This premium gaming headset has built-in haptics, but I'm still not sure that's worth what it costs

Razer has been dabbling in putting vibrating haptic motors into its highest-end headsets for a while now, and we're finally seeing the ultimate culmination of all those efforts.

The Razer Kraken V4 Pro comes hot on the heels of its non-Pro variant as part of a family-wide refresh for Razer's most mainstream gaming headsets. This time, however, the Kraken V4 Pro firmly pushes into the "luxury" category of headsets and headphones with an attached price that's liable to make you do a double take. It's the best of almost everything Razer has put into a gaming headset, plus a little more, but whether that's enough depends on your interest in a single feature.

Razer wants to immerse you into your games, movies, and music in a way no other headset can with Sensa HD, a haptics platform that's now more detailed and refined than ever before. It's genuinely fascinating and does exactly what Razer advertises, and it pairs well with the ultra-premium experience offered in all other areas. Despite that, I'm still not convinced those vibrations are the must-have feature the Kraken V4 Pro needs to justify its cost.

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Why You Should Trust Me

Zachary Boddy (They / Them)

As a long-time gamer and experienced member of the Windows Central team, I've used, tested, and reviewed a wide variety of gaming headsets across every price range and product category. I also play a vast assortment of wildly different games, so I can push each headset to its limits with all kinds of audio.

Kraken V4 Pro review: Pricing and specifications

Pricing highlights

• The Razer Kraken V4 Pro retails for $399.99, which includes the OLED Control Hub.
• That's over twice the price of the next closest headset, the Razer Kraken V4 that retails for $180.
• Most of that additional cost is due to the Sensa HD Haptics and OLED Control Hub, but the Kraken V4 Pro is more premium in almost every way than its little sibling.

As you can see by the specs sheet in this section, the Razer Kraken V4 Pro is absolutely packed with features, and several are unique to this headset in Razer's lineup. This is the first Razer headset to support simultaneous Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless audio, a high-end feature Razer fans have been requesting for years. This is also the debut of Razer's new-and-improved Sensa HD Haptics platform, which replaces the HyperSense of old.

All of these features are meant to justify the asking price, with the Razer Kraken V4 Pro running for $399.99 at Best Buy. That ranks this headset among the most premium on the market and pushes into luxury audio territory, so the Kraken V4 Pro needs to offer both the features and the experience to match. One feature this headset is missing that several others in the price range boast is active noise cancelation, but I can't even imagine how poor the battery life would be if you also added ANC to the mix.

There are only a handful of headsets or headphones in the Razer catalog that can claim to have something the Kraken V4 Pro doesn't, and none of them offer this indulgent of an experience. In every sense, the Razer Kraken V4 Pro is the new king of Razer gaming headsets, and the price reflects that.

In the box, you'll find the Razer Kraken V4 Pro wireless gaming headset, the OLED Control Hub, a braided USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable, a braided 3.5mm audio cable, and a simple fabric travel bag. The Kraken V4 Pro is covered by Razer's 2-year Standard warranty for headsets.

Extra Vibrations 🫨

Razer Kraken V4 Pro | $399.99 at Best Buy

The new king of Razer gaming headsets, the Kraken V4 Pro aims to be the undisputed champion in immersion, audio quality, and performance. Without the Sensa HD Haptics it wouldn't quite justify that price, but this is a headset without a true equal.

👉See at: BestBuy.com or Razer.com

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Kraken V4 Pro review: The good

The pros highlights

• The Razer Kraken V4 Pro definitely competes with the best in most categories.
• The design, build quality, connectivity, performance, audio quality, and recording quality are all excellent
• The Kraken V4 Pro is rarely the absolute best in a single category, but the sum of its parts is quite compelling.

When I went into this review, I actually had some concerns that this headset would be too similar to the mid-range Razer Kraken V4 I reviewed. Don't get me wrong, I loved that headset and gave it a positive review, but the Kraken V4 feels like its price — which is less than half that of its big sibling. Fortunately, you will immediately notice a difference the moment you unbox the Razer Kraken V4 Pro.

This headset is markedly denser, and higher-quality materials across the board make the Kraken V4 Pro feel sturdier and more premium. My concerns were wasted, the Razer Kraken V4 Pro is every bit as luxurious as its closest competitors from companies like Audeze and SteelSeries. A balanced clamping force and thick cushions with plush, soft leatherette fabric also do a great job keeping you comfortable, but there is a downside to this denser design that I'll get into later.

Before that, connectivity! The Kraken V4 Pro is absolutely Razer's best effort at a true multiplatform headset, even if it doesn't quite take the crown from companies like Logitech. The headset itself can connect to almost any modern device via Bluetooth or USB. The OLED Control Hub, which connects instantly and seamlessly to the Kraken V4 Pro via Razer HyperSpeed Wireless, boasts two additional USB ports and a 3.5mm audio port for Windows PC and console connections (and you can easily rotate through them at any moment).

Oh, and there's finally simultaneous 2.4GHz and Bluetooth wireless audio mixing for the first time in a Razer headset, so you can use both your mobile phone and PC or console without any fuss; it works great, and I'm ecstatic it's here. Performance-wise, the Razer Kraken V4 Pro is also top-tier. I tested the limits of both the headset's Bluetooth and the Control Hub's 2.4GHz wireless connections, and the Kraken V4 Pro excelled with fantastic range, stability, and latency.

Put the headset on, and you'll be greeted by Razer's TriForce Bio-Cellulose drivers instead of the familiar "Titanium" drivers we usually see in high-end Razer headsets. These drivers have only been seen in one other headset (the Razer Barracuda Pro), but there are some differences. These are smaller 40mm (instead of 50mm) drivers for a more compact and sleek design, and a new, redesigned driver plate improves sound quality and shifts the drivers closer to your ears.

Complex audio technology aside, this is the best-sounding headset Razer has ever made. The Kraken V4 Pro boasts a warmer and deeper audio profile than your typical high-end Razer headset, while also managing to retain more detail and clarity. It's a remarkable listening experience that's precise and delicate, with a praise-worthy dynamic soundstage for a closed-back set. THX Spatial Audio also sounds beautiful in 7.1 surround sound. It won't best the professional and audiophile gear at this price point and beyond, but for a gaming headset, the Kraken V4 Pro is wonderfully versatile.

That brings me to the headlining feature, the Sensa HD Haptics. Razer has been refining its haptics technology for a few years now, until it became the fully fledged platform we have today (complete with a slowly growing library of specially enhanced games). Compared to previous iterations, the haptic motors in the Kraken V4 Pro are more nuanced, precise, and responsive with better spatial positioning. But what's even the point?

You wouldn't be wrong to think of Razer's Sensa HD Haptics as extremely intense bass boost, but it's entirely separate from the headphone drivers and so doesn't negatively impact audio quality, it's more dynamic and customizable to your tastes, and it's more noticeable by feel rather than just hearing. The goal is to enhance your immersion in games by underscoring dramatic events, moments, or music in real time.

When you play a Sensa HD integrated game like Final Fantasy XVI (one of the games I tested), impacts in combat have far more punch behind them, and heavy objects or creatures that move dramatically almost feel like they have weight. However, you can enjoy Sensa HD Haptics with any audio, including your entire games library, movies, and music.

Razer's real-time audio-to-haptics engine that debuted with the Razer Edge and has been enjoying refinements ever since analyzes your audio at its source and responds in kind. You have a lot of customization over Sensa HD, including the intensity of the haptics (or if you use them at all), but there are also four custom profiles for the audio-to-haptics that you can easily switch between in Razer Synapse or on the Control Hub.

Whether you simply want deep, low-end sounds to be boosted or you want a dramatic, tactile soundscape that responds to everything, or anything in between, you can do that. After using Sensa HD Haptics for hours, I can tell you that it does make a difference, and a good one. Stronger bass without distortion, heavier gunfire or explosions in games and movies, emotional moments and scenes made more powerful — the Kraken V4 Pro makes it happen without compromising on the rest of its experience.

That being said, even with that praise, I'm not sure how much I'd miss Sensa HD Haptics if my next headset didn't have it.

At least you have that customization and flexibility, and the Razer Kraken V4 Pro can even flex its haptic muscles with your phone. Through the Razer Nexus app, you can finetune your audio-to-haptics settings for your mobile games; while Bluetooth does inherently have more latency, this still works quite well. Outside of that, all your customization will be done through Razer Synapse or the OLED Control Hub.

Razer Synapse is a familiar software hub, and the latest version is more performance and less resource intensive. There's also a ton of settings for the Kraken V4 Pro and its OLED Control Hub. Speaking of that, the Control Hub boasts a tiny black-and-white OLED display, a button, and a prominent dial. It's a high-quality hub that handles wireless and wired connectivity, but it also lets you display audio and system info, control your volume, edit your headset's lighting, haptics, and audio settings, and more.

You can even customize the home screen with fun animations or more useful information, or even upload your own GIF or design your own text banner. None of it feels strictly necessary to have, but the OLED Control Hub is a nice value-add for the Kraken V4 Pro and I enjoy using it.

Finally, the microphone. I won't dive too deep into this unidirectional, retractable microphone... Because it's identical to the mic in the Razer Kraken V4. It's an upgraded HyperClear Super Wideband mic with a higher sampling rate for deeper and more detailed recording quality, and it is quite good. It is not, however, as good as the microphone of the same name on the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023). Chalk that up to different hardware components to achieve that compact, retractable design.

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Kraken V4 Pro review: The bad

The cons highlights

• Apart from the obvious of contributing to that massive price tag, the Sensa HD Haptics also contribute to some other weaknesses.
• This headset is heavy, and you feel it, and battery life is middling at best (even with the lighting disabled).
• On top of that, it feels ridiculous that a $400 "multiplatform" headset doesn't support Xbox, whatever the technical reasons may be.

I actually don't have a lot of negative things to say about the Razer Kraken V4 Pro. This is a simple case of a product's greatest strength also being its greatest weakness. In this case, that would be the Sensa HD Haptics. They're the single largest reason this headset is as exorbitantly expensive as it is, but owning a vibrating headset comes with some other compromises.

For one, the Razer Kraken V4 Pro is dense. It's not quite as heavy as the massive Audeze Maxwell, but it weighs noticeably more than the regular Kraken V4 (and most other gaming headsets, for that matter). Razer did its best with comfort and ergonomics, but you will feel the Kraken V4 Pro pressing down on your head and shoulders.

Battery life is also... meh. Razer quotes up to 50 hours if you disable the RGB lighting and Bluetooth connectivity, but even that feels optimistic if you want to use the haptics. At its best, this headset boasts less endurance than its competitors, and at its worse you may find yourself charging this headset every day or every other day. The Kraken V4 Pro is at least quick to top up, but dual wireless connectivity, 9-zone RGB lighting, and additional haptic motors do not encourage great longevity.

I also can't move on without mentioning the obvious lack of Xbox support. Look, I know why the Razer Kraken V4 Pro and so many other third-party wireless gaming headsets don't support Xbox, but as a consumer, I frankly don't care about the technical or legal reasons behind a missing feature. If I'm paying $400 for a premium gaming headset that claims to do it all with multiplatform connectivity, I expect that to also include Xbox.

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Kraken V4 Pro review: Competition

The Razer Kraken V4 Pro may stand in a league of its own thanks to its unique haptics feature, but that doesn't mean it lacks competition. Depending on your priorities, there are plenty of other amazing wireless gaming headsets in this price range.

If you'd rather drop the haptics in favor of Xbox support and active noise-canceling, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless we reviewed is an incredibly well-balanced gaming headset that also boasts an external, feature-filled DAC. You can get the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for $349.99 at Best Buy, so it also costs less than the Kraken V4 Pro.

• Recommended headset stand: Razer Base Station V2 Chroma for $69.99 at Razer
• Recommended add-on: Razer Kitty Ears V2 for $19.99 at Razer

I also reviewed the Audeze Maxwell, which is a phenomenal wireless gaming headset for those who value pure audio quality above everything else. You can pick up the Audeze Maxwell for $329.99 at Best Buy.

If you're looking for the true multiplatform champion, I reviewed the Logitech Astro A50 X, too, and it can connect to any device you can think of and switch the HDMI inputs of your TV or monitor, too. The Logitech Astro A50 X costs $379.99 at Best Buy, making it the priciest alternative here (and it's still less than the Kraken V4 Pro).

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Kraken V4 Pro review: Final thoughts

You should buy this if ...

✅You're interested in the Sensa HD Haptics

The headlining feature for the Razer Kraken V4 Pro is also a good metric for whether you should buy this headset. If the feature interests you then there's no other choice, but if you couldn't care less then this probably isn't the headset for you.

✅You simply want the best Razer has to offer

The mic isn't the absolute best Razer puts in a headset and there's no active noise canceling, but in all other respects this is the best wireless gaming headset Razer has ever made. If that's all you need, this is it.

You should not buy this if ...

❌You need a truly long-lasting headset without compromising

The Razer Kraken V4 Pro can last for dozens of hours if you disable its most unique features, but that's not how you should have to use any product you buy. If you prioritize longevity over other features, most premium gaming headsets will outlast the Kraken V4 Pro.

The Razer Kraken V4 Pro is a fascinating gaming accessory that's a smidgen hard to pin down.

On one hand, it's by far the best wireless gaming headset in Razer's arsenal and boasts a truly unique feature in its Sensa HD Haptics; on the other, Razer is asking you to pay a lot — more than most of the Kraken V4 Pro's closest competitors — to obtain that vibrating function. Nothing apart from the Sensa HD Haptics or RGB lighting truly set the Kraken V4 Pro apart from other luxury gaming headsets, and that can be a tough pill to swallow when the Razer Kraken V4 Pro costs $399.99 at Best Buy.

At the very least, the Sensa HD Haptics pleasantly surprised me. The Kraken V4 Pro is far more precise, responsive, and nuanced with its additional tactile feedback than I expected going into this review, and I never once wanted to disable it. At the same time, I'm not confident I'd truly miss that feature if I moved onto a new headset. Considering the Razer Kraken V4 Pro revolves around that feature, it's hard to unreservedly recommend this headset when you can't experience the Sensa HD Haptics beforehand.

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