Razer’s Barracuda V2 Pro launches with a better mic, longer battery, and a lower

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Razer has launched the Barracuda V2 Pro, a new wireless gaming headset that is meant to work just as well away from a desk as it does in front of one. It costs $199.99 and comes with Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation, simultaneous 2.4GHz and Bluetooth audio, THX Spatial Audio+, and up to 70 hours of battery life.

The original Barracuda Pro followed much the same formula. We liked its understated design, balanced audio, and flexible connectivity, but the $250 price, loose fit, and weak microphone made the package harder to recommend. The interesting part here is that Razer seems to have gone directly after a few of those complaints.

The microphone gets the upgrade it needed

The biggest problem with the Barracuda Pro was its microphone. Razer skipped the usual boom mic to keep the headset looking more like a regular pair of headphones, but the built-in microphone came at a noticeable cost to voice quality.

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The Barracuda V2 Pro now includes a detachable boom microphone for gaming, while internal beamforming microphones remain available when you want to use it without one. AI-powered noise cancellation works with both microphone setups. Battery life has also increased from roughly 40 hours on the Barracuda Pro to a claimed 70 hours. Razer has dropped the price by $50 as well, bringing the V2 Pro down to $199.99.

Some of the old questions remain

Underneath those changes is a fairly familiar Barracuda setup. The V2 Pro uses Razer TriForce Bio-Cellulose 40mm drivers, Hybrid ANC, and THX Spatial Audio+ with 7.1.4 virtual surround sound on PC. HyperSpeed Wireless handles the 2.4GHz connection, while SmartSwitch lets the headset work across PCs, phones, consoles, and handhelds. Razer has also added simultaneous 2.4GHz and Bluetooth playback, which means calls or music can come through without disconnecting from a game.

There are still a couple of things we cannot judge from the spec sheet. The company has not said whether the fit has been tightened up, and there is no mention of wired audio.

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Sudhanshu Kumar Mangalam Contributor Sudhanshu Kumar Manglam is a tech journalist at Digital Trends, where he covers consumer technology, science, and games.

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