Not so long ago we looked at the Kraken v3 gaming headset, the most common model of the new Kraken v3 line. Today it’s the turn of the v3 Hypersense. This headset also features the TriForce drivers and also has a new ‘Intelligent Haptics’ system on board.
Razer Kraken v3 Hypersense
Recommended retail price € 130,-
Link usb a
Compatibility Fully compatible with Windows PCs, limited compatibility with Mac and PlayStation
RGB features Yes
battery life N/A
Website razer.com 7 Score 70 
- Pros
- Fun gimmicks for gamers
- Build quality
- Microphone
- Haptics
- Negatives
- Connect only with non-disconnectable USB-A
- Not multi-usable
- Sound secondary to game experience
That haptics system is also directly the biggest difference between the regular Kraken v3 and the Hypersense version. The system ensures that the headset can physically vibrate with low frequencies. The older Razer Nari could do that too, but in this new Kraken the system has undergone a significant facelift. More on that later.
The headset is largely the same as the standard Razer Kraken v3 in terms of appearance, connectivity and extras. However, because of the haptics, the price is slightly higher: the Hypersense version costs 130 euros.
Build quality
In terms of appearance, there is virtually no difference between the v3 and the v3 Hypersense. The new Kraken game headsets have a fairly sturdy look and are spacious. Both the headband and the ear cups and ear cushions are thick. The memory foam on the cushions is covered on the inside with a soft, synthetic fabric and on the outside with a synthetic leather variant. This cover was chosen because in this way the vibrations of the haptic system can be better transferred to your head.
The headband is also thickly padded and connected to the hard plastic ear cups by means of a metal adjustment mechanism. The combination of the hard plastic, the thick ear cups and the metal mechanism make the Kraken v3 Hypersense feel very solid. The extra weight that the Hypersense carries with it compared to the standard v3 is negligible, making the Hypersense a fairly comfortable headset.
Haptics
The v3 and v3 Hypersense look almost completely identical, except for a small button on the bottom of the right earcup. With this button you can switch between three different intensity levels of the haptic system. The haptic system in the Kraken line is a big improvement over the Nari. This new system can not only vibrate left and right separately, the haptics also listen to the frequencies of the low sound.
This means that the new system can vibrate at different speeds. For example, if you drive an old diesel jeep, the headset will vibrate significantly slower than when you get into an F1 car. These nuances in the vibrations make the haptics more than a gimmick: they actually increase the precision with which you perceive the game and can even give you direction.
In practice, the new haptics system mainly provides a lot of fun. It is of course a bit absurd, such a vibrating headset on your head, but it really adds something. Especially on the lowest or middle setting, the haptics can give you that little bit of extra immersion and even enhance localization. For example, the system ensures that the recoil of a sniper or a sound effect in a horror game comes to life a lot more.
The fact that the system is also sensitive to different frequencies makes it feel quite dynamic. On the highest setting, however, all subtlety and dynamics are gone and it’s more or less like putting a washing machine on your head. Even that turns out to be nice in practice, but a bit less ‘usable’.
There is one very big caveat to the new haptic system: in-game music. If you slowly sneak up to an enemy through sheltered forests, the haptics will transmit subtle vibrations. If you are so close to the enemy that exciting music starts to play, all nuance can disappear from the haptics in one fell swoop.
The low frequencies of the music also have a direct influence on how violently the headset vibrates. This means that the system does not work well in every game and in some games only convinces at selective moments. It is therefore a matter of trial and error which intensity setting you choose and whether you might even have to turn off the in-game music, before you have a convincing experience.
Practical
As with the Razer v3, the only connection option of the Hypersense is the non-detachable USB-a cable. While that’s a slightly more common choice for headsets in the v3 price range, the v3 Hypersense with its associated higher price point is a real shortcoming. Also in the case of the Hypersense, the cable is only one and a half meters long: gaming from the couch with the console next to the television is therefore not possible without purchasing a USB extension cable.
The USB-a connection is undoubtedly necessary for the new haptic system to work properly, but an extra minijack connection – even if the haptics do not work with that connection – would not have been a superfluous luxury.
What stands out positively with the Hypersense, as with the v3, are the microphone and the simple volume wheel. The volume wheel responds seamlessly with system volume: there are no lags or stutters at all and the microphone in turn sounds quite convincing. It’s not as phone-like as you often hear with other gaming headsets, and thanks to the thick windshield, it’s also quite forgiving with consonants.
The microphone still sounds a bit too thin for content creators. Still, it’s one of the more convincing sounding headset mics.
Sound
Although the v3 and v3 Hypersense look identical and have the same drivers, the sound is quite different. This seems to be a direct result of the haptic system: the low-frequency information is much more pronounced. That’s mainly in the mid-low frequency part of the headset. And that makes the Hypersense sound somewhat hollow. On the standard v3 you already had the feeling that you could never really get to the core of the music, and with this Hypersense that is even more the case.
In-game this sound balance is a lot more convincing. It is therefore largely about the haptics with this headset. Precisely because of that extra dose of mid-layer, the haptics seem to match the sound of the headset a bit better: as if the vibration and the somewhat exaggerated low response flow seamlessly into each other. That doesn’t immediately give a very precise picture, but it does make for an incredibly immersive display that simply enhances the gameplay.
In conclusion
The new haptics system in the Razer Hypersense v3 is not an unqualified success, but when it works it is a lot of fun. That is also the core of this headset: very nice. Do not expect the most precise sound reproduction or a very multi-purpose headset, but rather a very solidly built game headset that increases gaming pleasure.
In addition to the haptics, you also get adjustable RGB lighting and excellent surround sound. That makes the Kraken v3 Hypersense primarily a game headset for gamers who like gimmicks and features. However, if you are looking for absolute precision in the sound, it is better to choose another game headset.
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