Razer Nari Wireless Gaming Headset Review – Hearing is Believing

Razer Nari Wireless Gaming Headset Review

It might sound a little strange to say, but any respectable gamer should own a decent pair of cans. I’m talking, of course, about a big ol’ fat headset that envelops your head for those long weekend gaming sessions. It doesn’t matter what you might look like to the outside world because the only thing that matters at that moment is you and the game. It’s been a while since I’ve owned a good headset so I was excited to get my hands on the new Razer Nari wireless gaming headset to test out. I’m so thrilled to have done so because — having used it for the past week playing games, watching movies, and talking to friends — I can say, without question, that the Razer Nari is the best headset I’ve ever had the pleasure of using.

I’m not kidding around when I say that every game I tested with the Razer Nari made me appreciate, not just the audio design, but the entire game that much more. Whether it be the unmistakable cry of a Draugr behind me in God of War, the rip-roaring engine of my car in Forza Horizon 4, or the web-slinging rush across New York in Spider-Man, playing video games with the Razer Nari is an enjoyable and engrossing experience.

Immersion to the Max

The word immersion gets tossed around a lot these days, particularly in the world of video games. In some cases, developers are able to immerse players into their games either through an atmosphere, world-building, and other game development trickery. But with the Nari, the sheer act of popping these bad boys on my noggin was enough to suck me in, every single time. It also helps that the Nari has THX Spatial Audio which offers 360 degrees positional sound. It isn’t quite surround sound, but it does a damn fine job emulating it.

Not only does it sound awesome when playing games, but it’s also great when watching movies. I tested out a bunch of big blockbusters like Avengers: Infinity War, Dunkirk, and Solo: A Star Wars Story, all of which sounded fantastic and took advantage of the spatial audio to great effect. Horror movies like Hereditary literally sent chills down my spine when using the Nari, and made my first time watching this nightmare an even more memorable and harrowing experience.

The overall look and feel of the Nari help to elevate it above other gaming headsets too. It might appear a little big at first but I’m happy to report that it doesn’t feel heavy on your head at all. With an auto-adjusting headband and cooling gel-infused cushions, wearing the Nari for long periods of time isn’t an issue at all. The gel-infused cushions really only last for a solid 20 minutes or so, but they do cool down rather quickly when you set them down.

Feature-Filled and Easy to Set Up

Setting up the Nari was also quick and easy. Pairing was a breeze, and the Nari thoughtfully stores the Bluetooth dongle in its own tray beneath the right ear cup. For those that prefer a wired solution, a standard aux cable is included in the box as well. I mainly used the Nari wirelessly but the old and plug-and-play option was handy when I knew the battery was low and I wasn’t ready to turn off my game. A volume wheel can be found on the right ear cup and was useful when my wife was trying to get my attention without me removing the headset altogether. Rounding out the left ear cup is a button to quickly mute the mic, the power button, a micro USB charging port, and the aforementioned 3.5mm headphone jack.

When it comes to actual voice chat, the Nari has you covered. On the left ear cup is a second wheel that can balance game and chat volume to your liking. It’s very well implemented and once I figured out the placement of the wheel, I found it incredibly useful when playing conversation-heavy games like Overwatch and Sea of Thieves. Other headsets often favour party chat over game audio, so it’s nice to have the option to fine tune it on the fly depending on the situation in a game.

The Razer Nari is but one of three new gaming headsets from the company. There’s also the Razer Nari Essential and the Razer Nari Ultimate. The former is basically their low-end model for $139.99 CAD while the latter — priced at $279.99 CAD — is their premium headset that comes equipped with everything the Nari has but with a new feature: Razer HyperSense. HyperSense is described as “intelligent haptic technology” that converts specific sounds into dynamic touch-sensory feedback. In other words, it rumbles and vibrates during key moments for maximum immersion. Despite not having Razer HyperSense, I’d still recommend the Nari as the one to get. It sits nicely in the middle and only costs $219.99 CAD. If you think it’s worth shelling out the extra dough for the Ultimate, then go right on ahead. For me, the Nari is where it’s at.

All in all, you can’t really go wrong in the end with the Razer Nari. Sure, it can be a bit pricey but if you’re someone that craves an all-in-one wireless headset for lengthy gaming sessions, the Razer Nari comes highly recommended.

***Headset Provided By Developer***