Razer's Barracuda V2 Pro headset is such a premium powerhouse that it's even put my everyday music cans out to pasture

Razer launched the Barracuda V2 Pro on October 15, noting on its official blog that the newest addition to the lineup is designed with "versatility in mind" and, as it turns out, the marketing spiel has plenty of truth to it.

From its foldable form factor, dual-mic design, great sound, and understated look that doesn't scream "gaming headset", the Barracuda V2 Pro has managed to take priority in my backpack no matter if gaming or music-listening is on the agenda.

There was nothing stopping me from digging out any other Razer headset to use for both gaming and in lieu of a pair of headphones, but not all the brand's past pairs are suited for the outdoors. As much as I adore the Kraken Kitty lineup, I don't feel comfortable donning the RGB-powered cat ears to listen to the latest Troye Sivan album while running to the Big Tescos for the food shop, no matter how cute I find it. However, I've done just that with the Barraduda V2 Pro, and its versatility is entirely to thank.

Key specs

Design

Much like the black Barracuda X (2022), the V2 Pro is a closed black over-ear headset with oval-shaped cups. RGB haters (couldn't be me) will be happy to learn that the Chroma-powered logos of the Barracuda X Chroma haven't stuck around, and instead the three-headed snake branding is nothing but subtle, glossy, 3-dimensional-to-the-touch images on the exterior of each cup and nothing more.

The design differences of this new pair are so minor that you'd barely be able to spot the difference unless you're someone who spends far too much time in the land of headsets - which is undoubtedly me. What's new is that the foam padding on the underside of the headband now travels from the left yoke to the right yoke. The padding of the 2022 X release just sat in a small section in the center, but it's been extended to provide more optimal comfort. Comfort must have been on Razer's mind, as the fabric-coated ear cups are now made of a leather-like material too.

Features

The Barracuda V2 Pro is an over-ear, closed-back 285 g headset with 40mm Triforce Bio-cellulose audio drivers and THX Spatial Audio+ support. Unlike the existing pairs in the Barracuda lineup, the V2 Pro is holding a very neat (and handy) secret - its left earcup can be opened to reveal its HyperSpeed 2.4GHz wireless dongle.

This may not seem like a big deal, but for someone who constantly misplaces wireless dongles, it's been a bit of a lifesaver. Unfortunately, this lucrative hidden storage doesn't provide enough space to also store the adapter that's packaged with the pair, but I'll take any storage ingenuity over none at all.

Besides the storage, this headset is rocking some serious premium upgrades over its predecessors. The V2 Pro is equipped with simultaneous Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless, so you can answer phone calls between gaming sessions, and it sports ANC - both of which can be selected through the pair's manual onboard controls. The ANC includes an ambient mode, so you can be more aware of your surroundings, and makes the V2 Pro handy for more than just gaming.

Using gaming headsets for day-to-day music listening can be awkward, particularly if there's a large microphone in the way. The V2 Pro has a solution as the HyperClear Full Band Mic is not only detachable, but the "dual-mode mic system" allows you to switch to using a dual hidden beamforming mics for chatting when you're out and about.

Performance

Testing Razer's Barracuda upgrade happened to coincide with my favorite time of year, Halloween. The smell of freshly carved pumpkins and dusty old spider decorations had fully enveloped my house by the time the headset arrived at my door, and so it felt entirely fitting to first test out Disney Dreamlight Valley with the pair on PC while its spooky-themed events were in full swing.

While I usually prefer to run around my Disney-themed valley on the OLED Steam Deck so I can multitask with a Netflix binge, being able to focus on the game's audio for once was a treat with THX Spatial Audio+. I occasionally find myself overwhelmed with the life sim, as there's always a myriad of Disney characters roaming around, and finding who you want can be a challenge even when you have fast travel to rely on. Thanks to the combination of the crystal-clear audio from the can's bio-cellulose audio drivers and spatial audio, I could easily pinpoint any approaching pal - whether it was Scar with a new sarcastic quip, or the Fairy Godmother about to check in. It was neat, as this game is already my happy place for when life gets a bit too much, so the extra level of immersion was a welcome experience, and one that's got me playing more on the PC than my Valve pixel-pusher ever since.

Of course, you don't need to be able to hear Goofy's cheeky laugh in a 3D soundscape in order to be a good Dreamlight Valley player, so I stuck on Counter-Strike 2 to put the "ultimate immersion" properly to the test. With the ANC and THX Spatial Audio+ working together, I was more than able to get absorbed into the game, so much so that I missed deliveries at my door on multiple occasions despite people both knocking and ringing my door. That may not sound like a good thing, but being able to entirely drown out the real world for a moment definitely proved Razer's "ultimate" marketing spiel.

While I'm not a fan of beamforming tech, I do love the V2 Pro's dual-mic setup. In this day and age where a cost of living crisis still affects so many of us and determines how we enjoy our hobbies today, I'd hope that a piece of tech that costs $200 would be able to be helpful for not just gaming, but everyday use too, and this is.

You didn't have to stroll uptown feeling a bit silly with a microphone dangling next to my face or wearing a gadget that looks and feels designed purely for gaming in mind. Instead, I was able to easily detach the HyperClear full-band mic and leave it at home, while being able to depend on the beamforming mics for incoming calls. I'd not recommend using the latter for streaming or podcasts, but they are decent enough where a quick call with your mum is entirely doable, and she won't be exclaiming "what" or "huh" every two seconds.

The main microphone was also great for playing Repo with friends and was enough to record my screams without sounding like a muffled, peaking mess. But what pleased me the most about the V2 Pro was that versatility, as it was just as formidable for music as it was for gaming. Its 285g weight was light enough to make long journeys across the city of Glasgow less of a strain on my ears, and its foldable design took up less space than my go-to JLab JBuds Lux ANC cans.

While switching from one pair to another left me feeling a bit glum (I really adore my JLab cans), it was nice to only have to worry about charging one device at a time. Although its 70 hours were enough to cope with a weekend of blasting out Wolf Alice and Florence Road, while keeping the pair on my head for weekdays, divulging in fun Repo madness with friends without having to pick up a USB-C charging cable once.

Should you buy the Razer Barracuda V2 Pro headset?

This is the most premium Barracuda headset the line has seen so far, but nabbing all of those juicy high-end upgrades and its versatile ways comes at a $199.99 / £199.99 cost that not everyone is going to afford. Especially at a time when the hobby has already become an expensive minefield.

The thing is, that price point is pretty much what you can expect when it comes to gaming headsets of all shapes and sizes that incorporate both simultaneous wireless audio and ANC into the mix. The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 3 also launched for $199.99 / £179.99 and had a similar simultaneous wireless and ANC combo. Whenever those features are key, you can expect to be paying upwards of $150 / £150, but you don't have to stick with it if you don't want to.

If you're just a fan of the V2 Pro's design and feel, the Barracuda X still remains a great multi-platform headset, and it's regularly found under $99.99 / £99.99. You'll have to forgo the dual wireless and noise-canceling, but it sports the same look and still sounds fantastic for its age. There's also the Barracuda X Chroma available for $129.99 / £129.99 if you love your RGB lighting.

If it's more of the premium trifecta of the dual wireless, ANC, and an impressive battery you're after, that's when the Barracuda V2 Pro feels hard to beat. Sure, alternatives like the aforementioned Stealth 700 exist with even an additional 10-hour battery life, but it's missing ANC. Meanwhile, my other go-to option, the Sony Inzone H9 II (which has dropped to a similar $200 price in recent sales) has the wireless and ANC covered but not the battery chops.

How I tested the Razer Barracuda V2 Pro headset

The Razer Barracuda V2 Pro became my one and only headset for two weeks, in order to see how it matched up against all other pairs I've tested to date. In that time, I used the wireless pair to play Counter-Strike 2, Marvel Rivals, and Disney Dreamlight Valley on the PC, while switching over to play Marvel Rivals, Doom Eternal, and Silent Hill Townfall on the PS5.

When I was in a gaming-on-the-go mode, I stuck the USB-C dongle into the Switch 2 and played everything from Marvel Kart World, Pokemon Pokopia, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave while taking breaks to watch Party Down on Netflix and catch up with some Halloween movie offerings, including Hocus Pocus on Disney+. The headset was also perched on my head as I listened to Wolf Alice, Florence Road and Troye Sivan via Spotify.

For more information on how we test gaming headsets, check out the full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

Not a fan of the Barracuda V2 Pro? Check out our guides to the best PC headset for gaming, the best PS5 headset, and the best Xbox Series X headset for more options from Razer and our personally picked brands.