The Razer BlackShark V3 X HyperSpeed headset is a top-tier headset from Razer. But now, Razer is set to re-release the headset, this time with a Pokémon collab, bringing these two epic brands together and giving the gaming community what they’ve been longing for: more Pokémon!
Let’s jump in and see how the collaboration comes together.
Opening the box, you are greeted with the headset, USB-A to USB-C cable, USB-C wireless dongle, detachable microphone, USB-C adapter and the instruction manual. Today, we’re testing the Pokémon Charizard edition, and it looks spectacular.
I had to keep my kids away from the unboxing (I needed to film some videos and photos), so knowing they were into it means we’re off to a good start. The Charizard orange is used underneath the headband on the ear cups; the headband has Charizard pictures on the outside, with the Razer logo on top and the Pokémon logo on the ends.
The inside of the ear cups has a Charizard mural with a soft leather feel, helping to keep your ears comfortable during long gaming sessions. A Razer logo in a flame/fire mural decorates the outer ear cup, keeping with the Charizard theme.
Volume controls are on the right-side ear cup, controlling party chat volume and acting as a secondary volume switch, programmable a microphone connection port, a USB-C connection port, a power button, main volume control and a microphone mute button
With this collaboration, it would have been nice to see a matching orange USB-C cable to complete the collection instead of the standard black. It’s worth mentioning the box also has a Charizard theme with orange accents and graphics, as I know some collectors will buy this product just for the collection.
The dimensions are 20cm x 17.6cm x 9.4cm; the weight is a nice 270grams. It has a decent-sized onboard battery, with up to 72 hours of game time , and a full charge takes just over 4 hours
In case you happen to forget, a quick 15-minute charge earns between 5-6 hours of use, which is a handy feature for those forgetful types (like myself). The battery life drops to 48 hours with the wireless connection on Xbox, or 35 hours
Now it’s time to put the headset to the test. Listening to footsteps in my favourite FPS games, I was genuinely impressed by the 7.1 surround sound, which gave my FPS shooters a mix of crisp music and directional footsteps that are easy to locate. This is driven by the Razer TriForce 50mm driver Gen-2, delivering powerful audio with an improved soundstage and closed-back, over-ear cushions.
While the headphones lack active noise cancellation, their ear cup design does a good job of passively blocking out background noise commonly encountered in an office environment. The headset offers a frequency response range of 12Hz to 28kHz, delivering a broad audio spectrum that captures low, mid-range and high frequencies for a well-rounded listening experience.
Detachable microphones are steadily becoming more popular for content creation, and the Razer BlackShark V3 X HyperSpeed headset comes with a Detachable Razer HyperClear Cardioid 9.9mm microphone.
A graphic and technical breakdown featured on Razer’s website shows the pickup zones, how the HyperClear system works, and the technology behind it. It is well worth a read if you are considering buying this product.
The microphone features a unilateral pickup pattern, focusing on voice capture and less background noise, with a frequency response range of 50 Hz- 3.4 kHz in the narrowband, wideband, super wideband and full-band, ensuring fuller, more natural sound.
Tri-band connectivity delivers an ultra-fast 2.4 GHz wireless connection with low latency for competitive gaming, Bluetooth for smart devices, phones, and tablets, or stay pluggedayStation, Xbox and other compatible devices
The Razer BlackShark V3 X HyperSpeed headset also supports dual wireless connections between other devices, a handy feature when using your phone and gaming at the same time.
You can adjust all your settings in the Synapse software, including changing equaliser settings and enabling THX Spatial Audio for an immersive gaming experience. If you already own other Razer products, you will appreciate how polished and refined the Synapse software has become and how much control you have over your device settings and options.
Razer products are market-leading in the casual and esports gaming world, and collaborating with Pokémon means that Razer would have had to walk a fine line between pleasing the massive Pokémon audience and making sure to deliver their top-tier equipment. Thankfully, the collaboration has paid off, and I feel they have nailed it.
The visuals align perfectly with the historical Pokémon brand, from the graphics and colours associated with Charizard; they have done the brand justice. But it’s not all about the branding; the headset packs some serious, refined second-generation Razer technology that gamers have come to trust. Tri-Mode connectivity, HyperClear Cardioid microphone technology, and Triforce 50mm drivers deliver surround sound, while the soft fabrics and lightweight design help reduce fatigue.
Make no mistake, the Razer BlackShark V3 X HyperSpeed Charizard headset is already the complete package; the Pokémon collection is just the icing on the cake.
