Few headsets are as instantly recognizable as Razer’s Kraken Kitty. The peripheral has cast a spell over countless streamers and lovers of all thingsKawaii, quickly becoming a beloved addition to setups worldwide and a statement piece for many up-and-coming Twitch personalities. Following in the footsteps of the V2 Pro, launched in late 2022, the highly anticipated V3 lineup is here, punctuated by several useful upgrades and improvements to the quintessential Razer cat-eared headgear.
Two variants have been released this time around, with the Kraken Kitty V3 Pro being the pricier option but offering more power and wireless connectivity. For those on a budget, the V3 X is a more lightweight but exclusively wired option, with a universal 3.5mm headphone jack. During my time with the Pro, I was nearly overwhelmed with the customization options for my kitty ears, and equally stunned by how comfortable it was to wear during long stretches of gaming. However, not everything was perfect, with the V3 Pro failing to provide the amount of bass necessary for my jam sessions.
Package Contents, Headset Design, and Comfort
- Razer Kraken Kitty V3 Pro Gaming Headset
- USB Type C Razer HyperSpeed Wireless Dongle
- USB Type A to Type C Cable
- USB Type A to Type C adapter cable
- Informative Guide
The packaging for the Kraken Kitty V3 Pro is sleek and simple, with its matching dongle and various cables neatly arranged behind the iconic pink and white headset. (Both versions of the V3 are also available in the classic Razer black and green, or in pure white.) The box immediately draws attention to the fruitful options gamers will have when picking up this unique offering, with the V3 Pro compatible with PC and smartphones, along with PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and even the Steam Deck.
To make things more fun, hundreds of games can be synced with the Kraken Kitty’s RGB settings, meaning that when attacked, the cat’s ears may flash red, or when successfully leveling up, they can glow gold. They can also react dynamically to what’s happening during a streaming session, and for those going for a specific look, every aspect of the headset’s lighting can be customized with incredible precision. After charging them up, I found myself in the Razer Chroma app for far too long–something that has persisted during my time with these shiny cans.
While the V3 Pro is surprisingly lightweight, I did feel a bit of discomfort after wearing them for prolonged periods of time–two or three hours proved to be the max before I needed a bit of a break. Mileage may vary, however: I had my husband wear them during a lengthy gaming session (camera on with the boys, of course) and he had no problem keeping them on for 5+ hours.
Audio Performance and Battery Life
In terms of audio, the Kraken Kitty V3 Pro provides THX Spatial Audio for 7.1 surround sound and utilizes Razer’s Triforce Titanium 40 mm drivers. Using Razer Synapse, it’s easy to tweak performance as well, with the Sound Normalization option making it easier to pick up soft sounds without amplifying loud noises, and the bass boost enhancing those deeper notes. Unfortunately, I found the bass to be lacking even after tweaks, but this was more of a pet peeve than a turn-off. When gaming, the bass was perfectly serviceable, with every explosion and dramatic spell cast resonating loud and clear, but during too-intense Spotify sessions, it didn’t quite hit the mark.
For gaming sessions with friends, the retractable mic is sturdy and unobtrusive, and the quality is certainly there, picking up my voice effortlessly, even when I purposely spoke quietly with the addition of annoying background noise. As with the audio itself, there are several mic controls to perfect your experience, with the option to filter out ambient noise and tweak each frequency individually, which can make a huge difference. For the somewhat hefty $180 price tag, I’d expect this number of toggles and sliders, and they are hugely useful in practice, with Razer’s apps easy to use and surprisingly fun to play with.
As expected, utilizing the shining cat ears will put strain on the headset’s battery life. When turned off, I managed to use the V3 Pro for just over 60 hours, with that being drastically reduced to around 10 hours with the RGB lighting and haptics turned on. This wasn’t a huge surprise, nor was it an issue, as I didn’t feel the need to turn the headset’s lights on if I wasn’t on camera. Still, it may frustrate streamers or those who simply want to experience the peripherals’ full range of features at all times, so it’s something to keep in mind.
Customization Options
This is the Kitty V3 Pro’s bread and butter, and beyond the headset’s consistent audio quality and Razer’s positive reputation in the PC peripheral sphere, it’s likely the main reason why most consumers will want to pick it up. To say that the customization options found in the Razer Synapse software are plentiful would be an understatement, and to call them overwhelming for first-time users would be right on the money. I expected to be able to change the color of the glowing cat ears and potentially cycle through different effects or routines. I didn’t expect to have the option to fine-tune the headset’s lighting to the degree offered, and I earnestly spent a solid hour fiddling with the software until it looked exactly how I imagined it should.
My favorite aspect of the V3 Pro goes beyond do-it-yourself customization, as I became instantly obsessed with the Audio-to-Haptics feature, which automatically responds to your system’s audio and can be synced with supported games. As previously mentioned, this feature isn’t too useful unless you’re on camera with buddies or streaming (or you simply have your webcam on to gaze at yourself like any normal, well-adjusted person). It could be shrugged off as a nifty novelty, but when trying to differentiate oneself in the headset space, it doesn’t hurt–and it also made me want to play some games I hadn’t picked up before, just to see the effects. Hogwarts Legacy felt a little more magical as my cat ears lit up to match each spell I cast, and hitting the jackpot at the Gold Saucer in Final Fantasy 14 had a little more oomph as the headset went ham with flashing lights. Horror games are also a blast: the lights pulse with the player’s breath inOutlast 2.
Final Thoughts
The Razer Kraken Kitty V3 Pro is a solid piece of hardware that offers players dedicated to a pastel, cutesy aesthetic a way to express themselves and punctuate their gameplay without giving up on quality. While the comfort wasn’t quite there for me during long periods of time and the headset’s bass didn’t reach the dark, grimy depths that I desire, it’s not hard to recommend the Kitty V3 Pro, given its solid performance overall and its (frankly) ridiculous laundry list of customization options when it comes to lighting.
With all of this being said, the Razer Kraken Kitty V3 Pro retails for $180, which isn’t cheap. This puts it in the same price range as my personal favorite gaming headset from Razer, the BlackShark V2 Pro, which I believe is more comfortable and offers slightly higher performance across the board. It’s clear that the Kitty was designed for a very specific niche of gamers, however, and these slight downgrades are unlikely to deter those eager to boast a stunning and overthought cat-ear light show during their next stream or Discord session with buddies. There is quality here, and while a tad gimmicky, Razer clearly put plenty of love and care into this now universally recognized peripheral.
- Battery Life
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Up to 70 Hours
- Wireless?
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Supports Wireless, Bluetooth, and USB
- Microphones
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Yes, Retractable Razer™ HyperClear Super Wideband Mic
- Compatible With
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Wireless: 2.4 GHz Wireless via USB Type C dongle or Bluetooth 5.3
Wired: USB Type A
Bluetooth Codec: AAC, SBC - Brand
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Razer
- Sensitivity
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98 dBSPL / mW at 1 kHz by HATS
- A fun, quirky option to experience gaming in a novel way
- Lightweight (Those cat ears don?t weight it down a bit)
- Lengthy battery life with RGB turned off
- A mountain of customization options
- Somewhat uncomfortable after lengthy gaming sessions
- Far shorter battery life with the RGB lighting and haptics turned on
- Bass lovers may find it lacking
