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

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.

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.

I try to do a little research before a product arrives to learn some of the features but in this case, the R8 is so new it’s not even on the manufacturer’s website as I’m typing this. The first thing I noticed when I picked up the R8 is that the ear cushions are incredibly plush! They are thick memory foam and are able to make a good seal even around my glasses so that’s a huge plus. The ear cushions also use RIG’s SNAP+LOCK technology which uses four small but strong magnets so they can be easily removed to swap on other cushions that you purchase separately but they stay firmly in place during use. The outside of the cans have MOD-PLATES which also use SNAP+ LOCK so they can be swapped out. There is a QR code in the box which took me to what was supposed to be .stl files to print your own MOD-PLATES but unfortunately it directed me to a file for the R5 headphone MOD-PLATES which are different. I assume that’s because the R8’s are so new and that will be corrected shortly. The headphones include a charge dock that includes a usb-A to usb-C cable. I have the dock plugged into a usb-A hub and it works fine. The dock also has a usb-C port on top where you can plug in the included dongle which saves the usb-C port on the PS5 in case you’re already using that for something else. The dongle has a switch to select whether you’re connecting to a Playstation or a PC. The dock has some cool RGB effect bars on it. You can vary the brightness and the pattern by using either a long press (3s) or a tap. They are very thin bars and not distracting at all. The dock is handy to keep the headset tidy while charging instead of just laying on a shelf plugged into a cable. Placing the headset on the charger disconnects it from the Playstation. The headset also has a usb-C port on it, the manual specifies not to plug the device into a power supply exceeding 15w. Maybe on the next version they will change the dock to have SNAP+LOCK side plates so those can be changed to match my console colors? The all black dock doesn’t match my black and white controller chargers and console. The battery is 1100mAh, life is stated to be 60 hours. The battery is housed under the left MOD-PLATE and is removable so it can be replaced if needed. The microphone on this headset is on the right side ear cup and is the flip to mute style which I prefer. I used it in game and for phone calls and I was told it is very clear. The boom is bendable to set it the correct distance from your mouth. It is spec’d as being uni-directional and noise canceling. In my use, I thought I had the noise canceling turned off because callers could hear every little noise in the room and beyond. My neighbor was using a string trimmer and a caller could hear it running even though I was indoors with our windows closed. I honestly don’t see a setting in the app or a button on the device to turn the noise canceling on or off so I have to assume it’s on all the time and if that’s the case I don’t think the noise canceling works very well. If I missed something I’d like to know please! I did have the mic gain turned fully down and it mitigated some background noise but it’s still not as good as other noise canceling headsets I have used. The headset is very comfortable for long wear, only thing I would ask is that the ear cups need a little more length in adjustment. I wear a 2xl hat and with the ear cups pulled fully down they just barely fit over my ears with the pad on the headband fully compressed. I’d like a little more length to take some compression off the band pad. A quarter inch extra travel would make it perfect. The audio quality is excellent and the app has an eq so you can adjust it to your preference. The 3D audio is such a game changer especially in FPS games where you can hear your opponent’s footsteps as they sneak up behind you. I don’t typically use headphones for listening to music on my phone since I prefer earbuds for that but I did try these and they sound great! I use the headset in dual mode, BT to my phone and 2.4 GHz to the charge dock so I can make adjustments in the app or take a call while playing a game.

RIG gaming headsets were first manufactured pre-2010 by Plantronics under the "GameCom" and "Audio" names. Plantronics released the first RIG headsets in the early 2010s. They were snapped up by competitive gamers who appreciated their lightweight, premium quality design. Nacon acquired the RIG brand from Plantronics in 2020 & upgraded their wireless technology. RIG just introduced the R8 SPECTRE PRO HX Dual Wireless Gaming Headset with Graphene Drivers and Base Station for PlayStation. This is an ultra lightweight headset that is super comfortable and is designed for extended gaming sessions without fatigue. R8 Spectre Pro sounds fabulous with deep bass & crystal clear highs! I find myself inviting friends to hop on the PS5 more frequently than ever before because of its comfort & sound clarity. The base Station features RGB on 2 sides & cable routing in the base. Simply place the headset on the base & it begins charging instantly. After unboxing, the first step is to download the RIG R-Pro Navigator app. Follow the instructions to update your headset. Next, click on "Customizations" to fine tune "Microphone Gain & Monitoring", "Equalization", "Headset Start Mode", "Voice Prompts and Tone", and "Game/Chat Balance". CONCLUSION: Gaming with PS5 has never been so enjoyable until R8 Spectre Pro changed everything! This amazing headset earns my highest recommendation!

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.