HyperX Cloud Stinger Headset and Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

Simple features; solid streamlined performance

HyperX launched two new peripherals in the past month: the Cloud Stinger headset and Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming keyboard. After using them for a couple of weeks now, I definitely find them worthy of consideration for a mid-budget gamer.

Cloud Stinger Headset Let’s start with the headset. The Cloud Stinger is the latest in the HyperX headset family. It follows several others in the Cloud Series and Cloud Revolver Series. The Cloud Stinger was manifested from HyperX’s desire to create a durable and comfortable piece of gear with high sound quality for under $50. The headset’s slogan is even “the best gaming headset for under $50."

Abbreviated Specifications for the Cloud Stinger Headset

While the Cloud Stinger is a fairly simple headset, it still totes some impressive features. The ear cups are made of memory foam (like all Cloud headsets) and swivel 90 degrees, with the volume control located directly on the right earcup. The microphone will automatically mute when put into the upright position. The cord runs directly from the headset about 3 feet to a single 3.5mm jack which can plug directly into a controller, phone, or an adapter. For your PC, the headset comes with a PC extension cable that has dual 3.5 stereo and mic plugs. This set-up allows for the Stinger to be fully multi-platform ready. I’ve used it on my PC, PS4, and Android phone with absolutely no problems and no additional connectors needed (though I switched to a USB extension cable that I had lying around for my PC, due to personal preference). The Stinger is also compatible for the WiiU, Xbox One, and other mobile devices, but may require additional adapters.

I’ve had many headsets throughout the years, ranging anywhere from $20-$120, so the Cloud Stinger falls right into the center of all of those. Obviously there are much more expensive headsets out there, so let’s touch on the features the Cloud Stinger forgoes to keep its price point low. It has no LEDs, it’s not wireless, and there’s no special sound mixer or Surround Sound options included. For users that want a USB or Xbox One plug, the Stinger can easily connect to them, but they are not included in the box. Aside from a USB connection, these are not generally features I seek out in a headset, but they are omissions you should be aware of.

What the Stinger seeks to deliver is comfort, durability, and quality sound. On the comfort side of things, the band sits well on my head, with no slipping or pressing. The earcups themselves are comfortable and the leatherette encasing them seems easy to clean, unlike fabric. Concerning durability, I’ve already dropped them from my desk to my floor a few times and they haven’t suffered any damage (this simple drop has done in more headsets than I can count). I found the sound quality to be good, with the earcups muffling, but not cutting off, background sound. I’m not sure if they’d satisfy a musicphile who uses their headphones to primarily listen to concert music, but they accomplish the job I want them to do well: playing games, using voice chat programs, and listening to music while I do work. The ability to flip up the mic to automatically mute (as opposed to hunting down a mute button) is a handy feature and the mic quality seems good, both from doing some test audio recording for myself and from what my friends say when I asked them. I appreciate having the volume control located right on the earcup as well; it makes it much easier to adjust the volume in the middle of playing a game.

Is it the best for under $50? Obviously that’s impossible to know, but I found the quality to be extremely impressive for that price. I certainly can’t point to any individual headset I’ve owned for $50 or less that was better and it’s even on par (in terms of comfort and sound/mic quality) with headsets I’ve bought in the past with price tags $20-$30 higher. The features are pretty basic, but it’s an excellent headset for a gamer who’s looking for a quality experience for a modest price.

Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard The Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is HyperX’s first foray into gaming keyboards, designed with FPS gamers in mind. It turns out, though, that the needs of FPS gamers actually align perfectly with a gamer who wants a fairly simple but solid gaming keyboard. The Alloy’s footprint is small for a gaming keyboard, not much bigger than a standard, full-size keyboard. This allows for more space on your desk for your mouse arm. Unlike a standard keyboard, however, the Alloy has a solid steel frame to ensure the keyboard won’t go sliding around. The USB cable for the keyboard is fully detachable and the keyboard comes with a very sturdy mesh travel bag, making it quite portable. HyperX wanted to stay simple with their first keyboard, so the list of Alloy’s features is fairly small, but well thought out. It has Cherry MX red switches, one USB port located on the back of the frame, and optionally changeable red-colored keycaps for crucial FPS keys (W, A, S, D, and the 1-4 number keys). There’s backlighting, of course (red), with six different lighting effect options, and a “gaming mode” (more on this later).

Abbreviated Keyboard Specifications:

Dimensions

The keyboard was a bit more of an adventure to review because I’ve never used a mechanical keyboard for any length of time. I just didn’t feel that I required the large number of additional functions gaming keyboards typically provide (e.g. extensive macroing capabilities, very intricate backlighting options, etc.).The straightforwardness of the Alloy, however, is more of a mechanical gaming keyboard designed for someone like me in mind: a PC gamer who wants a good keyboard for gaming, but doesn’t need an extremely long list of bells and whistles.

I originally started out using all the alternate keys, but in the end switched back to the standard ones except for the “1” key. I do as much writing as gaming on my keyboard, so the slightly raised red gaming keys made typing feel very slightly awkward for me due to the increased reach required to hit them; however, I think this wouldn’t be an issue for someone with bigger hands than me. I kept the alternate “1” key because having it slightly raised helps me center my hands by touch while I’m gaming, which is nice. My favorite feature of the keyboard is the “gaming mode” function (toggled by hitting FN F12). While “gaming mode” sounds fancy, it simply toggles off the functionality of the Windows key. A small thing, but immensely appreciated. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tabbed myself out of a tense match by fat-fingering the left control or alt key.

I played several games using the Alloy FPS, including Guild Wars 2, Battleborn, and Star Wars: the Old Republic, which all use the WASD control scheme. The keys were all extremely responsive while gaming and I enjoyed both the heft of the keyboard and the gaming mode option. My one very minor complaint is that when writing normal text for articles or papers, I sometimes find that I miss a character due to typing quickly and not pressing down quite hard enough. This probably points to me having a slight preference for a type of switch that provides less resistance when writing. As a gaming keyboard, however, I have no complaints at all.

I think the Alloy is a strong entry into the world of gaming keyboards for HyperX. Its small footprint and simple, but thoughtful, features may have made a believer out of me when it comes to mechanical keyboards, which is a pretty strong accomplishment since I generally hate change when it comes to my gaming setup.

Overall, I found the Cloud Stinger and Alloy FPS to be very solid peripherals to add to a PC gaming setup for someone who wants good performance for a reasonable price and doesn’t need extra features. That sounds like a simple thing, but it really isn’t. For many peripherals, the higher quality you go, the more features are added on, which increases the cost even more. While many people enjoy all those features, many others of us simply don’t need them. I haven’t been able to find many options for high quality with basic features peripherals, so I’m excited to see HyperX consciously addressing that gap in the market. So if you’re also on the lookout for keyboards and headsets that fit into that category, you might want to check out these two. Both the Cloud Stinger and Alloy FPS keyboard are available now.

A Cloud Stinger headset and Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard were provided to us by HyperX for review.