You may be able to count yourself among the lucky few who have secured a next generation console for yourself. Alternatively, you might be looking to get one once they become available again, or even just be looking for a nice new headset. In any of these cases, you should take a look at the SteelSeries Arctis 7X and 7P, because they might be exactly what you are looking for.
Steelseries’ Arctis 7X and 7P are, essentially, beefed up versions of their older Arctis 7 headset made specifically to go with the new consoles. They have some nice headset microphones, something I am always cautious about, sleek new designs, and a handy wireless dongle so that you can play your games independent of wires tethering you to your entertainment medium of choice, but that the greatest bit is that these fancy headgear is not solely compatible with the future of gaming technology. No, these guys have wide compatibility and have become my go-to headsets for gaming on my PC, all of my consoles (Including the Switch), and even for mobile gaming on my smartphone. If it’s got a USB-C or regular USB-A port then you can, most likely, pipe all the noises straight to your ears without any pesky wires.
At first glance, the Arctis 7X and 7P look to be the same headset with different coats of paint, and, for the most part, they are. There is one small difference between the two which is not insignificant. So the 7X is going to work with whatever device you want it to, unfortunately the same cannot be said about the 7P. The Xbox line of consoles handles wireless signals a little differently than virtually anything else so the Arctis 7X has a little extra tech in its wireless dongle that the 7P lacks. Consequently, the Arctis 7P won’t work with your shiny new Series X, but does have a slightly smaller dongle. There’s a chance that you don’t care at all about Xbox, in which case the world’s your oyster, but otherwise the Arctis 7X has the edge that it’s white and blue brother lacks.
If you’re familiar with Steelseries and their various audio offerings, you may have enjoyed what they refer to as the ski goggle headband. It’s a nice, soft elastic trap that both controls the overall size of the headphones and rest against the top of your head. With that headband and the cushioned earcups, these headphones are extremely comfortable even after hours of use. Furthermore, with the Steelseries Engine software you can adjust sound levels and select presets to make sure you get the most out fancy headwear.
I am notoriously skeptical about the microphones attached to headsets, and I must say that the mic on these was a pleasant surprise. The sound picked up by the little microphone picked up my voice clearly without much if any ambient sound. While it wasn’t of the quality you would find in an expensive, professional recording setup, it is certainly the nicest sounding headset microphone I have come across, and the arm slides in and out easily so that you can stow it away when not in use.
While these headsets are pretty phenomenal, I do have a couple of small quibbles. For one thing, I would have liked to have seen it utilize a USB-C for charging. The battery in these was pretty strong and I didn’t run into any power issues, but, as all of my devices move on to newer, faster charging cords, I would like to be able to reduce the number of older ones I have all over the place. More concerning is that these headsets are clearly optimized for gaming rather than for music. Even when using the appropriate preset, I could not find the clear sound quality I was looking for when listening to all of my hot hot jams.
Those complaints aside, these headsets really do have a lot to offer in terms of quality and comfort. I have even come around on the stark white colour that I am still not too keen on for the Playstation 5. They certainly aren’t the end all be all of headsets, and fussy audiophiles will probably find some frustration when it comes to musical fidelity, but for the price these are well worth the investment. The Arctis 7X is going to be your best bet if you are looking for compatibility across all the devices you may potentially own, but barring Microsoft’s consoles, either would be a fantastic addition to your gaming setup.
