Headsets for the PS4 are starting to hit the market, and are being rolled
out by both Sony and third parties. Of course, this means that Mad Catz is
getting in on the action. I’ve had the opportunity to use their new Tritton
Kama headset, which works with both the PS4 and Vita. I have to say, I am
impressed.
There are a couple of really minor design flaws compared to other headsets
on the market, but as an affordable alternative to some of the more
expensive options, the Kama is a great way to have access to in-game chat,
as well as have a pretty nice headset for just absorbing the sound design
of your games.
If you just want something for chatting while playing online, the PS4 does
come with a headset. But it sucks. Like, really sucks. It’s a single
earbud made of cheap plastic that is uncomfortable and sounds awful. It
totally undermines one of the better aspects of the PS4, which is that you
can set the console to output all sound to a headset.
The Tritton Kama is designed for both chat and personal play, and it has an
unobtrusive microphone that needs no separate input. It makes having
access to chatting a painless process, something that has been on the side
of annoying and difficult in the past.
Even outside of chat, I used the Tritton Kama more for listening to my
games. I was able to actually here the game compared to other headsets
I’ve used on the Vita. And since the set is designed specifically with
gaming in mind, the cord is nice and short and doesn’t get in the way like
other headsets. It really sounds great. It’s loud, deep and satisfying.
They aren’t quite noise-cancelling, but you don’t miss anything either.
While it is ostensibly designed for comfort (the padded earcups even fold
to the side to promote resting the set around your nect), there are a few
noticeable hangups that probably reflect the lower cost of the set. The
whole thing feels a bit flimsy, like it would be easy to break should
something disastrous happen. This is especially disheartening as it is a
good set for the Vita, and without the set being able to fold up or come
with a case, I can’t really see this being a portable headset (as much as I
want it to be). The earcups are also oddly thin, and don’t fit around my
ears so much as sit on top of them.
The best aspect of the Tritton Kama is the price point. For 30 bucks, you
get a set that does a super-solid job, looks cool and makes getting
personal audio and chat from your PS4 and PS Vita a breeze. It especially
worked well while I was streaming Infamous Second Son to Twitch this past
weekend. If you want a solid, functional headset that won’t kill your
wallet, look no further than the Tritton Kama.
