ROCCAT gaming peripherals are seriously decent bits of tech

Thanks to ROCCAT, we were given the opportunity to try out their “Elo 7.1 USB Surround Sound RGB Gaming Headset” and “Burst Pro Mouse Optical Gaming Mouse”. You can never oversell the importance of a good gaming peripheral when it comes to optimising your gaming experience. And in a sea of high-performance brands and RGB colours all vying for your attention, it’s pretty easy to get overwhelmed.

ROCCAT are a German-based computer accessories manufacturer that was founded in 2006. But even if you haven’t heard of the brand, you’re likely to know of their parent company Turtle Beach who acquired ROCCAT back in 2019. It was a smart acquisition too, because the ROCCAT gear always carried a solid reputation. I was actually quite excited to test the gear out myself, as somebody who typically stayed with the most budget-friendly peripherals I could find.

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The Elo 7.1 USB Surround Sound RGB Gaming Headset is a comfortable piece of tech. It’s lightweight and unobtrusive without feeling flimsy. The headband is self-adjusting and the earcups rotate, making for an effortless fit. I’ve had headsets in the past that leave my ears hurting after prolonged use from the pressure of a bad fit, but that wasn’t an issue here. The earcups were big enough to be comfortable and the memory foam padding could have only helped. The sound quality was great too. Boasting “360° visual audio” this headset is certainly targetting the gamer who’s looking to improve their KDA by pinpointing enemy movement around you. I can’t say whether or not the ROCCAT headset was any more accurate in this regard when compared to similarly priced gaming headsets, but I certainly never found myself disappointed with the accuracy or quality of the audio.

At first I found the ROCCAT Elo 7.1 headset to be a more than welcome addition to my PC gaming station. The USB cable was long, lightweight and flexible and the microphone was clear and also fully detachable for those not interested in that functionality. Unfortunately, however, I began noticing the headset would click every so often when I moved my head or face. It was innocuous enough at first, the kind of mechanical noise you’d drown out and begin to forget you were hearing. The bigger problem came when I realised that those clicks and clacks were also being picked up by the microphone. Listening back to any recordings I had made and it became clear that the noises were not as unobtrusive as I had first hoped. It was a disappointing realisation. I don’t know if the issue is isolated to me and my headset or if it’s something more widespread. Perhaps the device was damaged in transit or this specific unit happens to be faulty? Regardless, it soured an otherwise positive experience.

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The Burst Pro Extreme Lightweight Optical Gaming Mouse is a good piece of hardware that does exactly what you’d expect without hassle. In fact, unlike the headset, I honestly don’t have a bad thing to report. ROCCAT are proud of how light the device is and considering it weighs a mere 68g, that pride doesn’t seem misplaced. It feels very strange to complement a mouse’s cable, but I’m going to do it anyway. The cable is super light and pliable. It almost feels non-existent. As a gamer who’s spent plenty of time wildly flailing my mouse about to hurriedly react to in-game threats, it felt good to have a cable be so unintrusive.

It’s also a good-looking mouse. I do appreciate that these two ROCCAT peripherals, both the mouse and the headset, are a little bit understated when compared to your average neon flashing gamer gear. They don’t rely on jagged edges or sci-fi aesthetics to showcase their power, instead letting the performance speak for itself. The mouse has a couple of side buttons to help map your controls without going crazy and installing its own keyboard on the side, like some other gaming mice. Having a matching mouse and headset was also nice as I got to watch the two synchronise and pulse in pleasing colours.

Ultimately my experience with ROCCAT wasn’t flawless, with one particular hiccup with the headset being rather problematic. Although the ROCCAT gear overall seems like my kind of peripheral. Enough gaming DNA to make me feel all MLG without so much that I start to feel ridiculous. At an RRP of $139.95 AU for the headset and $99.95 AU for the mouse, you could certainly do worse. I just hope that the headset problem was isolated to me and not indicative of the quality others should expect.