Razer Nari Ultimate review

The Razer Nari Ultimate delivers the ultimate experience

Christmas has come and gone. CES 2019 has been and departed. But still nothing comes quite close to Razer’s Nari Ultimate headset. Last time, we reviewed the Razer Ifrit, designed for streaming, casting, and esports. Now, it’s time to check out the so-called ultimate headset, designed to deliver an immersive experience.

Before I received the headset, Lalor McMahon, the ANZ Regional Marketing Manager for Razer, said “it’ll knock your socks off!” I don’t think I was wearing socks at the time. But I was intrigued at this prospect. What makes this headset so next level? How is it going to deliver the best gaming experience? Is it useful for streaming? Or just gaming? We got our hands on the Nari Ultimate to answer all these questions.

Immersive gameplay

One of the first things you’ll notice when putting on the headset is its comfort. When you’re playing for hours on end, you need something comfortable to wear. The ‘cushy-ness’ of the ear cups and headpiece sit softly on your head. Even after playing for hours, your head feels light and fresh. The ear cups include cooling gel so you don’t sweat or overheat. Comfort is one of the most crucial aspects when it comes to peripherals. No matter how good the technology is, if it’s not comfortable, no one will use it!

Okay, so we have the comfort down pat. Good. Now that we’re all comfortable and immersed in our gaming chairs, does the headset offer us an immersive experience in-game? When the Nari Ultimate was released, it was announced that “Razer HyperSense” technology was embedded into the headset. This tech is an advanced form of haptic feedback that promises “an added dimension of touch to gaming.” The haptic drivers generate multidimensional haptic feedback to “enhance positional awareness with stereo capabilities.” Basically, it provides sound vibrations to make you feel like you’re in the game environment. Take the new Fortnite drift boards, for example. When you jump on the board, you feel a sense of ‘lightness’ to the sound coming through the headset. And when boosting the board, a slight reverberation goes through you. It makes for a very immersive experience, and you kinda do feel like you’re really riding a board… even though hover boards don’t exist!

Gaming vs. Streaming

Vibrations and other ‘distractions’ can often be a negative when streaming. You need to ensure you’re connecting and engaging with your audience. Being so immersed in the game and forgetting your viewers is a bad thing. But that doesn’t happen with the Nari Ultimate. Built into the headset is THX Spatial Audio. This came standard with the Kraken tournament edition, so it’s nothing new. With the Nari Ultimate however, you received the realistic depth of sound, and now with the added ability to control game/chat balance. You can easily switch between chatting to your in-game teammates, engaging with your viewers, and listening for the sound of gunfire as you work your way to a Victory Royale.

If you stream, then you’ll be happy to hear the boom mic is retractable. You can easily stash the mic away and use a dedicated broadcasting mic. The headset is wireless and works in both wired and wireless mode. This means you can use the Nari Ultimate for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and mobile.

It sounds amazing, so what are the drawbacks?

Like any good product, it is never going to be perfect. Firstly, whilst the Nari Ultimate is a great headset, good things come with high prices. It’ll set you back $199.99 USD ($349.95 AUD). But the good news is, if you like the headset, then you can pick it up in the Nari, or Nari Essential for $129.99 USD or $99.99 USD respectively. The downside to these headsets is they don’t have the haptic feedback. Although some people have a love/hate relationship with haptic tech. If you don’t like vibrating console controllers, then you probably won’t enjoy the Ultimate, and the standard or essential version is the way to go.

Another minor drawback is the size. Whilst this headset has an auto-adjusting headband, it still doesn’t fit my tiny head! Well, I guess that’s mainly a problem for me. If you’re someone with a small noggin, you might think twice about purchasing the Nari Ultimate – or at least try it on before you empty your bank account. In addition, the swivel ear cups can be seen as a con if you don’t like messing around with moving parts. But, all in all, this is a great headset which creates for an immersive gaming experience.

If you’re a techie and want to check out all the juicy specs of this headset, head over to the Razer website. If you tried these out yourself, let us know your thoughts in the comments. Or you can tell us about your best gaming moment while using the Nari Ultimate – it’s gotta be better than my drift board riding skills!