Razer Kaira Pro review: feel the sound

They’ve been around for decades but haptics have become more of a buzzword in the PS5 era. The tech has gotten more advanced, but still primarily something felt in your hands – until now. The officially licensed Razer Kaira Pro brings them to your head. As gaming headsets go, it’s the closest you’ll get to the PlayStation VR2’s unique cranial vibrations.

Audio-induced Hypersense haptics transform game audio, so you can really feel the beat of a thumping tune or the explosions and gunfire of Call of Duty: Warzone. You might also argue it compensates for the lack of haptics in Razer’s own PS5-compatible Wolverine V2 Pro controller. And even if you’re not team PlayStation, it’ll play just as nicely on PC, mobile and Nintendo Switch.

Landing at £200/$200, it takes on other wireless headsets such as the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 and Razer’s own Blackshark V2 Pro. But are the haptics just a gimmick or can it still stand as a gaming headset without it?

Design & Build

As an officially licensed product, the Razer Kaira Pro certainly looks the part. There are PlayStation logos on the sides and the headband’s white colour scheme matches the PS5 – only with the added touch of the platform holder’s blue for the ear cup inner fabric. The Razer name still takes pride of place on top of the headband, and gets its logo treated to Chroma RGB lighting effects.

This feels like a top-tier headset that hasn’t skimped on materials. The headband is especially comfortable, with the exterior feeling similar to a DualSense controller – even if, on close inspection, it’s not covered in tens of thousands of tiny imprints of the iconic PlayStation button shapes. With soft, cushioned foam underneath, plush leatherette earpads, and stainless steel links that can be easily extended or swivel around to better fit your head, it’s one of the most comfortable headsets we’ve worn of late.

It doesn’t opt for anything too fancy on the controls front, with buttons and sliders in easy reach around the earcups. They’re distinct enough to recognise by touch. On the left earcup is a switch for muting your mic, a volume slider, and power button, plus a USB-C port for charging the headset and an audio jack for attaching the external mic. The right side meanwhile has buttons for switching between wireless and Bluetooth audio, turning the Hypersense haptics on or off, and a sidetone slider.

You don’t get a case or pouch, which may present some storage issues for the braided USB-C charging cable, the USB-C wireless dongle, and the external mic when you’re not using them.

Features and battery life

We’re familiar with head haptics thanks to PSVR2, though the Razer Kaira Pro’s version takes a while to get used to. VR head haptics are fine-tuned by the game developers, but this headset makes no differentiation. That means haptics can come from anywhere, be it the booming emphasis of a game’ from the’s title screen or bass-heavy game vocals. In a high-octane action title or rhythm game, that extra sensation can work wonders – but with no subtlety in execution, the haptics can feel too much of a gimmick, or can even take us out of the experience.

It’s also a huge factor towards draining the headset’s battery. When we keep the feature on, the low battery alert chimed well before the 30 hours of listening estimated by Razer. Still, for those who do grow accustomed to its perks, the haptics do work – whether the audio is coming via the 2.4Ghz wireless dongle or Bluetooth, and also for non-PS5 platforms.

As the dongle has a USB-C connection, you can get ultra-low latency audio on a Nintendo Switch in handheld mode or Steam Deck. On the flipside, since PSVR2 also uses USB-C, and there’s only one of these ports on the PS5, you won’t be able to use the Razer Kaira Pro for VR gaming. Arguably the head haptics in that headset are superior anyway.

The Kaira Pro can switch between wireless and Bluetooth fairly seamlessly, and even automatically switch to Bluetooth if you have an incoming call, it’s not able to output both at the same time. That’s a feature you’ll find in (admittedly pricier) headsets such as the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro and potentially a deal breaker for Switch users trying to coordinate with Splatoon 3 teammates over Discord. It’s less of an issue for PS5 users now you can use the popular VOIP app via the console itself, though.

Sound quality and noise cancellation

With 50mm drivers formed from titanium, the Razer Kaira Pro offers superb crisp audio, whether it’s from music or vocals. This headset is terrific without adjusting any settings, whether you’re getting absorbed in a marathon gaming session or for listening to music on your phone.

You can also opt for different EQs for different uses via the Razer Audio app, such as Enhanced Bass or an FPS mode that enhances the sound of footsteps. Even without the latter it supports the PS5’s 3D audio, and does a good job at picking up directional sounds in multiplayer shooters.

Similar to Sony’s Pulse 3D headset, the Razer Kaira Pro has a built-in mic, which should serve you fine if you weren’t planning to chat. But if you want to make yourself heard, you’ll find the attachable supercardioid noise-cancelling mic the better option. It simply attaches to the audio jack and can easily bend it around at the distance to your mouth that suits you best.

App and interface

Compared to other audio apps we’ve used, Razer’s feels comparatively austere. The equaliser does offer a few presets, and you can customise it yourself; the layout will be fine for most users when compared to the overkill of Turtle Beach’s audio hub.

Once the Razer Kaira Pro is paired to the app you can see your remaining battery percentage, and customise the headset’s RGB Chroma effects to colours of your choice: think pulsing with a breathing effect, keeping it static or flashing in beat to the audio. You’ll be oblivious unless you’re also a streamer, but if you’d rather conserve the headset battery, you can just turn it off.

It’s on this app where you can set the headset to ‘do not disturb’ when gaming in 2.4GHz, so if you do receive an incoming call the audio won’t automatically switch over to Bluetooth. There’s also a neat quick connect function where it shows all the devices you’ve paired the headset too, letting you switch between audio sources quickly. We were able to switch from our phone to our Switch straight away, without having to fiddle with the Bluetooth Audio option on the Switch settings like we usually do.

Razer Kaira Pro Verdict

The Razer Kaira Pro is a terrific wireless headset that doesn’t just look a fine match for the PS5 it’s been designed for, but is one of the most comfortable headsets you can wear for long gaming sessions. It works just as well on other platforms, though ironically, by requiring a USB-C port for its wireless dongle, that means PSVR2 owners would need another audio option.

However, the haptics that are evidently a factor in its high price doesn’t always hit the mark. While it can enhance the experience in some games, in others it can be too much of a distracting gimmick that also leaches battery life. You can always just turn it off, but then it’s hard to see why you bother to shell out extra for the privilege when you could opt for the standard Kaira (though that comes with a mic you can’t detach) or the wired-only Kaira X.

The comfort and quality audio still makes it a fine pick for PS5 owners, but if you’re spending this much on a headset, we wouldn’t begrudge anyone to pause to consider if its limitations are going to be a deal breaker – or if its headline feature is going to be something you want to take advantage of.

Razer Kaira Pro technical specifications

Drivers	50mm titanium
Microphone	Built-in mic, external Razer Hyperclear Supercardioid boom mic
Platform compatibility	PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch, mobile
Connectivity	2.4GHz USB-C, Bluetooth
Lighting	Razer Chroma RGB
Battery life	Up to 30 hours
Weight	365g