RIG - R8 PRO HS Dual Wireless Over-Ear Gaming Headset w/Graphene Drivers & Base Station for PS5, PS4, PC, Switch - Black

I am writing this review for the Nacon PlayStation RIG R8 SPECTRE Dual Wireless Gaming Headset and Base Station. First, I am super impressed that Nacon actually partnered with Sony to produce the RIG R8 Pro HS headphones. When I saw the PlayStation logo on the rear caps, I felt a lot more at ease knowing these headphones would actually pair and work with my PS5 Pro console. And it did, flawlessly and very easily. Second, out of the box the kit comes with the headphones themselves (with attached non-removable mike), USB-C wireless Bluetooth transmitter, charging station, USB cord, of course the snap-lock PlayStation mod plates, and all the usual literature, including a quick-start guide. There is a QR code to scan that will also help with the setup. Setup was actually quite easy, so there are no real concerns there. The headphones, this is where the rubber meets the road. The R8 Pro’s come equipped with graphene drivers. Without getting in teacher mode, the function of any driver is to move back and forth fast, accurately, and without wobbling, wobbling being distortion. Just to clarify, these are graphene-coated drivers, not pure graphene drivers. But being able to deliver 20Hz – 40kHz frequency response is impressive, but with a few caveats. Where other 20-40kHz headphones can sound rich, full, musical, spacious and detailed, the R8’s are tactical and very clear. Bass is controlled, not super deep or booming (the 20Hz range). The highs are boosted (in the > +/- 12-15kHz range), which allows for a clear AND directional hearing of footsteps, distant gunfire, etc.). This is the R8’s strong point, and why they are so “tactical.” You don’t have to wait until you are getting shot at to know someone has walked up on you. The fit was a little sketchy for me at first. When I put them on, they felt almost tight, too tight. But the memory foam ear cups soon “kicked in” and had loosened up enough to be quite comfortable.. Don’t get me wrong, they are snug, but even after 6 hours, they had not become uncomfortable. The earcups are breathable, and don’t seem to build up any heat at all. I like the fact that they are easily removable in case you need to replace them or whatever. One thing I like about the design of these particular headphones is the removable outer earcups. In fact, the PlayStation earcups that came with the R8’s are replacement cups for the factory stock cups, and they are sharp. The microphone is not removable. To me that isn’t a big deal at all, especially since I have a tendency to lay things down and forget where I put them, so if I took off the microphone, there is no telling where it would end up until I found it months later! One thing I would have liked to see was the ability to locate the mike on either side of the headphones, but unless Nacon makes the R8’s for right or left and I don’t know it, you just have to deal with the microphone being on the right. Controls are located on the right as well. There is a bit of adjustment needed if you are already used to the location and functions of the controls on your current headset, but there is quite the minimalist design to the R8’s, so the controls are actually quite few and simple to learn… Power, Volume, Bluetooth Pairing, and the Game/Chat “switch” (immediately above the Volume wheel). The Game/Chat switch is a tricky little devil. In theory, it alternates between being able to hear the game more, or being able to hear chat better. But depending on how you actually have it setup, there are times when it doesn’t appear to do anything at all. The one downfall of the included quick start guide is that it doesn’t really cover this button at all… I had to do some searching on the web before I figured it out. But what about the sound? That’s the real question with the R8’s. As I alluded to earlier, the SPECTRE R8’s have a frequency range from 20Hz to 40kHz. Nacon states the R8’s are designed for FPS. So, they are tuned to be more tight and controlled instead of booming with bass. Why? Deep bass will smother the sounds of approaching footsteps and other sounds. The bass is still acceptable, and I am glad Nacon decided to tune them this way. When I say you can hear approaching footsteps, AND you can tell from which direction, I am being completely honest. They rule in this particular arena. And Nacon knew exactly what they were doing. Across the board, the R8’s offer up good to superior sound, depending on the circumstances. And again, these are FPS-dedicated headphones, and that is important to keep in mind. Bottom line, an audiophile would not buy these, but a serious gamer will. Bottom line on the sound is, yes, it is good, and on some levels very good. I truly appreciate the graphene drivers for their ability to deliver unbending audio, and to do so without distortion of any kind. For gaming, you want these in your arsenal. For music? Look elsewhere. As a footnote, the microphone seems to work very well. I’ve asked several people online how I sound, and they all say my voice is clear and easy to understand. The SPECTRE R8’s come with a charging base. In my way of thinking, although it is convenient as a place to put your phones when not wearing them, it’s just one more thing you have to deal with in what is, at least in my house, an already crowded environment of computers, consoles, headphones, VR headsets, etc. I put the charging base on the floor in front of the TV. I almost always just plug a charging cable directly into whatever needs charging. So what is my honest assessment of the Nacon PlayStation RIG R8 SPECTRE Dual Wireless Gaming Headphones? They are absolutely a worthy investment. They sound better (for gaming) than my other gaming headsets. They are comfortable (very), fit well, and don’t leave your ear sweating. And what about the battery life?? OMG, the R8 is rated at 60 hours!! SIXTY hours! I feel like I have been playing non-stop since I got the SPECTRE R8’s, and the battery life is still great! Yes, get these! You will seriously be glad you did.

These wireless headphones check all the boxes for me. They say “built different” on the packaging. I don’t really have a benchmark to judge that statement, as this is my first PS5 headset I’ve owned for my PS5. I can tell you that these things are great for my first pair! The base is heavy and sturdy with large rubber feet. The power cord routes under the base and plugs in on one of the sides. Love the fact that they give you 3 options on the bottom, of how to route the cord from the base out to the wall plug or power strip. (photo) This gives you 3 different options how to route the cord. There are carve outs in the plastic so the base lays flat and sits firm on whatever surface you have it on. Basically, you can orientate the direction the headphones sit on the base, that works best for your setup. I like the design of the base. The only issue imo, is that the cord should be a foot or two longer than it is. If you need a long cord, you should be able to just use a longer USB-C to USB-A ,as this is what it comes with. You plug the USB-C end into the base, then the USB-A into the PS5. The base comes with the obligatory RGB lights, with effects that you can change by pressing a button on the base. Now let’s talk about the headphones. They connect and charge to the base on the bottom of the L side. There is a magnetic charging connection (photo). This makes it easy to know which side goes where. There is a strong magnetic connection. They have nice padding under the top, and for your ears. It’s cooling and doesn’t make you sweat around your ears. The true test was could you wear them for a considerable amount of time without pressure or mentioned above, make you sweaty. I played for numerous hours without any strain on my head. The 1 true complaint I have about these headphones is they do not quite fit my head. If they extended even ½” more they would have. If you have a really big cranium, you might want to look elsewhere. The sides have magnetic+snap-lock mod-plates. Underneath the left side mod-plate, is the replaceable battery pack (photo). I researched online and found them on the manufacturers (Nacon) website for around $20. That is an AMAZING feature to me. These headphones can last for YEARS due to that feature! They claim roughly 60 hours on a charge. If you’re travelling with them and don’t want to take the base, no problem there is a USB-C charging port on the bottom of the right side, another AMAZING feature if you ask me. Another feature on the right side is the bendable flip-to-mute mic. Works great in my opinion, no issues there. Above the mic is the power button. You use that for the obvious reason and also for dongle pairing. Above the power button is the volume wheel. Above the volume wheel is the audio controls/ mic.mute button. This button is how you perform the phone functions, when your phone is connected. When my phone was connected and I was playing a game, a call came in and it quickly connected to my phone and I could take the call easily. That was impressive, no bugs at all! You’ll have to download the RIG app to get started just like with everything in this world. This is beneficial though as there are nice features there. Had some initial connectivity hiccups and the app froze on me a couple times, but it seems to have corrected itself now. There is a USB-C wireless adapter (dongle) that cradles in either the base station, or connects directly to the PS5. You can add up to four dongles for connecting to multiple consoles. There is a manual switch on the dongle, to be able to use on a PC as well. These are absolutely amazing, and I couldn’t really ask for more! After my experience with these, I’m afraid that Nacon gained a lifetime customer here. I will look right to them for my next set, if anything happens to these. Highly recommend!!

Two factors attracted me to this RIG R8 Pro Headset. One being that it has a charging base. And the other is that it utilizes the 3D audio feature that the PS5 has. Set Up: Setting up this headset doesn’t require a tedious checklist. My R8 was basically ready to go out of the box. I say basically because there is an update needed upon connecting the headset to the RIGR app. Can you use this headset without the app or updating? Sure, but you’re going to miss out on the customization features if you do. I really liked the fact that I can update the headset through the app rather than being required to download a desktop app and then needing to connect the headset to my PC. The fewer steps, the better. Setting up the charging base was easy, too. Whereas other headsets have a dongle that takes up a USB slot on your PS5, while also requiring you to use another USB slot for the charging cable. Gamer problems, right? It’s nice to have both the charging and the dongle connector in one spot. The dongle fits nicely into the charging base, leaving you a free USB slot. Once you’ve updated the headset, you are now free to customize the type of audio EQ that you may desire. There are already some preset options, but you are also allowed to create your own audio experience. Performance: For me, it feels like the R8 Pro takes advantage of the PS5 3D audio. Audio is an important part of the gaming immersion. The two games that I have been playing the most with this headset are Crimson Desert and Pragmata. Hearing natural sounds and random NPC conversations that seem like they are right next to you really helps you slide into the moment. While with Pragmata, the high-energy gunfire, accompanied by sharp electronic hacking sounds, adds to the heart-racing moments. I also enjoy the flip to mute microphone instead of pressing a mute button that I cannot see or accidentally rolling the volume wheel. The microphone is decent and doesn’t lessen my voice when I am streaming or talking to a friend in chat. Comfort: You cannot enjoy good audio without comfort. Fortunately, the R8 headset has incredibly soft ear cups that don’t suffocate your ears during long gaming sessions. And the headband doesn’t pinch your head either. Customize: The charging base has a quant RGB effect built into it. You can choose what color or style you want it to display. There’s also the option to replace the ear cup covers (available via their website). Nacon has been really delivering with their recent controllers and now the RIG R8 Pro Headset.

RIG makes several of my favorite headsets I’ve owned over the years due largely to how light and comfortable they are combined with great sound quality. The RIG R8 Pro HS continues most of what I have loved about past examples but makes a few changes I’m not completely sure about. First off, it is a comfortable headset as usual for the most part, but their new headband which trades the interior loose strap inside a large band for a solid padded band is not a good change in my opinion. It makes the headset smaller which means fitment for large heads such as mine is no longer ideal. It’s still better than several other options I’ve had but not nearly as good as the older RIG’s were. They do however have very good earcups that feel great even over my glasses. The flip to mute boom mic, and mode select, volume, and power controls are all on the back of the right side which keeps everything together but also makes the one side busy compared to the other. The headset drops into the included charging stand, which also houses the wireless dongle which can be used with or without the stand. As a result of that design the stand can be used independently of the dongle which allows it to be plugged in for charging without having to keep the USB ports on your PS5 powered all the time if you choose to set it up that way. The sound quality with 3D audio is excellent, and battery life is more than adequate for longer gaming sessions. I experience some discomfort from the new head band after a couple hours which is a real issue for me. I think that overall, this is a good effort from Nacon, but it isn’t quite perfect.

So I have to be honest here. I was not expecting much from the RIG R8 Spectre Pro HS. Like, at all. I've been burned before, more times than I care to admit. I've gone through those sad little headsets you find in a bargain bin at a drugstore, the ones where the "leather" peels off after three weeks and the sound is basically just a suggestion of noise. And I've also done the opposite. I've dropped $300 on "pro" headsets that felt like they were designed by someone who hates human skulls. You put them on and within an hour it's like your head is caught in a very expensive, very plastic vice. So my expectations for this one? Somewhere in the middle, leaning toward disappointment. But no. After a few weeks of using this thing on my PS5, I am genuinely, almost annoyingly impressed. It actually made some of my old games feel new again, which is a weird thing to say about a headset but here we are. Let's talk about the sound first, because that's the whole point, right? They put these 50mm graphene coated drivers inside, which sounds like marketing nonsense until you actually hear them. And you can really tell the difference when things go off the rails on screen. You know how in most headsets, when an explosion happens and the music swells and someone is yelling, it all just turns into this muddy soup of noise? Like you're listening to a battle through a wet blanket? Yeah, not here. The sound is sharp. Unreasonably sharp. I'm hearing things in games I have played for literal years that I somehow never noticed before. Little details like the wind whistling through specific trees, or the tiny difference between footsteps on metal versus wood versus wet concrete. It's almost annoying because now I can't unhear it. And when you pair that with the PS5's 3D audio, it gets a little spooky. The positional accuracy is so good that I can tell exactly where someone is coming from before they even show up on the map. That is a massive deal if you play anything competitive, or if you just enjoy not getting shot in the back like a fool. Now, battery life. I have trust issues with battery life claims. Companies always say stuff like "up to 60 hours" and then in real life you get maybe 15 if you're lucky and you don't breathe on it wrong. But this time? They say 60 hours on the 2.4GHz wireless connection, and in my experience, that is pretty much spot on. I can game every night for a full week and not even think about charging it. I forget it even has a battery. And when I do finally need to charge it, the base station actually earns its spot on my desk instead of just being a useless piece of plastic that collects dust. You just drop the headset onto the magnetic dock and it clicks into place like it's happy to see you. It's so much better than fumbling around for a tiny USB C cable in the dark when you're half asleep and irritated. The dual wireless feature is something I did not think I would care about at all. Bluetooth 5.2 and 2.4GHz running at the same time? I figured it was one of those unnecessary bells and whistles that sounds cool in a press release but nobody actually uses. But nope. It's a game changer. I can stay connected to my phone for Discord or even take a quick call without having to take the headset off or pause my game. It just works quietly in the background like a polite coworker instead of a screaming toddler. Seamless. I hate using that word but it fits here. Comfort is usually where I give up and start shopping around again because I wear glasses. Most headsets start to pinch after about 45 minutes, right behind the ears, and then I spend the rest of the night readjusting and grumbling. But these are surprisingly light for how much tech is crammed inside. They weigh around 315 grams, which is nothing, and they have these memory foam ear cushions that actually breathe instead of trapping heat like a space heater for your ears. I've done some pretty long sessions recently, the kind where you look at the clock and realize three hours have vanished into a black hole, and I haven't dealt with that annoying ear heat or pressure at all. I kind of forget I'm wearing the headset after twenty minutes, which is really the highest compliment you can give a headset. Even the little stuff is well thought out, and I'm a sucker for good little stuff. The RIG Navigator app is actually easy to use if you want to mess with your EQ settings or change how your mic sounds. No weird menus, no frustration. And the mic itself has a simple flip to mute design. You just flip it up and you're muted. No searching for a tiny button while you are in the middle of a heated match and someone is yelling at you. Just flip and done. It's the little victories. So here is the bottom line. If you are looking for a new headset and you want something that is best in class without spending a small fortune, I cannot recommend the RIG R8 Spectre Pro HS enough. It is about $180, and I honestly think it performs better than headsets I have owned that cost a hundred dollars more. It completely changed how I enjoy my PS5, and I think anyone who tries it will have a hard time going back to anything else. Total home run. Go buy it and then come back and thank me later. These do NOT disappoint!