I hate having to remember to charge my tech, whether it's one of the best gaming headsets or just my Nintendo Switch 2. It's not that I'm lazy (though that depends on who you ask), I just very rarely have a spare USB-C port or plug socket going in my house to begin with when both my partner and I are big, gaming nerds.
That's why I've always had my eye on the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless gaming headset, which is now $142.18 at Amazon, a whole $57 off its $199.99 MSRP. My main go-to PS5 headset comes with hot-swappable battery packs, but even it can't produce over 300 hours of juicey playback. The idea that I could play Marvel Rivals for days on end without having to frantically search for a charging cable in between matches is a headset dream come true.
It's not like there's a shortage of high-quality headsets out there designed with us charging haters in mind. One of the main pairs I use every day for my PC and my PS5 is the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, and that's equipped with two hot-swappable batteries that also make charging a thing of the past. Both batteries only provide up to 22 hours of power each, but the ability to constantly have one charging in its accompanying base station means less worrying about finding a spare USB-C cable lying around.
That's also what I love so much about the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless. Yes, at some point you do have to actually give in to the annoying cable gods and charge it all up, but after a full charge, you don't have to worry about it for another 300 hours, which is pretty unbelievable. I play my PS5 for a few hours each night, and more so now that the new season of Marvel Rivals is running, so this HyperX headset would be able to last me for not just days, but weeks and even months at a push - enough to get me to a Lord ranked Scarlet Witch that's for sure.
Battery side, this headset has all the bells and whistles you'd want from a mid-range pair of cups. It's decked out with 50mm dynamic audio drivers with neodymium magnets, which "excelled in whatever game I was playing" when Rob Dwiar wrote up his HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless review back in 2022. A lot of gaming headsets have been released in the last 3 years, but the fact that every detail was "presented beautifully" whether it was the busy soundstages of Spider-Man Miles Morales or Assassin's Creed Valhalla, still says a lot for the older headset.
There's no ANC here, which is a bummer for me who likes to get immersed as much as possible, and the microphone quality isn't up to par either. Dwiar stated that he was "very surprised that this made it out the door" so this isn't likely going to be a headset I choose on Friday nights for playing Marvel Rivals with my pals.
This headset released before 2.4GHz wireless dongles were commonplace, so if I do pick it up, I'll have to stick to Bluetooth. But honestly, that over 300-hour battery is enough to make me forget about any of my favorite features it might be missing.
More juiced up gaming headsets...
- SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless:
$379.99$292.99 at Amazon - Nacon RIG RIG 900 MAX wireless headset:
$249.99$212.99 at Amazon - Razer BlackShark V2 Pro Wireless:
$199.99$172.99 at Amazon
Our guides to the best Xbox Series X headsets, the best Nintendo Switch headsets, and the best PC headset for gaming are full of other high-quality pairs to choose from.
