Razer Kraken Kitty V2 USB

Pokemon is engrained into our culture. The adorable little gremlins are some of our favorite characters, and it makes sense that they’ve made their way into more than just games. One particular creature is a big hit – Gengar. This Ghost/Poison Pokemon has captured our hearts, and now he’s captured Razer’s Kraken Kitty V2. Given I just took a look at the Kraken Kitty V3 Pro, I was curious how much of a step down this model would be, especially as it became the flagship when it was originally released. Even with the powers of Gengar, can it be the headset a hardcore gamer like me needs?

This is usually when I’d tell you what was in the box, but it’s just the headset. Being a different tier of headset, it doesn’t come with a lot of additional stuff. That said, everything is affixed to this one, so the need for separate cables and dongles isn’t necessary. I will commend the USB wired connection; it may not be braided, but it has a tough silicone sheath, and extends six and a half feet.

As should be obvious, the Gengar design is pretty epic. Beyond the purple color, you have Gengar’s spikes up top (which are detachable). Even better is the RGB earcups, which have a Gengar silhouette adorning each one with the lighting shining though. That’s not mentioning the design sitting inside the earcups, which is a cool bonus. As much as players may clamor over this one, it’s earned.

On first look, this headset might not seem formidable. Putting it on, I love how light it is, weighing in at only .72 lbs. It’s super comfortable, with good fabric-covered memory foam headband and fabric and plush leatherette earcups keeping your ears feeling cushy. Between the weight and cushioning, the Kraken Kitty V2 sits on your head to the point you’d almost forget it was there.

There aren’t a lot of controls to keep track of, and that’s perfectly fine for the kind of headset this is. As a wired headset, the Gengar Edition only has a mute button and a volume wheel. With the USB cable and microphone permanently attached, you don’t have anything else to worry about. Less can be more, especially if I’m not having to track multiple features. No reason to overcomplicate it.

Speaking of permanently attached, there is no wireless variant of the Razer Kraken Kitty V2 USB – Gengar Edition, which is disappointing. I know that a lot of sacrifices would have to be made for this model, with compatibility and cost being determining factors for it. Even so, it still works through the USB connection with your PS5 or Nintendo Switch – although I had to add an extension USB cable for comfort. I will say I don’t believe it sounds as good being used out of its PC lane, either from a passive standpoint or lacking the EQ available on PC.

I’m still impressed using it in-game on PC, with the Razer TriForce 40mm drivers putting in a lot of work. Every avenue so far has had excellent sound, from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, to The Outer Worlds 2 (our recent preview here), to random YouTube videos, to my music playlist. It has handled everything I’ve thrown at it with aplomb, offering surprisingly good lows/bass alongside stellar highs and mids. I’m not looking for it to reinvent the wheel, which does benefit my perception, but for the price, it does a great job.

I’d have thought myself at a disadvantage in competitive games, but I’ve been largely able to hear my spatial audio cues. This headset can easily handle it, even if I’m boosting it with EQ software. Given I’ve been playing a ton of Warzone lately, said cues are important, and while the Kraken Kitty V2 is a step down from my usual $300 headset, it’s not a step back.

The microphone probably is a bit of a step back, sitting at an above average rating at best. Razer’s HyperClear Cardioid mic does its job, but that’s about it. Most of my comms with friends came across fuzzy, as most headset mics do. I’m sure EQ can do more if optimized, but I’d probably keep using a streaming mic while wearing this one if you’re live.

Razer’s Kraken Kitty headsets have been popular with streamers due to their stylish nature, and also because of their streaming integration. You can download a Streamer Companion app alongside Chroma, which will assist in giving you reactive RGB lighting depending on what you’re doing. Being able to stream and give your audience an additional show through the lighting is a sweet perk, and while the additional ear/spike lighting isn’t here, it’s still available on the earcups.

Synapse support is included with your purchase of a Razer’s Kraken Kitty V2 headset, but it’s a tad barren. Compared to the V3 Pro, it’s downright empty. You can adjust volume, enable your 7.1 surround sound via an additional install, configure your mic’s volume and sidetone, and mess with lighting a tad before moving into the Streamer Companion App. It makes sense that a headset with less of a feature set compared to its more expensive brethren wouldn’t have as much here, but I always miss extra settings to mess with.

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