Review: SteelSeries Arctis 7P Wireless Gaming Headset

Review | SteelSeries Arctis 7P Wireless – SteelSeries is not a small brand among gaming headsets. With the arrival of the PlayStation 5, it is therefore very interesting to see what SteelSeries has to offer now. The SteelSeries Arctis 7P Wireless headset is one of the first headsets on the market that is wireless and at the same time fully compatible with the PS5, and of course also the PS4. The box also praises that there are various professional gamers who have won a lot of prize money with this headset, so that creates an expectation. We will now be happy to tell you what you get with the Arctic 7P.

The steel package

SteelSeries has always had very slick designs of their headsets and it is no different now. My white and black one (black is also available) with blue accents goes well with the elegant design of the PS5. The ski-band design of the headband is characteristic of the 7P and the equally elegant earcups are very nice to see. The headband itself is made of light steel, which gives the headset a premium feel. The entire headset also feels sturdy and premium in terms of construction. Of course you also have a few functions. For example, on the left earcup you have the volume and mute buttons and underneath you will find various connections to connect your headset wired or to charge it. We should note that the mute button can occasionally snag a bit when pressing it, so it is not an optimal system.

SteelSeries gives you three cables in the package, so you can use the headset any way you want: USB-C to A for charging, a so-called 4-pole cable to connect it to the controller via mini-jack and a USB cable. A to micro-USB for possible charging via PC or otherwise. To top it all off you also get a dongle, which you need to be able to use the headset wirelessly, which will also be the main reason for a purchase. However, this comes with a somewhat clumsy design, because the dongle is very wide and when used it blocks your USB-A port on the PlayStation 5. If you use the headset in combination with the Nintendo Switch, for example, then it works fine, but for the PS5 it is simply not conveniently designed. A workaround for the PS5 is that you hang the dongle (with USB-C) on an extension cable, as it were, and then plug it into your PS5, which strangely enough has to be put back into the USB-A port. This also applies to the PS4.

Steel sound with sharp edges

The Arctis 7P Wireless headset has a very steel sound, with which we can assume that it fits well with the brand name. Anyway, you have to deal with very cold sound with this headset, so if you are looking for a headset that has a deep bass, the 7P is not a good one. For people who appreciate the somewhat colder signature, on the other hand, this headset is a good option. If you have low tones, you can experience the bass that can sit with it in a decent way, but this disappears as soon as higher tones are added. The treble clearly has the upper hand, so you will have a flat presentation in terms of sound at busy times. The bass is simply too little to produce a somewhat fuller presentation.

So one thing is certain, it is therefore all clear. Although the spaciousness is modest, you have a decent distinction of the tones when gaming competitively. However, there is a major point we encounter with this sound signature. Because the treble is very present, you have the problem that the sound can become very shrill at the highest tones. Think of swords that clash against each other or if you pick up things in a shooter, this is often accompanied by somewhat higher tones. You can hear this very prominently and especially sharp in your ears. At the highest tones, SteelSeries can sing a bit lower in terms of standard settings, making it all just a bit softer for the ear. This would facilitate more comfortable use for long sessions.

Flexible in use

The microphone shares a bit of the same sound experience when used. Although a bit shrill, it is nice for someone else to make yourself sound like that, not natural but very clear and that is the most important. The packaging states that you can use the headset non-stop for 24 hours and we can confirm that this is a correct indication of the battery life. If you still have more to say to your fellow players, but the battery is almost empty, you can continue to play via the mini-jack connection while you are charging the headset via the cable (Micro-USB). Despite the dongle being such a clumsy thing, this is a nice interim solution.

And that is ultimately very nice about the SteelSeries Arctis 7P Wireless headset. You can use it for the PS4 and PS5, but also for the Nintendo Switch and PC. With the different cables you always have a way to charge or connect the headset, whereby the dongle is so easy that it works on any device according to the plug & play principle. What the headset also does well is the comfort. The ski band takes a lot of the weight off your head, making the headset feel very light. The earcups sit on your ears casually thanks to the fabrics and fine ear cushions that are sturdy enough. The microphone is also easy to extend, but because it has a flexible stem, putting it back or sliding it back is less easy to do.