Nacon RIG 800 Pro HX headset review: Premium performance, or petty pretender?
NaconNacon’s latest Xbox and PC headset, the RIG 800 Pro HX, offers excellent comfort and sound, but isn’t the flashiest of headsets.
Nacon’s RIG has quietly been earning a reputation as a premier manufacturer for esports competition, and while their controllers are great, their headsets have quietly become some of the finest on the market.
The RIG 800 Pro HX is a great example of why that is, offering a comfortable headset for Xbox and PC that offers great battery life, convenient charging, and excellent audio on a headset that’s durable but perhaps lacking in pizazz.
Key Specs
- Connectivity: 2.4ghz wireless, Micro USB
- Driver diameter: 40mm
- Frequency response: 20Hz- 20,000Hz
- Mic: Removable
- Weight: 290g
- Compatibility: Xbox Series X|S, PC
- Features: Docking station, 24-hour battery life, flip-to-mute mic, analogue earcup dials
- Price: $149.99
Not much to look at
NaconWe’ll be honest, the 800 Pro HX just isn’t a looker. It’s got the same plastic outer shell, and detachable cups alongside an almost skeletal headband — you can take them out, move them up, and reposition them with ease. The good news is that this makes the headset impressively light.
There’s also a self-adjusting head strap, which essentially means that the band brings the cups in closer to your head without your needing to adjust them. If that has your mind racing with fears of sweaty ears or feeling like your head is being squeezed, then don’t panic. Not only are the ear cushions comfortable, but they offer just enough room around your lugs.
On the back of one cup you’ll find a power/pairing button, chat/game mixer, a mute button, and a volume knob. We’ve been used to buttons to adjust things like chat balance and overall volume, but the more analog feel here is appreciated.
The mic is on the left, and you can flip it up with ease. Sadly, unlike something like the Logitech Pro X Wireless, the mic isn’t entirely removable for anyone that uses a desk mic for voice chat. Still, if you lift it up, you’ll mute it instantly.
RIG has long maintained that its headsets are durable, and it’s hard to argue — you can pull the cups away from each other with a fair degree of force, but they always seem to spring back. We’re less keen on the Micro USB charger, though, which feels a little like a relic with the emergence of USB-C.
Thankfully, you won’t need to use it, since the RIG 800 Pro HX has a docking station that can recharge the headset wirelessly. Simply set the headset down, and charging starts. You won’t need to connect the dongle, too, since you can plug it into the docking station itself.
Hits the right notes
NaconAside from how it looks, though, it’d be fair to say the RIG 800 Pro HX is pitch-perfect when it comes to playing games. In fact, it even includes a licence for the Dolby Atmos 3D Surround sound app on the Xbox One and Series S|X consoles.
From the throaty roar of a Forza Horizon 5 car charging through Mexico, to the rhythm of Halo Infinite’s battle rifle and the endlessly satisfying sound of popping a shield on Apex Legends, we tested it across PC and Xbox Series X in our time reviewing.
The 40mm drivers are ideal for pinpointing enemy locations, or just taking in the sounds of whatever open world you’re wandering through. We particularly enjoyed walking through Night City and listening to the ambient audio and NPC conversations in Cyberpunk 2077, with a discernible direction to everything.
While playing Rainbow Six: Siege and punching holes in walls with a shotgun or throwing flashbangs, the bass is deep but clean — often gaming headsets tend to push for “shock and awe” with drastically powerful lows that come at the expense of detail, but here things just sound right.
It’s no slouch on soundtracks, either, and we particularly enjoyed Halo Infinite’s menu music through the RIG 800 Pro HX’s clear soundstage.
The included mic is also impressively clear, and the option to mix chat and game audio on the fly is a godsend in louder moments. It’s also way easier to do than it is on some headsets, thanks to the knobs we mentioned earlier.
The battery life is excellent, too, with 24 hours of charge. And once your lengthy marathon is over, you simply put the headset on the dock. We do wish there was some sort of noise-cancelling, but at the same time, this would likely make the headset heavier and potentially mess with those all-important acoustics.
8/10
The RIG 800 Pro HX could arguably do with a visual overhaul, but we’ll be coming back to it for years thanks to its durability, audio quality, and lightweight design.
It’s an excellent headset, whichever PC or Xbox game you’re playing.
You can buy the RIG 800 Pro HX here.
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