Fractal Scape: A sleek, minimalist gaming headset with strong audio and thoughtful design

Fractal Design, known for its minimalist PC cases, has introduced its first gaming headset, the Scape, priced at $199.99. The headset stands out with its Scandinavian-inspired clean and elegant design, available in gray or black with subtle LED lighting, making it blend well with home setups rather than looking flashy like typical gaming gear. It offers strong sound quality competitive with more expensive models, featuring great warmth and detail in audio playback. The Scape has a chunky volume control knob with media playback functions and a button to switch between three preset audio equalizers directly on the hardware, making customization easy without relying on complicated apps. Additionally, users can customize EQ settings, LED lighting themes, and firmware updates via a web tool called Adjust Pro, which includes a portable version requiring no installation. The headset provides two microphone options: a detachable boom mic for better voice quality and a built-in mic for convenience when the boom is detached. Noise cancellation on the mic effectively reduces background noise like fans. Battery life lasts over 40 hours with LEDs off and about 24 with them on, and charging is made effortless by a magnetic charging dock that doubles as a stand and the 2.4GHz transmitter extender. Connectivity includes 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth with multipoint (two devices), but they cannot play audio simultaneously. The Scape performs better in sound quality than some rivals like the Astro A20 X and approaches the Sony InZone H9 II, though it lacks active noise cancellation and some advanced connectivity features. Overall, Fractal’s first headset impresses with design, sound, and ease of use, making it a strong contender in its price range without some premium features.