Wireless gaming headsets offer a great deal more freedom than their tethered counterparts, allowing you to wander between rooms without missing a beat in Discord, but they often come with the worry of latency. Razer's new Barracuda X puts those fears to rest by allowing you to plug the 2.4GHz dongle into pretty much anything – not just your gaming PC.
It's true that Bluetooth has made wireless gaming headsets a dime a dozen, but where the audible lag it introduces makes little difference when listening to music, it can create an uncomfortable delay when watching movies and is downright insufferable for fast-paced games. 2.4GHz is an ideal solution to minimise lag, but dongles that support the connection are often exclusive to PCs with a USB Type-A port.
Dubbing the Barracuda X a four-in-one gaming headset, Razer ships it with a 2.4GHz USB Type-C dongle that natively works with PCs, Android smartphones, the Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation consoles – including compatibility with the PS5's 3D audio. It even works with Apple's iPads and iPhones, although you'll need an adapter for those without a USB-C port. It's tough luck if you're an Xbox fan, though, as these cans will only work when plugged in.
While gaming headsets often feature a more aggressive look to compliment RGB-splashed setups, the Barracuda X takes cues from the Razer Opus, featuring a sleeker, subdued appearance that shouldn’t feel out of place when you’re in public. Simply detach the microphone and you could confuse them for a pair of Sony headphones at first glance.
Compared to the 50mm drivers inside the best gaming headsets, Razer pops two slightly smaller 40mm drivers into the Barracuda X. It’ll last around 20 hours between charges, which is pretty impressive given that 2.4GHz connections sap more power than Bluetooth counterparts.
Razer Barracuda X wireless gaming headset Razer Barracuda X wireless gaming headset $99.99 / £99.99 View Network N earns affiliate commission from qualifying sales
Removing its reliance on software means the dongle is plug-and-play and you can switch devices near-instantly, but this also comes with the caveat that you won’t be able to customise profiles in Synapse. You’re stuck with Razer’s equaliser, which we can’t comment on until we get a hands-on.
The Barracuda X is available on the Razer Store for $99.99 / £99.99.