SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ Review: A Practical PS5 or PC Peripheral

Although it’s designed primarily with PlayStation 5 gamers in mind, the SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ is a versatile headset for multi-platform gamers and general users alike. With wired 3.5 mm connectivity, plus wireless connectivity via an included USB-C dongle and a USB-A adapter for that dongle, you can use this headset on other platforms like PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch or Android as well. 

We reviewed the SteelSeries Arctis 7 back in 2019, and the brand has since come out with newer models like the 7+ and 7P+. SteelSeries only made a few minor changes to the Arctis 7 when designing the 7P+, but these changes make for an updated headset with better connectivity and battery performance that gamers especially will appreciate. When compared to other headsets in the $150 to $200 price category like the Logitech G733, the 7P+ holds its own as one of the best gaming headsets under $200. 

Specifications

Design and Comfort

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At first glance, you’d think this headset were an official PS5 accessory straight from Sony. That is, until you see the SteelSeries logo on the outside of each ear cup. The 7P+ has a similar white, blue, and black color scheme to the PS5, and it looks like it goes with the console. Like many gaming headsets, the volume dial is positioned on the back of the left ear cup, and the mute button is right above that dial. On the right ear cup, there’s a sidetone dial to let you hear your own voice and control your vocal volume.

The retractable, bi-directional microphone protrudes out of the left ear cup. The microphone is easy to pull out when you’re in the middle of a game, but the mic is a bit awkward to put back in place, as you’re basically putting a thick wire into a small hole while you’re in the middle of a match. The mic also tended to move about for me when I was in the midst of heavy gameplay. You can have the mic in the upright position or facing you, but it has a tendency to wobble, so it might not sustain your desired position. The other players could still hear me in spite of any movement, though.

The 7P+ is extremely comfortable, and it’s one of the few headsets you can wear for 12 hours or more without it becoming noticeable on your head. One of the worst comfort flaws in a gaming headset is when it presses too hard on the ears. Other comfort issues can ruin the experience too, like undersized ear cups, headbands that dig into the temples, ear cups that produce too much heat, or cups that have stiff or rigid material. None of these were an issue with the SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ during my testing.

A main reason the SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ is so comfortable is because of the band—the “ski goggle” style suspension headband is metal for durability, but it has an adjustable elastic band underneath that sits ever so gently against your head. The ear cups, which fit just tightly enough (but not too tight), provide some passive noise cancellation from the outside environment, while also cushioning the area around the perimeter of your ears without pressing or pushing.

The 7P+ is super-easy to connect to the PS5 too, as you simply plug in the USB-C wireless dongle. The only downside is that the dongle is a bit large, so when you plug it into the console, it slightly extends into the territory of the USB-A port on top of it.

Audio Performance

With 40 mm drivers, a frequency response of 20 to 20,000 Hz (to cover a range of lows, mids, and highs), a relatively high sensitivity of 98dBSPL and compatibility with Tempest 3D audio on the PS5, this headset sounds pretty good. Of course, there are better-sounding units available (like the ultra premium Corsair Virtuoso RGB Wireless XT), but this is one of the best-sounding headsets you can get in this price range. 

On PS5, games that support 3D audio like Spider Man: Miles Morales and COD: Black Ops sound really accurate. Music doesn’t overpower speech, and characters sound like they’re actually coming from far away when they’re off in the distance. I played Mortal Kombat 11 on story mode while testing this headset, and Kitana’s footsteps sounded like they were actually coming from down my hallway. In COD, when a weapon fired from far away, it sounded like the fire was coming from the shooter’s actual in-game location, which helped me react appropriately. When it rained in a game, it sounded as though that rain was coming from outside of my window. 

If you play exclusively on PC, we’d recommend the regular 7+ over the 7P+, but you won’t be disappointed if you go with the 7P+ for back and forth use. On PC, the 7P+ still provides an accurate sound landscape, with enough customization via the SteelSeriesGG software to get your preferred sound profile. You even get early access to SteelSeries’ Sonar 3D audio PC software with the Arctis 7+ and 7P+, which is supposed to help you better determine your enemy’s location with more precise sound, and allow you to more accurately tune your sound. Although this is just an early-access feature that’s not unique to the 7P+ headset, it felt like it helped to slightly improve my gaming performance in Far Cry and COD. My COD K/D ratio went up ever so slightly (although it could have just been because having the Sonar feature boosted my confidence). 

For music, the 7P+ sounds good, but not great. You can hear distinction between highs, lows, and mids, and the sound isn’t tinny or unbalanced, but it just isn’t as crisp or punchy as it could be. One of the test songs I frequently use when evaluating headphones and headsets is “Titanium” by David Guetta featuring Sia. When the bass part kicked in, it wasn't as powerful as it was on my $300 headphones specifically designed for music. Most songs will still sound pleasurable to listen to, so these will serve well as a multi-purpose headset.

Microphone 

The retractable mic is a neat feature, but some people will like the retractable design better than others. As mentioned before, pulling the mic out is rather seamless and intuitive, but putting the mic back into place can be a bit awkward. Flip-up mics tend to be easier to put into position in the middle of a battle, and it’s somewhat easier to mute a flip-up mic. 

In terms of its audio performance, the microphone has noise cancellation, a 2200 ohm impedance rating, a frequency response of 100 to 6500 Hz, and a sensitivity rating of -38 dBV/Pa. 

Anyone you game with or speak to on a call will be able to hear you clearly, and background noise won’t be much of an issue. This is a microphone you can use for work meetings or calls in addition to gaming. The microphone is also Discord-certified, meaning it’s passed Discord’s quality and sound tests. 

Software

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The included materials don’t mention much about software—no app to download or anything like that. But you can download PC software called SteelSeriesGG. This will let you adjust the EQ settings, take advantage of presets (flat, bass boost, smiley, focus or custom), adjust the power options (changing the auto-off time), adjust the mic volume settings and preview what the microphone sounds like. You can also adjust the Sonar sound settings, which let you make minute adjustments to the sub-bass, bass, low mids, mid range, upper mids, and highs. There are Sonar presets for specific games too, like Apex Legends, COD Warzone, Fortnite and League of Legends. You can do a few other things in the software like adjust your audio outputs as well.

This addition of the software and the Sonar feature make these a good option for PC gamers who want to tailor their headset to sound just the way they want for a specific game. 

Wireless Experience

The wireless connectivity on the SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ is phenomenal. It has 2.4 Ghz wireless connectivity for lossless audio and low latency, and you can pretty much connect any device that has a USB-C port. You can connect it to an Android phone, tablet, PC, PlayStation, or other device. Plus, if your device doesn’t have a USB-C port, the package includes a USB-A to USB-C female adapter, which allows you to wirelessly connect via a USB-A port. 

The advertised range of 40 feet is accurate, and the audio remains clear until the very end of that range. It isn’t until about 45 feet that you start to experience some drop offs. 

SteelSeries states the battery life at 30 hours. During our testing, we found this to be pretty accurate as well. USB-C fast charging also allows for a quick charge, which gets you a few hours of battery life off of a quick 10 or 15 minute charge. By charging for 10 minutes, we got an additional two and a half hours of use.

Bottom Line

The SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ is an ideal headset for PS5 gamers or those who play on a Playstation console as well as on PC or mobile devices. 

This headset is extremely comfortable, versatile, and stylish, with impressive sound specs and an affordable price point of around $170. Even though the 7P+ is slightly more expensive than the 7P (which sells for $150), the 7P+ offers perks like a longer battery life and faster charging, which more than makes up for the $20 cost increase. You’ll also get those perks if you opt for the PC-focused 7+. 

We recommend the SteelSeries Arctis 7P+ for PlayStation gamers, gamers who play on both PlayStation and PC, gamers who play on PlayStation and an Android device, or for those who use the same headset for both work and gaming.