While Nacon have been in the headlines recently thanks to their parent company’s financial problems, the developer, publisher and peripheral manufacturer are continuing to fight the good fight. In particular, their hardware continues to be stellar, and so it is with great anticipation that we unwrap the RIG R8 Spectre Pro, their latest wireless headset. Following on from the RIG R5 Pro HS, and utilising the same Snap-Lock customisation, this is a further step on Nacon’s path to headset domination.
The R8 Spectre Pro is understated. That seems to be the new way of doing things, as we enter an era of gaming headsets that look serious, professional and thoroughly not embarrassing. Not to worry, though, the included charging dock that also plays host to the USB-C wireless dongle has a lovely colourful RGB strip to satiate even the most ardent ‘g4m3r’. Is that strip potentially annoying? Yes, it can be if the dock is in your eyeline. Can you turn it off? Absolutely.
The dock is solid, and there’s a magnetic connection that makes sure your headset locks into place exactly where it needs to be. You can’t get it wrong – the charging port is on one side of the headset – but you do have to make sure you clunk it into place, rather than gently placing it. It’s more reliable than the A50’s dock, and I’ve lived happily with that for years, so… it works!
You’re getting a traditional black over-ear headset, and they’ve brought all the RIG-defining comfort to bear with plush earpads and a memory-foam headband. The earpads boast the ideal combination of super-soft fabric on the surface that rests against your head, with a leatherette surround for added passive noise cancellation.
Comfort is aided by a relatively low 364g weight, in line with the latest iteration of Astro’s long-running A50 lineup. There’s lighter headsets out there, but it’s dispersed well across your head, keeping things comfortable through long play sessions.
There’s also a touted 60-hour battery, so they can be truly long sessions – like, if you’ve decided to risk your health by not going to sleep for three days – but, since it lives on the charging dock when it’s not on your head, there’s pretty much no chance you’re ever running out of power. Through the last two weeks, they’ve just been ready to go whenever I needed, which is exactly what you want from a wireless headset.
Equipped with both wireless and Bluetooth, the HS edition is licensed for PlayStation, but will work across PC via both connections, and either Switch or mobile platforms by Bluetooth. There’s also the HX version, which is all ready to go with your Xbox console, if you’re the kind of person who prefers Gears over Gods of War. There’s even the option of going wired on PC, if you’re looking for the absolute lowest latency, but when the wireless itself has had the latency tamped down, there’s fewer reasons to tether yourself to your computer.
The suite of physical controls are all on the right earpiece, giving you access to power, EQ settings and Bluetooth, as well as volume via a chunky, easy-to-find dial. They’re raised up and separated well enough, that I never had any problem locating the right one while playing.
Over on the right, there’s also the flip-down microphone boom arm, and it stays well out of the way when you don’t need it, with an easy action when you do. Teammates agreed that the mic sounded good and clear, but perhaps not quite broadcast quality if you’re looking for something for streaming or podcasting.
Just as with the RIG R5, there’s the added customisation brought by the Snap Lock system, which lets you remove magnetic plates from the outside of each earpiece. Nacon have started to roll out some of their own options – we got a cool additional option in with our review unit – but you can also download the CAD files and 3D print your own, which I think is one of the best, and most consumer-friendly options in gaming audio right now.
It is, of course, all down to how they sound, and the R8 Spectre Pro provide excellent audio output. Starting with Overwatch, the positional audio was presented perfectly, helping me to go on a massive tear through this season’s competitive tiers. The great balance of mids and highs made it easier to pinpoint exactly where my opponents were, and when to get out of the way when that ridiculous Hanzo Ultimate pops off, all without needing a specific, atmosphere-sucking ‘FPS mode’. All in all, the R8 Spectre Pro is ideal for online FPS, without any of the compromises you might find elsewhere.
Moving to Crimson Desert, I was impressed with the clarity of the dialogue, and just how well-rounded the audio was, with generous spacing helping to envelope me in the world of Pywel. There’s a fantastic blend between detail and depth, and it’s good enough to make you feel as though you’re experiencing these games for the first time.
The 40mm graphene drivers have been built to reduce and virtually remove any hint of distortion, and the level of clarity is remarkable, while they’ve also been crafted with 3D audio in mind as well. I’ve been building a new/old physical media collection, and the Atmos track of Spider-Man: No Way Home sounded fantastic, with the dual speakers doing a good job of creating a 3D listening space.
Everything is controlled via the iOS or Android Navigator app, which allows you to update the headset over the air, customise various features such as the mic gain and microphone monitoring, as well as take control of the 8-band EQ. There are presets for FPS, Bass, Vocal and Clarity mixes, but, for once, I was more than happy with the audio delivery out of the box, and felt as though it didn’t need any tinkering whatsoever.
This is a crowded point in the market, with the R8’s £200 RRP setting it against a host of high-end headsets from Steelseries, Astro and Turtle Beach. However, the R8 more than holds its own in this company, beating out the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro for comfort, and the Astro A50 for audio quality. The only missing function here is noise cancelling, and though its passive noise blocking is decent, you might want to look elsewhere if you game in a noisy environment, especially as you can currently find the older Arctis Nova Pro at a nearby £229 price point.
