HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 Review: An Enormous Battery Life Wasted on a Stationary Headset

If anything, the HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 shows us how headsets can’t define themselves by one superlative feature. Earlier last month, out of a spot of curiosity, I decided to don Sony’s PlayStation Pulse Elite headset once more. Its one main selling point was to offer pitch-perfect audio for PlayStation 5. Sony’s gaming cans look like a plastic whale jaw with a built-in mic, but beyond appearance, they were too awkward when wrapped around my skull. Nothing has changed since then.

So I come at the HP HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 headset with that experience fresh in my head (and a headset-induced headache to boot). When I say this is one of the more comfortable wireless gaming headsets I’ve used, I mean it. However, the $280 ($300 MSRP) HyperX Cloud Alpha 2’s main selling point is a staggering 250-hour battery life, ensuring you’ll never have to plug it in for months on end, depending on how hard you game. And for that high price tag, you get additional amenities, including a large base station with extra glowing buttons. These are useful for changing equalization (EQ) and hitting the mute button without fishing blind for it on the headset.

But those two features may be the least important thing about this wireless headset. The plush cushion that surrounds the ears is a comfortable fit for my noggin. However, the other major element, that being sound quality, is only just good enough for the price HyperX is asking for. In a world where hi-fi gaming headsets are becoming far more common, anything that is asking for nearly $300 or more is trying to push what audio drivers can do. The Cloud Alpha 2 offers solid sound that isn’t quite peak.

The Cloud Alpha 2 is compatible with all the major platforms, including PS5, Switch, PC, Mac, and mobile, though you can only hook it up to an Xbox console through a wired 3.5mm connection. With a big base station instead of a 2.4GHz dongle, it may not be the device you use to switch between all your various consoles. Either way, the Cloud Alpha 2 is built with PC in mind first and foremost. Considering how stationary it’s designed to be, I’m forced to ask, what’s the point of having such a large battery if its going to be close enough to a charging cable?

A comfortable big black beetle

This headset’s earcups are particularly premium to hold and feel just as nice surrounding my ears. This big, black headset doesn’t come with many adornments, like the magnetic caps on each can you get from the HyperX Cloud III S, which you can replace with your own 3D-printed designs. But at least it’s comfortable. Plus, it can fold flat and stick inside an included pouch for easy travel.

See HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 at Amazon

This is the kind of headset with a removable mic, though it also has the benefit of a built-in mic for when you need to take a quick call without having to find where you put that damn mic inside the pile of rubbish on your desk. As for the controls on the Cloud Alpha 2, you have a power button, a volume wheel, a mic mute toggle, and another universal toggle. If that doesn’t sound like a lot, that’s because the base station is supposed to handle everything else.

You would probably look at the square rectangle with the massive volume knob and imagine it’s a Stream Deck or some other device for managing outside software. Instead, it’s built for offering a quick way to mute the headset, play or pause content, and change between the three preset equalization (EQ) options. There’s another key that will adjust the levels of sound from your computer and your friends’ jabbering, which can prove especially handy if one of your regular gaming compatriots always talks way too quietly while you’re in an awkward spot when playing a co-op game.

How long should software be in beta?

The HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 launched in the middle of 2025, and even six months later, the Ngenuity software built for the Cloud Alpha 2 is still in “beta†and downloadable through the HyperX website. This version of Ngenuity lets you customize the headset, base station, and sound profiles. You can change the RGB pattern around the volume wheel and fine-tune the distance of the spatial audio output. You can also modify the base station function buttons. This software also lets you assign a macro.

Even if you manage to set up the base station to change the play/pause button to some other function, you would have to tape over the symbol on each key to remember which one does which. This extra component could work as a mini Stream Deck in a pinch, but it’s not built for that. Most users will keep all the buttons as their default. The base functions offer all the basic controls most gamers would need.

The Cloud Alpha 2 is nearly good enough that I wouldn’t mind taking it out on the town, rather than leaving it home next to my gaming desktop. It has several features, like simultaneous 2.4GHz and Bluetooth audio, that prove very handy should I never want to take the Cloud Alpha 2 off my head.

There are many other gaming headsets with rigid top bands to make you look like you’re acting as ground control for a U.S. Air Force task group. This is one with a traditional plush, flexible headband that thankfully never felt like it was compressing the top of my skull. However, if you wanted to use this headset as your one and only audio device, these cans are far larger than any pair of Sony WH-1000XM6 or Apple AirPods Max headphones. I took my Cloud Alpha 2 on a few train rides, and I was jealous of all those who could fit a hat or hood over their listening device while my bare noggin was suffering in the cold.

Quality experience for music or gaming

The Cloud Alpha 2 makes use of 53mm drivers with neodymium magnets. The base audio quality you’ll get through the headset is very balanced—not what you want, especially for fully immersive gaming.

There is a sizable difference between the Cloud Alpha 2’s three sound profiles. The main, balanced audio profile that shows up as “Music†on the Ngenuity software is good enough for easy listening, but for in-game, the basic “Gaming†profile is leagues better. The bass is punchy without being annoying for swinging a shovel in a game like Dying Light: The Beast. The spatial audio from the headset is excellent for immersion, helping emphasize the atmosphere with the sounds of buzzing insects and birds chirping.

The bass is good enough to help you feel the kick of a shotgun, but it won’t be great for picking out footsteps of your foes in a game like Valorant. However, I found the audio levels from the default Gaming EQ profile were pitch-perfect for RPGs like Baldur’s Gate III or other action-adventure games where the developers poured an amazing amount of detail into the soundscape. If you’re thinking that Hades II comes to mind, then you’d be right. Supergiant lead composer Darren Korb’s music sounded extra compelling coming through this headset’s speakers.

If I were to rank the Cloud Alpha 2’s sound quality, I would place it on par with, or just a teensy bit worse than, a Razer Kraken V4 Pro—a fellow PC-specific headset complete with a base station. It’s not up there with 2025’s greats, like the Sony Inzone H9 II and SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite. Those gaming headsets cost $350 and $600, respectively. SteelSeries’ top-end headset has a base station that will also support up to three consoles and PCs connected at once. There is a reason to spend more money, though that doesn’t mean everyone should.

Because when listening to the balanced audio profile, the quality was only so-so. When listening over Bluetooth, even when streaming lossless audio on an app like Apple Music, you can’t possibly achieve the same levels you should be looking for. You can go into Ngenuity to adjust all the various highs, lows, and mids, but only the most dedicated will sit there to fine-tune their own sound profile. I would have preferred there be more optional EQ positions for shooters, RPGs, and other specific styles. In comparison to SteelSeries’ bevy of options, HyperX’s setup feels barebones.

A mic that cuts through the noise

If you care about your friends hearing your voice with podcast-level clarity, then this isn’t the gaming headset for you. If you demand something good enough that your teammates can make out your muffled curses without hearing the heater in the background, then the Cloud Alpha 2 fits the bill.

I tested the mic in various settings, and by default it sounds fine. Fellow players won’t miss any of your squeaks or squawks. My voice through the gummy mic sounded clear, though not a crystal-clear recreation of my vocals. However, the Cloud Alpha 2 has some extra tricks to help maintain audio quality. The Ngenuity software includes an “AI Noise Reduction†setting which cuts out background sounds. I spoke in the mic while sitting close to a gas heater and my laptop’s fans. With the setting turned on, it sounded like my voice was coming from a padded studio booth.

Along with that handy software feature, the headset also includes a built-in mic with a smaller frequency response than the gummy mic. It doesn’t sound nearly as good, but it may prove useful for moments when the boom mic isn’t handy.

While the mic has noise reduction, the actual headset lacks any real active noise cancellation, or ANC. I wasn’t really too annoyed by that, since the earcups kept out most ambient noise, especially while sound was going through them. I walked along a busy street in Manhattan, and I wasn’t disturbed by the noise of people desperately avoiding slipping on patches of winter ice. At least you know you’ll get the full battery life no matter which settings you turn on.

A battery life so long it’s impossible to gauge

The standout feature for the Cloud Alpha 2—the 250-hour battery life—would be its most ludicrous if it didn’t feel so mundane in practical use. After using it for days with hours of gaming and testing, the headset still told me it had well over 90% charge remaining. The actual effect of having an extremely long battery life is the ability to set it aside and forget it. At the same time, this gaming headset is built mainly for use at home. Is it truly so agonizing to have to plug it in occasionally when the device tells you to?

The 250-hour battery life is actually worse than the first-gen model from 2022. The original HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless boasted a 300-hour battery life. Shortening that lifespan by 50 hours doesn’t change anything about how you use the headset. I have not tested the original Cloud Alpha, though with the addition of a base station, this new version is a better device overall even though it costs $80 more. Would I sacrifice more battery life for ANC? Would I sacrifice it for true hi-fi audio?

And there’s the issue at hand. Longer battery life would matter more if I were more inclined to take it out of the house. But despite its relatively low-profile shape, the Cloud Alpha 2 is still larger than most headphones. Taken for what it is, it’s a quality gaming headset that’s cheaper than some of the competition. If I were looking for the one headset to use for a long, long time, I wouldn’t first look to the one with the biggest battery, but instead look for one with the best sound.

See HyperX Cloud Alpha 2 at Amazon