Razer’s new Kraken V3 headset might give you a headache (in a good way)

Razer announced three new headsets on Thursday: The Kraken V3, Kraken V3 HyperSense, and Kraken V3 Pro. All three are revisions to the Kraken V3 X, but two come with a big additional feature: Razer’s HyperSense haptic feedback.

If you’re unfamiliar, Razer introduced HyperSense on its Nari headphones. It’s a haptic feedback driver that vibrates the headset while you’re wearing it, like a console controller. The big difference comes in the design of the feedback motor: It operates in a range of frequencies instead of a fixed one, bringing some depth to the vibration.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

If getting a headache while you’re gaming isn’t your idea of fun, don’t worry — the Nari allowed you to turn off HyperSense in Razer’s Synapse software, and the Kraken V3 HyperSense goes a step further. It includes a button that allows you to adjust the intensity of the feedback, including turning it off.

Recommended Videos

For the Kraken V3 HyperSense, the difference between it and the Kraken V3 is the HyperSense integration. Both models have the same 50mm TriForce titanium drivers, THX spatial audio, and detachable cardioid microphone. The HyperSense model is a little more expensive, though, clocking in at $130 compared to $100 for the base model. You can pick both up now from Razer.

Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gaming
Check your inbox!

The Kraken V3 Pro is arriving at a later date. It’s $200, but it comes with an expanded range of features. In addition to HyperSense, the Pro model supports wireless operation with a PC, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch, and it comes with a detachable supercardioid microphone, which has a more focused range where it picks up sound. It also comes with leatherette ear cushions instead of fabric ones.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

This is the only wireless model from the Kraken range, and Razer says it can last up to 44 hours with the haptics and lighting turned off. Turn them on, and the battery life slips to a measly 11 hours. It’s a headset that can vibrate on your head, after all.

Both the Hypersense and Pro versions support adjustable RGB lighting zones through Razer’s Synapse software, and they also support Razer Chroma, so you can sync them with your other peripherals. All models come with a wind filter for the mic, taking some notes from the Razer Blackshark V2 — aka one of the best gaming headsets you can buy.

The Kraken V3 HyperSense and Kraken V3 Pro are two of several products Razer announced at its annual RazerCon event. The company also brought out PC components for the first time ever, and it launched the crazy Zephyrus mask that made its debut at CES.

Editors' Recommendations

Lead Reporter, PC Hardware
Jacob Roach is the lead reporter for PC hardware at Digital Trends. In addition to covering the latest PC components, from…
AMD’s new laptop CPU is the fastest I’ve seen, but you shouldn’t buy it yet

I knew when AMD announced the Ryzen 9 7945HX3D that it would be a great gaming laptop CPU. It was even more clear when AMD announced it would release first in the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17, which is one of the fastest gaming laptops you can buy. I've tested it, and it lives up to AMD's hype. But I still don't think you should buy it yet. Let me explain.

Between reviewing desktop CPUs like the Ryzen 7 7800X3D and the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 itself (read our Asus Scar 17 review for more), this new chip didn't hold any surprises. It's AMD's fastest laptop CPU, bolstered by the company's remarkable 3D V-Cache to boost gaming performance. It's a known quantity.

Read more
Nvidia doesn’t want you to know about its controversial new GPU

Confirming previous rumors, Nvidia released its RTX 4060 Ti on Tuesday without much fanfare. Most of the best graphics cards release with a bang, but the updated 16GB RTX 4060 Ti released with barely a whimper. Nvidia is putting more weight behind Portal: Prelude RTX, on the same day it's launching a new graphics card. Weird.

This is the 16GB variant that Nvidia promised when the original 8GB RTX 4060 Ti was released in June, and although it has technically been released, you can't buy it.

Read more
AMD finally shares new RX 7900 XTX benchmarks, and it’s not all good news

AMD was light on performance data when it announced its upcoming RX 7900 XTX graphics card a couple of weeks back. It wasn't that AMD didn't share numbers -- the presentation was packed with them -- but that they were all from uncommon resolutions, esports titles that don't stress the best graphics cards, or veiled by FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) upscaling. AMD is finally ready to share more information, giving us a better idea of how the new flagship will stack up -- and there's good and bad news.

The company shared performance data for the RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT in four games: Resident Evil Village, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, Cyberpunk 2077, and Watch Dogs: Legion. The data suggests the RX 7900 XTX could be competitive with even the Nvidia RTX 4090 in some titles. But the RX 7900 XT, despite being close in price to the flagship model, shows a wide performance gap.

Read more