It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the Fractal Design Scape when it comes to wireless gaming headsets, but I have to admit it's a touch too pricey to be given top billing in our best gaming headset guide. Especially when first place is already taken by the mighty Razer BlackShark V3, a true titan that has just dropped to $120 at Amazon as part of the Prime Day sales.
Our Dave gave it a score of 91% in his review, and believe me, he doesn't break out the 90+ scores very often. Part of that is due to its TriForce titanium drivers, a pair of 50 mm beasties that have been updated with a harmonic plug to provide crystal clear audio.
Oh, and they've got a 75% bigger magnet than the previous models, too—which ups the bass thump considerably, while keeping the clarity of the top-end. They are, in a phrase, monstrously good.
Combine all that with a lightweight chassis (270 g), a comfy design with great passive noise cancellation, and a big, physical knob on the side for easy volume adjustments (we love a big knob here at PC Gamer), and you've got yourself quite the recipe. Particularly as the new BlackShark undercuts many other gaming headsets on the market considerably when it drops to these sorts of prices.
Downsides? Eh, the microphone is fine, being the same as the older model. The V3 Pro got a new microphone for this generation, and active noise cancellation, too. Funnily enough that model's dropped in price too, down to $209 if you're interested.
The Pro model is heavier, though, and Dave wasn't entirely sold on the ANC in combination with the extra price. Still, it's definitely worth considering if you've got the extra cash to splash.
Oh, and both models suffer lesser battery life with the ultra-low latency mode enabled. With it off, the BlackShark V3 (non-Pro) will get 70 hours away from the wall socket—but with it on, Razer reckons it'll conk out at around 30 hours or so. Not bad, but unless you are a super-special pro gamer, I'd say leave it off and enjoy longer times between charges. The low latency mode works very well otherwise, though, so it's nice to have if you're competitively inclined.
In all honesty, while I love my Scape, I do look upon the BlackShark V3 with a touch of envy on occasion. I could have both I suppose, if my bank account wasn't eyeing me with suspicion. Why is life so unfaaaaaiiiiiir?
1. Best overall:
Razer BlackShark V3
2. Best budget:
Corsair HS55 Stereo
3. Best wired:
HyperX Cloud Alpha
4. Best mid-range wireless:
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X
5. Best audiophile:
Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro
6. Best wireless audiophile:
Audeze Maxwell
7. Best for streaming:
Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet
8. Best noise-cancelling:
AceZone A-Spire
9. Best earbuds:
Steelseries Arctis GameBuds
