Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless gaming headset review

The Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless gaming headset retails for between $219 and $239, which is on the pricier side of things, but it actually feels pretty spot-on considering the features and premium quality on offer.

Right now, the HS80 is available through mostly smaller online retailers, though JB Hi-Fi also carries it.

There aren’t too many RGB elements to speak of (the gentle whispers of “gamer” mentioned above) - you’ll only find a small RGB Corsair logo on each cup, and a small band around the boom mic to indicate mute status (red equals muted, white unmuted). The latter cannot be customised, but through Corsair’s iCUE software, you can adjust the former to display whatever colour(s) your heart desires.

Through the software, you can also adjust the equaliser, monitor battery level, and change a few other settings. When it works, iCUE is great. I had no issues on my Windows PC, but it didn’t play quite as nicely with my Mac, occasionally straight-up refusing to detect the headset at all. In the end, it doesn’t matter that much anyway as the software isn’t strictly necessary and you can simply plug and play.

For a wireless headset, the Corsair HS80 boasts impressive range - up to about 18 metres, to be exact. I could quite comfortably carry on a conversation in Discord two rooms away from the USB receiver without the sound cutting in and out.

Speaking of the USB receiver, one of the few flaws of the headset as a whole is that there’s no slot in the actual headset to store the receiver. It’s not a huge deal, but even during my testing period, I lost it a few times. (But hey, maybe that’s a me problem.)

Latency wasn’t an issue at all, whether I was watching a video or playing an online game with mates. And when you do want to play wired, the included USB-A to USB-C charging cable is long enough to not get in the way (at least when playing on PC).

As the HS80 is primarily a gaming headset, it’s lacking Bluetooth connectivity, so those looking for a gaming headset that can double as your go-to wireless headphones will have to look elsewhere.

Likewise, because there’s no 3.5mm jack, the Corsair HS80 is not compatible with Xbox. On the other hand, it works well with PS4 and PS5, though some features are PC-exclusive.

This price bracket comes with certain expectations when it comes to audio quality, and the Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless more than exceeds those expectations. Whether I was listening to a podcast or playing a game with an immersive soundtrack like Hades, the sound output by the HS80’s 50mm neodymium drivers was crisp and well-rounded.

PC users (sorry, everyone else) also get the benefit of Dolby Atmos, which makes standard stereo sound pale in comparison. It’s basically immersive, cinema-quality audio for your ears only.

As for the boom mic, which Corsair dubs “broadcast-grade”, it’s definitely one of the better headset mics I’ve used. If you’re a serious streamer or content creator, it probably won’t replace your standalone streaming mic, but it does a great job nevertheless, and for regular joes like me, it’s hard to fault.

The battery life of the HS80 isn’t going to blow you away, but it’s still decent and on par with other headsets in this price range. Corsair rates it “up to 20 hours” - in my experience, it was slightly less, but still more than enough to get me through about a week of post-work gaming sessions. You could probably extend it a little by keeping the volume low and turning off the RGBs, but then how would people know you were a gamer? As for recharging, that’ll take you a couple of hours - again, pretty standard.

The Corsair HS80 RGB Wireless is one of the best gaming headsets we’ve tested, offering comfort, fantastic sound quality and great connectivity in a nicely designed, understated package. Its companion software has its quirks, but for an easy-to-use, comfortable PC or PlayStation headset, the HS80 is absolutely worth its asking price.