Cheryl Tan
- Sep 4, 2021
- 5 min read

Razer Barracuda X Review: The Best Wireless Gaming Headset For Nintendo Switch

This is probably the best gaming headset for the Nintendo Switch, bar none. Hands down. This is the Razer Barracuda X.

Now we’re late to the game, definitely. This review unit from Razer was stuck in Hong Kong for the longest time and it finally made its way to Singapore.

There are already tonnes of reviews out there with all kinds of perspectives and generally, all of them were pretty positive. So I was a little sceptical, but hyped at the same time. But after a couple of weeks of using it? I have to say, this is very impressive.

The first thing you have to know is the price, which is US$99.99 or S$154.90.

That’s a very agreeable price, you’ve got to admit, especially for a wireless gaming headset. In fact, it’s actually also US$20 cheaper compared to its closest and direct competitor, which would be the Arctis 1 Wireless from Steelseries. It may not sound like much, but US$20 is enough to sway people towards a decision.

But what are you actually getting for US$100?

The main selling point of the Barracuda X is this so-called 4-in-1 connectivity, and no, it’s not talking about the connection method, but rather the devices that it plays very nicely with. The four such devices would be your PC, the PlayStation 4 or 5, Android smartphones and the Nintendo Switch.

In terms of the actual wireless connectivity in itself, the Barracuda X only supports 2.4GHz wireless via the use of a USB-C adapter. There isn’t any Bluetooth support here.

But on the flip side, it’s a plug and play solution and it’s really very straightforward. You don’t have to mess with anything, it just works. Which, on that note, this is also one of the rare few Razer products that do not support Razer Synapse at all.

That also means that you don’t get access to the usual things that most Razer headsets would allow you to do so, such as EQ settings, microphone settings, different profiles for different games, stuff like that.

However, in my personal opinion? Not having to deal with Razer Synapse is a huge plus.

But now let’s talk about design, and to sum it up in one sentence? It’s minimalistic and unassuming. Personally, I really like it.

This time around, it’s pretty much all black and devoid of any form of RGB, which is very surprising from Razer but definitely the way to go, especially because this is a wireless headset. All you get is the Razer text on the headband and their iconic logo on each side of the ear cups, that’s about it.

Overall, the entire construction is made from hard plastic which does feel reasonably solid to the touch and should hold up fine with the rigours of everyday use. The only part that’s metal would be the adjustment sliders, which does also feature notches, which I do appreciate.

The Barracuda X also comes in at 250 grams or about half a pound (0.55lbs). Wearing it for hours on end was definitely not an issue at all. But the light weight is only a part of the comfort. The padding on the ear cups and the headband does make up the rest of the experience.

For my use, I found the padding to be sufficient. I couldn’t feel any pressure at all from the headband even after hours of use, and the padding on the ear cups also have memory foam and was very comfortable, even with glasses.

Of course, your experience will vary but if you’re similarly built like me, you should be fine and happy with it.

My only gripe with it is the rotation of the ear cups. For some reason, Razer has decided to have them turn outwards instead of inwards. This means when you want to rest the headset on your neck, you can’t really flatten the ear cups on you, to make it more comfortable.

The only thing I found useful for this direction of rotation is when I want to take off the headset and place it on the desk. This direction is a very natural motion. Still, I would rather it rotate the opposite direction so I can rest it on my neck easier.

Moving on to the rest of the headset, you get all the buttons and controls on the left ear cup. You have a mic mute switch, your volume wheel, a power button that also acts as your media control button, a status LED which tells you the connection and low battery status, 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C port for charging, and of course your mic port where you can insert the detachable mic.

Now other things included with the Barracuda X would be a 3.5mm audio cable, a USB-A to USB-C cable, a USB-A to USB-C female connector, and of course, the USB-C wireless adapter itself.

Other reviewers have already mentioned this, but the shape of the wireless adapter is a hit or miss, depending on what you’re using it on. If you’re using it on a laptop, more like than not, it’ll block a neighbouring port. If you use it on the Switch, which is what it’s really designed for, you also can’t rest the Switch down on the kickstand.

If you’re on a desktop or laptop, use the included extension cable. If you’re on an Android smartphone, don’t even look at the Barracuda X. Get a proper pair of Bluetooth headphones.

But if you’re on the Switch, the Barracuda X is, in my opinion, phenomenal. It really is the best wireless audio experience I’ve ever gotten on the Switch and it’s plug and play. You don’t have to do anything extra.

Just insert the wireless adapter, turn on the headset, and you’re good to go.

Playing my Nintendo games was really a blissful experience, and I really enjoyed games like Monster Hunter Rise and Zelda Breath of the Wild.

In Monster Hunter Rise, it really heightened the shouts and roars of the monsters and highlighted some of the audio cues that the monster will exhibit when performing certain attacks. It made the hunt so much more aggressive and immersive.

While in Breath of the Wild, you can really pick out the subtleties of the natural sound that makes up the world of Hyrule.

Now to be clear, you can probably get a similar experience with a pair of wired headphones. But we’re talking about the Switch here, which is not exactly the easiest thing to have wireless peripherals with it. The Barracuda X is not only wireless, but it’s a plug and play experience with the Switch, and I didn’t experience any audio cut-offs or any latency. That’s awesome.

It also has a sound signature that’s very similar to the higher end BlackShark V2, which I do prefer, meaning a much more balanced sound with good enough bass without tempering the highs. This headset also has really high power output and I could get really high volumes out of those 40mm drivers even with the Nintendo Switch.

Lastly, the Barracuda X will last roughly 20 hours with continuous use and I would say it’s pretty accurate and 20 hours is good enough.

Honestly, I have to say that I really like the Barracuda X and I think Razer has got a winner here. It’s pretty affordable at just about US$100, it’s wireless, it’s plug and play, decent microphone, comparable audio quality to their higher end offerings and… no RGB.

In my personal opinion, this is probably the best gaming headset for the Nintendo Switch. If you’re looking at this for the desktop or laptop, this will still work great as well. Just that, in that market, you have a tonne of options.

But if you’re looking to get a wireless audio experience with your Nintendo Switch without any fuss? The Razer Barracuda X is extremely good in that regard and I would say is the best use case for it. It really is perfect for the Nintendo Switch.

Content by Soon Kai Hong

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