One of the perks of reviewing headphones for a living is being able to play with devices like the SteelSeries Arctis 7X. When the device was released in late 2020, I called it “one of the best gaming headsets ever” and the last two years haven’t changed my impression. The Arctis 7X is basically everything I’ve ever wanted in a gaming headset: comfortable, feature-rich, and compatible with pretty much every gaming system on the market.
However, what I didn’t realize at the time was how useful it would be as a travel accessory.
The Arctis 7X has become my favorite travel headset, which turned out to be a great idea – except for the one time it wasn’t.
After spending the holiday season at home for a number of years, my wife and I are finally ready to travel again. We have traveled across the country to visit my family for Thanksgiving and we are taking a more modest trip to visit my wife’s family for Christmas. The Arctis 7X has become my favorite travel headset, which turned out to be a great idea – except for the one time it wasn’t.
The SteelSeries Arctis 7X on the road
In case you’re not familiar with the SteelSeries Arctis 7X, it’s been our pick for best gaming headset for quite a while. (Its successor, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7x, is now on the list.) It’s an iteration of the SteelSeries Arctis 7, a wireless gaming headset that uses an elastic headband instead of plastic or steel notches. This ensured a perfect fit every time. The good sound quality, robust software, clear microphone and decent battery life all helped strengthen the overall package.
What sets the Arctis 7X apart from most other wireless gaming headsets on the market is that it works equally well with PlayStation and Xbox consoles. To simplify a complicated problem, Microsoft uses a unique wireless protocol for the Xbox. That’s great as it means many wireless Xbox headsets can be paired instantly without the need for a dongle. It’s also terrible as it means the vast majority of wireless gaming headsets will work beautifully with the PC, PlayStation and Switch, but not at all with Xbox unless you want a 3.5mm Connect audio cable.
The Arctis 7X, on the other hand, has a USB-C dongle with a simple switch: “USB” or “Xbox”. While the Xbox Series X doesn’t have a USB-C port, it does have multiple USB-A ports, and the Arctis 7X comes with an adapter. I live in a house with a PS5, an Xbox Series X, a Nintendo Switch, a gaming PC and an Android smartphone. Having a headset that works with each one is as convenient as it sounds.
So when it came time to go on vacation, the first thing I reached for was the Arctis 7X. While it’s not a small headset, it was everything I needed to work and play. It plugged into my laptop so I could work while I was away. It plugged into my Switch so I could listen to my games on the plane. It connected to my phone so I could listen to music on the go. The earcups fold flat so they could easily fit in a backpack, and the long battery life would last a round trip overland and then some.
The night before my flight home, I plugged the Arctis 7X into my computer to charge it. And that’s where it got weird.
During Thanksgiving, the Arctis 7X was everything I hoped it would be. The clear microphone helped me effortlessly video chat with my team every morning. The decent music quality was more than enough to listen to while we covered our Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. After work, I jumped straight into Final Fantasy XIV on PC or Final Fantasy Dimensions on my phone.
The night before my flight home, I plugged the Arctis 7X into my computer to charge it. And that’s where it got weird.
An amazing battery
One reason I like the Arctis 7X is that it doesn’t require a complex proprietary charger. Any Micro-USB cable will do when plugged into a suitable power source. So I was shocked when my Arctis 7X absolutely refused to charge.
I’m no stranger to finnicky cables, so I didn’t think much of it at first. I borrowed a cable from my aunt and tried again. The Arctis 7X charge light still refused to illuminate. We went through a whole box of cables until we had tried three or four different micro USBs. I tried connecting the headset to my laptop; I tried plugging it into a portable charger; I tried plugging it into a wall adapter. Nothing worked.
As a last resort, I factory reset the device (which is a neat trick; just lift the left earcup cover and use a paperclip to press the small indented switch), which sometimes fixes battery issues. I also left the headset plugged into the wall overnight. The next morning it still wouldn’t turn on for love or money.
I was confronted with an unchanging technical truth: the devices you own occasionally break for no reason. I had taken good care of the Arctis 7X for two years and never had any problems. But the universe has to obey Murphy’s law, and it looked like I’d spend two long, noisy flights without a chance to tune out the roaring engines, irritating chatter, and screaming babies nearby.
I wish I could say I discovered a miraculous solution just as the plane took off, but the truth is far more prosaic. I reached into my backpack and found I had a pair of wireless earbuds that I sometimes use on my commute to work. Since both my phone and the Switch support Bluetooth, I was relatively well equipped for my trip home, although the sound quality was not great.
The weirdest part of the whole story is that when I got home I decided to dig up the charging cable that came with the Arctis 7X and plug it straight into my Xbox. This time it charged instantly and has been behaving normally with every cord in my house ever since. Why the headset despised my aunt’s cords I don’t know – and I have to wonder if the problem will return.
Consumer devices – even relatively fancy ones from well-known manufacturers – are volatile beasts, and they will occasionally fail us when we really need them.
The lessons here are twofold. First and foremost, other headsets should follow the example of the Arctis 7X. We really shouldn’t have to carry two (or more) separate headphones just because different wireless protocols don’t play well together.
The second lesson, however, is that consumer devices – even relatively snazzy ones from well-known manufacturers – are volatile beasts and occasionally fail us when we really need them. There is good gaming hardware and there is bad gaming hardware, but there is no such thing as perfect gaming hardware.
In any case, I’m planning to pack my Arctis 7X again next week for my vacation trips – but I will definitely take my earbuds with me again. I’d rather have a backup plan than be out all day without blocking out the noise.
