Over the last few weeks, we’ve been testing out the RIG R5 Spear Pro HS, a pair of affordable wired headphones by Nacon, officially licensed by PlayStation. But with a low price of $69.99, does it bring the audio goods?
What Is The RIG R5 Spear Pro HS?
The RIG R5 Spear Pro HS is a wired gaming headset with 40mm graphene drivers, and a name so wordy that we’ll just call it the Spear from now on. It utilises a 3.5mm audio jack, meaning it's compatible with your PS4, PS5, or any other audio device with a jack, for that matter.
However, this is a gaming headset through and through, with a flip-to-mute microphone, a lightweight and comfortable design for extended sessions, and even moddable ear cup covers. The Spear retails in the UK for £69.90 and $69.99 in the US.
What’s In The Box?
Being a wired headset, there isn’t a lot of faff involved when unboxing the Spear. The headset is just there, ready to go, with the wire unceremoniously tucked in behind some plastic.
With the PlayStation version of the headset, you’ll also get two of those moddable ear covers, allowing you to cover the default RIG-branded ear cups. There is no draw bag or case, which is no surprise for a headset in this price range.
Build Quality and Hardware Features
The Spear, like its more expensive sister headset, the RIG 900 MAX HS, incorporates a lightweight design.
It's plastic throughout with memory foam padding on both the headband and ear cups, which are coated in a soft fabric finish. The cushioning isn’t overly impressive, but the fabric-over-faux-leather approach should give the headset a bit more durability.
However, if durability is an issue, the Spear features replaceable Snap+Lock ear cushions. It’s just about as easy as it sounds to remove these things, meaning if the cushioning begins to deflate or the fabric tears from extended use, they can just be replaced without having to buy a whole new headset.
This magnetic approach also applies to the moddable ear covers, which allow you to switch out cover designs. This version comes with two PlayStation logo covers.
These do make the headset look a little heftier, but it’s a pretty gimmicky feature in our opinion. We can’t imagine anyone rushing out to start a collection of these things.
That being said, we actually like the sleek design of the Spear. With a mixture of matt and sheened black surfaces, it isn’t standing out in any wild way. It’s uniform, so it’s not screaming “gamer headset” like some do, but in our opinion, that’s a good thing.
We appreciate that, unlike other RIG headsets, the Spear features a sliding, adjustable headband, making it easy to get the headset in a comfortable position. There’s not a huge amount of manoeuvrability, though, and we think for some it could lurk around the small side.
Its ear cups aren’t all too flexible either, but this lends to a firmer fit, making the Spear a fairly secure pair of cans if you’re prone to moving around. Mix this with its lightweight design, and the Spear is a comfortable headset even after those longer sessions.
And for PSVR2 users, the Spear manages to fit over Sony's headset quite comfortably, so no issues there.
Despite its cheaper price, the flip-to-mute mic on the Spear actually outperforms some of the more expensive headsets we’ve tested here. Nacon claims the mic is broadcast-grade, with precision noise cancelling and a mesh pop filter.
From our various sessions in parties with friends, the audio was supposedly “crisper” than that of headsets like the Sony INZONE H9 or the JBL Quantum 910P. Not bad for a seventy quid headset.
For many, though, there is an elephant in the room – the wire. The Spear is a wired headset with a 1.5 metre cord, ending in a 3.5mm audio jack. Thankfully, it’s not awfully rubbery, so it isn’t constantly sticking to clothes and the like, and of course, you never need to worry about battery life with this thing.
There is a volume slider on the wire, which we aren’t huge fans of. It’s quite small, making it difficult to pinpoint your preferred audio levels. It’s much easier to just adjust audio on the PS5 itself.
Whether the wire is a deal breaker is really down to the person. We personally like to yap away in party chat while walking downstairs to get something to drink between games. It’s still possible with the Spear, but you’ll obviously need to cart your DualSense around too.
The Audio Experience
Arguably, the most impressive part of the Spear is its audio — a good thing for a pair of headphones we’d say.
The Spear houses 40mm graphene-coated drivers, allowing for low-distortion 3D audio, and a frequency response of 20Hz to 40Hz for those speedy online sessions. What that means in the moment is impressively clear audio, especially for the price range.
Despite a lack of noise cancelling, the plush cushioning and fairly loud audio (up to 117.5dB) make it tough to be disturbed when using the Spear.
Across PS5 games such as Ghost of Yotei, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and The Callisto Protocol, the Spear showcases an excellent audio range that brilliantly enhances immersion.
Whether it was the howling wind in Yotei or the buzzing wildlife on Pandora, audio feels alive and dynamic. It does lack some of that depth that you’d find in some of the more expensive headsets, but it’s also a third of the price.
What usually takes the backseat on a headset of this price is the deeper base-y sounds. But surprisingly, the Spear manages to bring the bombastic appeal for action-heavy games like Battlefield 6.
The LMGs lose a bit of that chunkiness, but explosions and the whizzing sound of bullets are still incredibly effective with the Spear.
For the audiophiles out there, there isn’t a snazzy app to modify audio modes or even built-in audio balancers. All of that is baked into the PS5 instead, making the Spear a literal plug-and-play experience.
Should You Buy The RIG R5 Spear Pro HS?
For us, the RIG R5 Spear Pro HS is well worth your consideration if a wired headset doesn’t bother you.
For the price point, you're getting an incredibly comfortable headset and an impressively dynamic audio range, along with a mic that’s better than what some more expensive headsets have to offer.
Being a wired device means you aren’t getting that freedom found in wireless headsets — but if audio is your priority and your budget is limited, then the RIG R5 Spear Pro HS is a fantastic buy.
What do you think of the RIG R5 Spear Pro HS? Are you bothered by a wired headset? Let us know down in the comments.