The best thing about a light headset is that you stop noticing it, and at 240 grams the BlackShark V2 X disappears faster than most. It lists at $59.99 and runs 50mm Razer TriForce drivers, each tuned separately for highs, mids, and lows, into closed-back cups with memory foam cushions. Connection is a plain 3.5mm jack, which means it works on a PC, a Mac, a PS5, an Xbox, a Switch, and a phone without thinking about it. There’s a cardioid HyperClear microphone, a steel headband, and 7.1 surround through Razer’s software on Windows.
Game audio is where the 50mm drivers earn their keep, with clear positional cues and enough separation to place footsteps. The bass is slightly boomy and walks over the mids a little, though it never gets harsh, and this is about the cheapest route into virtual surround sound there is. Music is acceptable rather than good, which is the usual gaming-headset trade. The virtual 7.1 only works through Razer’s software on Windows, so on a console you’re getting plain stereo and should price the headset accordingly.
Comfort is the strongest thing here. Memory foam cups, a padded headband, and that low weight got me through six-hour sessions without noticing them, and the adjustment mechanism still doesn’t creak. The microphone is genuinely good too, with the cardioid pattern tapering off rear and side noise so your room stays out of the call. The worry is durability. The thin metal adjustment rods, the plastic hinges where the cups rotate, and a cable that feels flimsy in the hand all worry me. A six-month follow-up review specifically raised the earcup hinges as a weak point.
There’s no wireless, no battery, and no USB sound card, and that last one is the specific difference between this and the pricier standard BlackShark V2. The V2 X also drops the detachable microphone, so the boom is fixed in place. On the plus side, a 3.5mm jack means genuinely universal compatibility, and no latency to worry about in competitive play. Some owners report the microphone coming across quiet, which hasn’t matched my experience, so it may be a settings or a unit-variance thing worth checking on day one.
Get these if you want a comfortable, light wired headset with a good microphone and you’re spending around sixty dollars. For long sessions with friends it does the important things well. Skip them if you want wireless, a detachable mic, or something you’ll be rough with, because the hinges and cable are the acknowledged weak points. The standard BlackShark V2 at around $99.99 adds the USB sound card and the removable mic if you want those. But at this price, comfort and mic quality are the two things that matter most, and this gets both right.
Pros
• 240g, so genuinely comfortable for six hour sessions
• Cardioid mic that keeps your room out of the call
• Plain 3.5mm, so it works on everything
• Cheapest easy route into virtual 7.1 on PC
Cons
• Plastic hinges and thin rods raise durability doubts
• Cable feels fragile for the money
• Bass can walk over the mids
• Surround only works via Razer software on Windows
Our score: 7.7/10