“For its price, the HyperX Cloud delivers an excellent audio performance, especially in first-person shooter games”
I’ve been on a lookout for a good gaming headset for quite some time now but as we all know, in the affordable price range, there are very few options available in the market. As the gaming industry has found a growing audience in India over the last few years, there are several gamers like me who cannot afford to buy SteelSeries and Acer Predator headsets but want quality audio experience while gaming. This is where the HyperX Cloud steps into the picture.
The HyperX Cloud headset’s new variant, meant specifically for the Sony PS4, has been launched in India and I have been testing the headset over the last few weeks to figure out if it is the perfect fit for me. I am not about to give you a TL;DR so please read on to find out if this headset should be your next purchase or not.
Table of Contents
Design and comfort
Starting off with the design, the HyperX Cloud for PS4 comes with a rather standard design with a utilitarian approach. The ear cups are kept in place with two metal extensions (coloured blue following PlayStation’s iconic colour scheme), which feel rigid and sturdy.
To be honest, there could have been more adjustment levels offered with these metal bands, but for me, the existing ones worked just fine. The over-the-head band comes with a foam padding on the inside that has been made using a soft material, and despite using the headset for long gaming sessions, I never had to think twice before continuing with YouTube surfing or binge-watching The Good Place because the headphones fit perfectly and do not feel cumbersome at all. To stay true to the colour scheme, the stitching on the top of the leather-like material used for the headband is also blue (royal blue to be specific). There’s a customary HyperX branding on the top of the band, for those of you who like the attention to details.
The plastic casing around the connecting point of the headband and metal extensions features the PlayStation branding as the brand wants you to know that the headset was built from the ground up keeping PlayStation users in mind. There is also a cable that connects this plastic casing to the ear cups on both sides. As the earcups are not attached to the metallic extensions, they can freely move to a certain extent for a comfort fit.
Coming to the most crucial aspect of the design, the ear cups feature a matte finish on the outside with a HyperX logo on each of the cups in (again!) blue. On the lower side of the left ear cup, there is a slot for connecting the microphone. Now, for those of you who do not like gaming headsets that come with permanently-attached microphones, this is great news as you can simply disconnect the microphone when not gaming and use the HyperX Cloud as a conventional pair of headphones. However, the plastic casing comes out entirely, and there is a very high chance that you might end up losing this cap unless you are very careful.
Unfortunately, the braided connecting cable is not detachable but personally, that is not something that I will hold against the product. The cable comes with in-line controls for volume, with a 3.5mm audio jack at one end.
Audio performance
As I mentioned earlier, I loved the fact that the HyperX Cloud headset is so comfortable to wear. However, comfort comes secondary to most users as the audio quality is vital when it comes to the gaming experience. To check the headset out, I started out by playing a few games on the PS4 as the headset is designed for the Sony console. Playing Apex Legends on the PS4, I could hear the game sounds, including explosions, player movements, and firing, crystal clear around me and the whole experience felt quite immersive. The cups cover the ears efficiently and manage to isolate ambient sounds very well. This is why I was not bothered by the frenetic typing sounds that are usually quite audible in the office.
Having tried a first-person shooter game, I moved on to FIFA 19. This time around, the noise of the crowd in the stadium was the standout aspect for me. Long story short, irrespective of the game, the experience delivered by the headset was quite immersive. Some of the sound elements that get easily missed by some of the other affordable gaming headsets could be distinctly heard with the HyperX Cloud. The mic quality was especially impressive as the person on the other end could easily hear my voice and felt like there was a substantial improvement in comparison to my usual headset (which I rather not name here). I even recorded my audio using the mic to be sure of the quality and found the recorded voice to be really good.
Most gamers don’t buy headsets exclusively for gaming on just one device/console and to get a better perspective on the HyperX Cloud, I even tried the headset while playing on my gaming laptop. Again, the audio quality delivered by the headset was impressive, to say the least. Suffice it to say that in this price range, HyperX delivers some quality sound.
As it was clear very early on that the HyperX Cloud delivers when it comes to gaming, I used the headset while watching movies, some TV shows, random YouTube browsing etc, and the 53mm drivers never let me down.
The only point that needs to be made clear here is that this headset cannot replace regular headphones that are meant specifically for music consumption. This is just to make sure that you don’t have unrealistic expectations from this gaming headset. But again, when I was listening to Riders on the storm by The Doors, I did not feel like switching from the HyperX Cloud and that says a lot about the music quality offered by the closed-back headset.
Specifications, pricing, and availability
The HyperX Cloud for PS4 headset comes with, as mentioned before, 53mm headphone driver units and measures 94.99×149.86×194.81mm. The headset weighs around 323.18 grams and the cord length is 1.3 metres. The signal-to-noise ratio offered by the closed back headset is 95dB. Total harmonic distortion stands at less than 2 percent. The frequency response sits between 15–25,000Hz.
In terms of pricing and availability, currently, you can purchase the headset from Flipkart for Rs 7,490. The usual price for the headset otherwise is Rs 9,990.
Verdict
In sum, the HyperX Cloud for PlayStation 4 is a compelling gaming headset, especially considering the price range. To be honest, this headset works well not just for gaming on the PS4, but any device that you might want to play on. Although the HyperX Cloud does not feature RGB lighting or any flashy component that will draw attention, it just gets the work done. The ear cups are extremely comfortable on the ears and the closed back headset ensures that you get an immersive experience while gaming.
If you can afford to spend a little extra, you can also go for HyperX Cloud II headset, which isn’t meant for the PS4 specifically, but brings along 7.1 surround sound to the table. Having said that, if you own a PS4, it definitely makes sense to buy a headset meant specifically for the console.
Editor’s rating: 3.5 / 5
Pros
- Comfortable padding on the ear cups
- Adjustable and removable microphone
- Immersive audio experience
- Sturdy build quality
Cons
- The over-the-head band could have offered more adjustment levels
- The removable cap for mic slot can be lost easily
Photos by Raj Rout
