I just tested the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro gaming headset — and it makes me feel like I'm playing video games at the movie theater

Tom's Guide

2 days ago

The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro is the best gaming headset money can buy right now, period. Whether you're a professional eSports player or just looking for the best-in-class sound, this is the set of cans for you. Razer has injected ultra-low 10ms latency into the BlackShark V3 Pro as well as 7.1.4 spatial audio for a truly immersive gaming experience.
The BlackShark V3 Pro is the most comfortable headset I've tested so far, with breathable memory foam earcups and a pressure-relieving headband. Equipped with a detachable mic that makes you sound loud and clear, and ANC that makes you feel lost in any game you're playing, this is a set of gaming cans that doesn't compromise on quality.
It's certainly pricey at $249 / £249, but trust me — it is so worth it. For the complete breakdown, read my full Razer BlackShark V3 Pro review.
Specs
Razer BlackShark V3 Pro
Price
$249 / £249
Colors
Black, White
Platforms
PC, macOS, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, iPadOS, tablets, Android, iOS
Connectivity
2.4GHz HyperSpeed Wireless Gen-2, Bluetooth, 3.5mm wired
Battery
Rechargeable
Battery life (2.4GHz, PC, rated)
70 hours
Battery life (2.4GHz, PS/Xbox, rated)
48 hours
Frequency response
12-28,000Hz
Drivers
50mm Razer TriForce Bio-Cellulose Gen-2
Paired devices max
2
Multipoint connectivity
Yes
Microphone
Unidirectional, detachable
Weight
12.9oz
Where do I even begin with everything the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro aces? Sound quality and ANC are outstanding, as is the detachable mic, and it's a ridiculously comfortable set of cans.
For a good gaming headset to be considered great, it has to be comfortable enough that you can keep wearing it for long gaming sessions — and the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro is just that. It's ridiculously comfortable.
Inspired by the aviation-style headsets worn by pilots, the BlackShark V3 Pro's oval-shaped earcups are connected via hinges to a padded headband. I really like this design — instead of adjusting the headband, you just slide the earcups down along the metal hinges. It's a small change, but it feels refreshingly different and works surprisingly well.
Speaking of the earcups, their faceplates are magnetic so you can easily pop them off and replace them with others of your choosing to give the headset more personality. Nifty!
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The BlackShark V3 Pro weighs 12.9oz and it never feels too heavy. It's heavier than the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 (9.34oz, $129) and the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro (11.9oz, $350) but lighter than the Audeze Maxwell (17.2oz, $299) — a happy middle.
The memory foam padding under the headband eliminates any pressure you may feel on the top of your head, and I found the headset comfortable to wear all day long. The memory foam earcups are spacious but tight enough to provide passive noise cancelation.
I wore the headset for a seven-hour gaming session and didn't feel any discomfort at all. My ears didn't feel hot, and there was no issue with sweat pooling thanks to the breathable memory foam either. I asked two people to try the BlackShark V3 Pro and I saw both of their jaws drop at just how comfy the headset felt!
I won't apologize for that pun, so let's move on. If you want to use the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro with an Xbox or PlayStation console, you'll need to use the included 2.4GHz HyperSpeed Wireless Gen-2 dongle. Setup is quick and easy as it's basically a plug-and-play headset.
So how does the BlackShark V3 Pro sound? 'Like you're at the movies,' is what my partner said as she wore the headset while I played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. That good.
So how does the BlackShark V3 Pro sound? 'Like you're at the movies,' is what my partner said as she wore the headset while I played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. That good. The headset utilizes 50mm Razer TriForce Bio-Cellulose Gen-2 drivers with a frequency response of 12-28,000Hz. The wide frequency response range means you can hear practically every sound in a game: from soft footsteps to loud explosions.
If you're playing on PC, you can enable THX Spatial Audio 7.1.4 which, basically, adds four virtual speakers above your head when you want that surround sound effect. There are Xbox and PS variants for this too, just like virtual surround sound. Razer has also reduced wireless latency to a mere 10ms which, at the time of writing, is industry-leading, ensuring audio is instant to give you a competitive edge.
I put the BlackShark V3 Pro through its paces by playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, F1 22, and Cyberpunk 2077 on my PS5 Slim, and in all three games, the headset made me appreciate sound design on a whole new level.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has arguably one of the best game soundtracks of all time, and of course you can appreciate the music through your TV speakers — but playing the game through the BlackShark V3 Pro will send you into orbit.
The orchestral power ballads sound refined and cinematic, and I was able to hear every violin note and subtle sounds of the kickdrum even against the sound of my weapons slashing enemies. Listening to 'Une vie à t'aimer' start playing in a cutscene and all the instruments kicking in as soon the cinematic transitioned into the battle felt like an out of body experience.
I also like that I could very clearly hear the subtle differences between walking on different terrains. When my character shifted from walking on grass to walking on scattered petals, I could hear the difference in the crunch — and it felt like discovering new sounds I'd never heard before in a game I've dedicated 100 hours to.
In Cyberpunk 2077, stealth plays a crucial role especially if you're sneaking into enemy territory infested with NPCs that can one-shot you — so you need to strategize. Since the BlackShark V3 Pro is designed for competitive gaming, it's the perfect headset for stealth-based games.
Footsteps are easy to hear, so when I hid behind a door, I could tell exactly how close the enemy was — perfect for a stealth takedown. Razer has added a customizable roller on the left earcup that controls Game-Chat balance by default, but you can set it to boost footsteps instead. It works great and could give pros a real edge.
I also like that I could hear my character's breathing become heavier while sprinting and then slowly return to normal when I was stationary after running. Even when the techno music was loud, it never overshadowed my character's grunts and groans, providing an immersive experience.
Lastly, I played F1 22 to see how the BlackShark V3 Pro performed in racing titles, and it made me feel like I was the driver behind the wheel. I loved that I could clearly hear my car's tires locking up, reminding me that there's a very good reason I'm not actually a Formula 1 driver.
The sound of the engine roaring told me exactly when I needed to shift gears which is crucial in F1 22, especially if you're driving fully manual — something pros will be doing in tournaments. It was also great to hear the exact moment another car was right behind me in DRS range, which informed me that I needed to lock in and be wary of incoming overtakes.
Overall, the BlackShark V3 Pro is an extremely capable headset, with audio performance that upstages every other set of cans I've reviewed. It is the headset to buy if you want a fully immersive gaming experience and don't want to compromise on quality.
Not many gaming headsets feature active noise cancelation (ANC) — and it's the one thing I criticized the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 for not having. Heck, even the very expensive Audeze Maxwell doesn't feature ANC, but you know what does? The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro, and boy is it effective.
You can turn ANC on or off with a button on the right earcup, and it works really well to block out noise and pull you into the game. While playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 next to my partner on the couch, I didn't hear a word she said — partly because I was locked in a boss fight, but mostly because the BlackShark V3 Pro blocked everything out. She had to wave to get my attention. I couldn't even hear the kettle or the doorbell indoors.
I wore the headset outdoors too, which I wouldn't recommend with ANC enabled — it's really so good that it's a hazard. I couldn't hear traffic passing me by while I was walking, or the rattling of the bus on my commute to and from work. The BlackShark V3 Pro has, by far, some of the best ANC I've tested on a headset — gaming or otherwise.
The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro utilizes Razer's HyperClear Full Band 12mm mic that's detachable and unidirectional, so it picks up sounds from the user's mouth and transmits loud and clear audio.
It also features noise-canceling tech so it minimizes any external disturbances. Razer has also improved on the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro's 32KHz sampling rate and upped it to 48KHz on the new model.
I first tested the headset by recording myself without anything playing in the background, as you can hear in the clip above. I sound loud and clear, and I have no complaints.
I then played an episode of Schitt's Creek on maximum volume to test the headset's mic's noise-cancaling prowess. In the clip above, all you can hear is my voice and nothing else, which is fantastic. As I'll discuss in the next section, I love that you can customize the microphone's 10-band equalizer, giving you lots of control over how you want to sound on the other end.
When I test gaming headsets, it's crucial that I test the accompanying software. The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro is accompanied by two apps: Razer Audio on iOS and Android, and Razer Synapse on Windows and macOS.
The former gives you on-the-go control over EQ presets and EQ customization, and allows you to adjust the mic's equalizer too. It's easy to use with a clean interface, and you can connect the BlackShark V3 Pro to your phone via Bluetooth and your console with the 2.4GHz dongle — so you can use it on both at the same time. There are a few tailored EQ presets for games like Valorant and Counter Strike 2, but it's fairly straightforward to create your own too.
Razer Synapse, on the other hand, gives you more in-depth customization options. You'll need to use it to enable THX Spatial Audio and for 7.1.4 surround sound support. EQ customization is more in-depth too. I also like that the Razer Synapse software shows you the games installed on your laptop and you can assign specific EQ presets to each game, and it will be automatically enabled when you fire up the game with the headset connected.
The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro, like many other Razer headsets, is compatible with a number of platforms. You can buy either the Xbox or PlayStation model: the former is compatible with the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One, while the latter is compatible with PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.
Both models are also compatible with PC, macOS, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and Steam Deck. Compatibility galore! This is the only headset you'll need for your gaming ecosystem.
To top it all off, the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro boasts long battery life. On a single charge, the headset can last up to 70 hours over the 2.4GHz connection on PC, according to Razer. The battery life will, of course, depend on the settings you use, such as whether ANC is enabled or if you have ultra-low 10ms latency enabled. This is toggled on by default so you may want to turn it off if you want as much juice as possible.
If you're playing on PS5 or Xbox, the battery life drops to 48 hours which is plenty of battery life for long gaming sessions. I used the headset for a total of 24 hours (a good chunk of that was idle overnight), and the battery dipped to 50% according to the app — which is fantastic.
The BlackShark V3 Pro's battery life is similar to that of the pricier Audeze Maxwell which is rated for 80 hours, but far better than the SteelSeries Arctis Pro's 22-hour battery life.
There isn't much wrong with the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro, but its cable-oriented dongle is slightly annoying.
The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro is intended for professional eSports players, and it carries a price tag in line with that notion. It retails for $249 / £249 so it ain't the cheapest. It is, however, a little cheaper than the Audeze Maxwell ($299) and the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro ($350).
It's worth noting that the BlackShark V3 Pro offers more features too, such as active noise cancelation and a customizable roller. It's also worth pointing out that you'd expect to pay this much for a good set of mid-range headphones with decent ANC for music too, and the BlackShark V3 Pro is very much worth the premium.
If the BlackShark V3 Pro is out of your budget, good news is that Razer has also launched the BlackShark V3, a more budget-friendly option costing $149 / £149. You can also grab the headset's oft-discounted predecessor, the BlackShark V2 Pro, for $199 / £199. In case you don't fancy a Razer headset, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 ($129) is a fantastic (and cheaper) alternative.
Like I mentioned up top, the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro can connect to your console using the included 2.4GHz HyperSpeed Wireless Gen-2 dongle. However, it's a little annoying. Instead of directly plugging into your console via a USB-C connection, like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5's or the Audeze Maxwell's, you have to use a USB-C cable to plug into the dongle and use its other end to plug into your console.
It's a small price to pay given the headset's performance elsewhere. And obviously I'd rather have the lower latency of 2.4G than not, but I really wish it was a simpler plug-and-play solution that didn't include a cable taking up unnecessary space on my TV stand.
What's not to like about the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro? Immersive sound quality? Good. Crystal clear mic? Good. Comfortable design? Gooood. This is a refined headset that doesn't compromise on quality and doesn't give you a lot to complain about (as you'd expect at this price point). Sure, the dongle is a little annoying, but that flaw pales in comparison to everything else the BlackShark V3 Pro aces.
The BlackShark V3 Pro is fantastic for RPGs, FPS and racing titles as it delivers detailed sound, giving you a competitive edge, and ultra-low 10ms latency ensures you hear everything instantly. It's one of the only gaming headsets with ANC (which is highly effective) too. I also love that the roller is customizable and lets you boost footsteps while you're playing — it makes a considerable difference.
All in all, you're getting a premium headset for the premium you're paying. If you want one headset for all your consoles, and don't want to compromise on quality even a tiny bit, there's really no better choice than the BlackShark V3 Pro right now.