GamesRadar+ Verdict
The Kaira Pro makes its way over to the Sony side of console headset territory and is a resounding success, from sound quality, to usability, to features; the haptics are the icing on the cake.
Pros
- +
Excellent sound quality and range
- +
Solid build and comfortable fit
- +
Haptics are excellent
Cons
- -
Microphone performance is just OK
- -
More expensive than some of the competition
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The Razer Kaira Pro for PlayStation is the hardware behemoth's latest premium, high-end headset for Sony's consoles. The Kaira range has already been available for Xbox players for several months, but the delay in bringing these Razer headsets to PS4 and PS5 has finally come to an end.
With Razer making some of the finest contenders among the best PS4 headsets - my go-to PS4 headset for years was a Razer Thresher - I was eager to see how the next premium PlayStation headset from the serpent-logoed hardware company would stack up. In short? It's one of the best PS5 headsets going and one of the best gaming headsets outright - and it brings haptic feedback to the table to heighten immersion. Nice. But let me elaborate...
Razer Kaira Pro for PlayStation: design and features
The Kaira Pro for PlayStation, unsurprisingly, keeps its form and aesthetics right in line with the other Kaira models that have come before. It's a sleek design overall, and the black and white combo makes for a killer look.
This colour scheme is only punctuated by the metallic brackets that sit where the headband meets earcups on either side. These also house the sliders for getting your fit just right. The metal ratchet gives confidence in both being able to hold the slot and fit you've selected but also that it could take a knock or two at this traditional weak point on a headset.
The exception to the solid build would be that the cups swing around as they see fit when you pick up the headset. This doesn't relate to any structural instability, but it is very annoying especially when you have a controller in the other hand, or are trying to put them back in a drawer neatly, place them on something, or just take them off and put them on with one hand. A little more stiffness and stability would even this out, for sure.
The Kaira Pro for PlayStation is not the only Kaira for Sony's consoles: the Kaira X is an excellent wired headset which is the entry-level model; while the Kaira for PlayStation is the middle headset, offering wireless connectivity, but not offering the haptics that the Pro does.
Inside the cups are 50mm drivers; Razer's new line of TriForce Titanium that have featured across Razer's headsets of the last couple of years, and that have proven pedigree and downright quality. On the outside of the cups are the controls and, everyone will be glad to hear, the RGB logos. These are nice little touches that are on by default, but can easily be controlled by a PC or via the Razer audio or Chroma apps. (Turning them off will get you some more juice out of your battery, too.)
The controls are spread across the two cups with the left one housing the power button, volume dial, and mic mute button; while the right cup has the multi-function button, the game/chat audio mix dial, and the hypersense haptics control button - more on that below. It's worth noting that the headset also features dual connectivity - in that you can connect wirelessly to the dongle, and also pair it to a phone via Bluetooth, meaning you can take calls while at play seamlessly. This added connectivity is a bonus, and being able to flip between games audio, and taking phone calls is a nice bit of flexibility.
And lastly, the mic is one of Razer's new super-dooper HyperClear Supercardioid microphones, and is detachable for when you're not communicating with friends and teammates, which is excellent. There's nothing worse than extra bits on headsets, particularly when you're not using them.
Razer Kaira Pro for PlayStation review: performance
Where else to start the performance run down than the haptics. This will likely be the major selling point for players looking for a premium,m headset that offers something different, and it's going to be a great unique selling point for the headset generally. And, in short, it is a great success - bar one tiny fault.
The success is that it offers incredible extra immersion levels into any games you play. The rumble of gunfire is particularly immersive, and when you turn the haptics up to their full power, it really is something else to behold. It can also be surprisingly nuanced too with further away rumbles being lighter on the head, rather than close-up gunfire from your own weapon. In essence, it builds on what the Nair Ultimate offered, and has refined the execution of it, as well as added some flexibility on board with the ability to change between four strengths of feedback (including 'off').
The one tiny fault is that you really can't use the haptics in co-op gaming where you're talking to your friends and teammates. The haptic tech hasn't got to the stage where it can tell between game and chat audio so not only was presented with the booming sounds of my weapons in Far Cry 6 but my head was equally shaken when my friends asked how my day was. Hopefully, the next generation of haptic feedback in headsets will be able to differentiate between game and chat audio, as then we really will be cooking on gas.
This factor, and the fact that a vibrating headset just isn't for some folks, might go a little way to put some people off the Kaira Pro for PlayStation. However, let me tell you that the overall sound quality is definitely worth it here too, and makes up for any shortcoming on the fancy haptic feature.
No matter what you're playing, every detail is clear and crisp, rich, and with great depth. From the rustling of trees in Assasin's Creed Valhalla, the chaotic gunfights in Far Cry 6, and the balance between the engines of Formula 1 cars, and the voice of your pit contact in F1 2021, every sound is a joy to hear. The surround sound is also brilliant, proving reliable when locating enemies, and teammates in Outriders, while also ensuring the whole soundscape from screeching monsters to the thud of footsteps is clear and not muddied among the other audio coming through. Genuinely, this is great audio for PlayStation users here in the Kaira Pro, and some that I can't recommend highly enough.
The mic won't bother any of those on our best microphones for gaming list, but it is solid enough. However, I would say that it took a while to seemingly 'warm up': when I first booted up and logged on with my friends using the Kaira Pro on PS5, they reported that I was very trebly, muted, and a bit tinny. This became less of a problem over time and, wasn't even mentioned in subsequent sessions.
Razer Kaira Pro For PlayStation review: should you buy it?
If you've been holding out for Razer's entry into the premium end of PS5 wireless headsets then the Kaira Pro for PlayStation is an absolute belter that'll prove it was worth waiting. It will rumble your jungle, shake your tree and take the action, and audio - and game - immersion to a new level on PS5 and PS4. If you're yet to get a PS5, then this is still a great option for PS4, given the haptics work brilliantly, and almost feel like you're getting a new-gen feature on a headset while still playing on the slightly older machine.
It'll also give you a great option on PC too as its features combine and make a package that would give the best PC headsets for gaming a run for their money - but PC players will, realistically, look to Razer's newly revamped Kraken V3 range for something even more honed in for their gaming needs.
It's not a cheap gaming headset by any stretch, but golly it's one of the best PS5 headsets but also one of the best wireless gaming headsets going right now.
