Some of the sleekest looking gaming headsets of recent years have come out of the PDP stable; to great success too. It seems only right then that the same ethos and ideas should trickle down to PDP’s eSports and Tournament brand as well. That’s exactly what we have with the Victrix Gambit Wireless headset for Xbox.
Releasing alongside the Victrix Gambit Controller for Xbox – the self-proclaimed fastest controller in the world – the Gambit Wireless headset follows on from PDP’s LvL series of headsets nicely.
From a distance, this is very much in line with PDP’s wireless LvL 50 but the Victrix Gambit does away with the green colour cues for a purple and black aesthetic; one that sees this very much going under the radar as an understated product. It looks good though – all black in design with purple hints and teases around the earcup stitching, the adjustable headband and the internal bleed through the mic. Any gamer would be more than happy with having this headset situated during multiple gaming sessions.
Working a wireless style that sees immediate and constant connection taking hold as soon as you plug the USB-A dongle into your Xbox console, before switching the headset on, this is very much a product that will do the job asked of it at all times.
Of course, those wireless capabilities mean that battery consumption is an issue, but with the promise of upwards of 16 hours from a full charge, there should rarely be a time when you’ll not have audio capabilities. And besides, even when you do need to charge the headset, simply plugging it in via the included USB-A to Micro-USB cable will see power delivered. And yes, I said Micro-USB for it’s a massive shame that the Gambit doesn’t come with a more modern connection than that. In fact, I’m at a loss to really understand how and why a product that is releasing at the back end of 2021 is still compliant with old Micro-USB workings and not that of a USB-C port. It just makes things feel like this Victrix headset has been thrown together from parts sitting around in the warehouse.
Aside from that though, what’s been created is more than decent enough. A well blended Victrix logo adorns the top of the headband, whilst a bit of padding is placed underneath. Honestly, this really is nothing more than ‘a bit’ of padding; it could be much better and you’ll certainly start to feel the pinch should you be wearing this for hours at a time. Covered in vegan leather, this is just neither here nor there, again, seemingly slapped on without too much thought.
For the most part, the rest of the headset is of higher quality. The adjustability and sliding nature of the headband will ensure this fits any size of head, with nice design cues seeing a springy purple cable peeking out from the side. It flows down nicely into the earcups, with these fitting neatly into that headband, bringing forth that sleek and stylish visual nature.
The cups have a decent amount of twist on them – especially when combined with the headband itself – and so fitment is never an issue. Yes it would have been nice to be able to swivel these fully so the headset could be placed around the neck with more ease, but it is what it is and Victrix shouldn’t be hit too much for that.
Those same earcups come with a very squidgy, extremely soft vegan leather, memory-foamed interior, with some well placed purple stitching helping accentuate the design. There are a pair of 50mm drivers sitting behind another purple cloth patch, and so the feel of the actual earcups themselves can not be debated. It’s right up there with some of the finest, caressing your ears as they encase you in sound.
And that seems like the perfect point to get onto the actual audio. It’s good as well, albeit a little bass-filled for my own personal liking. It’s loud and brash, but just perhaps a little too deep for everyday gaming use. Granted, nothing ever gets muddy and no matter how high you go with the volume dial, the Victrix Gambit headset is able to deliver. This comes with Dolby Atmos built in as well (at least obtainable once you download the required App from the Xbox Store), and in return will mean that you’re able to pick out pinpoint audio moments as you go working your way through the gaming world.
We’ve used this headset across a variety of games, from the smallest indie affairs with retro audio like Dadish, up to the incredible sounding Forza Horizon 5; we’ve really not been let down by what it offers. In fact, we’ve found a place where that bass even comes into its own, and that is found when connecting the Gambit up to an audio device (mobile phone, laptop), with tunes really being hammered home. Obviously the wireless capabilities won’t work for these instances, but an included and detachable 3.5mm jack cable will mean you can use the headset with anything that has an audio jack.
And yes, that means in times of need, when you’re running low on headset power but just have to continue gaming – or need the presence of a physical cable for tournament matters – grabbing the cable and plugging the Victrix Gambit into your Xbox controller is doable. It’s a shame then that once that cable is plugged in, the controls that are present on the headset itself are basically made redundant, with mute and volume options dictated by the in-line cable offering. It’s not a biggy, but it certainly confuses matters.
Getting on to those controls and everything that you would associate with a wireless headset is in place. The power button is simple to hit, with a definite ‘Headset Assigned’ message being called whenever it is switched on for use. There’s a mode button present too, and this works with your mic monitoring levels. Personally, I’d prefer this to cycle through a series of preset equaliser settings, if only for when the bass becomes too much. Further are the inclusion of a game/chat balance dial and full volume control, with the latter covered by an easy to grab dial situated on the right ear cup.
And alongside that is a flip-to-mute mic, carefully placed on the externals of the left earcup. It must be said, this feels rather flimsy and through use we’ve been constantly on edge. It certainly feels better than that of the LvL50, and perhaps it’s us, going from the magnificently robust mic that is attached to the EPOS offerings of the H6PRO and GSP 602, but we’ve been left a little concerned about long term use of this mic.
Thankfully there have been no problems over the weeks we’ve been using this headset for, and flipping it down to speak allows for some crystal clear party and game chat, with colleagues and friends on the other end having absolutely no issues with the clarity of voice. You’d pretty much expect that from a brand with the PDP name behind it.
In all, the Victrix Gambit Wireless Gaming Headset for Xbox is a decent solution for anyone looking for a new wireless headset. Just about running as a viable upgrade on PDP’s LvL 50 headset, if you’re ready for some seriously beefy bass and brilliant ease of use, it’s certainly one to stick on the wishlist. It’s a shame then that the stingy nature of the headband padding and inclusion of a Micro-USB charging port lets things down.
Huge thanks go out to Victrix for supplying us with the Gambit Headset for unboxing and review. If you wish to pick up a unit for yourself, head over to Victrix direct. Expect to pay around $129.
