Looking for a replacement headset is a tricky thing. Ideally, a new headset will give a different experience than whatever the buyer is currently using. On the same token, too much of a difference is jarring, and can make one wish they hadn’t switched away from their old standby. Speaking personally, I dread buying a new headset, because I’m a bit of an audio snob and prefer to buy the high-end stuff, but fear blowing $200-300 on something and not noticing much of a fundamental difference.

Take it from me, then, that Victrix has completely won me over with the PS4 model of the Victrix Pro AF. From the impeccable build quality to unbelievable fidelity, it’s impossible to overstate how fantastic this headset is.

The Headset Itself

The Pro AF headset’s quality starts at a very important baseline: it’s a well-made piece of hardware. This is a sturdy piece of work, from the carbon steel band to the aluminum yoke. That band is flexible enough to fit around just about any head, but solid enough to not get easily warped. In that sense, it’s very similar to the SteelSeries Arctis Pro, which has been my go-to headset for the past year-plus – for both PS4 and PC. However, the Arctis Pro’s band is made of an aluminum-steel alloy, meaning that the Pro AF’s band will be just a tad more resistance to bending and denting. But also, hey, maybe don’t bend your headset?

Where the Pro AF starts to really shine, however, is in its comfort. This thing feels great to wear, with headband cushions that are split down the middle. That split allows for less strain on the top of your head, which really shone during my long sessions with Modern Warfare. In the past, with both Razer and SteelSeries products, I found myself dealing with a tiny sore spot on the top of my head after long sessions. While wearing the Pro AF does give you the same amount of tension that comes with wearing a headset for hours on end, I took it off after a marathon session of Modern Warfare and barely felt a thing in the following minutes. It’s just that comfortable – and the cozy earpads, made of a softer, slower type of memory foam certainly don’t hurt.

This is the kind of quality that you’d expect out of a headset with a $300 older brother – and possibly the most luxurious one available for the PS4. But what about the sound?

Gaming

Imagine hearing every tiny footstep in a game of Modern Warfare, and being able to tell exactly where someone’s coming from – allowing you to get the perfect drop on them. Imagine feeling the pulse of firing off a Devotion in Apex Legends. Imagine, even, being so immersed in every note and beat of “Kokoro” or “Luka Luka Night Fever” in Hatsune Miku Project Diva F 2nd that pressing the buttons feels effortless due to being so in sync with the music.

Every type of game I’ve tested with this thing has been an objectively superior experience than without it. My performance in Modern Warfare, most notably, dropped a good bit when I played without it – that’s how much of a difference it made. In the debate of whether or not good gear equates to more skilled play in video games, the Pro AF headset is a convincing argument for the “yes” side.

Deep, thumping noises and loud explosions on the Pro AF are clear as a bell, with not even a hint of crackle. Low rumbles practically vibrate your whole body, striking a chord of tension and fear when you’re playing a particularly spooky or atmospheric game. Gunfire is sharp and loud, especially in games with a focus on realistic weaponry. The range on this thing, in terms of gaming, is astounding – and the noise-cancelling works as promised.

When it comes to gaming, the Pro AF is not only a quality product, but in some ways a complete necessity.

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Movies

I tested the Pro AF on the remaster of my personal favorite American film – Terminator 2: Judgement Day. The performance was astounding, and in some ways, it felt as if I was hearing the movie for the first time. Dialogue was definitely a bit tinny in places, and I'm unsure if that's the age of the movie or the lack of range in the headset. In terms of the FX track, it was all top notch. Explosions had this crisp roar to them that could only truly be replicated by an actual high-quality theater system, while gunshots fired off and punches connected with booming intensity. I can’t stress just how many times I’ve seen Judgement Day, and after the revelatory experience of watching it in VR for the first time this year, watching it with this headset was another addiction that added legs to this almost thirty-year-old movie.

Music

Music’s something that I have on all day, every day, whether I’m working or just relaxing on my PC. It’s important, then, that a headset offers the ability to do more than just gaming. Luckily, the Pro AF passed with flying colors.

First and foremost, if electronic music is your thing, the Pro AF is the ideal headset. When listening to tracks with heavy, intense beats (“Flares” by Xaire and “Out Of Light” by Slushii,) this thing practically rumbles with how hard a song hits you. With more atmospheric, droning electronic music (“蒸気動力:ENERGY” by death’s dynamic shroud.wmv, “Backspacing” by Casino Versus Japan, and “Ammonia Clouds” by Blank Banshee,) there was this certain queasiness with how immersive the low base and synths were as they washed over me. For any type of electronic music, the Pro AF is a godsend.

Other types of music held up, too - even older tracks. Carpenters’ “Let Me Be The One,” a personal favorite test of mine, delivered this crisp balance of Karen's centerpiece vocals and the dreamy bass, while not losing a single note of the backing strings and horns. That was something repeated with Marvin Gaye’s What's Going On, a masterwork of technique and craftsmanship that’s a usual go-to for me, didn't mute a single note of Gaye's voice even in the midst of backing vocals, bass, drums, bells, and all the wild instrumentation that's on that album.

Modern music fared well too. “Feeling Lonely” by boy pablo shined, with Nicolas Muñoz’s soft voice popping out at the forefront with the washed-out guitar and uptempo beat, as did Shura’s “The Stage” and The Weeknd’s “I Feel It Coming.” Let’s Eat Grandma’s discography also worked very well, with the vocals being a bit muted by the pounding sledgehammer beats and grimy synths but mostly working in tandem with them.

All in all, I was a fan of how the Pro AF handled everyday purposes like music. They worked so well, in fact, that I'm liable to pick up a set for my PC to replace my Arctis Pro - my previous standard for quality headsets.

Overall Thoughts

Victrix isn’t selling you something to listen to music with – they’re selling you a competitive gaming headset. And as far as those go, they’ve made one of the absolute best products on the market. But they also work well with music. And movies. And everything, really. This is a quality product that, while definitely priced at a premium, is worth every single cent.

The Victrix Pro AF is a top-notch gaming headset that gives serious players a competitive advantage, turns horror gaming into the best kind of aural nightmare, and morphs firefights into a stressful, high-stakes experiences that you’ll be tempted to take a long drag of a smoke after. It’s one of the absolute best gaming headsets I’ve had the pleasure of using, and something well worth the price for serious gamers.

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