Exclusivity Bites Back? Battlefield 3 Razer Blackshark 2.0 Gaming Headset Review

Firstly, thanks are in order for Techgoondu, from whom I won the prize in its online contest. And now that I have my interests out in the open...

Product co-branding has always been a marketing strategy for companies who see the synergy between different brands. In its basic form, brands create products out of another franchise. Lego, for example, manufacture bricks that assemble into Death Stars. Fast food franchises jump on the latest movie craze by offering themed toys with Kid's Meals.

In another iteration, brands stylise their products after others, hoping to garner the unique fan following between the brands' overlaps. Razer is the exemplar in the gaming peripheral industry, having already dished out its offerings in Transformers, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect themed gear. The Razer Blackshark marks the inroads Razer is making into the Battlefield 3 arena (which it has already dominated with mice and keyboards). However, is the trick becoming too old? Will such stylised products turn off the common gamer who want (or has) nothing to do with the game itself, or are they welcome icing on the cake? Does the licensing of game-themed gear pass on a completely avoidable cost to the gamer? Read on to find out!

First: Even though Razer mice is known for having low, middle, and top-tier ends, the Blackshark screams premium right out of the box. And yes, us gamers are always suckers for packaging and unboxing. The headset and accessories sit snugly inside black cushioning (so comfortably that I was almost afraid to damage the cushioning pulling them out).

The Battlefield 3 theme is also pretty evident, from the helicopter pilot-ish headset, the trademark orange-and-black styling, and the bold title emblazoned across the headband (not sure if that's a good thing, actually. What if you're playing something else?). The earcups are not soft and spongy like cheap headsets, but instead feel like they can withstand torrents of abuse from getting constantly fragged cheaply (which does happen). And they feel like what a real aviator would use, with a detachable and extendable microphone to communicate with comrades. You just can't wait to get started.

Unfortunately, while the cushioning around the headset and earcups feel quality enough, the plastic glossy cover for the cans break the illusion. Plastic feels cheap, no matter what. Plastic ruined the Samsung Galaxy 3, and in here, it's not much different. The saving grace is that the black gloss is of a dark nature, which minimises the sweaty smudges that you're bound to have in drawn-out Battlefield 3 skirmishes.

In real world usage, you would likely be forgiving of the exterior because you can't see it anyway. And unlike other headsets that I've used before, the Blackshark feels comfortable enough even for extended periods. This is possibly due to the leather lining of the ear cups and its nice weight and balance, which makes users feel the headset's weight, but not dramatically so.

Its noise isolation is also superb. With the headset on, even the fan blowing half a metre away is barely audible. The likelier problem would be missing out on your spouse's or family's conversations (which, again, could be a good thing). Heat is also a problem that manifests frequently for closed isolated headsets, but again, it's the leather to the rescue. There is adequate ventilation and it doesn't trap heat around your ears that much.

Sound reproduction is pretty right on in-game. The headset is made for gaming, and thus cinema fans and bassheads can also apply as the Blackshark leans pretty heavy on the low end of the spectrum. Every round fired, clip pulled off a grenade, and footstep can be heard clearly. The sound also reverbs very well within the cans, which lends a dramatic flair to games while retaining them for films. One thing of note is that the headset is stereo and not 5 or 7 channel. While it can reproduce distance and direction well enough, it will still be a pretender to the real thing.

Accessories are also well thought out (for the price, they'd better be). The Blackshark comes with a 3.5mm splitter for left/right channels output should you so desire. When you're not busy shouting orders to your team-mates, Razer has also included a cover for the microphone input when you remove the microphone, so you can look less ridiculous when enjoying your music.

However, premium has its drawback. For a specialised gear, the headset seems a tad too expensive for the mainstream crowd, at USD 129.99 from Razerstore. I suspect some of that cost goes towards the Battlefield 3 branding.

Chances are, even though you will take a second, or even third look at this alluring gear, it just isn't practical enough for the rest of us.Even though Razer has made a concession of me-too! by suggesting that it can be paired with other audio devices, the Blackshark is obviously a gaming headset. The Battlefield styling makes the headset stand out even more than the once-popular Beats cans. Using it outside is akin to wearing your pyjamas to a fancy cocktail party because "it's a shirt and pants anyway". Yes it is. And it isn't.

The Blackshark will not convert any discerning audiophiles either. The headset's over-emphasis on lows and its muddy mids are evident on jazz tunes as Lisa Ono and Olivia Ong's vocals frequently get drowned out by the bass. Mainstream pop music, however, is serviceable. Again, for the price, there are better cans to be had, but you're not exactly auditioning a pair that can serve gaming, home theatre, and music, right?

Even true-blue Battlefield 3 fans might feel hard-done by the deal, as the exclusive content commonly available in such license product is just an in-game Serpent dogtag. Yeah, you got that right. A dogtag. That's it, they took peripheral too literally. Previous products such as the Mass Effect themed ones got the player extra in-game items. While I'm not suggesting that Razer break the game, more significant exclusives such as an entire skin would be rewarding for loyal customers.

The bottom line: Blackshark is a top-of-line product from Razer, no questions asked. The only thing in doubt is whether you're as hardcore a shooter fan, or even a Battlefield 3 fan, to shell out the dough for this. Razer has obviously primed it towards a certain target market with the deliberate branding. Add in the licensing, and the market has shrunk even further. Can Razer maintain this deliberate strategy? Only time will tell.

The Good
Premium built-to-last quality
Delivers on all the gaming headset notches
So cool, if only your friends could see it

The Bad
Pricey
Lacking audio quality for music
So cool, if only your friends can see it