The HyperX Cloud Alpha S headset is a great gaming headset that will suit almost any gamer, but performs best for PC users.

HyperX is a name long associated with excellent gaming hardware, delivering outstanding gaming headsets, keyboards, mice, and more.

The HyperX Cloud Alpha S is an update of a HyperX classic, the original HyperX Cloud Alpha, adding custom virtual 7.1 surround sound, integrated bass adjustment sliders on the earcups, and a handy in-line USB audio control switch.

So, is the HyperX Cloud Alpha S good? How does the Cloud Alpha S sound? And is the HyperX Cloud Alpha S worth your money?

HyperX Cloud Alpha S: Virtual 7.1 Surround Sound for Gaming

The HyperX Cloud Alpha S is a gaming headset primarily. But as with most top-end gaming headsets, you'll find the Cloud Alpha S well suited to other forms of entertainment, not least music and films.

The headphones feature custom 50mm neodymium drivers with a closed-back design. When you slip the headset on, although it doesn't include active noise canceling, the large earcups enclose your ears and immerse you in the experience before you.

One of the biggest upgrades from the original Cloud Alpha to the Cloud Alpha S is virtual 7.1 surround sound. HyperX has tuned the headphones and the virtual surround sound to deliver exceptional performance within games that support surround sound profiling.

Furthermore, you can use HyperX's NGENUITY app to auto-detect and select optimized audio settings for supported games, further tweaking and melding the Cloud Alpha S surround sound experience. The current list of supported auto-optimize games isn't extensive, either, currently supporting PUGB, Overwatch, CS:GO, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Rainbow Six Siege, and Apex Legends.

The 7.1 virtual surround sound is good and maybe even great in some places, but I wouldn't say it is outstanding across the board. The Cloud Alpha S virtual surround sound alters the overall audio output in two fairly dramatic and noticeable areas: mid and top.

In games, this isn't an issue. Jumping into a high-action racing game like Dirt Rally 2.0, and wow, those cars come alive. Taking Colin McRae's iconic Subaru Impreza 555 bounding through the Australian outback and you hear every suspension ping, each rock launching from your tires, and every shower of gravel erupting as you drift and correct your steering.

For games like first-person shooters, mid and high-end sound capture brings a close-quarter shoot-out to life, the HyperX Cloud Alpha S virtual surround again delivers in spades. When you switch the virtual surround sound in FPS games like Apex Legends or CS:GO, you become more attuned to your game environment, able to hear footsteps and gunfire with greater clarity, and track the movement of gameplay around the map or region with better accuracy.

Gunshots themselves sound great, too. The virtual surround adjustments to the overall soundstage take into account how gamers want their game to sound. While switching the Cloud Alpha S audio settings when listening to music makes for a somewhat negative change, within a game, they work well.

In that, you should consider the HyperX Cloud Alpha S gaming headset an excellent option for immersive gaming.

One audio feature you might note while gaming (or listening to music) is the headset frequency response. Where most headphones designed for music come with a 20Hz-20,000Hz range (roughly spanning the audible sound range), the Cloud Alpha S frequency response covers 13Hz-27,000Hz­. The extended frequency response range allows the Cloud Alpha S to faithfully reproduce sounds from a wider audio range, potentially adding to your overall gaming experience.

Is HyperX NGENUITY Worth Using?

This review won't delve too deep into the HyperX desktop app, NGENUITY, but it is worth a short mention for its auto-optimized virtual surround sound option. Trying the auto-optimize feature out in Apex Legends, there wasn't a notable change between switching the Cloud Alpha S virtual surround sound on manually.

If you have other HyperX gaming products, the app is a handy portal for managing volume, color schemes for RGB products, and so on, but it isn't necessary for the Cloud Alpha S gaming headset.

HyperX Cloud Alpha S Compatibility

You'll find the Cloud Alpha S compatible with PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, though you might need to update the headset and USB connector firmware for proper support. The Cloud Alpha S also works perfectly with your PC.

The Cloud Alpha S Headset Is Good for Music

As above, without the virtual surround sound setting switched on, the Cloud Alpha S headset handles music well. It isn't a world-beater in terms of audio quality as the headset is tuned towards gaming environments.

That said, I was perfectly happy with how it handed the regular array of music I use to put headphones through their paces. Even with tuning for gaming, these are still custom-crafted 50mm drivers, and HyperX hardware is known for quality.

Interestingly, the Cloud Alpha S comes with an earcup bass adjustment switch, which you'll find located at the bottom of each headphone. The small switch has three adjustable positions, each of which alters the bass output. When you open the switch fully, the bass output noticeably increases, ramping up the low-end versus the switch when fully closed.

It is a decent way to adjust the level of bass in your audio output on the go, if a little gimmicky. Still, opening the bass vents up all the way actually delivered the best overall sound quality across both gaming and music, so it is worth experimenting with to find your preferred level. The flipside, however, is that opening the small vent increases external sound incursion into your headphones. Not by heaps, but the seal that the earcup makes on your ear suddenly doesn't provide quite so much isolation.

You also have the option of using the included HyperX USB adapter. On the adapter, there are volume buttons, a mute mic option, the virtual 7.1 surround button, and a game-chat balance button.

Is the HyperX Cloud Alpha S Comfortable?

One thing you can guarantee with the Cloud Alpha S is comfort. HyperX has crafted a remarkably comfortable gaming headset here, with breathable leatherette ear cushions that you can keep wearing for hours at a time.

The aluminum frame feels very solid, too, and adjusted easily to my head size without applying any undue pressure, meaning that feeling of hot, horrible ear fatigue didn't creep up on me, even during periods of warmer weather.

Adding to that, the overall build quality of the Cloud Alpha S is good. HyperX gaming headsets don't have a reputation as easily breakable, and this headset is no exception. The manufacturing at critical points, such as the join between the headphones and the frame, is strong, and the headset has a good weight to it without being heavy.

The official Cloud Alpha S specs list the headset weight as 310g without the microphone, but honestly, they feel lighter than that when you're wearing them and engrossed in a game or deep in your work.

Another plus point is the connection cable. The USB and 3.5mm jack cables are covered in a tough, braided material that will protect wiring and should last for years.

Should You Buy the HyperX Cloud Alpha S Gaming Headset?

For years, my daily headphone drivers were the original HyperX Cloud headset, great headphones that still deliver great audio to this day. Putting the HyperX Cloud Alpha S on delivered a similar feeling.

HyperX knows what great gaming hardware is all about, and the Cloud Alpha S is a great gaming headset, especially for PC gamers. Console support is more limited, but PlayStation users shouldn't rule this comfortable and reasonably well-balanced gaming headset out either.

The Cloud Alpha S is a tidy-looking gaming headset, too. The Blackout version is a dark, moody gaming headset that delivers audio quality over fancy RGB flourishes and other faddy, eye-catching aesthetics. You put it on, plug-in, and game—no mucking around.

Within game environments (and films), the Cloud Alpha S virtual 7.1 surround sound comes to life, bringing every gunshot closer, adding oomph to every explosion, and pulling you deeper into the game. Audio output is more variable when it comes to music, but the virtual surround sound wasn't designed for that output. In that, if you respect that design decision and switch it off when you start playing your favorite tracks, the Cloud Alpha S handles music well, brilliantly in some cases.

The other consideration is the price bump from the HyperX Cloud Alpha to the Cloud Alpha S. The inclusion of virtual 7.1 surround sound and the in-line USB audio controller push the price of the Cloud Alpha S to $130. While that sounds pricy, against the backdrop of the overall gaming headset market, that makes the Cloud Alpha S a great gaming headset option.

Obviously, it's not a budget choice, but knowing the build quality and reputation of HyperX, it will be money well spent on a gaming headset that won't break easily. If you're not bothered with virtual 7.1 surround sound, you could opt for the original and slightly cheaper HyperX Cloud Alpha, especially if you want more extensive support for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4 and 5, and everything in-between.

Either way, you won't be disappointed.