SteelSeries is launching the second generation of its popular Nova 7 wireless gaming headset today, with support for real-time audio control and a massive 40 percent battery life improvement. If you’re not interested in the $599.99 Nova Elite or the $349.99 Nova Pro, the Nova 7 Gen 2 is SteelSeries’ more affordable midrange option at $199.99.
The Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 matches the aesthetics of SteelSeries’ high-end headsets, but it’s missing the swappable battery system, active noise cancellation, and the wireless base station. Still, the Nova 7 Gen 2’s impressive battery life improvements mean that this latest version can run up to 54 hours before you need to charge it via USB-C.
You’ll also still get simultaneous audio through a 2.4GHz connection and Bluetooth audio, meaning you can mix together audio from your PC or game console and your phone. The headset connects wirelessly to a PC, PlayStation, Switch, Xbox, phone, or tablet through a small L-shaped USB-C dongle.
The Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 also includes support for real-time audio control through SteelSeries’ Arctis mobile app. It includes more than 200 presets for a variety of games, and these presets improve the audio EQ for each individual title. If you’re playing on PC, you can even use SteelSeries’ GG app to automatically switch audio presets depending on which game you’re playing.
Much like the Nova Pro and Nova Elite, the Nova 7 Gen 2 also includes a noise-canceling microphone. The boom mic can be hidden within the headset and even disabled if you want to use your own microphone on a PC.
SteelSeries’ Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 is available today, priced at $199.99 / £179.99 / €199.99. The headset is available in white, black, or magenta.