VR2000 Ultimate Review: FPS Gaming Over-Ear Headphones

Final VR2000: Two Minute Review

If you are just looking for a pair of gaming earphones to apply while playing online FPS games like Counterattack 2 Or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3then don’t hesitate to buy the Final VR2000. This boutique Japanese audio brand has created a great pair of gaming headphones that offer the same great design and features as the Final VR3000, but with an audio profile specifically tuned for competitive gaming.

Designed with enhanced binaural sound in mind, they offer an impressively immersive and detailed soundstage that gives every essential audio cue a clear sense of direction. Everything from distant gunfire to nearby footsteps is reproduced in vibrant detail, giving you a clear advantage over your opponents. They are also lightweight, comfortable to wear like many of the best gaming earphones, fully compatible with PC as well as every major console and mobile phone, and come with five pairs of ear tips and removable ear hooks to ensure a perfect fit.

That said, the Final VR3000’s average microphone is still very much present here. Your in-game communication will be fully usable, but using it with a standalone microphone is definitely the way to go for repeated chats. There’s also the issue of the audio tuning, which lacks bass and leads to a slightly tinny sound. This is ideal for hectic shootouts where you don’t want to be overwhelmed by the deafening gunfire and explosion effects, but it makes them a bit out of place for more cinematic single-player titles and music.

Final VR2000: Price and Availability

• $69.99 / £59.99 / about AU$115
• Available on Amazon
• Cheaper than the final VR3000

The Final VR2000 headphones cost $69.99 / £59.99 / around AU$115 and are readily available on Amazon in the US and UK. That’s $10 / £10 / around AU$5 less than the Final VR3000. While these headphones are definitely better suited to a wider audience, this petite saving makes the Final VR2000 an obvious choice if you plan on playing a lot of FPS games. They’re also cheaper than many of the best wired gaming headsets, making them a solid alternative if you want to keep your costs low.

Final VR2000: Specifications

Final VR2000: Design and Features

The most noticeable difference between the Final VR2000 and the Final VR3000 is that this pair comes in a gloomy green color rather than the usual black. This is a clear nod to its target audience, taking on a military aesthetic in a subdued and classic way. Everything else about the earbuds is virtually identical, meaning they still have an angular shape that fits very snugly in the ear.

Similarly, they are worn with the cable facing upwards and hooked around the top of each ear for extra support, like in-ear headphones (IEMs). Both of these factors make them secure and comfortable, even during long sessions, which is definitely a plus when a particularly gruelling match drags on into overtime.

The materials seem high-quality throughout, and the same five alternative ear tips are also included with the Final VR2000, in addition to a petite carrying pouch and removable ear hooks. The ear tips are color-coded and, again, provide a great fit once you figure out the right size for you. Because of this, you probably won’t need to apply the included ear hooks at all, which is a good thing, since they remain as fine and complex to install as ever.

The only other noteworthy element of the Final VR2000 are the audio controls on the right earbud cable. They’re pleasantly clicky, and offer volume up, volume down, and pause buttons—though unfortunately they don’t work outside of mobile platforms.

Final VR2000: Performance

The Final VR2000 are great for any of the best FPS games. They offer fantastic binaural sound, giving everything an impressive sense of direction. This is especially useful in competitive scenarios where being able to identify the source of footsteps or other audio cues can mean the difference between winning and losing. As wired in-ear headphones, you also don’t have to worry about the possibility of lag or delay.

In terms of their overall tuning, the bass has been noticeably reduced compared to the much heavier sounding Final VR3000. The crystal clear mids mean that dialogue is clearly audible, but the music still sounds flat and generally quite lifeless. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, as these headphones are clearly not designed for single-player cinematic titles, or listening to music in a more general sense. In a hectic FPS, the lack of bass prevents deafening effects like gunfire or explosions from becoming too overpowering, and makes it much easier to focus on more essential sounds like the aforementioned footsteps or teammates communicating.

The biggest letdown here is the built-in microphone, which is far from one of the best microphones out there and is decidedly average at best. It sounds quite muffled and does a very indigent job of blocking out ambient noise, which could be a dealbreaker if you plan on using these as your primary means of communication in deafening environments. That’s a real shame, especially considering that many cheaper in-ear headphones aimed at FPS gamers offer much better microphones.

Should I buy Final VR2000?

Buy if…

Don’t buy if…

You should also take into account…

Still not interested in the Final VR2000? Here are two other wired options to consider.

How I Tested Final VR2000

• Used for over two weeks
• Tested on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S
• Compared to other gaming earphones

I tested Final VR2000 for a little over two weeks. During that time, I played a wide range of FPS games, including Counterattack 2, Team Fortress 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Advanced WarfareAND Call of Duty: Vanguard. I played mostly on PC and PlayStation 5, but I also tested the headphones on Xbox Series S for a few rounds Fortnite.

I tried to test the headphones with various other genres to assess their performance. This involved continuing my ongoing gameplay Rise of the Roninapart from a few hours in The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered AND Sims 4.

While using the headphones, I compared my experience with other models including the Final VR3000, Final VR500, Turtle Beach Battle Buds, SteelSeries Tusq, and others, and they turned out to be a good alternative for FPS gaming.

Learn more about how we test

First review: July 2024