HyperX Cloud II vs Cloud III: Which to Buy?

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The Short Answer

Buy the Cloud III. It is currently the cheaper of the two, has a better microphone, adds USB-C, and uses newer angled drivers. On specification and on price there is no argument.

Buy the Cloud II if you find it discounted below the III, or if you specifically want the aluminium frame. It remains an excellent headset — it simply no longer has a price advantage to defend.

The Contradiction Explained

The Cloud II holds the higher owner rating despite being older and, right now, more expensive. That is worth unpacking rather than ignoring.

The Cloud II has roughly five times as many reviews, accumulated over close to a decade. A rating built on that many owners over that long is extremely stable, and it reflects a headset that genuinely did not break.

The Cloud III's rating is younger and drawn from a much smaller base. Newer products also attract early-adopter complaints that settle over time. A slightly lower score on a fifth of the reviews is not evidence that it is a worse headset.

What it is not evidence of is the Cloud II being better value today. That was true when the III cost more. It is not true at current prices.

What Actually Changed

The microphone. This is the headline, and it addresses the Cloud line's most-cited weakness. The III uses a redesigned 10mm capsule and it is a clear step up — which matters because the microphone is the part your teammates experience and you never hear.

Angled 53mm drivers. The III angles them toward your ears rather than firing straight in. The practical effect is a slightly more natural sense of where sounds are, which helps in shooters.

USB-C, alongside USB-A and 3.5mm. The II predates USB-C entirely. If your desk has moved on, this removes an adapter.

What did not change: memory-foam cushions, a durable frame, closed-back isolation, a detachable boom, and multi-platform support. Both are comfortable through long sessions, which is the reason this line has lasted.

One Buying Trap

Check the colour before you check anything else. At the time of writing the plain black Cloud III has no purchasable listing, while the black-and-red version does — same headset, same specification, same pooled reviews.

This is common across the category and costs people money or leaves them thinking a product is discontinued when it is not. If one colour shows as unavailable, look at the others before giving up.

HyperX Cloud III

The one to buy at current prices, and the reasoning is straightforward.

Angled 53mm drivers, a redesigned 10mm microphone, spatial audio, memory-foam cushions and a durable frame, with USB-C, USB-A and 3.5mm connections so it works on a modern desk and an older console alike. It fixes the line's most-criticised part without asking for more money.

What you give up against the II: the aluminium frame, and a decade of accumulated owner confidence. Our HyperX Cloud III review covers it on its own terms.

Check Price on Amazon · $57.99 as of August 29, 2026 — check Amazon for the latest price.

Check Price on Amazon · $57.99 as of August 29, 2026 — check Amazon for the latest price.

HyperX Cloud II Gaming Headset

Still an excellent headset, and still the more comfortable-feeling of the two in the hand.

Memory-foam earcups and an aluminium frame that have kept this design in service for close to a decade, closed cups that isolate well, and a detachable boom microphone that is adequate rather than good — which is precisely what the III improved.

Buy it if you find it below the III's price, or if the metal frame matters to you. Do not buy it expecting to save money at current prices. Our HyperX Cloud II review covers it in full, and how it compares to the Razer BlackShark V2 X covers the budget alternative.

Check Price on Amazon · $59.9 as of August 29, 2026 — check Amazon for the latest price.

Check Price on Amazon · $59.9 as of August 29, 2026 — check Amazon for the latest price.

How to Decide

Do people complain about your microphone? Then the III, without much argument. That is the clearest single improvement between them.

Does your setup use USB-C? The III has it; the II does not.

Is one of them on sale? They sit close enough that a discount genuinely flips the answer. Check both.

Do you care about the frame? The II's aluminium is the one physical thing the III does not match, and it is why so many are still working years on.

Would headphones suit you better than a headset? If you already own a microphone, the same money buys better audio — see best headphones for gaming.

FAQ

Is the HyperX Cloud III better than the Cloud II? On specification, yes: better microphone, angled 53mm drivers, USB-C. At current prices it is also cheaper, which removes the usual reason to buy the older model.

Why does the Cloud II have a higher rating? It has around five times as many reviews accumulated over close to a decade. That is a more settled figure, not evidence that the III is worse.

Which has the better microphone? The Cloud III, clearly. Its redesigned 10mm capsule addresses the criticism most often levelled at the Cloud line.

Is the Cloud III worth upgrading to from a Cloud II? Only if the microphone is your problem or you need USB-C. The listening experience is close enough that an upgrade for its own sake is hard to justify.

Do both work with consoles? Yes, both are multi-platform. The III adds USB-C alongside USB-A and 3.5mm, which covers more modern setups.

Why does the Cloud III show as unavailable? Usually the colour rather than the headset. The plain black listing has been out of stock while the black-and-red one has not — check the other finishes before assuming it is gone.

Verdict

Buy the Cloud III. It costs less than the Cloud II right now, improves the microphone that was the line's weakest part, and adds USB-C. When the newer model is also the cheaper one, the decision is not complicated.

The Cloud II remains a genuinely good headset and the aluminium frame is a real advantage in longevity. But its case rested on being the value option, and at these prices it no longer is. If a sale changes that, so does the answer.

And check the colour before concluding either is unavailable. On this line, that is the difference between a dead listing and a live one more often than it should be.