Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2: SteelSeries Bets on Versatility Over Luxury

SteelSeries has refreshed one of its most popular headsets with the Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gen 2, and the outlet Vandal has published an in-depth review after several weeks using them as their main headset on both PC and mobile. The overall conclusion they reach is clear: this is a comfortable, well-balanced headset, priced at €199.99, whose biggest selling points are simultaneous wireless connectivity and a battery life they describe as very generous.

Why does this matter to us at Underworld Lordz? Because the €200 segment is exactly where most competitive players and content creators sit: people who don't want to spend a fortune, but don't want a compromise product either. That a brand like SteelSeries has chosen to prioritize practicality and light weight over premium finishes says a lot about where the audio peripherals market is heading.

What you need to know

• Price: the Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 comes in at €199.99, according to Vandal.
• Weight: 325 grams, a figure the review itself links to minimal pressure on the head and no fatigue during long sessions.
• Materials: a plastic-focused build; the outlet notes that the finish doesn't feel technically refined to the touch, but that the light weight makes up for it.
• Connectivity: simultaneous wireless connection, designed to combine home use, everyday calls and audio on the go in a single device.
• Battery life: highlighted as one of the product's strong points, although the excerpt we were able to consult doesn't give an exact figure.

A headset for everything, not a headset to show off

The first thing Vandal points out when unboxing the Nova 7 Gen 2 is that the experience is a far cry from the ostentatious luxury of other high-end products. There's no cold metal or synthetic leather everywhere here: there's plastic, and there's a conscious decision to make comfort during uninterrupted sessions the priority. Those 325 grams aren't an absolute record on the market, but they're a reasonable figure for a wireless headset with a built-in battery and the ability to handle two connections at once.

The challenge the product sets itself, and which the review tries to answer, is to bring together in a single device three scenarios we usually handle with different gear: gaming on PC or console, everyday calls and video calls, and listening to music or podcasts when we leave the house. That absolute practicality, as the outlet describes it, is the Gen 2's central promise.

Who it's for

If you're the kind of person who plays ranked in the afternoon, takes a work or class call in the morning and listens to music on the commute, this approach makes sense. The simultaneous connection avoids the classic problem of having to disconnect the headset from your PC so your phone can ring through, something anyone who streams and manages their community at the same time will genuinely appreciate. If, on the other hand, you're after the most luxurious finish possible or will only ever use them at your desk, there are options that lean more on materials than on versatility.

Our take

Here at the Underworld Lordz editorial desk, we're glad to see SteelSeries choose light weight and functionality as its banner. In competitive play, a headset that's light and doesn't squeeze your head makes all the difference on map forty of a five-hour scrim, far more than a shiny aluminum ring nobody will see while you're playing. That Vandal's review keeps stressing the lack of fatigue is, for us, the most relevant piece of information in the whole write-up.

That said, we're not going to be complacent: €199.99 is not small change, and at that price, plastic with a feel the outlet itself describes as not very refined can sting. SteelSeries is asking us to trust that the user experience justifies the finish, and while first impressions suggest it does, it's a risky bet against rivals offering higher-grade materials for similar money. We'd also have liked to see, at least in the excerpt we were able to read, a concrete battery life figure: for a creator who streams three or four hours straight, knowing whether it will last the week without visiting the charger is no minor detail.

Our position, based on the information available, is one of cautious optimism. For the player who wants a single headset for their entire digital life, the proposition is very appealing. For anyone chasing the purest sound or the best finish for the money, it's worth waiting to compare carefully before reaching for your card.

What do you think?

Comfort and versatility versus luxury materials is an eternal debate in gaming peripherals, and the Nova 7 Gen 2 clearly sides with the former. Drop by the team chat or our Discord and let us know: would you pay €200 for a plastic headset if in return you get total comfort and dual connectivity, or would you rather sacrifice features for a premium finish?