The SteelSeries Arctis 7 headset was one of the best selling and best reviewed headsets of 2017. It featured a no frills design simply packed with features and quality. So how did SteelSeries go and improve on it? By packing even more features into the $170 headset.
It's been sometime since I've reviewed a keyboard for Co-Optimus, with my last official review actually being the one I'm reviewing today's predecessor. But since that time I had fully switched to a Razer Black Widow Chroma that served me well for a number of years. But like my SteelSeries mouse impressions piece stated, the software and glitches became too numerous to stay invested in the Razer ecosystem so I dove in headfirst to an all SteelSeries lineup. The final piece of that puzzle is the SteelSeries Apex M750 RGB mechanical gaming keyboard.
For years the Razer Deathadder was the perfect mouse for me in terms of comfort and performance. But over time the Razer software has gotten incredibly bloated, buggy, and downright unreliable. After a botched firmware update bricked my Razer Blackwidow v2 keyboard, I decided it was time to replace my peripherals. Having just switched to SteelSeries Arctis Pro, I already knew their software was top notch. Now I had to find the perfect mouse to match.
We have reviewed a lot of SteelSeries headsets over the past ten years on Co-Optimus. Over the course of that time we’ve seen the headset manufacturer from Chicago, IL improve on their designs over and over again. Steadily the quality has increased too with headsets now featuring a very premium feel. Their latest headset is no exception, adding to their Arctis lineup is the SteelSeries Arctis Pro with GameDAC; this is premium headset designed to compete directly with the likes of Astro Gaming’s A40 TX lineup. And compete they do.
SteelSeries was kind enough to send over a pair of the Arctis 5 USB headset along with their recently released Sensei 310 gaming mouse. I've been using both exclusively for the past week, switching from a Razer Chroma mouse and a Astro A40 headset. Here's how they compare.
Steelseries is a big name in headsets, so when they told me they were launching a radically different line, I was intrigued. After using the Arctis 3 in my daily work and gaming routine for over three weeks, I’ve been impressed with the performance, though the experience comes with its own unique, and sometimes annoying, quirks.
If you read our coverage on the Logitech G910 Orion Spark mechanical keyboard, you probably already know I was testing it against a few other mechanical gaming keyboards. One of those is the recent entry from SteelSeries - the Apex M800, which resembles the design of their popular Apex keyboard. Instead the mechanical variety uses custom switches to ditch that mushy membrane feel and deliver the clicky clacky sound that tells everyone in your office you’re getting some serious work (gaming) done.
On a warm September day in Chicago, I was invited to the SteelSeries office to check out their new product lineup for the 2014 holiday. What awaited me were four new Siberia models, each of them completely updated since the days of the v2, and every one ready for my listening pleasure.
