What you need to know
- Razer recently announced the Kraken V4 wireless PC gaming headset, and we now have its much more premium sibling.
- The Kraken V4 Pro does boast a very similar design, complete with the new-and-improved 9-zone Razer Chroma RGB lighting.
- However, improved audio quality, superior connectivity, Razer's next-gen Sensa HD haptics, and a Control Hub with an OLED display all contribute to the much higher price tag.
- The Razer Kraken V4 Pro is available starting today for $399.99, and will work with Windows PC, PlayStation, and most Bluetooth-enabled devices.
My review of the Razer Kraken V4 wireless gaming headset actually just went live on Windows Central, and I already know which headset will grace my ears next. Razer has now released the ultra-premium "Pro" variant during RazerCon 2024, and it's unlike any other headset you can buy right now.
Where the Razer Kraken V4 is a balanced, upper mid-range wireless gaming headset with a more reasonable price tag, the brand-new Razer Kraken V4 Pro is the picture of resplendence. You'll have to pay a hefty price to add this headset to your gaming setup, but you're getting features you won't find elsewhere — including the return of Razer's haptic headset technology in an upgraded form and a dedicated OLED Control Hub.
You can buy the Razer Kraken V4 Pro starting today for $399.99 at Razer, and you can also keep reading for more information on this interesting headset, including my very early impressions and thoughts on Razer's new "Sensa HD Haptics" family.
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A new peak for Razer's PC gaming headsets
The Razer Kraken V4 Pro represents the new flagship for Razer's expansive gaming headset lineup, jumping well above Razer's other options in price. It's a bold move, but Razer is counting on this headset's unique capabilities to entice buyers, and the company may just be on to something.
• Price: $399.99 at Razer | Best Buy
• Connectivity: 2.4GHz Razer HyperSpeed Wireless via USB Type-C w/ OLED Control Hub, wireless via Bluetooth 5.3, wired via USB Type-C, wired via 3.5mm audio jack w/ OLED Control Hub
• Drivers: Razer TriForce Bio-Cellulose (40mm, redesigned open driver plate design, 20-28,000Hz frequency response, 32Ohms impedance)
• Microphone: Razer HyperClear Super Wideband Mic (retractable, nondetachable, unidirectional, 32KHz sampling rate, 10-10,000Hz frequency response, internal pop filter)
• Battery life: Up to 13 hours w/ Chroma on, up to 50 hours w/ Chroma off
• Extra features: 9-zone Razer Chroma RGB lighting per earcup, Razer Sensa HD Haptics, THX Spatial Audio, OLED Control Hub, simultaneous 2.4GHz & Bluetooth audio mixing, AAC & SBC Bluetooth audio codecs
• Weight: 397g (0.88lbs)
• Platforms: Windows PC (including handhelds), PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS
At its base, the Razer Kraken V4 Pro shares a lot of similarities with the more affordable non-Pro Kraken V4. It's the same familiar Kraken design, but also slimmed down by a few millimeters in every dimension... which makes a considerable difference when you're talking about a headset. Unlike previous Krakens, the V4 Pro feels quite compact and wouldn't stand out if you were to wear it out and about as a normal pair of wireless headphones.
Well, unless you wanted it to. The Kraken V4 Pro also boasts the new 9-zone Razer Chroma RGB lighting in each earcup that the normal V4 does, which can be customized via Razer Synapse to display all manner of colors and patterns. With a diffuser plate, the RGB lighting looks excellent and uniform, although it does drain quite a lot of battery. With the Sensa HD Haptics, the Kraken V4 Pro has less endurance in general than the normal Kraken V4 down to 13-50 hours from 35-70 hours.
Speaking of Sensa HD Haptics, this is the upgraded successor to the Razer HyperSense haptics we first saw in the Razer Nari Ultimate. Precise haptic motors embedded in the earcups of the Kraken V4 Pro can integrate with games or even automatically convert audio to haptics, resulting in a more dynamic gaming or media experience than you'll find anywhere else. It joins the Razer Kishi Ultra mobile controller and the brand-new Razer Freyja (first introduced as the Project Esther we demoed at CES 2024).
I'll need a lot more time to gauge if this technology is actually worth the added cost and complexity, but it's certainly one of the Kraken V4 Pro's main selling points. The Sensa HD Haptics will work with basically any game, movie, or music and can be customized via Razer Synapse, but special integration will be available in a growing variety of games including Frostpunk 2, Hogwarts Legacy, and more.
The other main selling point for the Razer Kraken V4 Pro is the OLED Control Hub. This is actually the connectivity hub for the headset, too, connecting to your devices via USB Type-C or 3.5mm audio and talking to the Kraken V4 Pro with Razer HyperSpeed wireless.
The Kraken V4 Pro also boasts Bluetooth 5.3 support, and for the very first time supports multi-source audio mixing so you don't have to choose between the game audio and your music or voice chats. With USB Type-C wired audio support, too, the Kraken V4 Pro has some of the most advanced connectivity of any Razer headset, supporting basically every platform under the sun... Except for Xbox, unfortunately. Yes, I'm frustrated, too. It would've been nice to see this $400 headset go that extra mile, but it's not entirely Razer's fault as Xbox requires companies to work with it to support Xbox consoles with third-party wireless accessories.
Back to the OLED Control Hub, this is a one-stop-shop for customizing your Kraken V4 Pro without relying on the new Razer Synapse 4 software, featuring a dial, button, and OLED display to allow users to control volume, haptics, audio profiles, and more. You can also customize the OLED Control Hub to display images or GIFs when idle, with a ton of preset options as well as a way to upload your own images or GIFs in Synapse.
Finally, a brief mention on audio quality. The Razer Kraken V4 Pro actually doesn't use the TriForce Titanium drivers I'm used to in other high-end Razer headsets. Instead, it uses a new version of the TriForce Bio-Cellulose drivers first used in the Razer Barracuda Pro, apparently delivering a warmer and more delicate sound compared to Titanium but without sacrificing sound velocity. Razer's new open driver plate design also brings the drivers closer to your ears and offers superior audio dynamics, although I'll have to do my own testing to see if the Kraken V4 Pro really does sound noticeably better than something like the regular Kraken V4.
On the other side of the audio spectrum, the Razer Kraken V4 Pro boasts the same retractable HyperClear Super Wideband Mic of the Kraken V4, which promises much improved recording quality versus most other gaming headsets. It won't be quite as good as the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023) I reviewed thanks to smaller components, but I can confirm that the Kraken V4's mic is well above average and the V4 Pro should be no different.
The Razer Kraken V4 Pro is one of the most expensive accessories Razer made and is certainly in the upper echelons of mainstream gaming headsets. Most of that added cost is on the Sensa HD Haptics and OLED Control Hub, too, and the value of the former requires more testing and the latter, while useful for quick controls and connectivity, isn't a premium Digital-to-Audio Converter (DAC) that seeks to improve audio quality. There's also no active noise cancellation (ANC), either, something you expect to see once you hit this price range.
I'm willing to give Razer the benefit of the doubt given the company's recent track record, and I'm genuinely looking forward to exploring this headset's features and what it's capable of over the coming weeks. If you're hesitant to spend $399.99 at Razer to pick up the Kraken V4 Pro, though, stay tuned for my full review on Windows Central.
With the regular Kraken V4 only costing $180 in comparison, it'll be interesting to see just how much of an upgrade the V4 Pro proves to be. You don't have to wait for that analysis, either, as my Razer Kraken V4 review is already here, and I concluded that "it's a versatile headset that excels at almost everything."
