NACON RIG 600 Pro Headset Review – Feature

I’ve generally resisted the transition from wired to wireless headsets over time, so the NACON RIG 600 Pro was my first venture into wireless gaming audio. The headset features two options for connectivity through either Bluetooth or a 2.4GHz connection via a USB adapter. For most every practical purpose in gaming, you’re probably going to want to use the adapter since the audio delay over Bluetooth is pretty bad, but the hardware makes this pretty simple to do.

The adapter itself uses a USB-C connection which makes it work natively with handheld devices like the Switch or a Steam Deck, but included in the box is an extra adapter cable for traditional USB ports for use on PC or console. The plug-and-play nature of the adapter works seamlessly, since I was able to just plug it into my Switch dock, my PlayStation 5, and my PC and it just worked on all of them with no fiddling required. The USB-C adapter is also pretty compact, so it fits pretty well with the Switch’s form factor.

A microphone on the headset can be used for voice chat while gaming, but unfortunately this doesn’t work well with the Switch’s mobile app since you can’t hear audio from both the USB adapter and the Bluetooth connection simultaneously—the Dual Mode where you connect to different devices merely swaps which one you’re using so you can answer a phone call if you happen to get one while gaming. This isn’t really the headset’s fault since the Switch is the only modern gaming platform where you are required to use voice chat on a completely different device, but it is a reality that Nintendo fans will have to put up with.

Audio quality on the headset is pretty good, though you’ll want to mess with the EQ settings via the RIG mobile app for the best results. The default settings have the midtones too low and I was getting ready to knock this headset for its sound quality before I discovered the mobile app. As a matter of personal preference, I do consider it a downside that basic functionality has been offloaded to the app. This is probably an unfair criticism since every headset I’ve used in the past only offered EQ settings through a PC app, but I’m getting a bit tired of smart devices in the modern age prompting me to download a mobile app to use them.

The last major feature of the RIG Pro headset is support for Dolby Atmos surround sound, which I have a bit of a bias against. I happen to have home theater speakers with full 5.1 channel surround sound, and I’ll never prefer the trade-off in audio quality that comes with simulated surround sound over headphones. With that in mind, the technology does provide a convincing simulation of 3D audio without the need for games to specially mix a binaural equivalent, so if you don’t have a full surround sound setup in your home then there’s an obvious advantage to having this turned on.

I can’t say that all of my hangups with wireless audio have been solved (the idea of having to charge my headphones still bothers me), but the RIG 600 Pro has managed to become my go-to for PC gaming. The ability to rely on a USB adapter instead of Bluetooth instantly resolves my biggest fears of compatibility and latency, and the quality is comparable with many of the wired gaming headsets I’ve used before. The Switch’s mobile app voice chat will limit the headset’s appeal for Nintendo fans interested in voice chat, but the compact form factor of the USB adapter gives it a far and away advantage over wired headsets for handheld gaming. I can see myself continuing to use the RIG 600 PRO for a while to come, and it’s gone a long way in helping me come to terms with an all-wireless future.