A Lightweight and Reliable Gaming Audio Solution
It’s been more than five years since we first reviewed the RIG 400 HX headset, at the time, a brand owned and run by Plantronics. Since then, NACON have picked up the tab, redesigning, revamping, reimagining the whole range of RIG headsets. It’s with that in which we get to the RIG 400 GEN 2 HX.
The RIG 400 GEN 2 HX headset sits just under the mid- offerings provided in the RIG range of headsets. And that means it should come as no surprise to see it lacking the plethora of features found on the likes of the RIG 900 MAX HX and RIG 600 PRO HX cans. In fact, it’s about as lacking as you can get in terms of ‘features’ – but that’s not to say it isn’t any good. In fact, for the price, if you love RIG as a brand, you’ll be more than happy with how this one plays out.
Lightweight Design, Perfect Fit
It goes without saying that the RIG 400 GEN 2 HX follows the now standard RIG form factor; super lightweight (227 grams by our reckoning), running an almost skeletal type vibe to provide one of the lightest of all gaming headsets. For us, it’s something that we adore about the brand as a whole, and similar thoughts kick around with this one.
The RIG 400 GEN 2 HX also comes with the usual snap-fit locking mechanism that the brand is known for, with a simple pull-push method to ensure that fitment is standard every single time you stick the headset on your head. It allows for three different size placements, depending on which is best suited to each individual player. Again, it’s something we love about the RIG sets, and whilst it’s not quite perfect if you pass the headset across players (some may require a tighter fit than others), if no one else uses the RIG 400 GEN 2 HX, then you can be sure it’ll be setup to your liking each and every time, without need to worry about headband sliders and the like.
Immersive Audio and Clear Comms
From there, a couple of oval earcups caress the ears nicely, covering them in full to ensure that all audio thrown through the 40mm drivers goes directly into your ears. With closed backs, it’s pretty immersive to wear the RIG 400 GEN 2 HX. And whilst we can’t sit here and say that there is no audio leakage, especially at high volumes, it really isn’t too bad at all. You’ll easily be able to wear this whilst in a room with others, and shouldn’t ever be asked to ‘turn it down’.
The cups themselves have memory-foamed cushioning all round, and when combined with the light nature of the headset as a whole, allows this to be worn for hours at a time, without issue. That’s helped by the decent-ish cushioning on the headband too.
That headband is pretty standard for a RIG offering. Like we say, it’s fairly skeletal, but extremely strong and still flexible. If ever you had requirements to throw a headset around, we’d point you straight to what RIG deliver. And yes, we’ve maybe sat on ours a few too many times to mention, all with no issue. These are certainly well made pieces of kit and NACON even sell their headsets as ‘virtually unbreakable’. We reckon we could probably break the 400 GEN 2 if we really wanted to, but it would certainly take some going.
Plug and Play
The audio you’ll hear through the cups is very clear as well, and – at least for us – of decent levels in terms of mids and bass. With no need to go dropping into fancy equalisers or mess around with settings, the RIG 400 GEN 2 HX really is one of those headsets that you can just pick up, plug in and get on with gaming. We’ve never been left wanting with what this provides in terms of audio, helped along by the inclusion of Dolby Atmos 3D Audio on the RIG 400 GEN 2 HX.
Hell, you don’t even need to turn this thing on, with a permanently attached 1.2m long, 3.5mm audio cable doing the business as soon as it is plugged into the device of your choosing. We’ve mostly used this slammed into our Xbox controller, but the advantage of being wired means you can take it across platforms, to PlayStation, to Steam Deck, to laptop and even mobile – at least if you’ve got an old-school 3.5mm port or adapter.
In fact, there are zero buttons to go worrying about with the RIG 400 GEN 2 HX, with just a teeny tiny volume dial found hanging around on the externals of the left cup. We’d perhaps like this to be a little bigger, a little more tactile, but that’s being pretty picky.
A flip-down mic provides the comms you need, and we’ve used the RIG 400 GEN 2 HX for gaming chat, party chat and the recording of our podcast, specifically the episode where we talk in-depth about Xbox VR and the Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition. Voice work seems super clear, with no complaints from our gaming partners. Flipping it back up for muting purposes works well too; super easy to action.
A Budget-Friendly Headset for Casual Gaming
With the RIG 400 GEN 2 coming in a couple of Walmart exclusive flavours – Arctic Camo and Urban Camo (the one we’ve been using) – if you’re looking for a pretty cheap, but very cheerful new headset, it’s certainly one to consider. The RIG 400 GEN 2 HX is great for quick pick up and play gaming opportunities, and whilst it is lacking massively in features and gimmicks, sometimes simple is best.
And whilst exclusivity to Walmart may be an issue, there’s no doubt that an MSRP of $39.88 USD is not.
Huge thanks go out to NACON for providing the RIG 400 GEN 2 HX headset for review. If you’re near Walmart, pop along. If you’re not, there are a ton of other 400 versions available too.