Razer today has announced its latest addition to the company’s audio lineup, the Razer Kraken V4 headset. Building on the strong popularity of the Kraken line that dates back more than a decade, the Kraken V4 embodies the soul of one of Razer’s best-selling headsets, yet it doesn’t shy away from breathing new life into the lineup with some swanky new features and technology.
The Kraken line is and has always been a semi-budget-friendly option that didn’t compromise too much on audio quality. If you wanted a decent gaming headset that wouldn’t cost you a ton of money, the Kraken was a good choice. That has stayed true throughout its lifespan. With each iteration, however, Razer has upped the Kraken’s game by making sometimes subtle improvements.
For some releases, a bunch of new features were added to elevate its status as a gaming headset. These days, Razer offers a few different Kraken options. Much like it does with all of its mainline peripherals. That’s also true with the Kraken V4, which currently comes in two models. The Kraken V4 and the Kraken V4 X. The latter is now Razer’s most affordable option. Mostly due to the fact that the standard model is wireless and includes additional tech.
There’s also a Pro model for some of Razer’s peripherals. Like the Kraken V3 line. Razer hasn’t confirmed whether or not a Kraken V4 Pro would be coming, but it would be surprising if it decided to skip releasing a Pro model here. After all, the Pro model would likely include even more features. Some of which the standard V4 seems to be missing.
The Razer Kraken V4 introduces a new mic design and improved audio
Much of what has made Razer’s Kraken V3 a staple in the mid-range is returning for the V4 model. The Kraken V4 is once again using Razer’s tried and true TriForce Titanium drivers. Only this year they’re 40mm drivers instead of 50mm like on the last model. The THX Spatial Audio is back as well for enhanced gaming audio immersion. Razer is also shaking things up a bit this year. Unlike the Kraken V3, the Kraken V4 is entirely wireless. Whereas the Kraken V3 was a wired headset like the Kraken V3 X. In fact, the only wireless option that Razer offered with the V3 model was the V3 Pro, which retailed for $200.
That brings us to the price point. The Kraken V4 will retail for $180. So it’s essentially the Kraken V3 Pro in terms of most features, but $20 cheaper. Speaking of the connectivity options, the Kraken V4 offers a 3-way connectivity solution. You can choose to plug it in with a wired USB-C to USB-A cable, but you can also connect it with the USB-C HyperSpeed adapter for low-latency audio. Additionally, it can connect to devices through Bluetooth. What’s more, is that the wireless mode can deliver up to 70 hours of battery life.
Although, that’s with the Chroma RGB lighting turned off. If Chroma is enabled, you can expect about 35 hours. The Chroma RGB lighting is another change. While Chroma was available on all the V3 models, only the Razer tri-snake logo and a small ring around the logo would light up.
With the Kraken V4, the entire side of the earcup lights up with 9-zone Chroma lighting. So you end up with a vibrant light show of sorts on the sides of the headset. You can purchase the Kraken V4 starting on August 20 from Razer and retailers like Best Buy.
An updated mic is one of the best improvements
The Kraken V3 line came with detachable mics that were, from a technology and quality standpoint, pretty decent. However, you still had to deal with attaching the mic when you needed it and detaching and stowing it away somewhere when you didn’t. Not anymore. The Kraken V4 comes with a retractable mic that stows in the left earcup. Even better, is that when it is retracted, it sits flush with the headset. It gets better though. There’s a small inset where the mic sits flush that’s just enough room to fit the tip of your finger into. Making it much easier to pull the mic out when needed.
Of course, the mic also sports Razer’s HyperClear Cardioid tech for clear comms. That way your teammates won’t have trouble hearing you when you’re in the thick of an intense match. The mic is also Super Wideband, so it promises to catch your voice at all times. On top of this, there’s a chat mix button so you can find the right balance between your chat audio and game audio. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have separate controls for each. But there has to be a compromise somewhere.
Razer is also launching the Kraken V4 X
For those who prefer a less expensive option, the Kraken V4 X is launching as well at $80. Razer said it wouldn’t be available until Q3 which makes it sound like it’s still at least a month away. However, it’s available to buy on Razer’s website and is listed as shipping by August 27 – August 29. It’s also available to pre-order on Amazon.
The Kraken V4 X features the same retractable mic design while forfeiting some of the more advanced features. It’s using standard TriForce 40mm drivers instead of the TriForce Titanium, and it doesn’t feature the 9-zone Chroma lighting. It does still feature RGB on the Trisnake logo, however. Additionally, it comes with a USB-A adapter for the headset cable just in case your PC doesn’t have USB-C ports or at least any available ones.
It also swaps out a couple of other things. Namely the mic tech and the surround sound. The mic isn’t Super Wideband but it is still a HyperClear Cardioid mic. As for the surround sound, it uses 7.1 surround sound instead of the THX Spatial Audio. All-in-all, it should deliver a mostly comparable experience at the cost of a few conveniences. But at $100 less, most gamers on a budget probably aren’t going to care.
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