The sub-$100 market for gaming headsets is incredibly competitive and is where the majority of headsets are sold. NACON is well aware of this, with its iconic RIG brand offering several affordable and feature-packed gaming headsets for every platform. The RIG 600 Pro HX is one such headset, offering wireless connectivity for Xbox, Windows PC, and practically any Bluetooth-enabled device for just under $100.
Dual wireless connectivity is normally reserved for more expensive headsets, so does the RIG 600 Pro HX sacrifice too much to achieve that? After a few weeks of using it as my primary headset, I can safely say the 600 Pro HX is among the best Xbox gaming headsets for those on a tight budget, especially if you want one pair of headphones for gaming, work, and everything else. There are inevitable compromises thanks to that low price point, but RIG mostly cuts the right corners here.
Disclaimer: This review was made possible by a review unit provided by NACON. The company did not see the contents of the review before publishing.
RIG 600 Pro HX review: Pricing and specifications
Pricing highlights
- The RIG 600 Pro HX costs $99.99 and offers both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth wireless connections.
- It's going directly against similarly priced headsets from Turtle Beach and Xbox.
- The 600 Pro HX is well-priced and offers a balanced mix of features and quality for the price.
• Price: $99.99 at Amazon | Walmart
• Connectivity: 2.4GHz wireless via USB Type-C dongle, Bluetooth 5.1
• Drivers: 40mm
• Microphone: Flip-to-mute, nondetachable, omnidirectional
• Battery life: Up to 24 hours (Bluetooth) / 18 hours (2.4GHz
• Extra features: Included Dolby Atmos license, RIG 600 Pro Navigator mobile app, dual wireless mode, on-headset controls
• Weight: 240g
• Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, PlayStation 4|5, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS
Many companies strive to become the champion of the sub-$100 headset market, with countless wired and wireless options from which to choose. The RIG 600 Pro HX takes the quantity-over-quality route, giving players a list of features usually only found in more expensive headsets. It's a wireless Xbox and Windows PC headset via a 2.4GHz wireless dongle, but it also features Bluetooth 5.1 for connectivity with practically any other device.
You can connect to your Xbox or PC and phone simultaneously to take phone calls while gaming, too. On top of that, you also get an included Dolby Atmos license for enhanced surround sound, and there's a dedicated mobile app to help you customize your EQs, edit settings, and more. In the box, you get the RIG 600 Pro HX, a USB Type-A to Type-C charging cable, a USB Type-a to Type-C extender cable, and a USB Type-C wireless dongle. The retail price of the RIG 600 Pro HX is $99.99 at Amazon.
RIG 600 Pro HX review: Design and build quality
Design highlights
- RIG's distinct design language returns here with an ultralight all-plastic construction.
- The 600 Pro HX doesn't look or feel premium, but it is durable, and the controls are smartly placed.
- The limited snap adjustment still isn't great, though, and buttons are hard to find by touch alone.
If you've seen one RIG headset, you've seen every RIG headset. The company has a very distinct, consistent design language that continues with the 600 Pro HX. That means you can expect a supremely low weight and durable construction, but you're not going to get premium looks or materials. This is an all-plastic headset with simple fabric padding and headset controls aligned along one side.
Those controls are difficult to feel via touch, thanks to the lack of texture being overwhelmed by the earcup's texture, but they do work well. You get a simple power button, a mode button for Bluetooth pairing and switching between the three wireless modes, a volume wheel, and a multifunction button for playing and pausing media and handling phone calls. I wish the multifunction button could also skip or replay tracks with double and triple taps, but you at least get a long press to activate your phone assistant. The mic is flip-to-mute and neatly stashes itself inside the headset when not in use.
RIG 600 Pro HX review: Comfort
Comfort highlights
- An extremely light weight makes the 600 Pro HX very easy to wear for long periods of time.
- It's also pretty comfortable, with soft cushions and solid headband padding.
- However, the earcups are cramped, the headset is overall small, and the three-tier snap adjustment is too limited.
The RIG 600 Pro HX is going to lose some points for its comfort. It's not an uncomfortable headset by any means, but those with larger heads probably aren't going to enjoy their time with it that much. An extremely low weight can only do so much, even when the earcup and headband padding are soft and comfy. The physical earcups are quite small, though, and so is the headset itself — making it feel a little cramped for my average-sized head. RIG's three-tier snap adjustment system returns again, and it's still too limited and unintuitive. Even at its largest, this headset is still on the small side.
RIG 600 Pro HX review: Sound quality
Sound quality highlights
- The 600 Pro HX isn't the best-sounding headset in this price range, but it does offer decent clarity and detail.
- It sounds more than good enough for gaming and is also good enough for casual music listening (especially if you tinker with the EQ).
- Dolby Atmos support is nice to see in a headset this affordable, and it does result in decent surround sound.
The RIG 600 Pro HX isn't going to blow you away when it comes to audio quality, but that's expected at this price range. It's still a good-sounding headset — especially when you're gaming. It's clear and detailed, and Dolby Atmos being included does lead to improved surround sound. You can customize EQs via the mobile app, which can help the headset sound better for consuming music (the default EQ muddies up mids too much for my liking). It's good enough to be your one and only pair of headphones if you're really looking to spend $100 in total.
RIG 600 Pro HX review: Microphone quality
Mic quality highlights
- The flip-to-mute mic looks fine on paper, and it is mostly... Fine.
- The mic sounds barely average in quality, though, and the short arm keeps it far from your mouth.
- It's clearly one area where corners were cut to make this price happen.
The RIG 600 Pro HX features an omnidirectional mic with built-in noise suppression, but "okay" is the peak of praise I can offer it. I do appreciate the flip-to-mute design that neatly stashes the mic inside the headset for a subtle look (although you do need to open it for phone calls), but the mic arm is very short. The mic will always be a decent distance away from your face, and the recording quality suffers from lackluster clarity, detail, and dynamics. You can listen to the sample above for more info.
RIG 600 Pro HX review: Battery life
Battery life highlights
- RIG promises up to 24 hours of use with the 600 Pro HX, an estimate that feels only slightly optimistic.
- That endurance isn't best-in-class, but it's a very solid showing from a budget headset.
- It's easy to charge the headset via Type-C, too, but there's no 3.5mm audio jack for a wired fallback.
Budget headsets tend to compromise when it comes to battery life, especially when an obvious focus for the headset is its low weight. Fortunately, RIG did a good job balancing endurance with weight here. The RIG 600 Pro HX can last up to 24 hours (via Bluetooth), according to the company. This feels a little optimistic to me, but only slightly. 15-20 hours of solid usage is very possible with this headset, no matter how you're using it.
USB Type-C makes charging the 600 Pro HX a breeze, but there is one con — No 3.5mm audio jack. That means if your headset dies, you have no way to plug in directly to continue playing or listening to music. I wish RIG had included the classic audio jack here.
RIG 600 Pro HX review: Other features
Other features highlights
- As a budget headset, the RIG 600 Pro HX isn't swimming in extra features.
- There's no docking station, included DAC, or swappable batteries, for example.
- However, you do get a solid mobile app, Dolby Atmos, and multidevice wireless connectivity.
The RIG 600 Pro HX is decently well-featured for the price range. Its headlining feature is, of course, its multi-device wireless connectivity. A 2.4GHz USB Type-C wireless dongle handles connections to Xbox consoles and Windows PCs, and performance is solid. I experienced a handful of drops and failed connections, but the vast majority of the time, there was no noticeable latency or interference.
Bluetooth 5.1 is also solid, with the headset able to connect to your phone for calls simultaneously. No, there is no simultaneous audio mixing. The headset is connected to two devices at once, but audio can only be played through one (and if you want to use the mobile app or do anything but take phone calls on your smartphone, you'll need to switch to the dedicated Bluetooth mode, as the USB dongle takes priority). Fortunately, it's easy and quick to switch wireless modes with the dedicated button.
The RIG 600 Pro Navigator is also surprisingly good. It's fast, reliable, and has a solid number of features, like editing your headset's settings, customizing EQs, and learning how to use your headset. It's a little strange that RIG has separate apps for different headsets, but most people will never notice or care. My only complaint is that there's no equivalent Xbox or PC app, and you can't be connected to 2.4GHz while using the mobile app.
RIG 600 Pro HX review: Competition
The RIG 600 Pro HX essentially has three major competitors at this price point. The HyperX CloudX Stinger Core Wireless has a mouthful of a name, but for $100, you're getting a headset with audio quality that punches well above its weight, but you're sacrificing PC support, Bluetooth connectivity, and a bit of battery life. There's also the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 2, which adds PC support over the Stinger Core Wireless and superior build quality, but you do sacrifice a little bit of sheer audio quality.
In my opinion, though, there's one clear, direct competitor to the RIG 600 Pro HX. The official Xbox Wireless Headset also hits that sub-$100 price and offers a stellar feature set with a high-quality and comfortable design, integrated Xbox Wireless and Bluetooth with dual-source audio mixing, and intuitive onboard controls. Its biggest weakness is the average audio quality, however, so those who prioritize that over all else may still prefer the 600 Pro HX and its Dolby Atmos integration.
RIG 600 Pro HX review: Final thoughts
You should buy this if ...
You should not buy this if ...
It's clear at a glance that the 600 Pro HX is made by the same team as the premium RIG 900 MAX HX I reviewed, but that headset costs over twice as much as this one. With the 600 Pro HX, RIG compromised on some features and overall quality to deliver a balanced wireless gaming headset. It works with practically every device imaginable, offers solid audio quality and wireless performance, and still throws in Dolby Atmos for good measure.
I wish the headset was more comfortable for more people, the mic was higher quality, and a 3.5mm audio jack was included, but those complaints aren't enough to write off the RIG 600 Pro HX entirely. It's one of the best Xbox headsets in this price range now, going up against behemoths like Turtle Beach and putting up a great fight. If Bluetooth support on top of Xbox and PC wireless support is important to you, the 600 Pro HX should be one of the first gaming headsets on your list.
