Why is the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless so firmly entrenched among the very best gaming headsets? It sounds great, for one, with that bass-rich but detailed sound that HyperX so often grant their PC headsets. And it’s light and comfortable enough to wear for hours, even stretched around my larger-than-average cueball of a head. But its greatest strength is its battery life: HyperX claims a class-leading 300 hours per charge, and honestly, I believe them. I eventually gave up on counting individual minutes of uptime when I was first testing it, but mine lasted for months of heavy use before needing a recharge. A lot wireless headsets, including very well-made ones, can often only manage a couple of weeks at most.

UK deal:

If I have a complaint, it’s that the microphone quality isn’t as high as my other favourite (and much cheaper) HyperX headset, the Cloud II. Which, incidentally, is also enjoying a Black Friday discount down to £49. But it’s still clean and clear enough for Discord duties, and it’s a noise-cancelling mic, so won’t pick up as much background noise. Oh, and I tried to find an equivalent deal for the US (Happy Thanksgiving, you lot), but its current lowest Black Friday “deal” price appears to be $160. That’s not an unreasonable ask for the Cloud Alpha Wireless’s quality, but it’s also a phantom deal: it was already $160 for about a month from early October, but then its prime jumped up before dropping down again just in time for Black Friday week. This is a sneaky and not uncommon trick by retailers – don’t fall for it.

Save  90 on the long lasting HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless headset this Black Friday - 9