Compare Arctis 7 Game vs Chat – Which Is Better?

The Arctis 7 has more of a professional look when you compare it with other wireless gaming headsets. There is no RGB element to this headset and the main focus of SteelSeries was to provide games with high-quality audio.

Compared to Arctis 3 and 5, this headset has a metal frame and a little bit more weight to it. The ear cushions feel quite nice but some users have mentioned that they are not big enough.

There are 2 modes that you can cycle through using the dial on the headset. If you’re not sure what mode will suit you better then read through a few differences mentioned below for a better understanding.

Arctis 7 Game vs Chat

Arctis 7 Game

The game mode is there to provide users with a more immersive experience in-game and maximizes the quality of sound effects within the game. The sound cues are very important in many competitive games.

They can help you be more aware of the position of your enemies and how you should rotate to get a positional advantage over your enemies. Using the game mode allows you to pick up the subtle sound cues within the game and take action accordingly to secure a victory.

Just like competitive games, the sound effects are just as important in casual single-player games. So, if you’re playing alone then the best thing for you would be to move the dial completely towards the gaming mode and enjoy the experience as a whole.

As you don’t need to communicate with any friends while playing a single-player game, there is no point in turning on the chat mode. After setting up the ChatMix feature correctly you can use the dial on the headset to cycle between the two modes.

If you’re having issues with the gaming mode you can go to the sound settings in your Windows and then set the SteelSeries Arctis 7 Game as the default device in the sound settings. You will also need to change the SteelSeries Chat to the default communication device or you won’t be able to hear your friends talk while playing a team-based game.

The last thing you’ll need is to go to the microphone settings and set the SteelSeries Arctis 7 as the default device and that will fix any issues that you’re having in cycling through the two modes.

Arctis 7 Chat

This is the other mode in the Arctis 7 headset that makes it easier for you to hear communication audio that you’re getting from applications like TeamSpeak or Discord. As mentioned before sometimes the game audio can overwhelm you and mask the comms that you’re getting from your teammate.

So, if you’re playing MOBA or other team-based shooter games, it might not be the best option to have your audio set to game mode only. Depending upon your sound settings you can find a balance between the two modes.

To do so, you will have to move the dial more towards the chat mode until the comms from your teammates are clear and you can also hear everything going on in the game. Settings it completely towards chat mode might create some issues where you won’t be able to hear the game sound properly.

So, the best thing that you can do is use the dial to find the perfect balance between the two modes so that you can still get some positional advantage while hearing comms from your teammates.

The chat mode reduces the depth of sound effects that you get within the game but the communication becomes a lot clearer. So, if you don’t care about the sound effects and just want to grind out the competitive matches with your friend then the chat mode would suit you perfectly.

So, that is how the Arctis 7 fulfills the needs of both casual and competitive gamers by providing them with different sound modes.

If you’re having any issues with hearing the sound of your game or the communication application, then we suggest that you watch a tutorial and go through the ChatMix configurations again using the sound settings. Make sure that the default devices are set up correctly and then reset the headset if the audio still doesn’t work correctly.