The competition for a well-priced gaming headset has never been tougher. Good headsets are cheap, and cheap headsets have gotten increasingly better. The scale of diminishing returns per dollar spent has never skewed this hard towards the mid- to low-end devices.
Enter the Nacon RIG 5 Pro, a device with a silly name and initially uninteresting visual design that nevertheless reveals itself as one of the best headsets on the gaming market right now – regardless of the intended platform.
What's in the box?
Here comes the easiest part of the review: the Nacon RIG 5 Pro includes the headset.
That's it.
If you wondered how Nacon has kept the price point reasonable, here's your answer. This isn't a wireless device, there are no extra items beyond the two PS5 vanity plates, and the box itself is the definition of Bare Minimum.
But honestly, do you really miss premium packaging or kitchy extras? The only thing that's really missing is a longer cable, and that's a discussion for the next section.
Pros and cons
The cons are easier to get out of the way, so let's start there. The 3.5 mm cable for the RIG 5 Pro is annoyingly short. Yes, it's mainly intended for use with the PS5 controller, which has a microphone jack and is brilliant for its inclusion, but it is possible to use the headset with other devices as well. In those cases, you're going to run into a bad time unless you're using another controller with similar features as the Dual Sense.
On the PS5, the RIG 5 Pro makes ample use of the properiatery Tempest 3D AudioTech on PlayStation, and it sounds absolutely glorious. On other devices, it sounds simply very good. I tested the RIG 5 Pro on my PC and Nintendo Switch (the latter through a Pro Controller) and found the overall sound very good on both.
On a PC, I compared it with my high-end Beyerdynamic studio headset and came away really impressed at how well it handled gaming for something that costs a fraction of the more expensive alternative.
Granted, you can get an extension cable for the 3.5 mm cable which solves this complaint entirely. That is if you've still got an electronics store nearby that sells these things, as most corporations don't want us to own or fix anything ourselves.
Another minor quibble is that the flip-to-mute mic setting didn't always click for me for some reason. Sometimes I'd notice that my voice was still projecting through the set even though my mic was pushed all the way back, where it should have muted automatically. It didn't always happen, but enough times to be worth noting.
Everything else is brilliant and, on a stylistic note, the attachable PS5 vanity plates and ear cushions are an incredibly welcome quality of life inclusion. Removing, cleaning, and switching out pieces couldn't be easier, and it lends to a longer lifespan for the product.
Sound quality
The 40 mm graphene drivers provide incredile sound throughout and the 3D AudioTech optimization for the PlayStation 5 really makes a difference even in non-competitive gaming. I tested the headset first with Ghost of Yotei, followed by the bombastic stylings of Clair Obscur and found that both settings provided exceptionally detailed results.
In Yotei, the sound of the wind whistling in the reeds and the snow crunching under my feet were both replicated with intricate detail from the headset. Sword swishes and dings were far more notable and I genuinely flinched the first time I heard an arrow whoosh by my head.
Clair Obscur, with its mammoth soundtrack and exaggerated effects, was a pleasure as well. It's a complex mix that often gets buried in lesser speakers, yet here every channel got ample room to breathe.
On a PC, I tried out some competitive FPS titles like Battlefield 6 and Apex Legends and found both terrific in terms of fine detail. Footsteps and ricochets came through gorgeously and the soundscape on the Rig R5 Pro proved exquisite even without the added benefit of the AudioTech found on the PS5.
Voice chat on both console and PC was reportedly crystal clear without any distortion or echo present. Granted, you don't get any of the fancy noise cancellations or the like, but when the hardware is this good, you really don't need them that much.
Verdict
Punching far above its price point, the RIG R5 Pro isn't just a great mid-range headset, it's one of the best headsets I've tested all year. The sound quality is brilliant, the materials are sturdy, and it's effortlessly comfortable to use. At this price, you can't do any better.
