DESIGN
The Sims 4 headset is a joy to use in almost every way. Well-built, lightweight – even after hours of use itβs still just as comfortable. It has a polished, muted white and grey look, and would be an incredibly subtle piece of kit if not for the giant glowing Plumbobs on each ear. From an entirely subjective point of view Iβm not completely sold on them. On the mouse, itβs a genuinely nifty feature, but when youβre actually wearing the headset youβre not going to be able to see any of the illumination, which by default reflects the moods of your Sims in game.
Itβs hard to imagine what purpose it might serve beyond letting the people around you know how your Sims are feeling. Unless you set up a complex system of mirrors to see both sides of your head at once rather than just looking at the screen. My personal opinion aside, Iβm sure plenty of Sims fans are going to dig the big fat Plumbobs and we can expect to see a lot of Instagrammed teenaged girl selfies featuring them.
Cushioning is provided by sponge covered in breathable, soft mesh. Itβs all lightweight and easy on the head and you can really feel the quality compared to cheaper alternatives – the mesh cushioning breathes but isnβt scratchy or rough. I have a pretty big head and headphones like these usually sit uncomfortably tight – that wasnβt the case here. Sure, they might have been extended as much as they physically could have been, but thatβs besides the point. They fit just as well on small heads as they do on big ones.
FUNCTION
Sims branding aside, it passes as a mid-range gaming headset. I especially like that the mic – which is built into the left can rather than protruding on a pole – delivers upon the crystal clear quality it promises. I was expecting to be disappointed – but my Destiny teammates in their eternal wisdom assured me the sound was sharp and clear (although to be honest I usually play with an iPhone hands free kit as a budget headset solution so improving on it wouldnβt be that difficult).
My one complaint is the volume, should you attempt to use it on other platforms. It just doesnβt put out enough of it. What I could hear using it on PS4 sounded pretty good – but it was just so quiet. Perhaps this is an issue with the PS4βs device volume management, but either way, I wouldnβt recommend this to someone looking for a headset they could use for everything. Itβs USB-input too, rendering them useless as walk-about headphones. The audio quality through PC is excellent, though. It just feels like so much more could have been done with them.
The bass drivers arenβt particularly powerful – you wonβt feel the headset shake as it spews out big explosions or that new fancy electronic music all the kids seem to like – but theyβre adequate enough and the bass doesnβt muddy the mid or treble even at obnoxiously high volume. It handles classical, EDM, rock and metal with no distortion or quality loss – itβs built to be a jack-of-all-trades, and it does it well.
SOFTWARE
I canβt give the SteelSeries Engine 3 software enough praise. Itβs idiot-proof, and stores profiles for all of your compatible devices in one easy-to-reach place. Obviously thereβs not a hell of a lot you can do with it – considering how stripped back and minimal the Sims 4 headset actually is. The Engine allows you to customise the Plumbob illumination from a huge range of colours, most of which representative of the palette youβve selected onscreen. You can set it to glow or pulse between different pre-set colour ranges – it would be good to be able to set your own colour ranges, but the ones on offer are varied enough to please most.
IN CONCLUSION
This is a solid headset for the price, and with the added Sims flare, itβs sure to impress simulation nuts everywhere. Itβs perhaps not the best purchase to make as an all-around audio solution due to the USB input and volume issues on other platforms, but as a dedicated PC headset, you could do much worse. The problem is you could also do much better for not all that much more cash.
Itβs just lacking any kind of wow factor past the giant glowing gems, which definitely arenβt going to be for everyone – I think itβs highly likely even some Sims fans are going to be put off by them. Between the mouse and the headset, I would recommend the mouse much more highly as a piece of all-around gaming equipment – but if youβre crazy about The Sims and these peripherals appeal to you, rest assured – theyβre backed up by solid build quality and SteelSeriesβ trademark excellence.
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artistβs personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
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