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HyperX Cloud III Review

The HyperX Cloud III is the successor to one of the most popular gaming headsets ever made, the Cloud II, and it inherits a lot of that reputation for comfort and reliability. This is the wired version in black, with 53mm angled drivers, a detachable noise-canceling boom mic, and a bundle of connectors — 3.5mm, USB-A, and USB-C — that let it work across PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Mac, and mobile devices. We pulled together testing and hands-on impressions from RTINGS, TechRadar, Tom’s Hardware, Trusted Reviews, and SoundGuys to see where these outlets agree — and where they genuinely don’t.

Where reviewers agree: comfort and build quality

If there’s one thing every review lines up on, it’s comfort. The plush memory foam in the headband and earcups, wrapped in soft leatherette, consistently earns praise for long-session wear, and the full metal frame gives it a durability edge over headsets that rely on plastic hinges. Trusted Reviews called it as comfortable as mid-range headsets come, and multiple outlets note it’s noticeably lighter than the design would suggest, which matters during marathon gaming sessions.

The physical controls are another consistent positive: volume and mic-mute controls are built right into the earcup, letting you skip in-game menus entirely, and a red LED clearly indicates when the mic is muted.

The microphone: genuinely strong, according to most

Several reviewers single out the mic as one of the headset’s best features for the price. TechRadar went as far as calling it the standout feature of the whole headset, describing the audio quality as impressively clean for voice chat and calls. The 10mm boom mic has a built-in mesh pop filter and noise cancellation, and it’s detachable, which is a nice touch if you also want to use the headset for casual listening.

That said, this isn’t universal — Tom’s Hardware described the mic as simply “fine,” noting it captured a full-enough voice but nothing close to broadcast quality, and that its noise cancellation helped with background fan noise without doing anything special. Worth flagging as a genuine point of disagreement between otherwise similar testing setups rather than a clear consensus.

Sound quality: this is where opinions genuinely split

This is the most contested part of the Cloud III, and it’s worth taking seriously rather than glossing over. On one end, TechRadar’s review called the sound quality a clear improvement and praised the value at its price point. On the other end, SoundGuys named audio quality as the weakest part of the headset, and Trusted Reviews described the bass response as merely “fine” and “perfectly serviceable” — functional, but missing the low-end depth that makes game audio come alive, especially compared to HyperX’s own Cloud Alpha, which some reviewers argue offers better sound at a similar price.

Passive noise isolation is decent but not remarkable: SoundGuys found it blocks conversations and quiet background sound effectively, but louder ambient noise, like music playing nearby, does bleed through. If you want true noise cancellation, this isn’t that kind of headset — it relies purely on the physical seal of the earcups.

Software: a genuine weak point

The Ngenuity companion app, used for enabling DTS Spatial Audio and adjusting EQ presets, gets consistent criticism across reviews. PC Gamer described their experience with it as hit-or-miss, occasionally failing to detect the headset entirely, and TechRadar’s Wireless-model review (which shares the same software) called it out as weak. The silver lining most reviewers agree on: the Cloud III sounds solid out of the box, so you’re not required to rely on the app much to get good performance.

One notable owner complaint

A recurring criticism in owner feedback that’s easy to miss in professional reviews: some users report that the fabric-braided cable transmits noticeable vibration or “microphonics” into the left ear whenever the cord is bumped or brushed against — a carryover complaint from the Cloud II that HyperX doesn’t appear to have fully solved with this generation’s cable design. If you tend to game with the cord resting against your desk, clothing, or chair, this is worth being aware of, since it can be genuinely distracting during quiet moments.

Price and value

At around $99–$100 at full retail, most reviewers frame the Cloud III as solid value, particularly given the build quality and comfort. The caveat several outlets raise is that this represents a real price increase over the Cloud II at launch, and that HyperX’s own Cloud Alpha sometimes offers a more balanced sound signature for similar money — so it’s worth comparing directly against that model if audio quality specifically is your top priority.

	Cloud III – Black Buy on Amazon	Cloud III – Black/Red Buy on Amazon	HyperX Cloud III – White $69.99 Buy on Amazon	HyperX Cloud III – Pink $69.99 Buy on Amazon
Connection	Wired 3.5mm/ Wired USB	Wired 3.5mm/ Wired USB	Wired 3.5mm/ Wired USB	Wired 3.5mm/ Wired USB
Sound	DTS Headphone:X Spatial Audio	DTS Headphone:X Spatial Audio	DTS Headphone:X Spatial Audio	DTS Headphone:X Spatial Audio
Driver	53mm	53mm	53mm	53mm
Noise-Cancellation Mic	Detachable	Detachable	Detachable	Detachable
Ear Cushion Material	Memory foam + leatherette	Memory foam + leatherette	Memory foam + leatherette	Memory foam + leatherette
Weight with Mic	320g	320g	320g	320g

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