That Time When Gaming Companies Tried Making “Real” Headphones

A peek into an alternate audio dimension

The original Razer Opus was an amazing headphone trapped in the wrong time. Photo taken by the author.

Gaming headsets are traditionally thought of as second-class audio citizens — even though they’ve come a long way over the last decade. What was once the realm of bass boosted explosions and RGB lighting everywhere is now a diverse market with different sound profiles and designs targeting gamers across the whole budget spectrum.

Many modern wireless gaming headsets now also include backup Bluetooth connections. Not only is this convenient for when you have to take a call mid-game or you want to stream a podcast over some Diablo grinding, it’s also a vestige of a weird moment in audio history when some gaming companies tried to compete with “real” headphones.

I wasn’t paid or asked to post about any of these defunct products, but I did accept some review samples and get press-briefed on a couple of them. I no longer accept review units, but I will share some juicy info from my time in the “embargo trenches” below, so please read on!

I’m not an audio elitist. I know the simple truth that gaming headsets are just headphones with microphones glued to them. But there’s still a large public divide between those who will accept a “gamer-looking” product, and those who will not. Most gaming headsets…