SteelSeries Arctis 7X Wireless headset review
Its Xbox stylings may make you believe the SteelSeries Arctis 7X is only good for Microsoft’s line of consoles – but whether you’ve got an Xbox Series X / S, PS5, Nintendo Switch, a gaming PC or a mobile phone with USB-C, the Arctis 7X is a great headset.
Versatile support for multiple devices, solid sound and reliable connectivity add up to a comfortable and easy-to-recommend gaming headset – even if its musical capabilities aren’t quite as sharp.
Price and availability
The SteelSeries Arctis 7X is available now, and is priced at $149 / £174.99, making it a fair chunk of change more expensive for those in the UK than across the pond stateside. Its feature set make it worth the expense though, especially in the US where its cheaper price tag makes it incredibly competitive.
Note that there’s a PlayStation-focused SteelSeries Arctis 7P model available too, but it’s actually a little less fully-featured than the 7X, as it doesn’t support any Xbox models, whereas the 7X remains perfectly compatible with PlayStation too. So long as color matching devices aren’t a big deal for you, make sure to pick up the 7X instead.
Design and performance
If you’re familiar with earlier SteelSeries Arctis headsets, particularly the Arctis 7, you’ll feel right at home with the Arctis 7. The design is very similar, with a black plastic build connecting to a flexible steel band.
The fit clamps comfortably to your head, with a stretchy velcro fabric strap used to loosen or tighten the fit. A smattering of neon green lines are the only flourishes on the headset, making for a relatively smart-looking headset, and a lightweight one too at about 340g.
The SteelSeries Arctis 7X has smartly placed onboard controls. The right cup houses the power button and chat mix dial, balancing friends and party audio with game audio.
The left cup houses a general volume dial, a mic mute button, micro USB, a 3.5mm headphone jack for direct connection to a controller or phone, and a proprietary port to accompany an included cable which SteelSeries believes will give you a better 3.5mm connection.
A flexible and retractable mic arm is also housed in the left cup, complete with LED mute indicator. It’s a nice, tidy set up, and keeping the two dials on separate cups helps to avoid confusion mid-game. The cups are well padded too, with a breathable fabric covering keeping your ears cool during long play sessions.
Connectivity is simple, but does not make use of Bluetooth. Instead, a USB-C dongle is used to connect to your device of choice, with SteelSeries providing a USB-A adaptor for devices not equipped with a USB-C port.
A small switch on the dongle lets it swap between Xbox and all other platforms. While it does necessitate you take the dongle with you between devices, and that a port is used on whichever machine you pair the headset with, it does provide a reliable, flexible connection, and an easy pairing process.
Battery life is impressive, too – SteelSeries claims 24 hours of battery life per full charge of the headset, and that seems roughly in keeping with our testing. Expect to eke a few hours less per charge if you’re playing at full volume, but regardless, you shouldn’t be caught short too often when it comes to battery.
Audio and microphone performance are exemplary when it comes to gaming. With a great max volume level, it balances booming explosions and sharp dialogue with accurate and pleasing results, giving a cinematic mix to action games and sports titles alike.
It handles directional audio well too – playing a preview of the new Aliens: Fireteam Elite game on Xbox saw the SteelSeries Arctis 7X keenly highlight any creeping xenomorphs ready to pounce from behind our marine. The mic, comfortably and adjustably placed, was excellent too, clearly delivering chat to pals without too much sibilance or pop.
Where the SteelSeries Arctis 7X is a bit weaker is with music. Complex layering on tracks can see the 7X struggle a bit, without the width and detail needed to pull out all facets of a song. It’s not a dealbreaker at all if you’re after just a gaming headset, and the tunes sound fine. But don’t expect the 7X to compete with the best wireless headphones for music.
Should I buy the SteelSeries Arctis 7X Wireless headset?
Buy it if...
You want a headset to work with (nearly) all your devices
The SteelSeries Arctis 7X works with all major consoles, PC and Android phones, despite its Xbox branding. Other than Apple devices, this could be a go-to headset for all devices (provided they have USB-C support).
You appreciate dedicated chat mix controls
When Xbox gaming, it’s great to be able to use the SteelSeries Arctis 7X ChatMix dial to fine-tune the balance between gameplay and party chat sound levels.
You need a fully featured headset that doesn’t break the bank
It’s not a cheap headset, but it isn’t quite the bank-breaker that its varied feature list would otherwise suggest.
Don't buy it if...
You need Bluetooth functionality
The SteelSeries Arctis 7X can only connect via a USB-C dongle wirelessly. There’s no Bluetooth here, nor support for the Xbox Wireless standard.
Music is your jam
There are better headsets when it comes to musicality. The SteelSeries Arctis 7X is fine for tunes, but lacks the detail and depth that some pricier hi-res headsets deliver.
- The best hi-res gaming headset: play better with these cans
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