Razer Tetra reviewed.

A headset is fast becoming a necessary part of gaming. Like it or not, voice chat is here to stay. Hell, it’s practically a requirement in some games. How else are you going to coordinate raids in MMOs? Whatsapp chats?

While single player games have so far been immune to needing a headset (though some games have dabbled in AI speech recognition to execute actions), getting a quality (not necessarily expensive) headset should still be on every gamer’s wishlist.

The Razer Tetra is certainly a headset…but is it quality?

Read on and find out.

What is the Razer Tetra?

The Razer Tetra is a single speaker headset that’s meant for consoles, smartphones and any device with a 3.5mm jack. Due to it’s solo speaker, it can be used on either your left or right ear, leaving the other open to game audio.

The headset is ultra lightweight, coming in at only 70g and has it own volume and mute mic control. There’s also a cardioid mic that’s specifically designed to eliminate ambient noise (such as sounds from the TV or your surrounds) so that your voice can be transmitted clearly.

It’s certainly not big on extraneous features, which is why it’s going for $46.90.

You get what you pay for.

Don’t go expecting the Razer Tetra to blow other headsets out the water.

The speaker is decent enough with its 32mm drivers but it’ll never even come close to even a normal headset since the sound is only mono.

Expecting great sound from the headset is like asking for water from a stone. Instead, the focus on the Razer Tetra is for voice transmission. Other audio is just icing on the cake.

On that front, the headset is in its element.

I’ve tried this on a PC, Xbox One X, PS4 Pro and Switch and every single time, the quality is pretty good. Voices coming from the other end are clear, with no distortion issues that I’ve experienced. Even Whatsapp video calls had decent quality, so if you’re looking to use the Razer Tetra for other devices, it’s pretty capable.

I like that you can use the headset on either ear, but I’ve found that I usually just stick it on my right side (my dominant side) and leave my left ear free.

The foam is pretty comfy (even for marathon sessions) but I’m not sold on the faux leather cover.

I’ve had experience with these types of covers peeling after a few months of repeated use (such as on the Playstation Gold headsets) and suspect that might happen here too.

The adjustable cardioid mic does seem to work as advertised, though I’ve found that there are limits to its isolation capabilities.

I’ve played with Ibrahim a couple of times and he mentioned that while my voice was clear 99% of the time, there are times when ambient sounds (such as the noise from my ceiling fan if it’s set on high speeds) does get through.

It’s certainly not that disruptive (as my voice can still be heard clearly) but it’s something to take note of if you’re planning on using it in a noisy or enclosed area.

Tethered to Tetra.

Since it’s a wired headset, the Razer Tetra also comes with its own 3.5mm wire. The attached cable is long enough that you won’t get tangled in it but is short enough so that it won’t get caught up in your surroundings.

The only issue I’ve had with the headset was not remembering that it was wired, which led to me dropping my still attached PS4 controller (twice!) onto the floor as I got up.

Build quality for the Razer Tetra is decent for the price you’re paying. The hard plastic used for the headband seems a bit too brittle too me, but the foam and speaker seems to be made of sturdier stuff.

I also like the rubberized coating on the 3.5mm cable but wish there was a way to keep the cord from tangling up when it’s not in use other than retying it up. That gets old fast.

One thing that worries me is how it’ll perform a few years down the road.

The 3.5mm cable is built-into the headset itself so if it breaks, it’s going to be a hassle to replace…but then again, at $46.90, it’s not that much trouble to buy another Tetra if you’re so inclined.

The bottom line.

If you need a cheap headset for chat (but still want a decent quality one), then the Razer Tetra definitely fits the bill.

It doesn’t come with a ton of frills but the adjustable cardioid mic does work as advertised, which is definitely a plus point. The built-in volume and mute control is also a selling point; it’ll definitely save you time from going back and forth into the dashboard (or settings) to find a volume you’re comfortable with.

It’s also under $50, so you won’t feel too guilty for spending a ton on a peripheral if you’re gaming on a budget.

The headset’s comfy enough to use for extended periods but I have doubts on whether the speaker foam’s coating can hold up without peeling for long, especially if you’re prone to sweating a lot.

The construction’s a bit too spartan for my tastes as well.

The headband, made out of hard plastic, feels like it might snap if you put too much pressure on it. God help you if you sit on it, as I’m fairly sure it’ll snap. Reinforcement (maybe some metal) would go a long way to assuage that worry.

But like I said, for $46.90, you certainly could do a lot worse.

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