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HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless
HyperX has put out some of the most reliable gaming headsets on the market, and when it came out in early 2020, the Cloud Flight S was definitely one of them. Now the company is back with a new entry in the line: the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless is a leaner gaming headset in the same frame as its predecessor.
Is comfort and ease of use enough to warrant a purchase?
Editor’s note: This review was updated on July 11, 2022 to include the results of the mic poll, add an FAQ section, include an FAQ addressing the HyperX Cloud Flight S, and cleanup links.
Who is the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless for?
- Gamers who want something wireless for their PC or PlayStation
- At-home workers who need a simple, comfortable option with good battery life
What is it like to use the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless?
If you’re at all familiar with other Cloud Flight gaming headsets, the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless should seem pretty familiar. This wireless gaming headset sports a mostly plastic build, with a stainless steel strip running through the headband. It connects to your platform of choice using a USB-A dongle, but there’s also a 3.5mm port, so you can connect it to something with a headphone jack too (if you have a 3.5mm-to-3.5mm cord lying around).
Like its predecessor, the Cloud Flight Wireless is also quite comfortable. The headband has just enough clamping force to feel secure, without being too tight. The memory foam cushions are covered in a soft leatherette, and the ear pads are both wide and deep enough to feel pretty roomy. Gamers with glasses might encounter a little added pressure, but otherwise establishing a decent seal around your ears isn’t hard.
How do you control the Cloud Flight Wireless?
Actually using the headset is very simple. There are two on-ear control features other than the power button. A volume dial sits on the back edge of the right ear cup, and you can press the side panel of the left headphone to mute the detachable microphone.
How long is the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless battery life?
We haven’t yet finished testing the battery life of the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless, but HyperX claims the headset can last up to 30 hours on a single charge with the headset LEDs turned off. The headset charges in around 3 hours via its dated microUSB port, but you can always switch to a wired 3.5mm connection when the battery dies.
We’ll update this section when our testing concludes.
Is the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless a good gaming headset?
Gaming with the Cloud Flight Wireless is an easy, straightforward experience on PC and on console. The headset is comfortable enough for long gaming sessions, and it has more than enough life to fit a few in. It connects easily to PlayStation 5, as well as PC and Nintendo Switch (when docked) over USB, and the 3.5mm option means it could even be a wired headset on Xbox consoles—as long as you have your own cord.
The headset handles the PlayStation 5’s spatial sound feature very well, accurately rendering the sounds of enemies chattering and guns firing as you sneak around the areas of Blackreef in Deathloop. It also handles the balance of music and in-game sound you’d expect from a gaming like Final Fantasy XIV Online on PC very nicely.
How well does the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless block out noise?
The HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless offers pretty standard isolation performance for a gaming headset. This isn’t going to block out the din of a noisy cafe, but given the Cloud Flight Wireless is a pretty homebound headset, that’s not a huge issue. The typical sounds of the home, like a TV in the other room or the whir of a fridge, shouldn’t pose many issues—you might even have a little trouble noticing the doorbell if your volume is turned up.
How does the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless sound?
The HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless sounds pretty standard for a gaming headset. Bass and low-midrange notes are boosted a bit, while the midrange is underemphasized, with highs that closely align with our target curve.
In music, a frequency response like this should make most bassy music sound pretty nice. However, the lack of emphasis on sound from 200-600Hz means that higher pitched vocals may struggle to keep up when music gets particularly busy. In Don’t Lose Sight by Lawrence, the bass guitar comes through very prominently when listening with the Cloud Flight Wireless, so much so that it competes with Gracie Lawrence’s lead vocals and nearly drowns out the higher pitched backing vocals.
In-game sound
A sound profile like this probably won’t make too big a difference in your gaming sessions, however. The added bass emphasis doesn’t extend into the sub-bass range, so the rumble of explosions shouldn’t feel any more obtrusive than usual. You may find that your friends on Discord are a little harder to hear over in-game sound, as gaming headset mics frequently drain the bass out of people’s voices, leaving just the sounds this headset will under-emphasize. It shouldn’t be much of an issue though—games rarely sound busy enough for moderate frequency response quirks to interrupt anything in a super noticeable way.
How is the microphone on the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless?
The HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless has a very nice sounding microphone for a gaming headset. It’s hardly a high enough quality for serious recording, but bass sound is nicely emphasized and voices come through clearly. The mic is a little on the quiet side, but you might not even find it serious enough to warrant increasing the gain.
HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless microphone demo (Non-standardized):
How does the microphone sound to you?
As of July 11, 2022, 84% of people rated the mic in the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless between “Okay” and “Good.” That’s a pretty typical result for a headset like this.
Should you buy the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless?
If you’re looking for a no-nonsense wireless gaming headset for a reasonable price, you should consider the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless. If you want something with a little more to it, you should look elsewhere.
What the Cloud Flight Wireless does, it does well. It’s a very comfortable gaming headset with good sound, a great microphone, and solid battery life, and that’s pretty much all there is to it. The headset can’t connect to the HyperX NGenuity app on PC, but these days most of the software bells and whistles you could want are handled by gaming platforms—Windows Spatial handles surround sound on PC, and Sony’s 3D solution works great with this, too.
The only real knock against it is that by sticking to a USB-A dongle, instead of a USB-C one, the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless doesn’t work wirelessly on as many platforms as it could. The 3.5mm option mitigates this, though it’s too bad the headset doesn’t come with a cord for connecting that way.
What are some alternatives to the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless?
If you’re interested in a reliable wireless gaming headset, but don’t want to spend quite as much money, options like the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless or the Razer Barracuda X are worth a look. Both headsets sound great, feel great, and feature excellent battery life. They both use USB-C dongles, so you can connect wirelessly to Nintendo Switch when it’s not docked, on top of all the other usual platforms. Oh yeah, and they’re $99 USD a pop.
If you want something with a few more bells and whistles, something like the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro could be just the thing. This wireless iteration to the excellent BlackShark V2 features the same comfortable build, an improved microphone, and very good battery life. It’s a little on the pricey side, considering the switch to wireless included an $80 USD markup from the regular BlackShark v2, but it’s still a great gaming headset in its own right, and the Razer Synapse integration brings EQ options for the headphones and mic, and more.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless is also a great option if you want something wireless, but want a little more in the way of features. The Cloud Alpha Wireless features that classic red and black HyperX look, combining comfort and great performance—the headset also works with NGenuity, so you’ll have access to firmware updates and more. However, the real star of the show is the battery performance: The headset clocks in at over 327 hours on a single charge, better than the next best result we’ve tested many times over.
Frequently asked questions about the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless
The HyperX Cloud Flight S is a bit different in a few ways. First, this headset has the ability to charge via Qi-compatible wireless charging pads—which are sold separately. Its wired charging option is still by microUSB, however. On the other hand, its mic is a bit lackluster compared to the Flight Wireless. It’s not awful by any means, it’s just not very accurate and it might distort deeper voices. Furthermore, the Flight S is more tailored to the PlayStation 4, whereas the Flight Wireless is tuned to the PlayStation 5.
Other than those key differences, the headsets are quite comparable. They both have similar frequency response curves and isolation capabilities, for instance. And they both use USB-A dongles for connectivity.
When it comes down to it, it depends on what you plan to do with your gaming headset that will likely be the deciding factor for you. If wireless charging is something you value highly, then the Flight S is the one to choose. PlayStation 5 users would be a bit better served connectivity- and surround sound-wise with the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless, but the HyperX Cloud Flight S can still work there, too. However, its 7.1 surround sound feature is tailored to only the PlayStation 4.
Yes, as long as that platform supports 3.5mm wired connectivity. However, there is no cable included with the HyperX Cloud Flight Wireless, so you’ll have to supply your own.