I’ve reviewed my fair share of fancy headsets, but I tend to prefer things simple. Wireless is convenient, sure, and audiophile offerings are super tempting, but the headset I reach for most often—indeed, the one that’s always draped over my monitor between sessions—is a simple wired affair that also happens to be the best gaming headset on the market according to the PC Gamer hivemind.
It’s the HyperX Cloud Alpha I’m talking about. Given it’s a wired affair, I use it daily with my Steam Deck OLED. I love this thing because its light but nevertheless has a weapon-like durability thanks to its aluminium frame. It’s also reliably comfortable during protracted gaming sessions, and most importantly of all, it sounds utterly brilliant.
The RRP on the HyperX Cloud Alpha is a fairly reasonable AU$159. I reckon its worth it at full price, even though it’s often available for cheaper—usually around the AU$99 mark. But during my hunt to find the best Amazon Prime Day PC gaming deals I noticed that it’s currently available for the all-time low price of AU$82.40, with free shipping to boot.
In this low-to-mid range price bracket there is simply no equal competition. It’s the kind of headset you can spend all day wearing too, so if you want a set of cans to block out the noise of an office, or even just something for commuting (assuming your smartphone has a headphone jack) this will suit those requirements easily.
The HyperX Cloud Alpha isn’t some new ‘n’ fancy product, either. It’s been around since 2018, when our Phil gave it a 90 / 100 score. His opinion pretty much echoes mine: “Despite the narrowing of the gap between this and the chasing pack, and despite Steelseries’ increasing dominance in the wireless headset market, for a cabled headset under $100, this should still be your first consideration.”
If you’d prefer wireless, the wireless version of the HyperX Cloud Alpha is also going cheap during Amazon Prime Day: It’s AU$179, down from AU$299.
It should come as no surprise that this wireless version of the Cloud Alpha is our favourite wireless headset for gaming. Indeed, it received the same 90 / 100 score upon launch that its tethered sibling won. I haven’t used the wireless version, but my colleagues know what they’re talking about.
If you’re not in the market for a gaming headset, perhaps you are a new mouse, keyboard, or monitor? Whatever you’re after, it’s worth checking our frequently updated list of the best Amazon Prime Day PC gaming deals.
