Razer has long been synonymous with high quality gaming peripherals, and their headsets have led the way in innovation and sound quality. I was recently invited to a pre-RazerCon get-together with the development team behind several upcoming or just-released products. Among them was the Razer Kraken V4 Pro headset, which comes with haptics and an OLED Control Hub.
Comfort with Quality Sound
First and foremost, before we even discuss the new bells and whistles of the headset, we have to talk about the comfort in use and the quality of the sound. The headset is lightweight and comfortable to wear, with easy-to-use controls and a retractable mic built into it. The ear pads have a leatherette covering and memory foam padding, which makes them comfortable enough for long gaming sessions. The retractable mic worked well enough retracted, that you don’t really need to extend it. It also did a great job of filtering outside noise.
The headset is plug-and-play compatible with the PS4 and the PS5, and the 7.1 THX spatial audio also allows for personalized 3D audio settings, which are adjustable on the consoles. The spatial audio was fine-tuned so well that you can hear footsteps and know exactly where they are coming from. The quality of the sound really showcases how well the proprietary design of the Razer Tri-force 40mm drivers functions. The smaller driver also allowed for a slightly smaller and more comfortable ear cup, plus a lighter headset overall.
Useful OLED Control Hub
The OLED Control Hub is the only way the headset will connect to the consoles via USB, but its functions are a little more limited than if you are using it with a laptop or desktop PC. The hub can be adjusted VIA the PC to display things like CPU%, CPU temp, GPU%, GPU temp, and/or laptop and headset battery percentages, but those only display while plugged into a PC. It would have been awesome to see those percentages and temps from the console, but sadly, that’s not information that is available to third-party peripherals.
Setting up your hub to make changes does require Razer’s Synapse software and the software is pretty simple to use. There’s also software called Razer Chroma to adjust the built-in lighting of the headset. This is also easy to use, and the settings you change on the PC will carry over to your console usage. I found that while the RGB lighting on the outside of the ear cups is cool for others to look at, they can drain the battery and cut your battery life down from around 45 hours of gaming to maybe 12 hours. If you’re a streamer and want to look cool, adjust the lights to fit your style, but if you are just gaming on your couch, turn them off and save your battery for gaming.
Haptics Can be a Game Changer
Razer has been working on a couple of products that can enhance your gaming experience through haptics, and the Kraken V4 Pro is one of them. The other is the Razer Freyja but it only works for the PC at this time. The Kraken’s haptics can be adjusted for its intensity, but I found that it works much better on the PC than it does on the console.
Razer sent me a PC code for Final Fantasy XVI, which utilizes the haptics function nicely, but the haptics aren’t nearly as great on the console. While I was at the pre-RazerCon meeting, I did get to experience the Kraken and the Freyja together while playing Hogwarts Legacy, and it was an impressive, immersive PC experience. I was told that if the demand was high enough, Razer might make the system fully console-compatible.
Multiple Streams at Once
Quite a few gamers now use Discord for voice communications, and while it is a great way to communicate, you can’t always hear what’s going on in a game while chatting. With the Kraken V4 Pro, you can now do it. I connected my Kraken V4 Pro to my phone via Bluetooth and connected it to my PS5 via the control hub. I could then use Discord or even make phone calls while also hearing the game content. I was blasting away in Destiny 2 while chatting with my wife, and she didn’t even know.
Conclusion
Razer has long been known to create high-quality products, and the Kraken V4 Pro continues this legacy. They are a little pricey, coming in at $399, but when it comes to headsets, you get what you pay for. With THX Spatial 7.1 audio, a long battery life, and multiple streams at once, coupled with haptic feedback and fancy lights (if you want them), the Kraken V4 Pro can cover all of your gaming audio needs. They also work with the Nintendo Switch.
