A good, comfortable gaming headset has become one of, if not the most important part of any gaming setup. You need to hear every footstep as sneaky enemies try to stab you from behind, curse out the jerk who thought it best to camp in the corner waiting for you, feel the bass rumble through your bones with every blast. It can make or break your experience if your headset isn’t up to scratch, and as technology advances the cost associated with a good quality set is constantly dropping. If you’re an Xbox owner, you can now add the Razer Kaira X to that list.
The Razer Kaira X is a comfortably padded headband with memory foam-based ear cushions, 50mm drivers and a noise suppressed cardioid microphone. Along the side of the left ear you’ll find a microphone mute switch and a volume dial, all connecting to your chosen Xbox controller through a single 3.5mm headphone jack.
From the outset, the Kaira X is a comfy fit. I didn’t have to adjust it too much to get snug and thanks to the memory foam, there was no awkward pinching around the ears or tightness across the head. So, top marks for physical design, but how will it cope with the rigours of a massive open world environment full of crazy monsters and ammunition firing in all directions? Thankfully, not badly at all.
Always flat out
Halo Infinite is the game of choice on Xbox right now, and the Kaira X handles things rather well when things heat up for Master Chief. Every blast of an auto rifle or Needler is clear and has an enjoyable level of heft to its bass, without it being too overbearing. Compared to a more expensive headset, it won’t blow you away with 7.1 surround sound, but it’s punchy enough for an enjoyable level of play and you can easily identify where enemies or hidden collectibles are coming from.
Equally, the included microphone gets the job done to easily communicate with your mates, cutting out much of the noise thanks to the included pop filter. There wasn’t any noticeable static or outside interference from those I spoke to, which is always a positive when you want to call out plays or, yes, shout back at the 12-year-old who just sniped you from a mile away. You know the one.
Speaking of young ones, the Kaira X form factor should be comfortable enough for smaller heads and can take a beating. There aren’t any loose parts or pieces that can be easily pulled off (besides the obvious pop filter) and the headband itself is flexible and can be twisted easily without worrying about breaking, something many older headsets had a constant problem with.
Black with green trim always looks sharp
The Kaira X is a no-frills headset with no fancy features. The microphone, for example, is fixed to the left ear cup so you can’t remove it or hide it away into the headset for those times you just want to listen to the action or play solo. There’s also no way of independently changing audio chat volume from the in-game audio, something you can only achieve through the Xbox dashboard in this case. But when you’re talking about a headset that’s listed at just over $100 at most retailers, a simple feature set is a decent trade for something that’s comfortable and gets the job done while leaving your wallet largely intact.
It should also be noted, though it’s listed as an Xbox headset, you can indeed connect the Kaira X to any other device with a 3.5mm connection. You might not necessarily be able to use the microphone, but the audio quality will still come through when using a Nintendo Switch or PS5. There’s no audio splitter in the box either, so PC users will need to invest in one if they want to properly connect up to their desktop.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for an alternative to the official Xbox headset range or affordability is a key selling point, the Razer Kaira X is worth having on your shopping list. It won’t set the world on fire with its features but easily gets the job done in a comfortable manner for both adults and kids. It’s a shame about the microphone always sticking out, but I’ve enjoyed my time using it while blasting my way across Halo Infinite and can happily recommend it for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S users.
Review unit supplied by the manufacturer
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