Razer Blackshark V3 X review: a barebones but sensible budget version of the best gaming headset on the market | Daily Reports Online
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Razer BlackShark V3 X review: One-minute review
The bells-and-whistles version of Razer’s latest BlackShark V3, the V3 Pro, is one of the best wireless gaming headsets on the market. This model might share the name and the basic chassis design, but it’s available at a very different price, and that means the feature spec sheet looks wildly different too.
Razer’s positioning this as an esports model, based on the low-latency wireless connection its Hyperspeed 2.4GHz wireless dongle offers, and the impressively svelte 9.6oz / 270g weight. In reality, as welcome as those attributes are, they’re probably more relevant to a non-professional gamer who wants to save some cash, stay comfortable while they play, and avoid connection dropouts more than a professional player in a stadium.
One thing that translates very well all the way down the BlackShark range is the comfort and adjustability of the headband and earcup design. There’s a brilliant balance of clamping force and headband weight distribution that makes this headset immediately comfy, and it stays that way into the last moments of your 40-player World of Warcraft raid.
The microphone isn’t especially standout, but it offers decent clarity and noise cancellation, and it’s detachable, which means if you opt to connect the headset to your smartphone via Bluetooth, you can wear these on the train or bus without looking like you’re organizing air traffic.
Your mileage of the 7.1 virtual surround may vary, but to this reviewer’s ears, it sounds thin and artificial, inevitably detracting from the original audio source rather than widening it. These aren’t the same titanium drivers as you’ll find in the standard Razer BlackShark V3, and they’re not quite as precise or authoritative in their sound production, which means there’s less leeway for affecting audio sources with virtual surround.
But if you can live with merely good audio and mic quality, the huge 70-hour battery, lightweight, comfortable feel, and clean look are a pretty considerable upside.
Razer BlackShark V3 X review: Price and availability
- Costs $99.99 / £99.99 / around AU$141
- Comparable to Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless headset
- Considerably cheaper than the V3 and V3 Pro, so don’t expect a similar experience
This version of the Blackshark is really all about the price. A lot of the V3 and V3 Pro’s luxury trimmings have been jettisoned in order to meet a sub-$100 price point, but Razer’s decades of experience mean it knows which bits are essential: comfort, reliability, and usability. Those have stayed, of course.
The specs compare favorably to rivals at this price point, like the official Xbox Wireless headset and RIG R5 Spear Pro HS, a wired model that we’ve been digging lately in the sub-$100 pool.
Razer BlackShark V3 X: Specs
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Razer BlackShark V3 X |
Price | $99.99 / £99.99 / around AU$141 |
Weight | 9.5oz / 270g |
Battery life | 70 hours |
Compatibility | PC, Xbox Series X/S (Xbox version), Playstation 4/5, (PlayStation version), iOS/Android |
Connectivity | 2.4 GHz Wireless / Bluetooth / USB Wired |
Microphone | Unidirectional detachable cardioid mic |
Razer BlackShark V3 X: Design and features
- Similar design to the flagship BlackShark V3
- Hyperspeed and Bluetooth, but not simultaneously
- Simple control layout
The basic headband, earcup, and hinge design will be familiar to anyone who’s familiar with previous versions of the BlackShark, or indeed the pricier variations of this current V3 generation. The wireframe hinge allows for plenty of adjustability, and there’s a near-perfect balance between the weight carried by the wide, well-cushioned headband and the clamping force generated by the earcups against your temples.
Around those earcups, there’s a generous slice of memory foam to keep that horizontal force from digging in too much and becoming uncomfortable, and there’s a good amount of extension in the wireframe to allow for larger heads.
The control layout is simple and effective. On the left earcup, just above the USB-C cable input, there’s a textured power button, volume scroll wheel, and a mic mute button, while on the right-hand side, you’ll find the holy grail for gaming headsets, particularly more affordable models: a game/chat balance scroll wheel. Having grown accustomed to having this luxury through years of use with Arctis 7 headsets, I always miss it when it doesn’t feature, and I’m seriously grateful to find one on a cheaper headset like this one.
While one probably wouldn’t expect simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity at this price, it should still be noted that, unlike the V3 and V3 Pro, it isn’t available on this model.
The Hyperspeed wireless connection is very stable in my experience, though, suffering no dropouts over the several years I’ve been connecting wirelessly with Razer devices. It does invite some very infrequent audio artefacting in my experience, but that only manifests as a glitchy half-second of audio here and there when connecting to a PC.
Overall, the combo of comfort and looks of this model makes for a powerful one-two punch. Material choices and finish quality are both fantastic at this price range, and really distinguish this headset from rivals priced similarly.
Razer BlackShark V3 X review: Performance
- Decent sound but lacking that spark
- Capacious battery
- Mic does the job
The drivers within this V3 X’s earcups are a similar design to the V3 and V3 Pro’s drivers, with some important differences. All feature a 50mm size, but while the V3 Pro uses a bio-cellulose construction for its flagship version of the Tri-Force driver and the V3 uses titanium, this cheaper version uses… something else. It’s not stated in Razer’s materials.
That’s all academic until you get into road-testing the sound, and I’m bringing up the materials of various driver variations because those materials allow for faster and more supple articulation, which in turn gives you more sparkly high frequencies and more convincing, visceral lows. It’s in the raw sound quality category where I felt the V3 X’s pricing most obviously, and that certainly doesn’t mean they sound bad.
They’re clearly tuned for a balanced sound reproduction instead of wow factor, and that’s the right call. While at the extreme ends of the frequency response range, they sound a little dull, the overall quality is nice and neutral, and that speaks to the esports positioning of this headset. Pro players would probably use a more expensive model, of course, but if they did use this, they wouldn’t have to contend with vital audio cues being drowned out by over-emphasised bass.
Elsewhere, the battery deserves some serious acclaim. All the BlackShark V3s boast a 70-hour battery life, and while that’s boosted in part by the absence of RGB, it’s still an insane number. And it holds up in reality. I found I was even able to eke out a bit more than 70 hours from one charge, and charging is very quick via USB-C.
More muted praise – if you’ll excuse the excellent pun – for the microphone, which is simply serviceable. The audio reproduction lacks a little body, but it’s certainly crisp enough to cut through the mix and ensure your callouts are heard.
Should I buy the Razer BlackShark V3 X?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also consider…
Still not sold on the Razer BlackShark V3 X? Here’s how it compares to two similar sets.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Razer BlackShark V3 X Hyperspeed | Xbox Wireless Headset | RIG R5 Spear Pro HS |
Price | $99.99 / £99.99 / around AU$141 | $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$149.95 | $69.99 / £69.99 (around AU$99) |
Weight | 9.5oz / 270g | 11.2oz / 320g | 11.9oz / 340g |
Battery life | 70 hours | 20 hours | N/A |
Connection type | Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless (Hyperspeed dongle), USB wired | Bluetooth, USB wired | Wired 3.5mm |
Compatibility | PC, Xbox Series X/S (Xbox version), Playstation 4/5, (PlayStation version), iOS/Android | PC, Xbox X/S | PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Switch, Switch 2, PC |
How I tested the Razer BlackShark V3 X
- Weeks of daily use on PC and Xbox Series S
- Both connection types tested
- Compared to the flagship Razer BlackShark V3 Pro
I swam the waters of low-budget gaming headsets for two weeks with the V3 X Hyperspeed, which meant the usual mix of gaming, Discord, and work calls to get a feel for the driver and mic performance alike.
The meditative, ambient soundscapes of Cairn comprised a lot of that time, along with some callout-heavy Counter-Strike 2 sessions, a few co-op Minecraft adventures, and some long drives in Assetto Corsa Evo.
Both compatible devices were tested, and I kept track of each charge’s duration to check Razer’s stated 70 hours checks out in reality.
First reviewed January 2026
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