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Razer Barracuda X Chroma: two-minute review

The Razer Barracuda X Chroma is a wireless gaming headset that sits towards the budget end of the brand’s lineup, offering plenty of features in a more affordable package.

It adopts a rather conservative design, with its gaming stylings confined to the RGB lighting on the sides of each driver. The matte finish and elegant form help make this a smart-looking headset.

The fit and comfort levels are up there with the best wireless gaming headsets around. Even glasses wearers should find there’s enough clearance and cushioning to accommodate the arms of their frames comfortably.

The headband is wonderfully plush too, and the relative lightness of the overall headset means it remains comfortable over long sessions. The earpads aren’t the most cushioned, however, which did result in the insides of the drivers making contact with my ears, but not enough to cause an issue like other gaming headsets.

In addition to some useful on-board functionality courtesy of the buttons on the left driver, you can make further tweaks using Synapse, Razer’s peripheral software. These include altering EQ profiles via numerous draggable points across the frequency spectrum, as well as advanced customization options for the lighting via the Razer Chroma add-on. However, it’s inconvenient that this latter feature opens in a separate app window, rather than being contained within Synapse.

You’ll also get access to the Surround Sound 7.1 feature with your purchase of the Barracuda X Chroma, but this also requires a separate app, rather than being a Synapse module.

The Barracuda X Chroma offers a balanced and clear sound. The various preset sound profiles can be hit and miss, with music mode being the best in my opinion, as it rounds out the bass nicely. Oddly enough, while the Surround Sound 7.1 capability does impart a subtle sense of directionality, the overriding impression I got from it was an increased fullness and punchiness – but at the expense of adding an unwanted airiness to the higher frequencies.

The various connectivity modes on the Barracuda X Chroma work well, with Bluetooth and the HyperSpeed dongle functioning as intended. Using the SmartSwitch button to hot-swap between the two modes is quick and easy too, although there were some occasions when it wasn’t quite so sharp.

The battery life is also good, with the 70-hour claim appearing to hold water during my tests, as it didn’t even deplete halfway after several days of varied use. Charging it from about half to full took just under two and a half hours, which is a middling performance.

All things considered, however, the Barracuda X Chroma represents better value than some of Razer’s more expensive gaming headsets, such as the Kraken V4, offering much the same features and performance but for less. I also found it more comfortable than the Kraken.

If you’re after a headset with superior sound, though, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is a better choice, and if you want to stick to the budget end of the market – and don’t mind missing out on wireless connectivity – you can’t do much better than the Epos H3.

(Image credit: Future) Razer Barracuda X Chroma review: price and availability

• $129.99 / £129.99 / AU$229.95
• Available now in black and white
• Well-priced and good value

The Razer Barracuda X Chroma costs $129.99 / £129.99 / AU$229.95 and is available now in two colorways: black and white. With a purchase of the headset, you’ll also get access to the Surround Sound 7.1 app, which is usually a paid-for addition.

At this price, it sits well within the gaming headset market. It’s cheaper than the Razer Kraken V4, and yet it performs just as well according to my tests, with similar sound quality – yet the Barracuda X Chroma has better comfort levels. It also has a claimed battery life of up to 70 hours, whereas the Kraken can only manage 50 hours. However, the Kraken does feature a retractable mic, whereas the mic on the Barracuda X Chroma is only removable.

If you’re after a headset with better sound quality, then the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro, the best PC gaming headset around in our view, may be a better option. It also has some useful features, such as ANC. However, it’s considerably more expensive than the Barracuda X Chroma. If you want something a lot cheaper but still worthy, the Epos H3 is the best gaming headset in this regard, although you’ll have to make do with a wired connection.

Razer Barracuda X Chroma review: specs

(Image credit: Future) Razer Barracuda X Chroma review: design and features

• Restrained looks
• Comfortable
• Volume wheel a little prone to misscrolls

The Barracuda X Chroma looks smart and rather understated for a gaming headset, with the RGB lighting on the sides of each driver being the only indicator in this regard. The smooth, matt finish adds a dash of elegance too. The whole headset is quite wide, but I wouldn’t describe it as bulky.

It’s also one of the most comfortable gaming headsets I’ve tried. The light weight means it’s hardly felt on the head, and the fit is snug but not too tight. The earcup padding isn’t the most plush, however, and I did feel the inside of the drivers making slight contact with my ears, but thankfully the pressure wasn’t great enough to cause aches, as I’ve experienced with other headsets. I also prefer their oval shape over circular designs, as they fit my ears completely without protruding behind me too much.

However, it has the same design flaw that I noted with the Kraken V4: namely that the volume wheel on the left driver has a tendency to spin unintentionally when leaning back in a chair or sofa, such is the ease with which it scrolls. It’s a small gripe, but one that may become irritating for those who like to lounge away when gaming.

The headband is more cushioned than the earcups, and I hardly felt it across my head. The headband adjustments are also easy to make while remaining secure. In fact, the entire headset is engineered to the high standards typical of Razer’s peripherals.

(Image credit: Future)

The mic on the Barracuda X Chroma is detachable, but since it employs a gooseneck design, it can be moved in and out of position with ease. It also feels durable, and the cloth tip is reasonably thick, so I don’t have many concerns about it deteriorating quickly.

There are various buttons adorning the left driver, including a power button that can also be used to perform various call and media-related functions, which is quite useful. There’s also a mic mute button and a SmartSwitch button, which quickly switches between Bluetooth and HyperSpeed Wireless modes, provided both are already connected to your devices.

The Barracuda X Chroma can be tweaked using Synapse, Razer’s peripheral software. Here you’ll find various settings for the sound, including an EQ graph where you can boost and cut numerous frequency bands, allowing for a lot more control than many other headsets offer. You can alter the existing sound profiles, or create a custom one. Synapse itself is well laid out and relatively stable, and I had hardly any issue with it, aside from the occasional slow-down.

As the Barracuda X Chroma name suggests, you can also customize the RGB lighting using the Razer Chroma add-on. This offers plenty of options to sink your teeth into, including audio-responsive effects and synchronization with other compatible peripherals. There’s also a Studio section where you can create layers of effects and segment the light bars with different colors, which is far more detailed than most.

It’s inconvenient, however, that Chroma isn’t integrated within Synapse; instead, it’s a separate app, which can be a hassle when hot-switching between windows.

(Image credit: Future) Razer Barracuda X Chroma review: Performance

• Good audio quality for gaming
• Surround sound adds fullness
• Long battery life

The sound of the Barracuda X Chroma is well-balanced, although the low-end lacks the same level of depth as some of the best headphones out there. As I found with Razer’s other headsets, the best preset profile for most situations is Music, as it offers the best all-round frequency response, whereas the others tend to cut the lows and mids too much.

With your purchase of the Barracuda X Chroma you’ll also get access to the Surround Sound 7.1 feature, which is usually paywalled. Like Chroma, this opens in another app window, adding to the inconvenience. The Surround Sound 7.1 effect is reasonably subtle but does give a better sense of where sound is coming from in-game. It also provides a noticeably fuller sound, with greater presence and low-end, but at the cost of making the upper mids and highs more airy, with a faint drone in these registers. This can be a little off-putting but not egregious enough to ruin the experience entirely.

Both wireless modes work well, with the HyperSpeed dongle – true to its name – offering slightly better response times, although there isn’t much in it. The sound quality appears much the same too.

The SmartSwitch feature also works well enough, moving quickly between devices connected via Bluetooth and HyperSpeed Wireless. It also connects easily to various devices besides PC: it’s as convenient as the best PS5 headsets to use with Sony’s console, while both Bluetooth and HyperSpeed modes work seamlessly with the Nintendo Switch, with a slight improvement in sound quality and lag when using the latter method.

The HyperClear cardioid microphone on the Barracuda X Chroma provides sufficient clarity, but it’s not quite as pristine as that on the Kraken V4, as it introduces more sibilance and muffling. But for gaming, it’s still perfectly usable.

The claimed battery life of the Barracuda X Chroma of up to 70 hours seems to ring true according to my tests. After several days of varied use between Bluetooth and HyperSpeed modes, it only depleted to 54%. Charging the headset took just under two and a half hours from this point, which isn’t spectacular but not terrible.

(Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Razer Barracuda X Chroma? Buy it if...

You want features
From the multiple connectivity options to the in-depth software and included Surround Sound 7.1 app, Razer has been rather generous with the extras.

You want comfort
Thanks to the oval drivers, plush headband, and overall lightness of the Barracuda X Chroma, many gamers should find these comfortable to wear – even the bespectacled.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best sound
Although it suffices for gaming, the audio quality isn’t the best for serious music listening, and the various modes can compromise the fidelity even more.

You want the best convenience
It’s not always plug-and-play with the Barracuda X Chroma, and the various apps for the settings can complicate matters.

Razer Barracuda X Chroma review: Also consider

Epos H3
If you’re on a budget, then the Epos H3 is hard to beat, as we think it’s one of the best wired gaming headsets for those looking to save. It offers superb sound, even when listening to music, as well as great comfort levels. It can be found for a mere fraction of its original price too, making it even better value. A wireless version is available in the form of the Epos H3Pro Hybrid, but naturally, this costs more.

Read our full Epos H3 review

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is the best PC gaming headset overall in our view, thanks to the brilliant sound, comfort levels, and battery life. It also has ANC, but we didn’t think this was its strongest suit. You’ll also have to pay considerably more for it than the Barracuda X Chroma, but in the areas where it excels, it’s pretty much unbeatable.

Read our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro review

How I tested the Razer Barracuda X Chroma

• Tested for several days
• Used on multiple platforms
• Extensive gaming and headset experience

I tested the Razer Barracuda X Chroma for several days, during which time I used it while playing gamines, listening to music, watching video content, and attending virtual meetings. I made use of as many of its features and functions as possible, including the Surround Sound 7.1, Chroma, and Synapse apps.

I used the headset on a variety of devices, including PC, PS5, and Nintendo Switch, and played various titles ranging from Counter-Strike 2 to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. I connected to these platforms via Bluetooth and the HyperSpeed Wireless Dongle where I could.

I have been gaming for over 25 years, and during that time I have experienced a number of headsets and headphones, from over-ear to in-ear. I have also reviewed a myriad of gaming headsets, including other offerings from Razer: namely the Kraken V4 and the Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed.

• First reviewed December 2024
• Read more about how we test

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• PSN has just recovered from a 24-hour outage
• Sony says the downtime was caused by an “operational issue” with network services
• Compensation is 5 free days of service for PlayStation Plus members

Sony has informed us of the compensation that PlayStation owners – well, PlayStation Plus members – will receive due to the major outage that struck PSN this weekend, which is thankfully now in the rearview mirror.

The PlayStation Network outage ran for 24 hours in the end, blotting out Saturday online gaming sessions across the globe (or Friday night in some places).

Finally, we were given a reason for the service dropping out, namely an “operational issue” with network services as explained by the PlayStation North American support account on X.

Network services have fully recovered from an operational issue. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank the community for their patience. All PlayStation Plus members will automatically receive an additional 5 days of service.February 9, 2025

The post on the social media outlet also apologized and gave us details on the compensation that’s going to be provided: “All PlayStation Plus members will automatically receive an additional 5 days of service.”

Not so smooth operator

Predictably, there’s quite a bit of unhappiness around the response here. Just a cursory glance through the replies to the announcement from Sony support gives you a good flavor of the disgruntled gamers out there. The main theme is ‘just five days, what about a month?’ – or ‘why aren’t you giving us a free game instead?’

Okay, the latter is pushing it, but I must agree that five days feels like, how can I put this tactfully… a minimal gesture?

I think Sony could have done better than that in mitigating what was clearly a lot of bad feeling from the broad PlayStation community around this weekend-spoiling (for some) outage.

Heck, even non-PlayStation gamers are chipping in on X and saying this feels stingy from Sony.

It’s worth noting that far from everyone has received the five-day bonus yet, and it’s likely in the pipeline for many.

(Image credit: Nattawit Khomsanit / Shutterstock) Communication breakdown

The other frustrating element during this PSN outage was the lack of any communication as to what was going on from Sony.

Everything was down – all PlayStation services on the status dashboard, which was nothing but red lights – and yet not a peep was heard from official channels about the cause (or suspected fault), or an estimated delivery time for the fix to the PlayStation Network.

In some ways, that’ll doubtless have been about the fear of getting something else wrong – giving false hope of a ‘fix soon’ that then doesn’t appear, and which only makes PlayStation owners angrier – but still, it wasn’t a good situation.

The final verdict emerging as just an “operational issue” is not much of a reason, either, and that term feels very vague. Yes, apparently it was a large spanner in the works with the network infrastructure somewhere – but what kind of gremlin was crawling about in there? A little more of a clue wouldn’t hurt, in terms of: how did this happen, and how might Sony guard against this in the future?

In fairness, a fuller explanation could be coming shortly. And service downtime happens – it’s inevitable, of course. But I feel it’s clear enough that the response during the outage, and this final outcome and compensation, could – and should – have been better from Sony.

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Flashback ONE35: two-minute review

For the terminally—unfortunately—online, the ONE35 Camera's promise is an alluring one: a digital version of the disposable camera, offering the same sort of tech you would have got in the 90s with photos that feel like they were shot on film.

That means no screens, a xenon flash and no controls barring a pleasingly tactile winding wheel and a toggle to turn the flash on. It's a similar concept to the Camp Snap Camera, only Flashback goes one step further – it limits you to the number of photos much like a roll of film, and you have to 'send the photos' off to be developed one the roll is done.

That's right, when you've loaded in one of the three different types of film from the Flashback app, you've only got 27 snaps before you have to send the photos off to be developed, with a 24 hour wait time before you can see them.

This concept enough to give the Flashback ONE35 an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign. I caught wind of it late last year and as someone who has been toting an Instax Wide around for every big social event for the last decade, I was tempted by a camera I could keep in my pocket that would still let me snap photos but wouldn't let me see them all at once.

(Image credit: Jake Tucker)

I'm old enough to remember taking disposable cameras out with me the first time around, and the illusion here is strong. The ONE35 looks like a cheap plastic camera but the construction is durable and sturdy and the camera is turned on by turning the clicky winder. The flash is bright and powerful: enough that the entire New Year's Eve party I was at turned to look at me after each photo.

The only part of the camera's design that gives me pause is the toggle for that flash, located on the front of the camera. This doesn't lock securely and there's no way to know whether the flash is engaged or not, and it's given me a scare a few times because the flash button has been slightly knocked off so it doesn't fire. This often means a ruined photo if it's not perfectly lit because you'll want that xenon flash on for pretty much every scenario except bright sunlight.

The ONE35's commitment to 90s film photography is awful low-light performance. Considering the point of the ONE35 is that I can spend less time thinking about the photos that I'm taking and more time enjoying the circumstances in which I'm snapping them, it's a little annoying when a photo doesn't work due to that misaligned flash toggle.

(Image credit: Jake Tucker)

There are some other quirks too: I'm fairly certain that the ONE35's viewfinder is out of focus, with images looking slightly blurry whenever I look through it, and when I hold the camera using its grip, my fingers end up popping up in the corner of photos. Neither of these are big issues though, just some things that you'll have to acclimatize to using the camera.

It's worth persevering though, because the images look great. You have three different films to choose between, but they all have that same disposable camera feel. Your choices are Flashback Classic, Flashback Mono and Flashback Beta.

Classic and Beta offer different color tones but feel similar, while Mono is your black and white option. These images look great but technically aren't brilliant: there's no EXIF data on the images and they come out around 4MP, but they look fine on a phone and the noise and grain from the processing through the app hide the fact this is probably the lowest quality sensor out of any camera in my collection.

(Image credit: Jake Tucker)

The real kicker for me is that to get these images you can't simply use a USB cable, but you must go through the Flashback app which sends them off for "developing" with a 24 hour wait, which is actually just some processing at Flashback's end.

As novel an idea as this is, it irks me a little bit because I don't enjoy the idea of sending a company my photos, but also because I worry about what happens if Flashback stops offering this service, as I don't pay for a subscription service. There will simply be no way to get the photos back.

Still, if the concept interests you more than it concerns you, then Flashback ONE35 is a breath of fresh air, and I can see it making an excellent gift – while its screen-free design lends itself as a camera for kids.

(Image credit: Jake Tucker) Flashback ONE35 camera photo samples Image 1 of 6

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(Image credit: Jake Tucker)

Across my photos, color depth is surprisingly good, particularly in the black and white Mono film. Otherwise, I'm a big fan of the Beta film which seems to deliver on that nostalgic 90s theme. However, I found around 30 percent of my images transpire out of focus or poorly lit, which can feel like a pain especially with the 24 hour wait time.

Flashback ONE35: Price and availability

The Flashback ONE35 Camera is available pretty much worldwide from JoinFlashback.co. Currently it comes in four colorways: Orange/Black, Yellow/Black, Red/White and Teal/White. In the UK this will set you back £78. In the US it's $97, while in Australia it's $150. The accompanying iOS / Android app is free.

Should I buy the Flashback ONE35 camera?

(Image credit: Jake Tucker) Buy it if...

You want to ditch the screens
Everyone just living in the moment? That's definitely the promise of the ONE35. You can snap a quick photo without carrying an expensive camera or getting your phone out. Wind the wheel, click, back in your pocket. Perfectly candid photos.

You want digital photos that look shot on film
The ONE35's biggest strength is the photos that look like they've fallen out of a party in the 90s. The development process, fictional that it is, adds noise and post-processing that makes it look like film. You can do this yourself with presets on your photo editing platform of choice, but for those who don't want that extra work, this is a great option.

Don't buy it if...

You want high-quality printable photos
I think you could print the photos taken with the ONE35, but your phone camera would take better photos. The ONE35 is more about style, but if you want a physical artifact, you would be better off with an Instax Wide or similar instant camera.

You want instant photos
The ONE35 is the opposite of instant gratification. With the slightly fiddly app and the 24-hour development time, it's unlikely you'll be able to get photos from a Friday or Saturday night until Sunday evening at the earliest. If you're looking to take photos of a specific trip, it could be days before you have wifi good enough to upload your reels to the developing center in the first place.

How I tested the Flashback ONE35 camera

I had the Flashback ONE35 camera always on me, in my pocket, for several weeks, during which time it has been used to grab snap shots at parties. I've used the flash, tested the three film types on offer, and sent my photos off through the app.

First reviewed February 2025

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