August, 2025 - Organizer

The Logitech G522 Lightspeed delivers high-end performance at an attractive price – here’s why it’s my new gaming headset of choice in 2025

5:39 pm | August 13, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming Gaming Accessories | Tags: PC | Comments: Off

Logitech G522 Lightspeed: Two-minute review

The Logitech G522 Lightspeed is a very strong contender in the mid-range price bracket, delivering impressive audio performance.

Sound is crisp and clear, which makes it a good fit for everything from competitive shooters like Marvel Rivals and Counter-Strike 2 to more immersive single-player experiences à la The Last of Us Part 1. The headphones also support DTX Headphone:X on PC, provided you install the separate DTS Sound Unbound app, which offers very strong spatial audio.

My one complaint is that the bass is quite flat out of the box. It’s not bad by any means, but makes punchier music sound a little lifeless. Luckily, this is easily fixed with a quick trip to the expansive Logitech G Hub software which offers in-depth EQ customization with the option to select from a number of preset profiles, download settings from the community, or create your own.

The removable microphone is also no slouch, with high-quality sound to rival some of the best microphones for streaming. Whether you’re chatting with friends, communicating with your online team, or sending a quick voice message, it offers pristine, professional recordings that mean you won’t ever struggle to come through clearly.

It’s all wrapped up in a stylish design with a soft, adjustable headband and comfortable memory foam earcups. There are even two attractive RGB lighting zones on the outside of each earcup, both offering four LEDs that can be adjusted with a wide range of colors and animations. The headset feels good to wear, but does tend to look quite big and bulky on camera - and might be a poor fit if you have a particularly small head.

In spite of this, it’s easy to recommend the Logitech G522 Lightspeed. It manages to rival some of the best PC gaming headsets right now and, thanks to its PlayStation compatibility, is up there with the best PS5 headsets too.

The Logitech G522 Lightspeed wireless gaming headset. — (Image credit: Future)

Logitech G522 Lightspeed: Price and availability

Costs $159.99 / £139.99 / AU$229
Available via Logitech
Also at Amazon and other retailers

The Logitech G522 Lightspeed costs $159.99 / £139.99 and is available via Logitech. It can also be purchased from a wide range of retailers including Amazon and Best Buy in the US and Amazon, Currys and Argos in the UK. In Australia, it can be purchased at Amazon.

At this mid-range price point it comes in significantly cheaper than more premium wireless models like the Astro A50 X or Turtle Beach Stealth Pro, but more expensive than budget wired options such as the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1.

Its biggest competitors are the likes of the Razer BlackShark V3 or SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless - which both deliver similarly good audio performance. The stronger microphone and unique look of the Logitech G522 Lightspeed make it a good alternative, however, and give you a compelling reason to choose it instead.

Logitech G522 Lightspeed: Specs

Price	$159.99 / £139.99 / AU$229
Weight	10.23oz / 290g
Compatibility	PC, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Android, iOS
Connection type	Bluetooth, Lightspeed Wireless, Wired USB-C
Battery life	40 hrs (default lighting), 90hrs (RGB off)
Features	Detachable 48kHz / 16 bit omni microphone, Lightsync RGB
Software	Logitech G Hub (PC) / Logitech G app (mobile)

Logitech G522 Lightspeed: Design and features

Attractive white or black colorways
Comfortable, soft earcups
Looks a bit bulky

Like other Logitech G headsets, the Logitech G522 Lightspeed is primarily constructed from plastic.

Despite this it doesn’t seem particularly cheap in the hands, though alternatives like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 do feel slightly more premium thanks to the incorporation of metal elements.

It’s not the lightest headset around at 10.23oz / 290g, but still manages to be extremely comfortable thanks to its large, cushioned over-ear earcups and adjustable cloth headband.

All of the expected controls are present, which is to say a power switch (accompanied by a small LED indicator), Bluetooth pairing button, a volume rocker, and microphone mute switch. I really appreciate the simplicity of this setup in a world of gaming headsets filled with extraneous features.

They’re all in one convenient location on the outside of the left earcup and the buttons are well spaced out with a variety of different tactile feels, like ridges on the microphone mute button, that make the controls easy to operate without looking.

There’s also a standard USB Type-C port for both charging and wired play, plus a small 3.5mm to attach the removable microphone. It’s made of a flexible, rubbery material that can be twisted into your desired position and even features a small red LED on its tip that illuminates when the microphone is muted - a convenient way to check its status at a glance

The headset offers Bluetooth connectivity, ideal if you want to use it with your phone or a Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2, and comes with a USB dongle to enable Logitech’s proprietary Lightspeed wireless connectivity.

The headset is available in both white and black colorways. Each offers customizable RGB lighting on the outside of the earcup, with a total of eight light zones that you can tweak. It’s a great looking headset on the whole, but definitely on the larger and more bulky side when worn.

It looks massive on my head, which is fine for gaming but makes it a bit awkward to wear to video meetings. Thankfully this doesn't affect the comfort.

Logitech G522 Lightspeed: Performance

The Logitech G522 Lightspeed offers good performance out of the box, whether you’re playing on PC or PS5. It’s quick and easy to set up and delivers clear and crisp sound with an impressive level of depth. My only real complaint is that the bass is on the flatter side, but this is only really noticeable when you’re listening to music or playing a game with a particularly punchy soundtrack.

Thankfully, this is easy to remedy in the compatible Logitech G Hub software as it offers an impressive number of customization options including the ability to create your own detailed equaliser (EQ) setting. I’d personally recommend cranking the low frequencies (20Hz, 50Hz and 125Hz) up by 3dB, 2dB, and 1dB respectively then adding 0.5dB at the higher end for a well-rounded sound profile that excels no matter what you throw at it.

There are also a number of presets available, including a bass boost mode, gaming mode, dedicated FPS mode, and a media mode, plus the option to browse and download a number of community creations. You can save up to three profiles directly on the headset too, so once you’ve found your favorite setup you can carry it across to any platform with ease.

The headset is also fully compatible with DTS Headphone:X spatial audio, which is turned on through the separate DTS Sound Unbound PC app. Turning it on leads to a slightly sharper and louder sound, but the trade-off is accompanied by a much more immersive sense of depth that’s ideal for atmospheric, single-player gaming.

This level of fine tuning also extends to the microphone, which is an impressively high-fidelity 48kHz beast. It picks up your voice clearly and cleanly, though tends to let in background noise. Enabling the noise reduction features in the Logitech G Hub software cleans this up tremendously though, and leaves you with stellar results suitable for chatting on a call or even streaming.

The Logitech G Hub desktop application. — (Image credit: Logitech)

In terms of battery life, the Logitech G522 Lightspeed isn’t shabby but certainly not as strong as market leaders like the absurd 300+ hour battery of the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless. Logitech promises up to 90 hours with RGB disabled, or 40 hours with it on, but these estimates seem on the conservative side.

I generally managed well over 40 hours of use (with RGB enabled) which is going to be more than enough for most. I’ve only needed to charge this headset a few times in the multiple months that I’ve been using it, so I’ve got no complaints here.

Should I buy the Logitech G522 Lightspeed?

Buy it if...

You want a strong performer
With clear and crisp sound right out of the box, the Logitech G522 Lightspeed is an excellent choice if you’re after great performance. A few tweaks to its audio profile in the compatible software makes it sound even better, too.

You need a killer mic
The microphone delivers fantastic, high-fidelity recordings. It’s really excellent, especially at this price, and would be a good fit for those that love chatting with friends or streaming.

You crave the spatial audio
The Logitech G522 Lightspeed is fully compatible with DTX Headphone:X spatial audio so is worth getting if you’re keen to get into the immersive world of spatial sound.

Don't buy it if...

You’re after more features
The Logitech G522 Lightspeed has a no-nonsense feature set, but if you’re after something more adventurous or the likes of active noise cancellation (ANC), you need to look at other options such as the more expensive Razer BlackShark V3 Pro.

Also consider...

Not sold on the Logitech G522 Lightspeed? Here are two other options to weigh up.

	Logitech G522 Lightspeed	Razer BlackShark V3 Pro	SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5
Price	$159.99 / £139.99 / AU$229	$249.99 / £249.99 / around AU$510	$129.99 / £129.99 / AU$139.95
Weight	0.63lbs / 290g	0.81lbs / 367g	9.5oz / 266g
Compatibility	PC, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, Android, iOS	PC, Xbox Series X, PS5 (Xbox version), PC and PS5 (PC/PS5 version), iOS, Android	Xbox Series X\|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, Mobile
Connection type	Bluetooth, Lightspeed Wireless, Wired USB-C	Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wireless (HyperSpeed dongle)	Wireless (2.4GHz via dongle), Wired (USB-C), Bluetooth 5.3
Battery life	40 hrs (default lighting), 90hrs (RGB off)	70 hours	Up to 60 hours
Features	Detachable 48kHz / 16 bit omni microphone, Lightsync RGB	Detachable microphone, hybrid active noise cancellation	360-degree spatial audio, retractable ClearCast 2.X mic
Software	Logitech G Hub (PC) / Logitech G app (mobile)	Razer Synapse	SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Companion App (mobile), SteelSeries GG

Razer BlackShark V3 Pro
The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro is more expensive than the Logitech G522 Lightspeed, but offers Active Noise Cancellation. There’s also a dedicated Xbox version, which is compatible with every major platform.

For more information, check out our full Razer BlackShark V3 Pro review

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5
Coming in at roughly the same price as the Logitech G522 Lightspeed, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 is the mid-range headset to beat. The G522 has a better microphone, but the Nova 5 is more widely compatible and lighter.

For more information, check out our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 review

How I tested the Logitech G522 Lightspeed

Used for multiple months
Tested with PC and PS5
Tried the Logitech G Hub software

I tested the Logitech G522 for multiple months, using a sample provided by Logitech at a pre-reveal product briefing. I tested the headset extensively with both PC and PS5, using it for the vast majority of my gaming. Most recently this included my full playthrough of Mafia: The Old Country, plenty of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and more.

Throughout my time with the headset, I compared my experience to that of my hands-on testing of a wide range of other audio products. This included similarly priced options like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5, plus more expensive alternatives such as the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro and Astro A50 X.

I took full advantage of the compatible Logitech G Hub software, experimenting with all of the available settings and customization options in order to assess their performance.

A real workout

Player shooting a 3-pointer in Drag x Drive — (Image credit: Nintendo)

From the moment you open Drag x Drive, you’re thrown into a tutorial that teaches you all the basics of movement, hooping, and tricking. You can place the Joy-Con 2 controllers on a flat surface or even on your legs, and use mouse controls to mimic pushing wheels on a wheelchair.

The controls are intuitive and fairly easy to get to grips with, in my view. HD rumble also makes every turn and push feel a bit more true-to-life. There’s been some debate online about the best way to control your baller, but I found that holding the Joy-Con 2’s on top of my legs was the most comfortable, natural-feeling method.

However, after a few minutes of wheeling around as well as a couple of practice matches, I identified – well, felt, really – one of Drag x Drive’s key limitations. My arms were feeling beat.

Yep, this game’s a real workout, though I did wonder if this was intentional. Is Drag x Drive meant to immerse the player in the high-exertion reality of wheelchair basketball? Maybe. But the facts are, I felt pretty achey after a few back-to-back matches, which did make playing for longer than around 30 minutes feel tiring.

Aside from that, though, movement is solid. You can easily build up speed with long, relaxed strokes, and wheel up on-court halfpipes to dunk or obstruct a shot. The ZL and ZR buttons enable you to brake, and you can also use them to bunny hop, giving you some extra elevation when blocking or shooting.

On the topic of shooting, it’s also quite consistent. The more lined up you are with the basket, the more likely you are to score, which can be performed with a flick of the wrist – no buttons needed. I did find, on occasion, my baller would raise their hand to shoot, even when I hadn’t performed this motion. But most of the time, shooting is responsive.

Best bit

Player dunking in Drag x Drive — (Image credit: Nintendo)

I wheeled up the court’s half-pipe, flung myself into the air, and hit a gnarly dunk to help my team declare victory in the final seconds of a match.

I’d argue that the most underwhelming element of Drag x Drive’s core gameplay, however, is defending. In order to steal the ball, you must charge into an opposing player while facing them. But, when playing matches online during the game’s Global Jam trial event, I found that this didn’t always work – I’d clash into an opponent, but the ball would remain firmly in their grip.

On top of that, blocking didn’t feel very reliable. Ultimately, my games were rarely won by good defense. They were typically won by aggressively attacking. Speaking of, you can bag extra points with trick shots – think dunks and mid-air throws. And I have to say, winning a match with a mid-air 3-pointer is very satisfying!

Oh, and one final note on gameplay – I often found myself in 2v2 matches when playing online via Global Jam. Scrolling on Reddit, I discovered that other players encountered a similar occurrence, though games were still generally balanced, and I barely ever experienced any delays or performance issues.

I’m hoping 2v2s are a little less common when the full game is on general release, though, for the most action-packed experience possible.

Where’s the Nintendo magic?

Player approaching jump rope in Drag x Drive — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Let’s take a break from gameplay to chat about design. Now, I'm gonna be frank. I am not a fan of the way Drag x Drive looks. The world – or should I say, the courts – is too bland. Colors aren’t very vibrant, and there’s a generally dingy look to the environment, which is a real shame.

Given this is a Nintendo-developed title, you expect the vivid, character-filled presentation that so many of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games – and indeed, the best Nintendo Switch games – thrive off of. In addition, character models lack polish, meaning the game doesn’t really look like it was made for a flashy new console.

Not only is it visually underwhelming, but the overall Drag x Drive experience is pretty thin – perhaps to be expected given its low price tag. 3v3 online matches are generally competitive and entertaining to hop into, though, as I mentioned, a few games left my arms feeling lethargic. And other than those online matches, there’s not all too much to do.

There are a few minigames littered around the courts – stuff like cone courses and sprint time trials. If you complete these within a certain amount of time, you can earn a trophy. But after I did this, I didn’t feel particularly keen to return to them. Variety could be better, too, given that many of the minigames are variations of each other – there are a number of cone courses to finish, for instance.

Player customization page on Drag x Drive — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Something that’s undoubtedly positive, though, is that the trophies you obtain by clearing minigames help you unlock new customization options. For example, you can get new helmets – including one with a mohawk, which I took a liking to. Other than that, you can alter the texture and colors of your armor, frame, and wheels.

Combine this with the opportunity to switch between a speedy yet lightweight guard, a bulky yet slow center, or an all-rounder forward, and Drag x Drive ends up being a pleasingly personalizable time.

So, how about we go back to that question of ours: is Drag x Drive just a glorified tech demo? Well, that might be a touch harsh. But the finished product does feel a little underbaked. The core experience – the 3v3 online matches – is decently tense and end-to-end, and I can see myself dipping in from time to time for a quick game.

But a quick game is all I would really want from Drag x Drive. It’s a workout on the arms, minigames aren’t massively engaging, and the environment isn’t visually stimulating enough to draw me in for the long run.

Much like it did with Arms on the original Switch, Nintendo took a long shot early with Drag x Drive. And honestly, I appreciate the decision to create an original gaming experience based on wheelchair basketball – it’s refreshing to see more representation of sports such as this. But in the end, its tiring controls and unappealing aesthetic hold Drag x Drive back from being a total slam dunk.

Should you play Drag x Drive?

Team victory display on Drag x Drive — (Image credit: Nintendo)

Play it if...

You want an online game you can quickly dip in and out of
Drag x Drive is solid fun if you’re willing to just hop on for a couple of games. You can take on friends or global competitors for a few minutes without feeling fatigued, and just enjoy flexing your 3-point shooting or dunking skills.

You want to get the best out of mouse mode
One of the key missions of Drag x Drive is to showcase the smooth, intuitive nature of the Joy Con 2’s mouse controls. And that’s a mission that it accomplishes – controls are largely responsive, and it will be interesting to see how Nintendo makes use of them in future titles.

Don't play it if...

You’re looking to chill, rather than work out
If you’re hoping to relax after a long day at work or school, maybe even a gym session, say, Drag x Drive might not be what you're looking for. Wheeling around gets pretty tiring after a while, so extended play sessions can feel like quite the workout.

You want to experience the peak powers of the Switch 2
I’d argue that the most disappointing aspect of Drag x Drive is its visual presentation. Colors don’t pop, environments lack polish, and the graphics just generally fail to highlight the power of the Nintendo Switch 2. Want a beautiful title for your shiny new console? Maybe look elsewhere – my recommendation would be the absolutely smashing Donkey Kong Bananza.

Accessibility features

There aren’t all too many accessibility features to note from Drag x Drive. You can adjust the camera distance as well as the X and Y-axis configuration, and choose whether to use mouse or stick controls for menu navigation. But, disappointingly, that’s about it.

How I reviewed Drag x Drive

3 players lined up in Drag x Drive — (Image credit: Nintendo)

I played Drag x Drive for around 10 hours, mainly competing online during the Global Jam event and in matches against bots in single-player mode. I also completed the majority of the available minigames and played around with the customization options available.

For the most part, I played the game in docked mode on my Nintendo Switch 2, which is hooked up to the Sky Glass Gen 2 and a Samsung HW-Q800D soundbar. However, I did also spend some time playing the game in tabletop mode while connected to my Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones.

First reviewed August 2025

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