HyperX’s Cloud Flight wireless gaming headset is an affordable and comfy upgrade

I’ve been using HyperX’s new Cloud Flight wireless gaming headset for a little more than a week now, and I’m dreading ever going wired again. The device, a new addition to the upper end of peripheral maker HyperX’s Cloud headset line, is the first wireless option the company has offered, and it’s a rather stellar piece of hardware. Today at CES, HyperX officially unveiled the Cloud Flight, which is on sale now in the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia for $159.99.

The headset combines the comfort of HyperX’s more affordable gaming headsets with a simple, functional wireless Bluetooth setup that works via USB dongle for PS4 or PC. (The Xbox One is not compatible with third-party wireless headsets that rely on Bluetooth, but you can still plug the Cloud flight into an Xbox controller with an included 3.5mm cable.) It gets 30 hours of battery life without its red LED lights activated, and 18 hours with a breathing LED pattern and 13 hours with the LEDs always on.

HyperX, a sub-brand of PC gaming memory provider Kingston Technology, has in the last few years emerged as a top-tier accessory maker with a particularly acute focus on headsets priced roughly $50 to $150. The company has taken advantage of a gap in the market left untapped by Logitech, Turtle Beach, Sennheiser and other pricier brands, and it does so by punching way above its weight in quality and comfort while still sitting in a price range reasonably below those better-known competitors. Now, HyperX is getting into a more expensive tier of headphones, including ones with wireless functionality, but keeping its prices still within budget-friendly range.

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that the Xbox One is not compatible with third-party wireless headsets. That is not true; third-party wireless headsets work so long as they use Microsoft’s direct connection technology and not simply Bluetooth.