Finding a great gaming headset can be difficult, especially with so many options on the market. While there are plenty of great headsets out there, SteelSeries has made a name for itself thanks to great quality and design choices. From gaming mice to keyboards, SteelSeries delivers quality products almost every time. The newly revamped SteelSeries Arctis 7+ gaming headset is no different.
Following up on the release of the Arctis 7P+, SteelSeries is here to grace our ears with yet another set of fantastic audio drivers. The Arctis 7+ once more builds off the company’s previous generation of headsets but brings in new features and functionality to help make them worth the upgrade price. Designed from the ground up for PC gaming, the Arctis 7+ is an audio powerhouse you need to hear to properly believe.
Pros
- Signature SteelSeries audio quality
- Comfortable and lightweight build
- Stellar battery life
- Tons of customization thanks to the Sonar app
Cons
- Volume slider is easy to accidentally trigger
- Microphone leaves something to be desired
Design and Comfort
When it comes to design, finding a headset that is lightweight and that fits great are equally as important as one that sounds good. Nobody wants to spend hours wearing a headset that’s going to hurt their ears or make them sweat. Thankfully, SteelSeries has continued its trend here of offering a lightweight and sturdy headset.
The steel headband is stable and strong but doesn’t add much weight to the rest of the headset. Furthermore, the ski goggle style headband lets you wear the earcups without putting too much pressure on the rest of your head. Instead, it balances out the pressure, making for a comfortable fit even hours after you put it on. These are all features seen on the original Arctis 7+, and they continue to shine on the latest revamp of the product.
Much like the Arctis 7P+, the earcups feel great with or without glasses, making it easy for users of all types to take advantage of SteelSeries’ design choices. Overall the design is slick and never takes away from the comfort it provides by trying to look overly complicated. The microphone is easy to reach and move around, and all the buttons are quickly within reach whenever you need them. The only real downside I experienced with the design is the volume slider, which I would often turn down accidentally when moving my shoulders around.
SteelSeries Arctis 7+ compatibility and features
While the Arctis 7+ is designed for the PC, it is compatible with other platforms. Notably, you can easily connect it to a PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, or even an Android phone. The device utilizes a dongle connection system, which supports USB-C. You can also plug it into a standard USB-A port using an included cable. That makes it easy to plug the SteelSeries Arctis 7+ into just about any device and start using it with ease.
Because it’s designed for the PC, users can take advantage of SteelSeries Sonar. Sonar is a new system from SteelSeries that lets you take more control over your audio. You can enable 7.1 surround sound, as well as change several EQ settings for the headset. Additionally, users can set up different channels for gaming or voice. Once done, they can use the volume slider on the right earcup to make gaming noises louder, or drown out the sounds of games to hear friends more clearly. It’s a handy system that I used quite a lot during my testing of the headset, and one that I’ve come to love having the option to use.
Unfortunately, most of those features don’t transition over to use with other platforms. As such, PC players will get the most out of this particular headset. Still, if you play games primarily on the PC, these features will be right there at your fingertips. They’re also easy to set up and use. You can even make use of multiple audio presets to make it easier to hear footsteps, gunshots, and more.
Another big upgrade — and one of my personal favorites — is the extended battery life the Arctis 7+ includes. Much like the revamped 7P+, the Arctis 7+ comes with 30 hours of battery life. You can also pop the headset on the charger for 15 minutes to gain another three hours. This is hand for when the battery starts to run low, but you still plan on playing for a while. It’s a great feature and one that other gaming headsets should offer as well. For many of us, remembering to put our headsets on a charger isn’t always at the forefront of our minds. Being able to go a few days without having to worry about charging your gaming headset is a huge boon.
SteelSeries Arctis 7+ sound
Sound is one of the main drivers behind any audio-related purchase. SteelSeries continues to deliver great quality with the SteelSeries Arctis 7+. Even without the use of Sonar, users can expect a crisp and clear audio response. This makes it easy to listen in on important audio details and cues in video games. The headset is also just great for watching movies or videos. Plus you can even change the audio presets to find the sound profile you like best.
If you really want to get the most out of your Arctis 7+ you’ll need to use the Sonar app. If you aren’t used to managing your audio using a third-party app, then this might be a bit annoying. Still, the number of features loaded into Sonar is crazy. However, it is disappointing that the headset’s overall quality relies on the use of Sonar to really make it pop.
The microphone isn’t anything to write home about — but they never are on gaming headsets. Having the option to simply pull it out and start talking to your friends is nice. However, the mic does leave a lot of room for background noise to get through. You can tweak all of this in Sonar, though. Ultimately, the mic here is strong enough to do the job. However, I don’t recommend using it any kind of professional voice work. If you stream, it’s probably best to look into some other great microphone options to pair with it.
Conclusions
Priced the same as the Arctis 7P+, the SteelSeries Arctis 7+ is a noticeable improvement over the original Arctis 7. The longer battery life and USB-C support are huge improvements over the last version. The lossless wireless connection is solid, and I never noticed any kind of lag or sound issues with it. You can enjoy solid audio performance right out of the box. However, the best sound comes from tweaking it in the SteelSeries app. Aside from that, though, The Arctis 7+ is a fantastic addition to the company’s offerings.
The competition
SteelSeries has a lot of competition to go up against in the wireless gaming headset market. However, it continues to shine above many other companies out there. It might not have all the same features, but the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro also delivers great audio quality and is designed for the PC. If you want to stick with SteelSeries you could also go with the Arctis 7P+. It’s the same price, and it includes support for the PS5’s 3D audio. Or, if you’re feeling really adventurous, the Master & Dynamic MG20 continues to be one of the strongest gaming headsets on the market.
Should I buy the SteelSeries Arctis 7+?
If you’re mainly a PC gamer and don’t mind messing with the Sonar app to make the headset sound its best, then the Arctis 7+ could be a great addition to your setup. If you prefer playing on PlayStation or even Xbox, then there are better options out there built specifically for those platforms.
