HyperX used its Level Awakening 2026 showcase in Los Angeles on August 20 to roll out its widest gear refresh in years, and both headliners take aim at long-standing gripes. The HyperX Cloud Alpha Air is the brand's first open-back gaming headset, and it arrives in September 2026 at $149.99 with a Bass Tube design that HyperX says keeps the low-end punch most open-back cans give away. The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 3 Pro becomes the company's lightest wireless mouse at 47 grams, landing the same month at $129.99.
The rest of the announcement fills out your desk: two more Haste 3 mice, the SoloCast 2 Pro microphone, three new OMEN monitors, the first HyperX-branded OMEN systems, and fresh colorways across the Cloud family. Per HP's official announcement, all of it except the OMEN 35L desktop targets HyperX.com in September 2026.
Level Awakening 2026 at a glance
- Headliner headset: Cloud Alpha Air, HyperX's first open-back design, $149.99, September 2026
- Headliner mouse: Pulsefire Haste 3 Pro, lightest HyperX wireless mouse at 47 grams, $129.99, September 2026
- Also announced: Pulsefire Haste 3 Wireless ($89.99), Pulsefire Haste 3 Wired ($39.99), SoloCast 2 Pro microphone ($89.99), three OMEN monitors ($209.99), OMEN 35L desktop, OMEN MAX 16 laptop
- Availability: September 2026 on HyperX.com, with the OMEN 35L following in autumn 2026
Cloud Alpha Air goes open-back without dropping the bass
Open-back headsets force a choice. Vented ear cups widen the soundstage and give distant footsteps and directional cues more room to breathe, but the same vents leak the bass that explosions depend on. HyperX says the Cloud Alpha Air ends that tradeoff by pairing the open chamber with Bass Tube technology, an internal duct built to hold onto impactful low-frequency response while the design stays open.
The hardware underneath follows a familiar formula. You get 40mm dynamic drivers with neodymium magnets spanning 20 Hz to 20 kHz, rated at 97 dB SPL/mW at 1 kHz with total harmonic distortion held to 2% or less. A steel frame carries the memory foam cushions, which HyperX wraps in Ultrasuede, and the detachable boom mic is a uni-directional electret condenser rated at -42 dBV. Connectivity runs through 3.5mm or a USB-C dongle cable with a USB-A adapter, supporting 16-bit and 24-bit audio, and you handle tuning in HyperX NGENUITY. Compatibility covers PC, Mac, and PlayStation, with a 2-year warranty behind all of it.
| Specification | HyperX Cloud Alpha Air |
|---|---|
| Driver | 40mm dynamic, neodymium magnets |
| Form factor | Over-ear, open-back |
| Frequency response | 20 Hz to 20 kHz |
| Sensitivity | 97 dB SPL/mW at 1 kHz |
| THD | 2% or less |
| Frame | Steel |
| Ear cushions | Memory foam with Ultrasuede |
| Microphone | Detachable electret condenser, uni-directional, -42 dBV |
| Bit depth | 16-bit, 24-bit |
| Weight | 0.60 lb headset, 0.026 lb boom mic |
| Connectivity | 3.5mm, USB-C dongle cable, USB-A adapter |
| Compatibility | PC, Mac, PlayStation, NGENUITY |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| SKU and price | D14ZCAA, $149.99 |
One quirk deserves planning: because the cups stay open, HyperX positions natural hearing as a feature rather than something you restore with mic monitoring. Your household noise will reach you mid-match whether you invited it or not.
The box holds the headset, the detachable microphone, a 3.5mm PC extension cable, a PC splitter cable, the USB-C dongle cable with USB-A adapter, and a quick start guide. The Cloud Alpha Air product page is live ahead of the September launch. If marathon battery matters more to you than soundstage, the closed-back side of the family still holds that crown, as our HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless review documents.
Independent impressions add a caution flag. PCWorld's Michael Crider went hands-on at the press event, and against his experience with dedicated open-back headphones such as the Sennheiser HD 6XX, he found the missing low end quite noticeable even with the Bass Tube working. Treat HyperX's no-tradeoff pitch as promising but unproven until full reviews arrive.
Pulsefire Haste 3 Pro: 47 grams of carbon
The Pulsefire Haste 3 Pro makes the opposite bet: strip out every gram it can. Its 47-gram shell blends in carbon fiber for stiffness, and HyperX builds it around the new HyperX Performance Sensor. The sensor numbers land squarely in flagship territory, and the battery figures deserve a close look because HyperX quotes both ends of the polling range rather than only the friendly one.
- Sensor: New HyperX Performance Sensor, up to 42,000 DPI
- Tracking speed: Up to 800 IPS
- Acceleration: Rated for up to 70G
- Battery life: Up to 150 hours at 1,000Hz polling, up to 35 hours at 8,000Hz
- Weight: 47 grams with the carbon-infused shell
That battery spread matters in practice. Run 8,000Hz polling for the lowest click latency and your runtime drops to less than a quarter of the headline figure, so competitive players chasing maximum responsiveness should plan their charging habits accordingly. You can weigh the jump yourself against its predecessor in our HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Pro Wireless review.
HyperX has not published a full product page for the Haste 3 Pro yet. The mouse sits on the Level Awakening hub marked coming soon ahead of the September 2026 launch at $129.99.
Two more Haste 3 mice cover the price ladder
Below the Pro sit two models aimed at different budgets. The $89.99 Pulsefire Haste 3 Wireless carries the same Performance Sensor with low-latency wireless, extended battery life, and NGENUITY customization, aimed at players who want competitive-grade tracking without paying for the carbon shell. At $39.99, the Pulsefire Haste 3 Wired serves players who still trust a cable when the match hangs in the balance, and HyperX describes it as the company's lightest wired mouse yet.
SoloCast 2 Pro packs dual capsules into a compact body
The SoloCast 2 Pro moves the compact SoloCast format upmarket with two 14mm electret condenser capsules where the standard model makes do with one. Built-in vibration dampening stands in for an external shock mount, an integrated pop filter catches plosives, and microphone monitoring lets you hear your own voice without resorting to shouting. HyperX lists a cardioid polar pattern, a 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response, sensitivity of -7.5 dB (1 V/Pa at 1 kHz), and self-noise of -78 dBFS or lower, A-weighted. That last figure matters most if you record in a quiet room, where a noisy capsule would otherwise fill your silences for you.
You connect over USB Type-C, and the mic weighs 0.83 pounds on its own or 0.90 pounds with the cable attached. NGENUITY's advanced controls require Windows 10 or Windows 11, and a 2-year warranty backs the hardware. The SoloCast 2 Pro product page is already live with the full spec sheet.
OMEN 35L and OMEN MAX 16 wear the HyperX badge
Level Awakening also produced the first OMEN systems to carry HyperX branding. The OMEN 35L Gaming Desktop is the first of them built on AMD silicon, configurable up to a Ryzen 9 9950X3D with either an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 or an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT. OMEN AI handles one-click FPS tuning, and HyperX pitches the case as an easy platform to upgrade later with its own components. You can pick Stealth Black, Black Glass, or White Glass, though pricing waits until the system reaches availability in autumn 2026.
On the mobile side, the OMEN MAX 16 laptop concentrates on cutting thermal throttling and comes in Ceramic White or Shadow Black. Both systems remain listed as coming soon.
Three new HyperX monitors extend the ecosystem
The display side of the announcement pushes the HyperX ecosystem from your desk to your screen. The announcement highlights three models in particular: the OMEN 27k with Dual Mode, the OMEN 34c WQHD ultrawide, and the OMEN 27qs running at 320Hz. Announcement pricing starts at $209.99 for September 2026, with the broader range available through HyperX's gaming monitors collection.
New colors across the Cloud family
If your current setup already suits you, HyperX still has something to show you. The Cloud III Wired, Cloud III S, and Cloud Flight 2 headsets all gain new finishes, and the SoloCast 2 microphone picks up a Frost colorway. Our HyperX Cloud III S Wireless review breaks down what the current Cloud III S delivers before you commit to a colorway.
What HyperX is saying
Josephine Tan, Senior Vice President and Division President, Gaming Solutions at HP Inc., framed the lineup around identity rather than raw numbers. “Gamers don't just buy gear, they build identities around how they play,” Tan said. “At HyperX, we believe great gaming is more than performance. It's about immersion, self-expression, connection, and fun. With Cloud Alpha Air, Pulsefire Haste 3 Pro, and the latest additions to our ecosystem, we're creating products that help gamers get more out of every moment and enhance the player, not just the hardware.”
Pricing and availability
| Product | Price (USD) | Expected availability |
|---|---|---|
| HyperX Cloud Alpha Air | $149.99 | September 2026 |
| HyperX Pulsefire Haste 3 Pro | $129.99 | September 2026 |
| HyperX Pulsefire Haste 3 Wireless | $89.99 | September 2026 |
| HyperX Pulsefire Haste 3 Wired | $39.99 | September 2026 |
| HyperX SoloCast 2 Pro | $89.99 | September 2026 |
| HyperX gaming monitors | $209.99 | September 2026 |
| HyperX OMEN 35L | Announced at availability | Autumn 2026 |
All prices are US pricing from HyperX, and the full showcase lineup is live on the Level Awakening hub. Canadian pricing and availability have not been announced yet. HyperX gear typically distributes through major Canadian retailers like Best Buy Canada, Amazon.ca, and Memory Express, so Canadian buyers should watch for announcements from HyperX Canada ahead of the September launch.
