Creative SXFI AIR Gaming Review

How Much Does it Cost?

At £124.99, the Creative SXFI Air Gamer isn’t cheap, but it certainly is excellent value for money. Turtle Beach, Corsair, Razer and countless others ask for twice that for their flagship gaming headsets and the latest from Creative can hold up against any competition when it comes to acoustic performance and flattens all (and I really do mean ALL) the competition when it comes to surround sound processing. There are more options at the Creative Amazon store.

Overview

It’s not all perfect though, there are some odd things that Creative seem to be missing and could be addressed in future models. For example, the ear cup ergonomics offer some movement, but I would like to see the range improved. You also cannot pivot the drivers either, they’re fixed and I’d like to be able to wear the headset around my neck a little more comfortably.

Furthermore, the new ear pads are awesome. They are much thicker, they’re super comfortable, and they’re now a little breathable too, which is a blessing in this hot weather. However, I love the Theater headsets noise isolating pads, and having both in the box would be even better and not unrealistic at this price range.

Also, the headset is a little less wireless than I expected. The “Air” component purely relates to pairing your phone for music and calls, but it’s not the primary connection. You’ll want to use USB-C for this headset to really shine. However, the addition of a 3.5mm jack means it’ll also work on just about anything else too, albeit without SXFI. Unless you plan to absolutely use the Bluetooth for music while working and gaming, or even the MicroSD, then you may as well get the SXFI Gamer, it’s £35 cheaper and every bit as good when it comes to performance. Creative really needs to make a Gamer model that’s truly wireless to complete the range.

For me, I’ll be keeping my SXFI Theater still. They’re still the flagship of the range, with full wireless using its 2.4 GHz dongle, and for kicking back with a movie, that’s all I need. Albeit, they’re darn expensive at £189.99 MSRP, but really always seem to be on sale at £159.99… hardly cheap, but a worthy investment in my opinion.

Should I Buy One?

The SXFI Air Gamer is a stunning sounding headset, and SXFI is truly something that has to be heard. This isn’t a gimmick, it’s just incredible technology at work. The headset has room for improvement, but I’d still say the Gamer and the Air Gamer are two of the best gaming headsets on the market today. Plus, the processing features like Battle Mode are insanely good, and quite frankly, I can’t imagine playing competitive FPS without it turned on. That being said, I can’t listen to anything with SXFI turned off these days… it’s so, two-dimensional.

If you want to be blown away, the Creative SXFI Gamer is better value for money for the same level of audio performance. If you need the Bluetooth, I really can’t fault the SXFI Air Gamer, it’s the same headset I know and love with a few more features. Highly recommended!