The Final VR3000 earphones bring a headset-level sound to traditional wired buds, but I wish their price wasn't as premium as their sound

The Final VR3000 Gaming Earphones have quite an interesting backstory. According to the brand they are the result of research into the "differences between 2-ch stereophonic sound productions and binaural sound productions." In layman's terms, Final wanted to produce some of the best gaming earbuds that focused more on immersive sound for gaming and VR headsets, rather than one that focused primarily on sound quality itself.

The end result is the Final V3000 and the 6mm [f-Core DU] dynamic drivers that power them. The brand even went as far as to establish a whole new production facility in order to "give birth" to these earphones, and the quality is definitely apparent. Not only are these comfortable to wear for hours on end, but they produce an immersive audio quality that's typically relegated to headsets. Yet, as intriguing as the development of these IEMs is, their price makes them an awkward recommendation.

Key specs

Design

These aren't the best-looking buds in the business. If it weren't for the almost hexagonal-shaped chassis, they'd look indistinguishable from the cheap, black wired earphones you'd find back in the day. Their unique shape, however, isn't just for show. According to Final, the IEMS are designed to limit how much of it comes in contact with the human ear in an effort to improve sound and comfort.

It's easy to see that comfort is a priority with the V3000's design. The earphones are also equipped with 10 additional eartips, half of which are designed using rigid silicone, while the other half are made of soft silicone to offer different levels of comfort and sound isolation. The buds also include earhooks, a cleaning cloth, and a drawstring carrying case with the brand's logo embossed on top for easy travel.

Features

The Final VR3000s are wired earphones designed for gaming, so they don't utilize Bluetooth or 2.4GHz wireless and connect via their 3.5mm jack.

That makes them incompatible with most modern smartphones (unless you have an adapter), however, they are compatible with the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Steam Deck, PC platforms, VR headsets, and even the PS5 via the DualSense controller's headphone jack.

The 1.2m cord of the VR3000s also features a built-in microphone, along with button controls for volume. You can also use these for "answering phone calls"; though, naturally, you'll again need an adapter to get these running with your phone if it relies solely on USB-C. Mine does, so any phone calls were sadly left unanswered, but I'm sure my family and my daily spam caller can cope.

Final's official page for these earphones highlights their "suitability for the listening of binaural sound". Binaural sound, also referred to as spatial audio, is sound that simulates the 3D soundscape of reality and makes sounds and music appear as though it's happening all around you. It's a pretty big deal for gaming, as knowing the direct source of enemy footsteps and bullets is important in competitive first-person shooters. Not to mention, having an accurate placement of sounds can make games more immersive, and Final has equipped with VR3000s with that realistic audio.

Performance

The 6mm dynamic drivers that Final cooked up sound headset-level fantastic, and that's not just because of their spatial audio prowess. I tested alongside my Switch 2, mainly as earbuds are always a handy accessory to store in any Switch 2 case, and I was pretty blown away.

The bass sounded booming, but not to a point where there was any distortion or fuzz within my ears; the mids sounded clear and consistent, and the highs were exactly where they needed to be. I first discovered their great sound while loading up Mario Kart World, which also happened to lend itself to the earphone's binaural tech.

Drifting through free roam felt far more immersive than if I had just been using the handheld's built-in speakers or sub-par buds. The roars of engines, pops of bubbles, and the sounds of other karters as they drove alongside me within this open-world space were audibly going off all around me, and it sounded fantastic.

This continued once Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave launched a little over week into testing. The gorgeous continent of Dagda sounded heavenly through the buds, as did the copious amount of dialogue. Usually I like to stick on the Japanese voice cast when it comes to the series, but the lovely clarity of the earphone's gave me the push to keep the English voice cast, and now my nights of playing the Switch 2 tucked up in bed have never sounded better.

With a 3.5mm wired connection they are also compatible with the PS5, although I preferred these for handhelds. Marvel Rivals, Marvel's Wolverine, and Silent Hill Townfall all sound great on the Sony console, don't get me wrong. Not to mention, the cord was just long enough that there was no tugging on my ears, no matter how far I moved the DualSense in a fit of terror while playing the latest Silent Hill. However, the built-in microphone is not the kind of quality I wanted to depend on if a quick Discord call were to arise.

I wasn't expecting the built-in tech to give the microphones of the best PS5 headsets a run for their money, but it's still not something I'd want to use on a day-to-day basis. Playing back through Audacity revealed high levels of background noise, including a consistent hiss that was irritating to the ears. It also consistently sounded like my voice was muffled, and crackling was present no matter how I made sure that the 3.5 jack was inserted correctly. Ideally, that's not a sound I want to subject my friends to on a regular basis.

While the microphone didn't have the wow factor, the VR3000s were just as comfortable as Final insisted they would be. I may have thrown shade their way when it came to the earcaps' awkward shape, but that very form allowed them to stick efficiently in my ears, no matter how much I moved around. I did feel a little strain in some places, but no more than I'm used to having 5+ hours of continual Switch 2 gaming time (which is not recommended without some healthy breaks). I never even had to rely on the earhooks to keep them in place either, though I appreciated they were there nonetheless.

Should you buy the Final VR3000 Gaming Earphones?

The Final VR3000 Gaming Earphones bring a high-quality headset-level sound to a pair of wired buds, but their price makes me reluctant to recommend them willy-nilly.

At $85.80 / £78.99, there are plenty of wired alternatives that provide an equally great sound, and even look better to boot. Take the SIVGA M260 wired earbuds, for example, which have a neat transparent chassis that helps them stand out amongst the sea of alternatives flooding Amazon's search results. They also sound incredible and are available in a USB-C model for those who want a pair that's compatible with their handhelds and their phone, without having to rely on any adapters or additional gadgets.

Yet, I can entirely see a scenario where the VR3000s would be more than worthwhile: VR gaming. These buds can fit into any of the best VR headsets with a 3.5mm jack on board. With their spatial audio in tow, your immersive experiences will also be kept intact, and they remain comfortable after multiple hours of use.

Personally, $85.80 / £78.99 still feels like a lot to pay for a pair of wired earbuds for me. However, if I were to spot the VR3000s for the $50 / £50 mark and below, they'd feel like a no-brainer for VR enthusiasts and handheld lovers.

How I tested the Final VR3000 Gaming Earphones

For two weeks, I sat down my headsets and wiresless buds and made the Final VR3000 Gaming Earphones my audio device of choice. During testing, I picked up Mario Kart World, Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave, and the Nintendo Switch Online GameCube library on the Switch 2, and Marvel Rivals, Marvel's Wolverine, Silent Hill Townfall and Doom Eternal on the PS5. Additionally, I also tested the buds alongside Counter-Strike 2 on the PC, aswell as Marvel Rivals to see how it compared to its PS5 counterpart.

When not gaming, I used the buds while catching up with a Gilmore Girls marathon on Netflix, and used them to listen to the Nintendo Music browser app. For more information on how we test gaming headsets and earbuds, check out the full GamesRadar+ Hardware Policy.

If the Final VR3000 gaming earphones aren't for you, check out our guides to the best PS5 headsets, the best PC headsets for gaming, and the best Nintendo Switch headsets instead.