Released in mid-2022, the RIG 800 Pro is a wireless gaming headset, available from Nacon in several flavours: Xbox, PlayStation and PC. The HS version we are reviewing is the PlayStation model, which will also work on PC. If you are looking for the Xbox model, in that case you might want to pick up the RIG 800 Pro HX.
Inside the box, along with the RIG 800 Pro headset, you will find a USB wireless dongle, charge base, and a micro-USB charge cable. The charge base works as a charging station, and while the piano black is a fingerprint magnet, it does its job quite easily. Just connect it and leave it be, so those fingerprints will stay away from it as much as possible.
Now, after unboxing, the main you will notice is how light the headset is. With two comfy earcups made of faux-leather, the RIG 800 Pro looks like a premium £300 headset, while only costing half of it. Also, wait, am I even wearing them? Indeed, they are very light, which might justify the overall plastic-y materials used. At just over 200g, these will sit comfortably on your head all day with no huge issues.
Still, should they not fit well, there are three settings that you can use to regulate the comfort. The three size adjustments might sound like not enough, but they will definitely fit most heads, including my big potato. The only thing is that once you detach the cups, there is only a very tiny and thin cable separating you from disaster. So you better be extra careful when adjusting them. The good thing is that you probably will only have to adjust the headset once and then never again. Unless you’re a growing boy and eating your daily vitamins.
But, how do they sound? The RIG 800 PRO features “40mm, low frequency resonator drivers”, which means they perform quite well with low-to-mid frequencies. They do slightly less of a good job with high ones, so while you would not call them bottom-heavy, they do perform better with games rather than, for example, listening to Andre 3000’s flute album. But clearly you are not buying this headset to listen to music, you’re buying them to game. So how do they perform with games?
Let’s look at the connection first. With the included wireless dongle, you can connect the headset to your PS5 or PC. It is slightly more protruding than I’d like, so be careful if you’re planning to use it on the front of your tower, like I did. The risk of kicking and breaking it is definitely there. But the connection seems solid, never had any disconnection problems and even walked around the house a couple of rooms, and the connection stayed firm.
The headset connected immediately and started sounding good right away, even though a bit more tinkering with the settings helps. They feature Dolby Atmos right out of the box (well, barring the app installation on your PC) which is quite a nifty thing… if the games you play support it, that is. Still, even if not Atmos approved, the headset will do their best to adapt a 5.1 or 7.1 sound, which makes directional audio still quite good, perfect for a Call of Duty session but also quite nifty for less intensive games with an essential audio presence, such as Dredge.
On the left earcup, you will find volume and microphone sensibility controls, along with the obvious power button. These are all work fine and are quite big enough so that you will have no issues controlling them even during intensive gameplay sessions. Below the controls, rests the charging port.
Now, let’s talk about output audio: the microphone. It is a thin one, which you can flip to mute or position in front of your mouth, or around it, quite easily. It sounds okay overall, I’ve heard worse, but also better at this price point. While it does okay at eliminating most background noise, it picks up a lot of ambient noise even when you’re quiet. This means that it is a good idea to flip it (in a good way) when not in use, otherwise you will hear a distant and irritating background static. Also, if you’re a heavy breather, avoid putting it in front of your mouth, or that ASMR video is not going to get views.
With a 24-hour lasting battery, and the tests I’ve made definitely approached that number, you will never run out of juice. But, in case, you can still connect it to a charger while playing, using the… Micro USB port?! Indeed, that is one of the biggest con of the headset. In 2022 that connection was already outdated, in 2023 it’s almost impossible to find a non-Wish item still using it. I am not sure how cost-justified this choice was, but beyond trend keeping, the low power of Micro, compared to USB-C, will make charging quite slow. Also, there is no audio-in jack, which means you’re stuck using it with the dongle. Clearly, the headset won’t work on any devices outside of PS5 and PC.
Overall, the RIG 800 Pro does a lot of things right. From the included Dolby Atmos and great quality for gaming, to the comfortable fit to the ease of regulation and lightness, this is one headset you won’t mind having on your head all the time. While there are a few downsides, at this price range you are definitely not going to find a more satisfying product, if you’re looking for a comfortable and good sounding wireless gaming headset.
