own separate sections, delivering clearer audio.
And they sound surprisingly good, so long as you download and install Razer’s 7.1 Surround Sound application. With the app activated properly, the speakers come to life, with richer bass, better surround separation and louder max volume. In Far Cry 4, I was able to pinpoint the direction of an airplane flying overhead with no issue.
Credit: Razer
The mic has also been upgraded, now sporting a so-called HyperClear cardioid mic. Snazzy marketing buzzword aside, the ‘cardioid’ bit simply means it’s tuned to pick up sound close to your mouth while filtering out ambient sounds. In practice, voice coms are clear, and although some background noise does come through, I never had issues with being misheard.
The caveat is that you must be on a Windows 10 PC to get great performance out of this headset. It works plug-and-play on Windows 7, but the Surround Sound 7.1 app is not supported, and without it, the headset sounds pretty flat and lacks bass. I also wouldn’t recommend the Kraken V3 X for use with the PS4/5, because at max volume they’re way too quiet on these consoles. And they don’t support Xbox at all.
Should You Buy the Kraken V3 X Gaming Headset?
Credit: Razer
Cheap headsets used to be universally bad. But, with its Kraken line of products, Razer has really been at the forefront of making budget gaming headsets that are genuinely really good. The Kraken V3 X is yet another excellent performer.
It boasts loud, crisp audio with good bass and great surround effects, along with a lightweight and comfortable design. The inclusion of Chroma RGB lighting is the cherry on the cake. This is excellent value at $69.99. But, for the reasons outlined above, I’d only recommend this headset for Windows 10 PC users.
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Mike Jackson
Mike Jackson has been writing for high-profile publications for 16 years, primarily in the video game industry, but also covering tech. Mike is an obsessed video game hoarder with hundreds of games spanning a 30-year collection. An entire room in his house is dedicated to Super Mario, and he thinks the Nintendo Switch is “the best invention in human history.” Counseling may be necessary.