Nacon RIG 800 Pro HX review: A headset primed for marathon gaming

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149.99

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The Nacon Rig 800 Pro HX is a gaming headset with a prominent bass profile and Dolby Atmos support for immersive 3D sound that sounds especially good in FPS games. It’s also lightweight, comfortable, and comes with fast 2.4GHz wireless connectivity and a convenient base station for charging.

Despite its all-plastic frame, it’s very sturdy and sports a modern look you’ll never get tired of. With its only two main downsides being fiddly earbuds and no dedicated software app, it’s a solid option for serious or causal gamers.

Note: Check out our overview of best wireless gaming headsets to learn more about competing products, what to look for in a wireless gaming headset, and buying recommendations.

Design and manufacture of the Nacon RIG 800 Pro HX

The Nacon Rig 800 Pro HX is made from a selection of materials that seem quite contradictory. For one thing, it sports a plastic frame instead of a metal frame and an unassuming mesh material for its outer ear cups, but the rims are surrounded by a plush premium leatherette that’s remarkably tactile.

Was it an arbitrary decision by Nacon? A cost-cutting company, perhaps? Granted, those thoughts crossed my mind, but all reservations completely disappeared as soon as I put it on – it was so comfortable and convenient for gaming.

The main selling point for me was its light weight – the plastic keeps it down to 290 grams, which means it’s almost imperceptible on your head, even during marathon gaming sessions – which is what Nacon intended it to be.

The mesh fabric was also a nice addition that you just don’t see in headsets with leatherette ear cups. It was cool against my ears and kept my cups from sweating and greasing for a few days at 86 degrees.

The other components also deserve praise; features like the self-adjusting headband that distributes weight horizontally across the width of your scalp rather than uncomfortably centering it at one point, and the controls on the left earcup, which have just the right amount of tension for precise adjustment.

My review unit had a volume wheel, a game/party wheel for use with the Xbox, an on/off button and a mic mute button, so there was plenty of on-ear control close at hand when I needed it.

The ear cups are a bit different from the slide-in type you see in some headsets. They do not swivel and are completely detachable. To adjust them, you must remove them and then insert them into one of the three holes in the outer frame of the helmet.

Connectivity and microphone Nacon RIG 800 Pro HX

The packaging of my 800 Pro HX review unit came with the iconic green and white Xbox logos indicating its compatibility with Xbox One and Xbox X/S, as well as PC, all with Dolby Atmos support. But you can also buy a PC and PlayStation compatible version, or a PC, Mac and PlayStation compatible version.

Wireless connectivity is via a low-latency 2.4 GHz USB-A Wi-Fi adapter that you can either plug directly into your device or slot into the headset’s multi-function base station. Both options gave me a fast, responsive signal and worked up to 10 meters.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

The base station also charges the headset’s 1800mAH battery, or you can also plug the USB cable directly into the headset itself. Charging takes around seven hours to reach full capacity, giving you around 24 hours of playtime.

A unidirectional noise-canceling microphone sits on the left earcup and has a mute feature, which I found very useful for switching between my team chats and talking to family. I was pleased to see that the mic has a really clean signature, keeping distortion to an absolute minimum. The end is made from a flexible material so you can position it exactly where you want it.

Nacon RIG 800 Pro HX software

Unfortunately, the Rig 800 Pro HX doesn’t have its own dedicated app, but you can download the Dolby Atmos software app, which gives you some control over headphone sound. For example, you can make footsteps more visible by changing the Performance Mode setting from off to on, or optimize sounds in the high, mid or low frequency range by choosing one of the Smart equalizer settings in the main page of the app. It is relatively easy to use and definitely worth the effort.

Performance of the Nacon RIG 800 Pro HX

While some headsets do 3D audio as a sort of side act, the 800 Pro HX makes it a main event. Nacon says the 40mm drivers have been fine-tuned for Dolby Atmos 3D audio, so you can react faster and more accurately to what’s going on around you. The headset’s bass has also been improved, and both of those things were really noticeable in my gaming tests.

For example, in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, most of the sounds sounded clean and refined, but deeper sounds like explosions and the thud of gunfire really stood out, resonating with a heaviness that really caught my attention. The audio also circled around my ears in a full 360 arc, giving me precise positional awareness that made it easier to locate enemies and keep my character alive longer.

That said, gamers who play FPS titles like Infinite Halo, Metro Exodusand newer titles in the Battlefield And Call of Duty franchises, are truly in for a treat, as they will take full advantage of this headset’s Dolby Atmos support. Getting it working is a snap too – just plug it in and it automatically engages with software to optimize your sound.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Switch to a game of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, I listened to the slightest distortion, but I didn’t hear any. In this game, too, the 3D audio was sublime, bringing the sounds of the forest to life with an eerie realism that I’ve rarely heard from other headsets.

As for the controls, I really like the vertical orientation which made finding my volume wheel very quick. The base station is also a great addition – it’s so compact it doesn’t take up much room on my desk and helps protect my headset when I’m not using it.

The only thorn in the side of this headset, if I have to mention one, is that the ear cups are quite difficult to adjust – I wish they had been the simple pull type like in the Logitech Astro A30 Wireless, which would have saved me from having to detach and reattach them all the time. That said, the holes in the frame are awesome, giving the 800 Pro HX its signature fighter pilot look that I never got tired of seeing.

Should I buy the Nacon RIG 800 Pro HX?

Gamers of all types will be impressed by the Rig 800 Pro HX’s clear, refined sound, but we particularly recommend it to FPS gamers because of its prominent bass and sublime Dolby Atmos 3D support. Plus, the Rig 800 Pro HX’s light weight will keep you super comfortable when a few minutes of play turns into many, many hours.