I’ve been testing Final’s latest gaming headset for a month, and it’s almost perfect

The best gaming headsets can elevate your experience by making you feel immersed in the game you’re playing, and the Final VR3000 EX does just that. It is the latest addition to the Japanese giant’s lineup of gaming headphones, and it’s a triumph.

Featuring a flip-to-mute mic that makes you sound loud and clear, the VR3000 EX is built for competitive and online gamers. It delivers detailed sound quality with a dedicated footsteps clarity mode for FPS gaming. Long battery life and multi-platform compatibility are the cherries on top of the cake.

But the headset isn’t perfect, as its earcups tend to get hot after hours of wearing it, and I wish the control scheme was better laid out and not so confusing. To find out if this is the right headset for you, read my full Final VR3000 EX review.

Final VR3000 EX review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A wireless gaming headset compatible with low latency connections of 25ms or less
• Who is it for? Anyone who wants an immersive gaming experience and a headset that’s compatible with many consoles
• How much does it cost? The Final VR3000 EX is available for $149 / £99
• What do we like? The highly detailed sound quality with a dedicated footsteps mode, long battery life, broad compatibility, and clear boom mic
• What don’t we like? The earcups can get hot after a while, and the controls are confusing

Final VR3000 EX review: Specs

Final VR3000 EX review: The ups

There are many things to like about the Final VR3000 EX, such as its detailed sound quality, footstep clarity mode, long battery life, multi-platform compatibility, and more.

Very comfortable

There’s no point spending any money on a gaming headset if it isn’t comfortable and doesn’t allow you to play for hours on end. Thankfully, the Final VR3000 EX doesn’t fall into that camp, as it’s rather comfortable. Its earcups are big and spacious and they provide a good degree of noise isolation in lieu of active noise cancelation (ANC).

I really like the VR3000 EX’s headband which is made of high-quality mesh. This provides a cushioned feel and negates any pressure you may feel on the top of your head otherwise. The headset doesn’t weigh a lot either at 13.72oz. Though it weighs more than the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 (9.3oz, $129), the Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite (12.2oz, $149) and the Asus ROG Pelta (10.89oz, $129), it doesn’t weigh you down.

I wore the VR3000 EX for a six-hour gaming session and didn’t feel any discomfort… barring the earcups, which tend to get a little hot (more on this soon).

Multi-platform compatibility

The Final VR3000 EX is the perfect headset for anyone who owns multiple gaming consoles or smart devices, thanks to its broad compatibility. Using the low-latency 2.4GHz USB-A dongle, you can use the VR3000 EX with the PlayStation 5 and the PlayStation 4. There’s also Bluetooth 5.3 if you want to use the headset with the Nintendo Switch 2, the OG Nintendo Switch, macOS, PC, as well as iOS and Android smartphones.

I did all my in-depth testing with the USB-A dongle plugged into my PS5 Slim, but I also used it to play a couple of games on my Switch 2. I paired it with my MacBook Air M2 to record myself speaking to evaluate the mic’s performance (more on that soon). All three times, it worked like a charm with no connection drops.

However, the VR3000 EX doesn’t feature multipoint connectivity, so you can’t have it connected to more than one device at a time. Not a major drawback, but still worth pointing out. If you want multipoint connectivity, it’s worth considering the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 instead.

Detailed sound quality

The one thing the Final VR3000 EX excels at and didn’t give me anything to complain about is the sound quality. While Final doesn’t specify the driver size, its drivers are powered by the brand’s f-Core DU processor which reduces distortion to deliver a crisp sound profile. The headset has a frequency response range of 20Hz-20KHz. This means that you can hear the softest of footsteps as well as the loudest of explosions in great clarity.

Final says that the VR3000 EX has been tuned to deliver a “3D extra wide sound stage” which basically means that it features spatial audio to make you feel immersed in the title you’re playing. What I love is that spatial audio isn’t limited to front, rear, left and right, but overhead as well, and I’ll discuss it in detail below.

To test the VR3000 EX, I played a few games on my PS5 Slim, including Alan Wake 2 and Cyberpunk 2077. The USB-A transceiver enables low latency connections of 25ms or less and I didn’t experience any connection drops or lags. The headset didn’t disappoint regardless of the game I played.

Alan Wake 2

As I was testing the VR3000 EX, I had an excuse to start a new playthrough of Alan Wake 2, my favorite horror game. It’s one I’ve always played to test other gaming headsets so I’m familiar with the many sounds of that world. Playing it through the VR3000 EX terrified me as it made the area in and around Bright Falls feel extremely immersive.

Dialogue moves from one earcup to the other depending on the direction your in-game camera is facing, as do footsteps and combat sounds. I could clearly hear Cultists scuttering behind me when I walked through the woods as Saga, and wolves howling behind me in the distance. The Cultists’ footsteps eventually got louder as they approached me and I heard them moving from right to left behind me, which helped me gauge their position, so I quickly whipped around and blasted them with my flashlight.

The headset does a fantastic job of balancing music against other sounds as well, as I found while playing the We Sing chapter as Alan. ‘Herald of Darkness’ by Old Gods of Asgard plays throughout this level while Alan navigates a maze and gets ambushed by aggressive Shadows. Not only did the song sound detailed and hi-res, it didn’t impact the combat sounds, delivering a well-balanced experience.

Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is a first-person shooter and RPG featuring plenty of stealthy gameplay, should you choose to do so. The neon Night City features lots of idle chatter from NPCs as well as loud altercations between gangs and cops, and the VR3000 EX does an excellent job at ensuring you hear everything loud and clear.

I thoroughly enjoyed the headset’s wide, spatial soundstage here, as I could clearly hear helicopters hovering overhead. Not just that, but I could tell the trajectory of when an enemy threw a grenade over my head. This vertical spatial information came in handy in heated combat and it made the game feel much more immersive too.

This game proved to be a great test for the headset’s footstep clarity mode which boosts the mids and highs, and can be toggled via the C button on the left earcup. When I was infiltrating an enemy den, I could pinpoint exactly where NPCs were positions which helped me strategize better. Enemy footsteps were highlighted but not overly emphasized which meant I could still gauge the distance without it feeling unnatural or artificial.

Loud and clear mic

If you play online or competitively, it’s necessary to have a gaming headset with a competent mic. The Final VR3000 EX is aimed at competitive players so I was expecting big things from its mic, and it didn’t disappoint. It’s fitted with a boom, flip-to-mute mic, so if you flip it up, it automatically mutes itself — and vice versa.

I first tested the VR3000 EX’s mic by speaking into it in a quiet room with nothing else playing in the background. As you can hear in the clip above, my voice sounds loud and clear with every word sharp.

I then played an episode of Broadchurch on my phone, with the volume set to around 90%. You can still hear the characters talking in the background, in the clip above, but it doesn’t overpower my voice, so you can use this headset’s mic even with other people around or in a noisy environment.

Long battery life

On top of it all, the Final VR3000 EX boasts solid battery life too, rated at 55 hours when using the 2.4GHz transceiver. This lines up with other headsets in a similar price range. For instance, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 is rated for 60 hours, while the Asus ROG Delta is rated for 60 hours. It even lasts longer than the similarly priced Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite which lasts only 30 hours between charges.

I’ve used the VR3000 EX extensively for the better part of three weeks, and in my testing, the headset promptly died after just over 52 hours, confirming the rating provided by Final. I was mostly using the headset with volume set to around 70%, and battery life will depend on the usage conditions, so it’s best to use the official number of 55 hours as the reference point.

Final VR3000 EX review: The downs

While the Final VR3000 EX is a capable headset, it isn’t without its faults. Its earcups tend to get hot when wearing for long periods of time, and the control scheme is too cluttered and user-unfriendly.

Earcups get a little hot

While the Final VR3000 EX is generally a very comfortable headset, as I mentioned above, I must point out that I found the ear cushions getting hot after a couple of hours or so of playing. Unlike the mesh fabric ones on the Asus ROG Pelta or the breathable memory foam pads on the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5, the VR3000 EX is fitted with stiff, leather cushions. There isn’t a lot of room for your ears to breathe, leading them to feeling hot.

I had to remove the headset a few times in the space of six hours to let my ears get some air. This is far from ideal, and if it’s something that might bother you too, I’d recommend considering other options. The ROG Pelta, Arctis Nova 5, and even the much cheaper Cherry XTRFY H3 ($99) feature better, comfier ear cushions.

Cluttered control scheme

Another issue I have with the Final VR3000 EX is the headset’s cluttered control scheme. There are no touch controls — similar to other gaming cans — and all the physical buttons and wheels are placed on the left earcup alone. The buttons to change the connectivity mode, enable footstep clarity, the power button, and the volume wheel are all very close together. I can’t count how many times I accidentally hit the Mode button when all I wanted to do was enable footstep clarity.

I expected better, given that the VR3000 EX costs nearly $150. This problem could have easily been prevented by placing a couple buttons on the right earcup. You won’t face this issue with the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 or the Asus ROG Pelta.

Final VR3000 EX review: Verdict

If you’re looking for a headset that doesn’t scrimp on sound quality, there are few better than the Final VR3000 EX. Its drivers deliver crystal clear audio in nearly every genre, and the dedicated footsteps clarity mode gives you an edge in FPS and competitive gaming. It’s a great set of cans for online gaming too, thanks to the boom mic, and the battery life is long and reliable.

But there are better headsets when it comes to ear cushions. The VR3000 EX’s cushions, in my opinion, tend to heat up after a couple of hours of wear. I’m not a fan of the control scheme either as it feels cluttered and confusing. If those are compromises you’re not opposed to making, you’ll love the VR3000 EX. It feels great, lasts long, and is a sheer delight when it comes to sound quality.