Razer Kraken V4 review: "an iconic headset, all grown up"

The Razer Kraken range is iconic. Forget the brand’s lineup, these chunkier PC-focused cups are immediately recognizable against the entire gaming headset market, and with good reason. Between the budget Kraken X line taking over affordable setups and the haptic-buzzing flagships leading the way in immersion, this is a range with some serious pedigree. The latest Razer Kraken V4 shakes things up a little with its streamlined design, but it’s still the core Kraken experience we all know and love.

With updated internals and that RGB blazing as bright as ever, Razer’s $179.99 / £179.99 device wants to be the best gaming headset for mid-range PC players. This is a competitive price point, though, with SteelSeries, Turtle Beach, HyperX, and Logitech all pitching at the same lower-mid rate. The Razer Kraken V3’s biggest competition, though, comes from within the brand’s own roster - the BlackShark V2 Pro. With just $20 more on its price tag (and not even that when recurring sales are factored in), a better set of specs under the hood, and the same PC-focused offering, the Kraken V4 might not be doing enough to step out from the BlackShark’s shadow this time around.