The HyperX Cloud III Wireless offers a more affordable alternative to the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless that we recommend as the best wireless gaming headset. For many PC gamers, that’s probably a tempting offer. However, the Cloud III and Cloud Alpha are very different headsets, and I’m not entirely convinced by this cheaper device.
Let’s start with the positives. The Cloud III Wireless offers a sturdy construction that hasn’t cracked, bent, or broken in my last two weeks of use. The headset’s ear cups are held in place by a striking metal frame in red and the edges are all plastic. The ear and head cushions are made of comfortable and uniform artificial leather. All in all, it’s a pretty standard gaming headset, and while the slightly hollow-feeling earcups aren’t my favorite, it’s similar in style to the Cloud series we’ve come to know so well.
On the right ear cup there is a volume wheel with a smooth, slightly tactile action. On the left side, a microphone mute button, power button and a USB Type-C charging port. The removable microphone extends from the left earcup and connects via a 3.5mm slot.
My personal preference for a boom arm microphone is a flip-to-mute microphone, simply for easy muting and sliding to the side when not needed, although HyperX has long used a removable microphone and it remains a popular choice. This particular microphone comes with a small red light on the end of the microphone arm to indicate when it’s muted – enough to give a quick visual cue when the microphone is muted, and a good way to avoid accidentally talking to myself.
Cloud III Wireless Specifications
Link: 2.4 GHz wireless (via USB Type-C dongle with Type-A adapter)
Type: Closed back
Frequency response: 10Hz – 21kHz
Drivers: Dynamic, 53 mm with neodymium magnets
Connector: USB Type-C
Microphone: Electret condenser microphone
Weight: 340g (with microphone)
Price: $150/£170/€150 (RRP) | $116 | £119 (on sale at time of writing)
The tone and profile of a microphone are its most important properties. The one on the Cloud III delivers a tone that favors the higher end and with a much less pronounced bass response than some. This means that it is not a natural sounding microphone, but an extremely clear microphone. For gaming via Discord or in-game voice chat, boosting the higher frequencies isn’t a bad thing: the Cloud III’s microphone cuts through game audio like a knife through butter. However, if you want a headset that’s better suited for streaming or recording your voice, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
I haven’t often felt the need to remove the microphone from the headset, as I don’t wear this headset outside the home at all. There’s no Bluetooth connectivity included on the Cloud III Wireless, just HyperX’s 2.4GHz connection via a dedicated dongle, meaning it’s much more of a dedicated PC headset than something like the SteelSeries Nova Pro or Bang & Olufsen Portal.
The dedicated wireless dongle works on PC, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, though, thanks to an adapter in the box to change it from a native Type-C connection to a Type-A.
Unfortunately, I had a few issues with the Cloud III’s dongle, namely what seemed to be interference with other wireless devices I use alongside it. Using a Logitech G Pro There were also a few moments where the sound cut out or became distorted in some way – the first time I’ve experienced something like that in recent years, and that happened a few too many times during a Destiny 2 raid. Fortunately, this behavior hasn’t continued since I moved to a different USB port on my PC’s case, away from other device dongles.
The fit of the Cloud III is not that comfortable for me during extended periods of work and gaming. I find myself itching to take the headset off after wearing it for four or more hours. Four hours is a long time to wear anything on your head, and the Cloud III isn’t particularly heavy (I weighed it at 340 grams), but I did notice some ear fatigue with the Cloud III that I hadn’t experienced with the AceZone A-Spire I previously used prior to testing.
The Cloud III Wireless’ 120-hour battery life is good compared to the broader market, and after a few weeks of testing I barely reached the charging cable. Although HyperX offers much longer battery life in the Cloud Alpha Wireless, over 300 hours, and that’s just one of the few reasons to prefer the more expensive Alpha kit, if you can consider spending the extra money.
What else can be said about the Cloud IIIs? The sound quality of course. The most important part of any headset, gaming or otherwise. I went into this review expecting a familiar sound, but conversely, the profile of the Cloud III Wireless is difficult to put my finger on.
The bass feels more pronounced on this headset than on some more neutral-sounding headsets, but it still really lacks any oomph. It tries, really, to emphasize the lower frequencies, but the actual drivers don’t sound like they’re capable of doing that. As a result, when the bass kicks, it detracts from the rest of the midrange and treble. Without any bass boom, the high-end is better and for a closed-back headset it doesn’t sound punchy or harsh, but the high-end response is nothing to write home about.
Buy as…
✅ You want a clear microphone for gaming: The Cloud III Wireless comes with a highly positionable boom arm microphone, which excels at clear communication in games. That said, it’s not the most natural-sounding microphone out there.
✅ You don’t want to charge a lot: The Cloud III Wireless has a long-lasting battery, so I didn’t often reach for a USB-C charging cable. Although I would still prefer the Cloud Alpha Wireless and the 300 hour battery life.
Don’t buy if…
❌ You listen to a lot of music: While it sounds decent for gaming, the Cloud III Wireless’ sound profile leaves a lot to be desired when listening to music. There’s just something about that bass response… it sounds like it’s been cranked up and yet the drivers can’t deliver.
❌ You can extend to the Cloud Alpha Wireless: Unsurprisingly, the more expensive HyperX headset is simply a much better headset. And it’s well worth the extra money spent.
The profile on the Cloud III Wireless is better suited for gaming than listening to music. Without too much going on at once, it’s easy to hone individual cues in-game, and I’ve been playing The Finals and Destiny 2 all week on this headset and I’ve had no complaints. I don’t have anything spectacular to report either, but this headset definitely doesn’t offer a bad gaming experience.
Overall, the Cloud III Wireless’s sound profile is simply quite unobtrusive, and as someone who listens to music during the day and plays a game at night, I’d look at other, more flexible gaming headsets with a wider-ranging profile to suit my needs comply. More generally, the headset itself is ordinary fine. You could happily use it for long periods of time without thinking much about it, but as a picky reviewer I’d instead side with the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro, the older version of which is often marked down to a similar price of $120 – $150 as the Cloud III.
Ideally we could all wait for a Black Friday discount on the Cloud Alpha Wireless, which really is a more all-round impressive headset, but that’s quite a long time to wait for a discount that may never come.
The Cloud III Wireless highlights an uncomfortable truth with wireless gaming headsets. You can buy a great sounding pair of wired headphones for under $100, but you’ll have to spend quite a bit more money to get comparable cable-free headphones. I’m not blown away by any wireless headphones under $150. In that sense, and compared to similarly priced competitors like the Corsair HS80 Max, the HyperX Cloud III Wireless are fine enough, but don’t feel anything close to a legend in the making like its more expensive sibling.