Closer Examination

Compared to other gaming headsets in HyperX's current lineup, the Cloud Flight looks surprisingly neutral. It's completely encased in black plastic with only two details that stand out—the red, rubberized wire that loops through the headband and connects the speaker drivers to one another and the shiny HyperX logo on both ear cups. The built-in LEDs are red, and their color can't be changed. The lighting can be static, pulsating, or completely off. I have a problem with the way it's implemented. Not aesthetics-wise—the red LED is very bright and the entire logo is evenly backlit. I'm even willing to ignore the pointlessness of using lighting effects on a device you cannot see while using it. But why did they make it so that the LEDs are turned on and set to static by default every time we turn the headset on? In order to deactivate them, you first need to hold the power button, located on the left ear cup, for a couple of seconds. That turns the headset on. Then, you need to press it twice, as pressing it once only changes the LED effect from static to pulsating. It's a massive hassle to go through this process every single time you want to use the Cloud Flight. Sure, you can simply leave the LEDs on, but that's going to cost you dearly as it cuts battery life in half. There are no drivers that could help you enforce the "LEDs off" state either as the Cloud Flight is completely driverless.


The ear cups can be rotated by 90°, which makes it easier to rest the headset on the table or around your neck. The Cloud Flight has got to be one of the most comfortable headsets I've ever worn around my neck—the ear cups never actually touch the neck, so the feeling of being choked is completely absent.


The volume dial is located on the right ear cup. It's positioned well; using it with the right thumb feels natural, although its precision isn't the greatest. It digitally controls the volume in Windows. I had it set to 90–100 while gaming and between 40–100 when listening to music. The overall volume can be set loud enough for any kind of usage, but a bit more "breathing room" would certainly be nice.


The power button is on the left ear cup. As I mentioned already, you need to hold it for about 3 seconds to turn the headset on and off. If you press it while the headset is active, you'll switch between lighting modes, going from static to pulsating and then to off. The left ear cup contains three more ports. From left to right, these are the 3.5-mm microphone output (the microphone itself is supplied, of course), Micro-USB battery charging port, and 3.5-mm analogue headphone input. The latter can be used when you want to connect the Cloud Flight with a wire. The wired connection is mandatory to use the headset with mobile devices, as well as the Xbox One. Wireless mode is natively supported only on PCs and the PS4. One thing should be noted—the 3.5-mm audio port is 3-pole TRS instead of 4-pole TRRS. What that means is that the microphone (or volume dial) can't be used in wired mode. Of course, the wired connection can also be used in case the battery is completely drained, although the Cloud Flight can be used and recharged at the same time. Since the headset is very light and visually unassuming, it makes a lot of sense to use on-the-go, so it's nice to see that HyperX remembered to give it wired connectivity.


The microphone mute button is built into the outer side of the left ear cup, which is a great solution as you'll always know exactly where it is and what to reach for to mute the microphone instantly. There are no visual indicators that would inform us about the current state of the microphone. Instead, you'll hear two beeps in the headphones when it's muted, and one beep after you turn it back on.


The arm of the microphone consists of a series of metal rings that make it easily bendable, while at the same time ensuring that it stays in the exact position it's adjusted to. This is the same solution HyperX uses on all of their headsets except for the Revolver and Revolver S. The head of the microphone is exposed—there's no windscreen that we could cover it with.

Battery Life

According to HyperX, the battery life of the Cloud Flight is 13, 18, or 30 hours, depending on the activity of the LED lighting system. The lowest declared value is, of course, achieved by having the LEDs constantly on. Switching it to pulsating mode gives us five additional hours of autonomy, while turning it off completely turns the Cloud Flight into the most enduring wireless headset I've tested to date. In my tests, I was able to achieve a little over 14 hours of battery life with the LEDs constantly on, and 29 hours of usage with the LEDs off. An average gamer shouldn't need to recharge the headset more than once per week assuming he's reasonable enough to use it with the LED illumination turned off.

There are no visual or auditory indicators that would inform us about the remaining battery life per request, although you will be notified about the battery reaching certain percentages of life remaining. Two beeps mean that it has 20% of juice left, three beeps can be heard when it drops down to 10%, and five are heard when it's at 5%. By that time, you should plug in the Micro-USB cable and charge it, which takes a couple of hours. While the battery is charging, the LEDs on the ear cups pulsate. Once it's full, they turn off.

The Cloud Flight can be used in wired mode even when the battery is completely drained.

Wireless Performance

The wireless dongle/sound card looks like an ordinary USB memory stick. It uses a 2.4 GHz WiFi connection to communicate with the headset. The specified range is 20 meters, which is in line with my tests. I didn't get a single sound or microphone interruption while using the headset on my PC or from the couch. I was even able to freely venture into my kitchen and fix myself a late-night snack while still talking to my teammates. The pairing between the headset and dongle is instantaneous.

The implementation of the wireless functionality is flawless. With no drops or interruptions of any kind, and a fantastic wireless range, the Cloud Flight is a pleasure to use even when you just want to listen to music or your favorite podcasts while doing stuff around your house.