TechRadar Verdict
The HyperX Cloud III Wireless offers a solid blend of excellent build quality and reasonable audio performance to provide a decent overall experience. Its battery life is a particular highlight, and if you want serious endurance, there aren’t many better options available.
Comfortable with a sturdy build
Bass-heavy audio impresses in some games
Class-leading battery life
Weak software
Microphone lacks some lower-end body
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One-minute review
The HyperX Cloud III Wireless cuts the cord on one of HyperX’s longstanding models and brings it into the twenty-first century, where wireless headsets seem to rule the roost. The big draw here is with its rated 120 hours of runtime, which is among the very best wireless headsets out there, and means you won’t be having to charge the Cloud III Wireless regularly.
Its bass-heavy audio and solid imaging make it an excellent choice for games, although it isn’t the best I’ve tested for music. There is spatial audio present, although that can be quite hit-and-miss. The same also goes for the NGenuity software which, while lightweight, offers only basic functionality compared to the competition.
The Cloud III Wireless is well-made, offering plush memory foam earcups and fantastic comfort for extended periods, so long as you adjust the headset correctly. Its mic is clear for communication over Discord or conferencing apps, and while it lacks the overall richness of features compared to other options from SteelSeries andRazer, this remains a competent choice.
Price and availability
Much like with theJBL Quantum 910X, the Cloud III Wireless is cheaper across the pond in the US than it is in the UK, being $149.99 and £169.99 in terms of retail pricing. That puts it in a similar ballpark to other class leaders such as theSteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X, with its $179.99 / £174.99 price tag, and while it’s slightly more expensive, you do get wider compatibility and connectivity options with Bluetooth, although HyperX’s competitor has a much longer battery life.
It’s also comparable in price to one of our favoritewireless gaming headsets, theRazer BlackShark V2 Pro, with its £179 / $179 price tag, and while the Cloud III Wireless is cheaper in the USA, it’s roughly equivalent in the UK, meaning this has got a lot to live up to. The Cloud III Wireless is also available in Australia at a price of AU$279.
Specs
Design and features
The Cloud III Wireless is a signature headset from HyperX in terms of its design, carrying the same recognizable shapes as the brand’s previous entries. In fact, squint, and you might think you’re looking at theCloud Alpha Wirelessinstead.
The most noticeable differences here compared to the Alpha Wireless are the lack of red stitching on the headband, and slightly angular earcups compared to the perfect ovals found on other headsets in the HyperX range. The Cloud III Wireless also comes with bright red aluminum forks, as well as speckled black and red wiring from the headband to the earcups, which looks excellent.
This is a well-made headset, with no creaks or odd noises from the plastic. Its headband and earcups are noticeably plusher than the Cloud Alpha Wireless, while the cups are deep, aiding comfort and also helping the Cloud III Wireless to provide some class-leading passive noise isolation. At 11.6oz / 330g, this sits in the middle of over-ear gaming headsets weight-wise and feels reasonably comfortable to wear for extended periods, although the slightly lighter clamping force can mean the Cloud III Wireless moves around on your head if not adjusted properly.
Luckily, this is a comfortable headset to wear for extended periods, once configured for your head properly. I had little trouble setting it up for hours of use and found the Cloud III Wireless to be one of the more comfortable headsets I’ve used, especially with those deeper earcups. There isn’t much room for adjustment around those earcups, however, as the Cloud III Wireless doesn’t fold flat, or offer much rotation there.
As with other HyperX headsets, the Cloud III Wireless features physical controls which are well-distributed across both earcups. The left-hand option features a power button and mic mute, as well as a USB-C port for charging and a place for slotting the detachable boom mic into. The right-hand side is home to a tactile and textured volume roller. Luckily, the buttons are different sizes, so it’s easy to find the one you want with ease.
While this headset solely connects via the bundled 2.4GHz receiver, it is at least quite a small option compared to other receivers which can be quite bulky and protrude out from a USB port on your PC, PS5, or Switch. The Cloud III Wireless’ receiver also boasts a detachable USB-A adapter alongside its initial USB-C connector, therefore improving compatibility.
Performance
The Cloud III Wireless sounds superb in games with overall solid positioning in the likes ofCounter-Strike 2and other high-paced first-person shooter titles where finding the overall position of an enemy in time to pepper them with bullets is of top priority. In addition, engine notes in the likes ofForza Horizon 5andF1 22were clear, while explosions and gunfire inCS:2had fantastic power thanks to the prominent low-end.
A word of advice - don’t enable the DTS Headphone:X spatial audio when listening to music, as it muddies the entire experience and can make some tracks sound as if they are being played from the next room, or down a loudspeaker. It is better with games, although only works in fully supported titles such asForza Horizon 5. With games that don’t have full DTS Headphone:X support, the Cloud Wireless III has mixed results, occasionally spitting out a crunched-up mess as it attempts to process the signal. You’re better off leaving it off completely for the best performance.
As is typical for gaming headsets, the Cloud III Wireless has alotof bass and this is particularly noticeable when listening to music. Rush’sSweet Miracleoffered plenty of low-end grunt, while Daryl Hall and John Oates’Maneaterpresented more low-end than competing headsets, especially against Hall’s leading vocal on the verse lines.
Mids and highs are clearer than the low end, with the Cloud III Wireless representing vocals especially well such as on James Taylor’sCaroline I See You, while the top-end hi-hats onCould You Be Lovedby Bob Marley were bright and crisp. The Cloud III Wireless doesn’t offer the widest soundstage, as busier recordings such as Rush’sSweet Miraclecan feel hemmed in with this particular set, while the prominent bongos on Earth, Wind and Fire’sSeptemberfeel closer to my right ear than on other similarly-priced headsets and audio-focused headphones.
The Cloud III Wireless’ boom microphone is clear, offering a good amount of body from its pickup in my testing, while its rejection of noise other than voices is also pretty good. Compared to other options though, it lacks some low-end so recordings can sound a little open-ended at the bottom, although the mid-range where your voice lives is more than adequate.
Connectivity over the 2.4GHz receiver is convenient, and I had no trouble pairing the Cloud III Wireless to my PC. It’s a simple case of plugging the receiver into a spare USB-C or USB-A port and turning the headset on. The Cloud III Wireless flashes a green LED, bleeps, and then connects. The same also went for use with my Nintendo Switch.
The main reason for purchasing the Cloud III Wireless over its rivals is its especially long battery life of up to 120 hours. It means that you won’t be charging this head for a good couple of weeks for more intensive use, and for longer if you’re using it less frequently. In my fortnight of testing the Cloud III Wireless, I only had to charge it once, and it otherwise chugged along nicely. For reference, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X will only last for 38 hours between charges, while the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro only offers up to 24 hours, meaning this Cloud III Wireless has them both beat in terms of endurance.
Unfortunately, the Cloud III Wireless falls down with its software control. HyperX’s NGenuity software has never been the best option for peripheral controls, and that continues with the Cloud III Wireless. For a headset priced so optimistically against the competition, NGenuity feels cheap, only offering basic customization for picking an EQ preset or creating your own from a ten-band EQ. Otherwise, it provides toggle switches for mic monitoring and spatial audio, as well as volume control for the headset and microphone.
Should you buy the HyperX Cloud III Wireless?
Buy it if…
You want oodles of enduranceThe Cloud III Wireless’ 120 hours of battery life is unmatched in its price category and isn’t bettered by many headsets that cost more, excluding HyperX’s own Cloud Alpha Wireless. If you want lots of runtime, this is the headset to go for.
You want lots of bassIf it’s lots of low-end you’re after, the Cloud III Wireless is the headset to go for in its price category. Other options tend to have a more refined overall sound but the Cloud III Wireless is a more fun option.
Don’t buy it if…
You want a headset to use with XboxThe Cloud III Wireless is a strictly PC, PS5, and Switch headset, and doesn’t work with Xbox Series consoles. If you’re searching for a true multi-platform champion, consider the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X.
You want extensive software controlHyperX NGenuity is weak software for a headset at this price, offering only basic configuration and a toggle for spatial audio. The likes of the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro provide much more scope for software-based fiddling, as well as a dedicated app for spatial audio control.
Also consider…
If the HyperX Cloud III Wireless isn’t your jam, then you should consider these two multi-platform marvels instead:
Razer Blackshark V2 ProThe Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is slightly more expensive than the Cloud III Wireless and with the trade-off of worse battery life, adds dual connectivity, more in-depth software and active noise cancellation to the party.
Read our fullRazer BlackShark V2 Pro review
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7XThe SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X may cost a little more in both regions than the Cloud III Wireless, but it offers much wider compatibility and software control for a small bump in price at the sacrifice of worse endurance.
Read our fullSteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X review
How I tested the HyperX Cloud III Wireless
I tested the HyperX Cloud III Wireless for two weeks, using it as my main headset during that time. I used it for playing a wide range of games on both PC and Nintendo Switch, as well as for conferencing duties on PC during working hours. As for games, I tested the Cloud III Wireless with a range of titles where directional audio was of major importance, including the likes ofCounter-Strike 2,Forza Horizon 5, andF1 22. I also streamed music through Spotify and with high-quality MP3 files for understanding how the headset handles music. With the microphone, I tested it with online gaming sessions and recorded tested files in Audacity.
Read more about how we test
First reviewed May 2024
Reece Bithrey is a freelance journalist with credits in Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar, PCGamesN, and Custom PC magazine reviewing all sorts of computing gubbins, including keyboards, mice, laptops, and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, has bylines for WatchGecko’s online magazine, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023. When not writing, you’ll usually find him bellowing at virtual footballers onFootball Manageror tinkering with mechanical keyboards.
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