Price When Reviewed

199.99

Best Prices Today: SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X

$159.99

$159.99

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X is the Xbox variant in SteelSeries Nova 7 gaming headset lineup. Despite not being designed particularly for PC, the 7X is a top-notch possibility for PC players because of its glorious cross-platform compatibility, twin 2.4GHz wi-fi and simultaneous Bluetooth performance. It additionally has a classy, metal-clad construct that feels so robust it might doubtlessly survive a meteor bathe.

Although it’s extra modestly priced than its premium sibling the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, the 7X is arguably loads simpler to make use of. It sports activities smattering of on-ear controls, that are properly break up between earcups and straightforward to recollect so that you simply by no means want end up urgent mute within the throes of victory ever once more.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X Wireless design and construct

In latest years SteelSeries has performed a commendable job convincing us its headsets are a number of the best—and hardest—you will get. The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, as an illustration, jumped straight to a high spot in our roundup of the best wireless gaming headsets, so impressed have been we with its construct high quality, design, and sound.

By comparability, the Arctis Nova 7X is a much less pretentious beast. It skimps on a number of the Nova Pro’s extra premium options—like the bottom station—that, to be sincere, we will dwell with out. Instead, it shares extra sensible options like its versatile steel body, steel cups, and magnetic earcup covers that you could slide off for a discrete headphone-like look.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

That means it’s each fashionable and as strong as a tank; drop resistant, and higher at avoiding scratches than all-plastic headsets. And, identical to the Nova Pro, it’s made to maneuver naturally along with your head’s pure actions, because of earcups that swivel and tilt.

Comparing my 7X assessment unit towards the Nova Pro for consolation, I’ve to say the 7X wins hands-down. Many midrange headsets do in truth, and it’s one of many greatest issues I’d actually like folks to know when deciding between finances and premium gaming headsets.

If I obtained your consideration with that final level, I’m glad, as a result of the 7X actually obtained mine with its snug-fitting stretchy cloth headband and squishy AirWeave cushioning that felt lighter and extra breathable than the Nova Pro’s leatherette ones. The entire headset can be fairly compact and fairly mild—it weighs simply 323 grams (11.4 ounces).

The clamp pressure is way softer than the Nova Pro’s, which I found was each good and unhealthy. It’s good in that there’s an absence of any type of rigidity or stress. However, there may be much less passive noise isolation on provide, so you’ll sometimes cop an earful of garden mower, however not usually sufficient to be annoying.

For styling, the Arctis Nova 7X is a muted black shade with matching SteelSeries logos on every can. My assessment unit additionally got here with a splash of inexperienced within the headband to suggest its Xbox compatibility. It appeared completely at residence subsequent to my gaming rig. Although, at occasions I did want I had some RGB to play with.

As for the controls, they’re the whole lot I hoped for—easy, assessable, and plentiful. On the left you get a mute mic button and quantity wheel, whereas over on the fitting there’s a ChatMix Dial, on/off button, and Bluetooth button. These are all straightforward to find—only a hand’s attain away.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X connectivity and battery

As the 7X’s inexperienced headband signifies, you get cross compatibility with Xbox One, Xbox X/S, and PC through a 2.4GHz low-latency Wi-Fi connection. However, the 7X is much more versatile than that, connecting to absolutely anything with a USB-C port—Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, Quest 2, and smartphone included. Plus, there’s Bluetooth (extra on that quickly), and within the field you get a 3.55mm cable, so there are connectivity choices galore.

Switching between USB and Xbox is so simple as flicking a swap on the USB-C dongle, so that you could be up and operating on the drop of a hat. The dongle is formed like a mushroom as a substitute of a stick, so in the event you’re utilizing it on a laptop computer, you’ll wish to connect it to the adapter provided, in any other case a few of your different ports could develop into blocked.

A gem within the Arctis Nova 7X’s crown is the simultaneous Bluetooth performance that permits you to stream audio out of your cellphone whereas additionally listening to each squeak of your gaming audio. I can’t converse extremely sufficient of this function, which I choose over much less sensible options like RGB lighting.

There should be a handful of causes I used it when testing the 7X – taking work calls or calls from my partner asking me to select up milk and many others and many others… on my method residence from the workplace being simply two good ones. But by far probably the most enjoyable was streaming my favourite blues album whereas taking part in a couple of rounds of Insurgency, which was an actual hoot.

The 7X’s battery life can be very first rate. SteelSeries claims you stand up to 38 hours of audio playback utilizing the two.4GHz wi-fi connection, or a decent 26 hours of audio utilizing simultaneous Bluetooth. When you do go flat, the cans could be juiced again up in a short time; quarter-hour quick charging with the USB-C to USB-A cable is all you want for an additional six hours audio.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X audio efficiency

In a nutshell, the Arctis Nova 7X sounded nice for gaming and listening to music on PC, the place it conjured a wealthy and assorted audio profile. I by no means seen any distortion both – in truth, the 40 mm drivers have been so persistently clear I discovered myself selecting it over a ton of different gadgets.

I examined the PC video games Metro Exodus, Insurgency and Gloria Victis, and, after sinking a couple of hours into these titles the headset’s strongest asset is certainly its mid-range tonal protection, which sounds exact, full and vibrant. The bass and treble by comparability received’t have you ever calling residence to mama however received’t disappoint both – they properly intensify the mids with out dominating them.

Granted all that, I had a subject day savoring mid-range sounds that normally fall by the wayside. In Metro Exodus the slithering of worms within the tunnels was much more of an ominous warning for what’s up forward than standard, whereas the clunking and grinding of the mechanisms have been a satisfying reminder that I used to be on the right track.

In Metro Exodus I additionally obtained a style of the headset’s 360 Degree Spatial Audio, which is absolutely appropriate with Microsoft spatial audio. It labored a dream, wringing in sounds by all of the instructions of a compass wheel. I additionally loved utilizing the Parametric EQ instrument in Sonar, a part of the SteelSeries GG software program app to focus on particular sounds. Accentuating the EQ parameters for voices allowed me to raised snoop on enemy conversations, which in flip helped me discover my goals extra simply.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

The clap of gunfire and the thud of explosions sounded exact and unmuffled in Insurgency. I might hear particular person explosions as distinct ‘’kabooms’’ and this actually drew me additional into the motion. On the entire, the sound hitting my cups had a cinematic high quality to it that made for a very immersive FPS expertise. Reassuringly too, I by no means skilled any sudden amplitude drops or jumps.

Switching to Gloria Victis and I used to be very impressed by the clear, emotive strings within the orchestral launch music which had me rearing to get occurring some raiding. Similarly, the 7X labored a allure taking part in clean and melodious music like rock ballads, as judging by the nice and cozy acoustic guitar and soothing vocals in a couple of tracks by Aussie singer Pete Murray.

How does the SteelSereis Arctis Nova 7X evaluate to rivals

The Artcis Nova 7X sits in an analogous class for performance as wi-fi gaming headsets just like the Nacon Rig Pro HX and the Logitech G733 Lightspeed. These are each nice headsets in their very own proper, with first rate sound and cross-compatibility. But put merely, the 7X is the extra full package deal, squirreling a couple of attractive bonuses away like its strong steel band and earcups and prolonged retractable noise cancelling microphone.

But the actual sweetener is the simultaneous Bluetooth which neither of those two rivals can declare to have and which is an attribute I actually go for in gaming headsets nowadays. The Arctis 7X has a retail value of $199.99 on the SteelSeries web site, which admittedly is just a little dearer than each of those rivals that every price roughly $150 USD, nevertheless it’s value each dime for the additional performance for my part.

Should I purchase the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X?

The leap between the Arctis Nova 7X and its massive sibling, the Arctis Nova Pro, is a whopping $180—a gulf that made me marvel for a minute what I’m getting and/or lacking out on. My conclusion? I’m probably not lacking a lot with the Nova 7X.

No, I received’t get plush leatherette cups or a flowery base station, however I’m nonetheless getting glorious sound, a tricky and durable body, gaming-friendly controls, respectable cross-compatibility and simultaneous Wi-Fi and Bluetooth performance—all options that I would like and can use. What’s extra, the Nova 7X is the extra snug possibility for my part, which on the finish of the day makes it a way more sensible purchase.