SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X are excellent for wireless gaming. These headphones can wirelessly connect to PCs as well as PlayStation and Xbox consoles and have low latency, ensuring that your audio and visuals remain in sync while gaming. Their bass-heavy sound profile emphasises sound effects such as footsteps in gameplay. If you prefer a different sound, their companion software includes a parametric EQ and presets to assist you in fine-tuning them. These headphones also have a playback time of over 33 hours and are comfortable enough for long gaming sessions. You can even connect them to both your console and your smartphone at the same time.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X is the type of design evolution that doesn’t happen very often in that it improves on the previous iteration in almost every way you can think of. The rotatable earcups and headband are stronger, retaining the ski-band style that has become a SteelSeries trademark while taking it to the next level. The overall weight has also been reduced, with the 325 grammes being approximately 14% lighter than the previous model, resulting in less discomfort during longer gaming sessions. It’s light for a wireless headset. The majority of the construction is plastic, but it is of high quality and extremely flexible.
The fabric memory foam cushions are also comfortable, but they don’t have the largest cup size we’ve seen compared to competing brands, and they may be too soft for some. The most noticeable difference is the overall appearance, which resembles a pair of stylish headphones from Sony rather than a pure gaming product. This includes the microphone, which now fully retracts into the headset, and with the addition of Bluetooth, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X easily doubles as a pair of travel headphones, albeit without any sort of in-built ANC.
You can also stream audio from multiple devices, so you can take a call from your phone without having to switch things up or do anything other than pause whatever game you’re currently playing. Alternatively, continue playing while chatting. The 40mm drivers have a balanced, neutral sound, with a warm and accurate bass response, clear mid-range, and crisp, if not overly balanced highs. The mid-range response is exceptional, and it contributes to great sound design in games such as Forza Horizon 5, God of War, and the cinematic A Plague Tale: Requiem.