You’ve felt haptic feedback while holding your PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller. But are you ready to hear haptic feedback? That’s exactly the idea behind the Razer Kaira Pro, which is marked down to $130 for Prime Day. The PS5 headset brings the idea of controller rumble to your ears. It may sound like a needless gimmick — and it is — but it’s one I’ve surprisingly grown to love.
The Kaira Pro are specifically designed for the PS5, right down to the color scheme. The over-ear wireless headset features a black and white design that complements the console’s aesthetic (though Razer couldn’t resist throwing a little RGB glow on the cups). It comes with a dongle that easily and discreetly plugs into the front of the console, and it can be connected either via Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz.
The headset’s defining feature is Razer’s Hypersense technology, which allows it to produce haptic feedback. When I got my pair, I scoffed at the idea. Haptic feedback on a controller makes sense; you feel things with your hands, not your ears. What does ear rumble even really simulate?
It’s a silly concept, but one I really enjoy in the right contexts. The Kaira Pro ended up being a perfect audio companion when I played Gran Turismo 7, for instance. The purr of my car’s motor would lightly vibrate my ears, intensifying as I put more strain on my car. If I went flying off the track, I’d get a whole lot of rumble on my head as my car bumped around. In that scenario, it added to the sense of immersion, as if I was in the driver’s seat and feeling the force of the car.
The Hypersense tech essentially translates powerful soundwaves into vibration, which can lead to some silly results. That one loudmouth screaming at everyone in team chat will literally make your brain rattle. However, I’ve had some nice experiences with it in single-player games. For instance, deep thunder produces a subtle shaking sensation. I don’t know that my ears actually respond that way when I hear real thunder, but it oddly feels right. It goes hand-in-hand with the PS5’s 3D audio, bringing further audio depth to PlayStation games.
But frankly, I’m not recommending the Kaira Pro for the haptics. It’s a fun gimmick, but they can be a battery drain. The real star of the show is the audio quality, which should come as no surprise. Razer excels when it comes to creating headsets that produce clean sound profiles. The Triforce 50mm drivers produce a powerful soundscape that’s incredibly detailed on both ends of the spectrum.
On top of that, it’s the most comfortable PS5 headset I’ve used yet. I recently sat down for a four-hour gaming session, not removing them from my head once, and I never felt the slightest irritation.
Even if the haptic component isn’t for you, the Kaira Pro still stands out as one of the PS5’s best headsets. The biggest sticking point up until now has been its $200 price tag, which is a lot to pay for a potential gimmick feature. The 35% discount for Prime Day is much easier to swallow if you simply want to indulge your curiosity and see if you need more haptics in your life. You don’t, but you might be surprised by how much you enjoy what you hear.
