Razer just launched a V3 series of its flagship BlackShark gaming headset. The lineup is headlined by the BlackShark V3 Pro Wireless Gaming Headset. The $250 wireless headset is the only model in the lineup with active noise cancellation. It’s available in Xbox, PlayStation, and PC versions, but it’s worth noting the Xbox edition of all of the V3 models has universal compatibility. If the V3 Pro is a bit too expensive for your budget, Razer also released two substantially more affordable models–the $150 BlackShark V3 and the $100 BlackShark V3 X HyperSpeed. The V3 Pro releases August 4, while the other two models are available now.
While all three BlackShark V3 models share the same over-ear form factor and core features, there are, of course, some notable differences–one of the biggest being their wireless connection quality. The BlackShark V3 and V3 Pro are the first to use Razer’s HyperSpeed Wireless Gen-2 connectivity, which the company says offers playback latency as low as 10ms. The BlackShark V3 X HyperSpeed uses the previous version of the technology, which is still a solid low-latency 2.4GHz option. All models also support Bluetooth wireless pairing and wired connections via USB or 3.5mm.
The BlackShark V3 Pro is also the only of the three with ANC, and it uses Razer’s high-end Gen-2 TriForce Bio-Cellulose 50mm drivers. By contrast, the BlackShark V3 uses the Gen-2 TriForce Titanium 50mm drivers, while the V3 X HyperSpeed is equipped with TriForce 50mm drivers. The V3 Pro also features a detachable HyperClear full-band 12mm mic, while BlackShark V3 has a detachable HyperClear super-wideband 9.9mm mic, and the V3 X HyperSpeed uses a detachable HyperClear 9.9mm cardioid mic.
One thing you’ll find across all three BlackShark V3 wireless headsets is virtual 7.1 surround sound. However, you’ll need to pay attention to which platforms the model is tuned for. The BlackShark V3, V3 Pro, and V3 X HyperSpeed all come in PC-, PlayStation-, and Xbox-specific models. While you can technically use each model on other platforms–the Xbox version is universal–they have specific surround-sound compatibility. The PC versions use either Windows 7.1 surround sound or THX Spatial Audio, which only works on specific versions of Windows. Meanwhile, the PlayStation models use Sony’s Tempest 3D Audio for PS5, and the Xbox models use Windows Sonic. Make sure you grab the appropriate model for your preferred platform if you plan on using virtual surround sound.
Along with the differences in platform and spatial audio support, each platform-specific model of the BlackShark V3, V3 Pro, and V3 X HyperSpeed also features unique color schemes. For example, the PC models are all available in black or white, while the PlayStation models feature black with blue padding and accents, and the Xbox models come in black with green padding and accents.
Check out the full rundown on each of the new BlackShark V3 wireless gaming headset models below.
$250
Specs:
- Connectivity: Razer HyperSpeed Wireless Gen-2 (2.4GHz); Bluetooth; 3.5mm; USB
- Drivers: Razer TriForce Bio-Cellulose 50mm Gen-2 drivers
- Mic: Detachable HyperClear full-band 12mm mic
- ANC: Yes
- Platform Support:
- Xbox edition supports all platforms
- PC (supports PC, PS5, PS4, Mac, Nintendo Switch & Switch 2, mobile)
- PlayStation (supports PS5, PC, Mac, mobile)
- Virtual surround-sound support:
- Windows model: THX 7.1.4 Spatial Audio (Windows 11 and up)
- PlayStation model: Sony Tempest 3D Audio (PS5 only)
- Xbox model: Windows Sonic (Xbox, Windows)
- Other features: 12 built-in pre-tuned EQ profiles, plus save up to nine custom profiles
See BlackShark V3 Pro Universal Headset (Xbox) at:
See BlackShark V3 Pro for PC at:
See BlackShark V3 Pro for PS5 at:
$150
Specs:
- Connectivity: Razer HyperSpeed Wireless Gen-2 (2.4GHz); Bluetooth; 3.5mm; USB
- Drivers: TriForce Titanium 50mm Gen-2 drivers
- Mic: Detachable HyperClear super-wideband 9.9mm mic
- ANC: No
- Platform support:
- Xbox edition supports all platforms
- PC (supports PC, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch & Switch 2, Mac, mobile)
- PlayStation (supports PS5, PS4, PC, Mac, mobile)
- Virtual surround-sound support:
- Windows model: THX 7.1.4 Spatial Audio (Windows 11 and up)
- PlayStation model: Sony Tempest 3D Audio (PS5 only)
- Xbox model: Windows Sonic (Xbox, Windows)
See BlackShark V3 Universal Headset (Xbox) at:
See BlackShark V3 for PC at:
See BlackShark V3 for PS5 at:
$100
Specs:
- Connectivity: Razer HyperSpeed Wireless (2.4GHz); Bluetooth; 3.5mm; USB
- Drivers: TriForce 50mm drivers
- Mic: Detachable HyperClear 9.9mm cardioid mic
- ANC: No
- Platform support:
- Xbox edition supports all platforms
- PC (supports PC, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch & Switch 2, Mac, mobile)
- PlayStation (supports PS5, PS4, PC, Mac, mobile)
- Virtual surround-sound support:
- Windows model: Windwos 7.1 (Windows 10 and up)
- PlayStation model: Sony Tempest 3D Audio (PS5 only)
- Xbox model: Windows Sonic (Xbox, Windows)
See BlackShark V3 X Universal Headset (Xbox) at:
See BlackShark V3 X for PC at:
See BlackShark V3 X for PC at:
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