The SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ takes an excellent wireless gaming headset and makes it better. A minor revision of 2020’s Arctis 7P, the new version adds USB-C quick charging and boosts overall battery life by 25% while retaining everything that made it excellent the first time around. It features a fantastic design to match your new PS5 and is extremely comfortable for long sessions thanks to its unique headband and breathable ear cups. It’s also fully compatible with Sony’s Tempest 3D Audio to deliver more immersive audio in select PS5 games. If you’re primarily a PlayStation gamer, this is hands down one of the best headsets available.
SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ – Design and Features
Since this is such a minor revision, most of what was stated in our original SteelSeries Arctis 7P review still holds up. It largely retains the same construction, including a durable steel headband and its signature ski goggle design that makes it so damn comfortable.
The 40mm audio drivers and frequency are identical to the previous generation headset, as is the retractable bidirectional noise-canceling microphone. It also fully supports Sony’s Tempest 3D audio right out of the box, allowing you to experience 360-degree immersive audio in supported PS5 games.
The primary new feature this time around is the addition of a USB-C charging port that replaces the previous generation’s Micro USB port. Not only is this a welcome change since most peripherals have made the switch to USB-C in recent years (including all of Sony’s first-party accessories for PlayStation 5), but it brings along quick charging capabilities as well. With just 15 minutes of charge time, you’ll get three hours of listening time.
Even better, SteelSeries has managed to squeeze even more battery out of the Arctis 7P+, which now boasts over 30 hours of listening time on a single charge – up from the 24 hours found in the previous generation headset. Unsurprisingly, I never found myself running low on battery during the entirety of my testing, making this a standout feature when compared to many other gaming headsets on the market.
As far as platform support goes, the Arctis 7P+ is compatible with both the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, as well as PC and Nintendo Switch, all via a 2.4 GHz USB-C dongle. For mobile devices, it’s still compatible with USB-C Android devices as well as newer models of iPad such as iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini. It also adds compatibility for Oculus Quest 2 and the official Google Stadia controller. Still notably absent is Xbox, making this a difficult recommendation for those with both PlayStation and Xbox consoles, especially considering that the current Arctis 7X headset works with everything and still tops the charts as our favorite wireless headset for 2021. However, if your primary console is PlayStation and you also dabble in some other platforms outside of Xbox, then this is easily one of the best headsets around – not to mention an outright upgrade over the Arctis 7P.
SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ – Software
While the Arctis 7P+ headset sounds great out of the box, it can be tweaked slightly to your liking. The SteelSeries GG app for PC (previously SteelSeries Engine) acts as a hub for all of your SteelSeries devices and allows you to adjust EQ settings, select presets, as well as save custom configurations for specific games. You can also adjust the microphone volume and set your headphones to automatically power off after a specific period of time to preserve battery life. It’s also required to update the firmware for both the headphones and the multimedia dongle.
SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ – Gaming
My actual gaming experience with the Arctis 7P+ was nearly identical to my review last year. Since the audio drivers were unchanged, everything still sounds fantastic from an audio perspective. And because the Arctis 7P+ utilizes a USB dongle for transmission, you’ll have lossless audio streamed directly into your ears over the 2.4GHz spectrum, a stark upgrade over your typical Bluetooth headsets.
Most of my time with the Arctis 7P+ was spent testing 3D Audio since all of SteelSeries’ PS5-compatible headsets now support Sony’s Tempest 3D AudioTech. I was captivated while walking through Zurkie’s Bar in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart as the music blared and patrons chattered. I could close my eyes and hear individual conversations happening all around me with pinpoint accuracy. Even the music coming from the jukebox was directional, moving with me as I walked around the noisy bar. While in combat, I was able to easily determine enemies’ precise location without even needing to turn around. It’s more than just simple surround sound as all the audio exists in what feels like a true 360-degree space.
I also took Returnal for a spin, and from the moment Selene stepped out of her ship I was enveloped in audio. Even through the deafening sound of the rain, I could still make out the various sounds coming from the flora and fauna all around me. What benefited most from the directional audio, though, was the frenetic combat. I could easily tell the location of every enemy in the heat of the moment, and even pinpoint their attacks while running around dodging incoming projectiles.
Even games that don’t natively support 3D Audio sounded great, such as Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Although the surround sound was noticeably less precise, I could still easily discern the general direction enemies were coming from. What’s great about 3D Audio is that you don’t really need to do anything to take advantage of it. If the game supports it, your headset will just sound that much better. For everything else, though, it’s still a fantastic sounding headset. Even listening to music or watching movies works extremely well on the Arctis 7P+.
Not to mention, the Arctis 7 series are still the most comfortable headsets I’ve ever worn. The floating design of the Ski Goggle Headband takes all the pressure off the top of your head, while the lightweight and breathable Airweave ear cushions allow you to play or listen for hours with little to no fatigue. The earcups are also extremely friendly for those that wear glasses as they don’t press against your head.