There’s a surprising amount of resistance to gaming devices marketed towards esports players. People want nice headphones, good mics🌼, and reliable controllers, but many get turned off by the esports label. Maybe they see controllers with too many buttons or a mouse with 30,000dpi and think, “I don’t need all that, I’m just trying to play Fortnite with the boys.&rdꦕquo; Things that benefit hyper-competitive players can often seem like overkill to casuals. Razer’s new esports headset, the BlackShark V2 Pro, does a great job of bridging that gap by making its highly-technical esports-focused features easy to understand and use, so that even the most casual players can appreciate the benefits of investing in a higher-end headset.
Before we get into the esports of it all, let’s talk about the design. As the progenitors of the gamer aesthetic, Razer’s headset have traditionally featured loud, some might say gaudy designs. Big round ear cups with neon green accent🔯s, RGB lighting, and cat ears have long been Razer’s hallmarks, but you won’t find any of that here. The Blackshark V2 Pro is simple and understated. It comes in either black and white, has no RGB, and the only neon green you’ll find is a thin ring around the tiny mute button. If not for the triple-headed snake logo on both ear cups you wouldn’t even recognize this as a gaming headset, and thanks to the detachable microphone, you can even use this Bluetooth headset on the go without worrying about drawing unwanted attention.
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It's also extremely lightweight and comfortable, thanks to the FlowKnit memory foam cushions inside the earcups. They create a nice sound-isolating barrier without putting too much pressure on my giant head, and the thin metal connecting the headband to the ear cups makes them easy to adjust to the right size. That said, I do worry about accidental bending, especially considering these don’t come with a carrying case.
I’ve been testing the PlayStatio𒁏n version for this review, which comes with a tiny USB-C dongle you have to plug into your PS5 (though it also works great with the Switch). I’ve had no drop outs or noticeable delay over Bluetooth or wireless, and the audio quality seems the same. Still, if there’s any chance of delay at all, I’m glad the wireless adapter is an option. I don’t love tiny adapters and removable pieces, like microphones, which feel intentionally designed to get lost, but if my gaming accessories have to have their own accessories, at least they’re high quality and reliable.
The key esports features in the BlackShark V2 Pro can be found in its EQ settings and 💖microphone. Razer worked with pro players in the most popular shooters to create EQ profiles designed specifically for Apex Legends, Call of Duty, a♕nd Fortnite. There’s no tuning necessary - right out of the box, the headset already has these profile available, and all you have to do is press the EQ button on the cup to access it.
It may seem gimmicky, but I think giving high-level competitive features this level of approachability is a big deal. You don’t need aspirations of going pro to benefit from the headset. If Fortnite is your game, it’s already perfectly tuned to give you the best experience and the biggest advantage that sound can give you. Each profile is tuned to emphasize the things that pro players of that game think are most useful. I did my testing in Apex Legends, and felt like footsteps were louder and more directional than I’m used to hearing. That’s a huge benefit, and I didn't have to do any of the work in creating that sound profile.
Razer is touting the HyperClear Super Wideband Mic as a game-changer for console headsets. Its 32kHz sampling rate is double the typical headset mic, and that wider frequency does offer better quality. The 9.9 mm condenser mic is definitely a big step up from other headsets, but it's still nowhere near offering the kind of range and clarity that a USB mic can offer. This is one compromise that may just be inherent to console gaming. It’s better than other headset mics, but it’s still not great.
All things considered,💧 the Blackshark V2 Pro is my favorite Razer headset to date. While designed for competitive console players, it has the flexibility to work with PC, Switch, and mobile, and it’s comfortable enough to wear all day. Its game-specific sound profile makes it easier to get esports-level sound tuning without any heavy-lifting, which means even the most casual players can still get a lot out of this competitive-focused headset.