The weekend’s best deals: HyperX gaming headsets, ergonomic keyboards, and more

It’s the weekend, which means it’s time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the best tech deals from around the web includes a good discount on HyperX’s Cloud Alpha, a gaming headset we like. It’s currently down to $60 at several retailers, which matches the best price we’ve tracked and comes in about $15 below its typical street price online.

The Cloud Alpha has been available for a few years now, but it remains a commendable option for those who want a no-frills gaming headset, particularly at this discounted price. For one, it’s comfortable: the design doesn’t clamp down too hard on the head, and the ample amount of soft padding on the headband and earcups keeps the headset comfortable to wear for hours at a time. The headband is adjustable, the included 3.5mm cable is fully detachable, and the whole thing feels sturdily built. There’s no wireless connectivity, but that shouldn’t be a big negative for gaming purposes: every modern gaming console and PC still uses a 3.5mm jack, and the microphones found on wireless headsets tend to sound worse anyway.

In general, headsets explicitly marketed toward gaming often don’t sound as sharp as the best standard headphones at the same price, but the Cloud Alpha performs well for what it is. There’s a slight bass boost, but it’s never muddy or overwhelming. The headset also does a good job of accurately locating and separating sounds in a mix, so you won’t have trouble, say, pinpointing where shots are coming from in an online first-person shooter. That said, the treble range is a bit lacking in detail and, like most closed-back headphones, the soundstage isn’t especially wide. Likewise, the included boom mic could stand to sound clearer, though it does well to block out background noise. It’s fine. It’s also fully detachable.

We named the Cooler Master MH751 our top pick in a past guide to the best gaming headsets, and if money is no object, we’d still give that pair the slight nod: its mic is more accurate in a quiet room, it’s a little lighter on the head, and its sound is a bit more balanced. It has a more subdued design, too, though it’s not as adept at isolating outside noise. The two pairs are very close, though, and the MH751 currently cost $16 more online. If you want to save a few bucks on a gaming headset that gets the job done, the Cloud Alpha should be the better value at this deal price specifically.

Beyond that, our roundup also includes the best price we’ve seen for Microsoft’s Sculpt wireless ergonomic keyboard, which is down to $49 at Amazon. This is an older model that only works over a USB dongle (i.e., not Bluetooth), uses simple, laptop-style membrane keys, and isn’t as adjustable as other ergonomic keyboards. If you’ve been interested in giving ergonomic keyboards a try, though, this is an affordable way in, and it’ll still situate your hands and wrists at a less straining position than traditional keyboards do.

Elsewhere, we have discounts on top noise-canceling headphones from Sony and Bose, a number of Mario games for the Nintendo Switch, LG OLED TVs, and more. You can find our full curated list below.

Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

Featured deals of the day

• HyperX Cloud Alpha gaming headset for $60 ($75) at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop
• Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard (wireless) for $49 ($58) at Amazon
• Razer Huntsman Mini compact gaming keyboard for $70 ($105) at Woot
• Samsung 980 (1TB NVMe) PCIe 3.0 internal SSD for $100 ($110) at Samsung, Amazon, Best Buy
• Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless ANC headphones for $278 ($315) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy
• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (Switch) for $40 ($50) at Amazon, Target, Nintendo eShop
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch) for $40 ($50) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Nintendo eShop
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS4, PS5) for $26 ($35) at PSN
• Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light (HF3520) for $80 ($100) at Amazon, Walmart
• Fully Jarvis Desk Sale: take 15% off various Fully Jarvis standing desks at Amazon, Fully

Electronics deals

• HyperX Cloud Alpha gaming headset for $60 ($75) at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop
• HyperX Cloud II Wireless gaming headset for $130 ($145) at Amazon, Walmart
• Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Keyboard (wireless) for $49 ($58) at Amazon
• Razer Huntsman Mini compact gaming keyboard for $70 ($105) at Woot
• Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless ANC headphones for $278 ($315) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy
• Bose QuietComfort 45 wireless ANC headphones for $279 ($310) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy
• Sony SRS-XB43 portable Bluetooth speaker for $148 ($215) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy
• LG C1 (2021) 65-inch 4K OLED TV for $1,650 ($1,850) at Woot

Laptop and desktop PC deals

• Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 (GA503) 15.6-inch gaming laptop (1440p 165 Hz, Ryzen 9 5900HS, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, GeForce RTX 3070) for $1,550 ($1,800) at Best Buy
• Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14-inch 2-in-1 laptop (1080p, Ryzen 5 5500U, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) for $600 ($710) at Amazon
• LG 27GL850-B 27-inch gaming monitor (1440p, 144 Hz, IPS, FreeSync) for $347 ($385) at Amazon, Walmart, B&H
• Samsung 980 (1TB NVMe) PCIe 3.0 internal SSD for $100 ($110) at Samsung, Amazon, Best Buy
• AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-core/12-thread desktop processor for $229 ($285) at Amazon, Best Buy, B&H
• AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12-core/24-thread desktop processor for $449 ($520) at Amazon, Best Buy, B&H
• AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 16-core/32-thread desktop processor for $590 ($715) at Amazon
• WD Elements (16TB) desktop hard drive for $270 ($320) at B&H, Newegg

Video game deals

• Bundle for Ukraine: includes 992 PC games + items for $10 minimum at itch.io (all proceeds go to International Medical Corps and Voices of Children)
• Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Switch) for $10 ($20) at Nintendo eShop
• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (Switch) for $40 ($50) at Amazon, Target, Nintendo eShop
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch) for $40 ($50) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Nintendo eShop
• Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Switch) for $40 ($50) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Nintendo eShop
• Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch) for $40 ($50) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy
• Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit (Switch) for $60 ($80) at Amazon, Target, Best Buy
• Super Mario 3D All-Stars (Switch) for $50 ($60) at Walmart

• Halo: The Master Chief Collection (Xbox, PC) for $16 ($25) at Xbox (also on Game Pass)
• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Xbox) for $10 ($20) at Xbox (also on Game Pass Ultimate)
• Disco Elysium: The Final Cut (PS5, PS4) for $22 ($35) at PSN (PS Plus only)
• Doom Eternal (PS4, Xbox, PC) for $20 ($30) at Amazon, Best Buy (also on Game Pass)
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits (PS4, PS5) for $26 ($35) at PSN
• NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139 (PS4) for $30 ($40) at Best Buy
• OlliOlli World (PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox) for $24 ($30) at Amazon, Xbox, PSN, Steam
• Chrono Trigger (PC) for $7 ($15) at Steam
• Sable (PC) for $16 ($20) at Steam

Accessories and miscellaneous deals