New Arctis 7+ and 7P+ are so similar that they can only be considered together. These headphones are an iterative improvement over the Arctis 7, which was honorably mentioned in our roundup of best wireless gaming headset. Now, with better battery life, a handy USB-C dongle, and new Sonar software, the 7+/7P+ might deserve the upgrade in our recommendation.
Both Arctis 7+ and 7P+ retail for $170, roughly matching the price of the previous version Arctis 7 (although now you can usually find the latter for less). If you already have the last generation of these headphones, you probably won’t feel the need to upgrade. But if you’re looking for a new pair of gaming headsets, they’ll likely be in your sights in a way that their predecessors weren’t.
One headset, two names
Both the Arctis 7+ and 7P+ feature stylish plastic earcups, with comfortable (if rather thin) foam padding and a steel headband with a comfortable elastic inner strap. They charge via USB-C, which is a welcome change from the micro-USB charging on their predecessors. The volume dial is on the left ear cup, and they pair wirelessly using a compact USB-C dongle. The 7P+ is aimed primarily at PlayStation users, but both headsets work with PC, PS4/PS5, as well as Nintendo Switch and most Android phones.
The basic difference between the two is the dial on the right ear cup. On 7+, it controls ChatMix, allowing you to balance how well you hear game audio versus group chat. On the 7P+, this dial instead controls the sub-volume, which is how much you hear your own microphone input.
Sidetone helps you to be aware of your noise level to avoid screaming. But I’m not sure it’s worth having a dedicated dial for it. 7+ still provides pretty good side feedback; you just can’t adjust its volume in your own ear. The ChatMix dial is more useful in my opinion, but it’s subjective enough that you should probably decide for yourself.
The other minor difference is that the 7P+ comes in both black and white color options, while the 7+ comes in black only. That’s about it. From a hardware perspective, the headsets are virtually identical. Both support Sony’s Tempest 3D audio, and both are compatible with 7.1 virtual surround sound, using SteelSeries’ Sonar software.
Both variants are surprisingly comfortable when worn for long periods of time, which surprised me a bit given how thin the ear cushions are. Elastic straps along the top help distribute the weight a bit and make it easier to get through long sessions. Since the 7+/7P+ has 30 hours of battery life – up from 24 hours on its predecessor – which is consistent with what I’ve experienced, lasting comfort is welcome.
The retractable microphones on each earphone are stylish and neatly placed. A physical mute button can mute the microphone, and a red LED on the microphone indicates when the microphone is muted, even when retracted. In my audio tests, the microphone wasn’t particularly clear or high-quality, but it was usable enough for group chats, which is all it really needs to do.
Tons of tweaks
For PC users, the biggest change is SteelSeries’ new Sonar software. This shows up as a new tab in SteelSeries GG application. It allows you to adjust input/playback levels for your own game audio, group chat, and microphone separately. You can adjust equalizer settings and save presets for all three audio sources in separate sub-tabs in the Sonar app.
The SteelSeries app creates three different virtual audio devices at the system level, which is very convenient and uncomfortably messy. Before testing these headphones, I had two audio devices on my Windows 11 machine: basic desktop speakers and Logitech Pro X which I use as my daily driver. Switching between the two is relatively easy.
