HyperX Cloud III Wireless and HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Wireless - Did I Mention They're Wireless?

I'm a wireless kind of guy.

Okay, I may have mentioned that once or twice or a thousand times before. I like to charge things wirelessly. I like listening to my home theatre through its wirelessly connected speakers. And above all else, I love a wireless mouse and I absolutely insist on wireless headset wherever possible.

The great news is, thanks to HyperX, not only is that possible, it's preferable.

The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 and Cloud III are not new. In HyperX's usual style, both mouse and headset already existed... with a cable. Now once again, both cords have been well and truly cut and if you're anything like me, once you lose the cable, there's no going back.

I'll start with the Plusefire Haste 2 Wireless mouse - because I've already reviewed its cabled counterpart. Indeed, it shares several features with other HyperX mice I've come across in the past.

To start with, I can't emphasise enough how light HyperX mice are compared with other options out there. Even without the hexagonally-holed honeycomb design some previous incarnations have proffered, the Pulsefire Haste 2 Wireless weighs in at just 61 grams... so almost nothing.

This, combined with the evenly spaced, friction-free skates on its base makes for effortless - and crucially - speedy movements across your mousepad. As I've also come to expect, there's a spare set of these skates in the box should anything happen to those already pre-installed.

Likewise, there's a set of rubbery grip-tape pads for the sides and main buttons if you're concerned about keeping hold of your mouse during the heat of online battle. I'd be surprised if you need them though, as I've always found the matte finish of a HyperX mouse, in tandem with its slight hourglass shape to be totally secure and comfortable.

The included extras don't stop there. There's a USB-A to USB-C charging cable in the box - a very long cable, braided for maximum ease-of-movement and minimum chance of tangle. You'll get up to 100 hours battery life on a single charge (impressive) but if things do run low, you can keep using the mouse while it's plugged in. 

To that end, you'll find a cunning little USB-C to USB-A adapter in the box too. The idea here is you can plug the 2.4GHz USB-A wireless dongle in one end, the charging cable in the other and should you need to urgently boost your mouse battery you can quickly unplug the adapter and start charging on the go.

The really cool thing about the Pulsefire Haste 2 Wireless is it also connects via Bluetooth. In theory, using the dongle should be more lag-free than using bluetooth. In practice, I haven't been able to detect any difference - which is handy; it means I can pair the same mouse to two different devices, effortlessly switching between them.

Of course, you get all the high-end gaming specs you want from a mouse like this... The precision of a 26,000 DPI sensor. The durability of a set of buttons rated to last up to 100 million clicks. And who could forget the NGENUITY app that lets you customise the RGB light in the scroll wheel and create your own macros for any of the six buttons?

You could be thinking this is the perfect mouse and it definitely comes close. Some users might prefer a few more RGB effects. Not me. I'm no fan of pointless flashing lights. The only thing I would change is so minor, it's hardly worth mentioning. The 2.4GHz dongle is only USB-A, which seems a bit limiting given how many laptops only have USB-C slots these days. 

I wouldn't have brought it up except weirdly, the Cloud III Wireless headset comes with a very tidy little USB-C to USB-A adapter plug for its own dongle, meaning you can use it just as easily in either slot.

Like the mouse, this headset is a cord-free replication of the wired version - with no compromise on the headline features.

When it comes to long gaming sessions, comfort is key for any headset. Not only does the Cloud III's combo of memory foam covered in leatherette feel like pillows on your head and ears, it breathes well too, keeping your noggin cool under pressure.

Your purchase of the Cloud III Wireless activates a lifetime of DTS Spatial Audio on PC to create spookily realistic surround-sound effects and the 53mm drivers have been tuned to bring out the most of any game's soundtrack, effects and dialogue. I actually enjoy just listening to music wearing the Cloud III while I work.

Speaking of dialogue, the flexi mic boom is easily detachable and sports a little red LED on the inner surface of the mic to indicate when it has been muted. This is just bright enough to notice in the bottom-left corner of your field of vision without distracting you from your gameplay.

Mic quality is very clear indeed - perhaps a little toppy for recording a podcast but I'd suggest it's been EQ'd that way to cut across the noise of a battle or race so your teammates can hear your instructions with no mistake.

The on-board controls are few and simple; a volume wheel on the right earcup, with the power and mic-mute buttons on the left. A long press of the mic-mute toggles side-tone on or off (so you can choose to hear your own voice or not) while a short press of the power button prompts a spoken battery percentage update. That's it. And I'd suggest that's all you need.

Again, my only real criticism is a bit of a weird one. The Cloud III Wireless offers an insane 120 hours on a single charge, so it'll be a long time before you need to top up. Like the Plusefire Haste 2, you can keep using the headset while it's plugged in but the problem is the included charging cable is hardly long enough to reach from your head to your desktop, let alone to something useful like a USB charging port. So strange given the cable for the mouse is about three times longer.

My solution? I just use that long cable instead.

Oh, and sorry RGB fans - no silly lights at all on the Cloud III Wireless. Although I must say the red accents on the review model I was sent look brilliant.

Both these HyperX devices deliver in absolutely every area I need them too; durability, performance, comfort and completely off-the-charts battery life.

Above all else; no lag. And my wireless world widens.

    

Click here for more information on the HyperX Cloud III Wireless gaming headset.

Click here for more information on the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Wireless gaming mouse.