Over the past decade or so, there hasn’t really been a big paradigm shift across gaming headphones since the introduction of reliable, low-latency wireless for audio. Sure, we’ve gotten some advancements in surround sound audio quality, and simultaneous Bluetooth-enabled headphones, but nothing that’s really shaken up the headphone industry. Well, it seems Razer took that last part to heart as it added intelligent haptics to its latest headset, the Razer Kaira Pro for PlayStation. While it’s too early to say whether or not it’s the next big thing in headphones, it’s definitely novel, and adds a new sense of immersion to games, movies, and music that I’ve never experienced before.
Razer Kaira Pro HyperSpeed – Design and Features
Razer’s Kaira Pro for PlayStation sports a more traditional headphone design when compared to something like Sony’s Pulse 3D Wireless headset, but still very much looks and feels like something made to sit alongside your PS5. As an officially licensed headset, it features the familiar off-white and black color scheme that Sony has used across the entire line of PlayStation accessories this generation, as well as the PlayStation insignia on each side of the headband.
Since it’s designed for PS5, the Razer Kaira Pro features plug-and-play support right out of the box with the included USB-C adapter. It utilizes a 2.4GHz wireless connection that decreases latency and works up to about 50 feet away without any interference. The headset is also compatible with PC and PS4, although you’ll need to convert the adapter to USB-A for the latter as it lacks USB-C ports. Additionally, the Razer Kaira Pro works with Bluetooth-enabled devices such as smartphones and tablets. While you can connect to two devices simultaneously (2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth), it doesn’t allow you to listen to both audio streams at the same time.
As with all PS5 headsets, the Razer Kaira Pro natively supports PlayStation’s Tempest 3D audio. Inside each earcup is a 50mm titanium audio driver to deliver great full-range surround sound across all of your games, music, and movies.
The biggest feature of the Razer Kaira Pro for PlayStation is the addition of Razer’s HyperSense built-in haptics technology. Unlike most traditional haptics, HyperSense has the ability to intelligently read audio signals to produce haptic feedback that works with any game or media source, and can deliver sensations across a wider 20-200Hz frequency range. Both earcups feature Lofelt L5 haptic drivers that can reproduce audio signals in stereo and assist with positional awareness.
The headset itself is built with a flexible but sturdy frame that features brushed metal accents above each earcup. The base of the headband features multiple notched adjustment settings to easily lock in the perfect height, and both earcups can be smoothly rotated up to 90-degrees to ensure a great fit around your ears, while also being able to lay flat when not in use.
Both earcups feature a large, plush leatherette memory foam that sits comfortably around your ears, and thanks to the rotating earcups, it doesn’t press into your head. This is a great choice for those who wear glasses, as many headphones have a tendency to add additional pressure to the frames. The top of the headband also has a bit of breathable memory foam that allows the headset to rest comfortably on top of your head without adding additional pressure there. On the outside of both earcups you’ll also find a customizable Razer RGB logo to personalize your device.
I did find the headphones weren’t super breathable, as my ears got a bit warm after playing for extended periods. Additionally, the leatherette material on the headphones is very creaky sounding, and makes a lot of sound when you’re moving your head. Most of the time you won’t notice if the volume is high enough, but in quieter moments it’s much more prevalent.
On the outside of the left earcup you’ll find the power button, volume control dial, a physical mute switch, as well as a USB-C charging port to recharge the headset’s built-in battery. You can expect to get up to 30 hours of battery life on a single charge, but only if you have the haptics and RGB disabled. If you enjoy those features and want them both enabled, you should still get around 11 hours of battery life overall.
Additionally, there’s a 3.5mm auxiliary port on the bottom of the left earcup for the microphone which can be easily detached when not in use. The microphone is attached to a flexible arm and includes a pop cover, which, when paired with the supercardioid pickup angle ensures that your vocals are picked up clearly and any unwanted audio is reduced or eliminated completely.
On the opposite earcup you’ll find the Razer SmartSense button that allows you to quickly swap between the 2.4GHz wireless mode and Bluetooth with a quick double-press, or swap between EQ presets with a single press. There’s also an adjustable sidetone dial, as well as the Razer HyperSense button to adjust the intensity of the haptics, or disable them completely.
Razer Kaira Pro HyperSpeed – Software
If you want to customize your Razer Kaira Pro headset, you’ll need to download the Razer audio app for iOS or Android. Within the app, you’ll be able to view the overall battery life, adjust and customize EQ settings, as well as customize the RGB lighting settings for the logo on the exterior of the earcups. Additionally, you can enable Do Not Disturb mode which will make it so your game audio isn't automatically interrupted if you happen to receive a phone call. You can also toggle on a special Gaming Mode to reduce audio latency over Bluetooth when playing games on a mobile phone or tablet.
Razer Kaira Pro HyperSpeed – Gaming
The feature I was most excited to test on the Razer Kaira Pro was undoubtedly the built-in haptics, and, after spending multiple hours across a variety of games, music, and movies, I can confidently say I am…whelmed.
On paper, haptics sound like a great addition to headphones, especially when used with video games where we’ve been exposed to haptics or rumble for nearly 25 years as a way to increase immersion. However, in practice, most of the time the haptics make it feel like you have a pounding headache at higher settings and doesn’t do much to improve the experience overall.
That being said, there were certain games that I found this feature more tolerable, such as Resident Evil 4. Because you spend much of your time slowly making your way through locations, solving puzzles, and looking for collectibles, the haptics do add a bit to the experience. For instance, when Leon begins to run, you can feel his footsteps in sync across both the DualSense as well as the headset, and it’s pretty neat. However, some actions, such as opening and closing the briefcase or smashing wooden crates (something you do a lot of in RE4) sent a small shockwave through my brain, and I can’t say it was enjoyable.
I found games with heavy gunplay to be the least enjoyable, since every bullet fired can be felt reverberating throughout your skull. I spent a good chunk of time in Destiny 2, a game full of guns and plenty of space magic explosions, and it was almost unbearable. Thankfully, there are three levels of intensity for the haptics, and everything is tied to the overall volume. However, even on the lowest setting, the frequency at which bullets were flying created a sense of pressure inside my ears that actively pulled me out of the experience, rather than draw me in.
The fact that the haptics just work, though, is pretty cool. It’s not something that developers have to code into their games to take advantage of. Instead, the headphones analyze the incoming audio and intelligently produces haptics as a result. I was even able to discern haptics coming from specific sections of the headset based on my in-game location and where the specific sounds were coming from. It’s much more than just extra bass, too. There’s a variety of unique haptic vibrations that the Razer Kaira Pro can produce.
For moments when I opted to disable the haptics, I found the Razer Kaira Pro to produce great spatial audio. When exploring the various areas in Resident Evil 4, I could easily identify tripmines and locate collectibles with precision. Additionally, hearing enemy grunts and voices allowed me to determine where they were, whether just around a corner or across the village. I could even hear vipers slithering across the ground and through the water in some areas, allowing me to get the jump on them before they bit me.
On the Bluetooth side of things, the Razer Kaira Pro is a great pair of headphones for both music and movies. I listened to a variety of songs across different genres and was overall pleased with the result, despite the bass being a bit low for my taste. However, listening to music with the haptics enabled easily made up for the lower bass, and it’s definitely worth listening to your favorite songs with haptics to hear – and feel – the difference. However, after a few songs it kinda just felt like I had a pounding headache.
I also watched parts of The Dark Knight to test out the headphones in a more cinematic setting. While I could quite literally feel the roar of the Batmobile, or the weight of each of Batman’s punches, I don’t think I would choose to watch an entire movie with the haptics enabled. Again, it’s quite novel to experience, but once that initial feeling of intrigue wears off, I found it to be more of a nuisance.
