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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.
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.
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…
Don’t buy it if…
Also consider…
Not sold on the Logitech G522 Lightspeed? Here are two other options to weigh up.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
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 |
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.
First reviewed August 2025
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dash.wood@futurenet.com (Dashiell Wood)
