Fractal Scape review: looks like it’s designed by Apple, but it’s far more generous with its features
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Fractal Scape review: 1 minute review
The bar continues to be raised in gaming peripherals lately and as such there is no room for models that are too expensive or feature-laden with specifications that don’t translate into a great user experience. Fractal Design clearly knows this very well as it enters the wireless gaming headset market with a $200 model that looks like something Apple would try to sell you for $500, and comes with a charging dock and a feature set that you’ll be more used to seeing in more expensive Astro headsets.
The look will be a big selling point for many, as you would expect from Fractal and its reputation for understated Scandinavian-style PC cases. Available in black and white, it has a grown-up look quite different from the gaming peripherals of yesteryear, and with a detachable mic and Bluetooth connectivity, you can comfortably leave the house wearing the Fractal Design Scape as your smartphone headset without broadcasting an exaggerated “gamer gear” look to the world and its judging eyes.
A wireless charging station is also included, which will allow the headset to have up to 40 hours of use when RGB is turned off, and up to 24 when it is turned on. Removing the headset from the magnetic dock automatically turns it on, which seems like an incredibly decadent feature for this price.
While the materials and design generally lend themselves well to comfort – with particular appeal due to the high-quality memory foam earmuffs – this definitely favors a smaller head size, and I have concerns about the amount of padding on the headband itself. If you have a larger head, you may start to feel the headband digging in during longer sessions.
So it’s not perfect, but this imperfection is effectively made up for by Fractal’s generosity in adding not only a detachable boom mic, but also a built-in omnidirectional mic. Not to mention fundamentally crisp and clear sound with meaty bass response.
Fractal Scape review: price and availability
- Catalog price: $199.99 / £169.99 (around AU$285)
- Astro-like features for a much lower price
- Competitive pricing compared to Razer Blackshark V2 Pro and PlayStation Pulse Elite
The award is a big win for Fractal right off the bat. How the manufacturer managed to package a high-quality headset and charging station that looks ready to be installed in the window of an Apple Store is anyone’s guess, but somehow it was achieved. The choice of two microphones, the solid construction materials and the quality of finish are other assets which make it a leader in the market between 150 and 200 dollars.
Competition? Probably two more members of the old guard. PlayStation’s official PS5 Pulse Elite headset features a similarly sleek look and hassle-free wireless operation, while Razer’s older Blackshark V2 is more versatile and offers similar device compatibility to the Scape.
Fractal Scape Review: Specifications
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Fractal design landscape |
|
Price |
$199.99 / £169.99 / around AU$285 |
|
Weight |
11.8oz / 338g |
|
Compatibility |
PC, Mac, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, iOS/Android |
|
Connection type |
2.4 GHz Wireless via USB-A dongle, Bluetooth 5.3, Wired via USB-C to USB-A cable |
|
Battery life |
40 hours RGB off, 24 hours RGB on |
|
Microphone |
1x detachable unidirectional 50-16,000 Hz, 1x omnidirectional (integrated) |
Fractal Scape Review: Design and Features
- Typically minimalist looks
- The wireless docking station will beautify your desk
- Smart control layout
Fractal’s headset was never going to be an aggressive, overworked affair. Its cases are recognizable by their elegant minimalism, and the same goes for this Scape. This is at first glance reminiscent of Steelseries’ Arctis range, but has a ‘debadged’ look and the most minimal of RGB zones which carries over the less is more philosophy of the Scandi operation.
The dock features magnetic connections that hold the headset in place and give it an understated look, guaranteed to bring a touch of culture and sophistication to your desk, no matter how many Funko Pops it shares the space with. A USB-A dongle is hidden under this dock so you can plug the dongle into the dock and use the USB cable from the dock to your device’s USB port, keeping things nice and clean and giving you a little more choice over where to place the dock.
In addition to the usual physical controls on the back of each earbud (power, wireless/Bluetooth, and mic mute on the left, RGB on/off on the right), there’s a “control ring” on the top left of the back that controls volume and provides media controls for pausing music and skipping tracks. While all the other controls work well, are sturdy, and easy to find without having to remove the headset, I find the control crown a bit fiddly. It’s too small to easily make precise volume changes, and pressing and holding the crown to pause or skip feels awkward.
That said, it’s extremely impressive that both mic options feature bespoke mute mechanics. The boom arm folds down to mute, while the built-in omnidirectional is controlled by one button.
Fractal Scape review: performance
- Loud, precise sound
- Excellent battery performance
- Headband comfort may be an issue
Great care has clearly been taken to bring a lot of comfort to these cans. This is most evident when you squeeze the earbud ear cushions and find the most luxurious memory foam ear cushions you’ve ever crushed. This is a very high quality material, equivalent to Bose’s flagship models.
And it’s a vital piece of the comfort puzzle, because the Scape makes up for its average weight (11.9 oz/338 g is now lighter than average for wireless TVs) with plenty of clamping force. The idea is that the tighter the headphones are around your ears, the less weight hangs from the headband above your head. Plus, you get good passive noise cancellation and a narrow acoustic chamber in which low frequencies can resonate.
It works on two of three fronts. It blocks noise perfectly and the bass response sounds full-bodied. But personally, I still notice the weight of the headband during longer sessions, and when I examine its construction, I find much less padding and lower quality padding material.
It is still entirely possible to adjust the Scape to fit comfortably during marathon sessions, by extending the headband as wide as possible and thus placing more emphasis on the horizontal clamping force. But it’s something to keep in mind if your mind is kept in a larger skull.
The sound quality isn’t audiophile, but with a standard frequency response range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, its speakers are more than capable of articulating power, detail, and nuance all at once in your gaming mix. Even with a Discord buddy shouting calls with his 2011 headset mic.
The battery lasts as long as the specs suggest, and in my actual testing I found that more than 40 hours could pass before I received the beeps. It’s really nice to have an RGB off button on the headset rather than having to delve into Fractal’s software app (actually very decent, no-footprint, web-only), and likewise, I found that turning on the lighting didn’t quite reduce the charge life to 24 hours. Maybe I like playing at a lower volume than Fractal.
On the choice of microphones. This feature is a double-edged sword, because while having two inputs on a headset is incredible value for money, the noise cancellation on the unidirectional boom mic isn’t very strong and external noise can leak into your voice conversation. This is even more true when using the omnidirectional microphone, obviously. So: yes to the dual-mic design, no to noise cancellation. This is the kind of problem that can be remedied in firmware updates, and I really hope that’s the case, because otherwise this is an exemplary package, and it’s priced low enough to worry established brands like Razer, Logitech G, and Corsair.
Should you buy the Fractal Scape?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
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Does this Fractal leave you perplexed? Consider these premium wireless alternatives.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Fractal landscape |
Razer BlackShark V2 Pro |
PlayStation Pulse Elite |
|
Price |
$199.99 / £169.99 / around AU$285 |
$199 / £199 / AU$349 |
$149.99 / £129.99 / AU$239.95 |
|
Weight |
11.84 ounces / 338 g |
11.2 ounces / 320 g |
12.1 ounces / 347 g |
|
Compatibility |
PC, Mac, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, iOS/Android |
PS5, PC, Nintendo Switch |
PS5, PlayStation Portal, PC, Mac |
|
Connection type |
2.4 GHz wireless via USB-A dongle, Bluetooth 5.3, wired via USB-C to USB-A cable |
Bluetooth, 2.4 GHz wireless (Hyperspeed dongle) |
Wireless (PlayStation Link via dongle), Wired (3.5mm audio jack), Bluetooth |
|
Battery life |
40 hours RGB off, 24 hours RGB on |
70 hours |
30 hours |
How I tested the Fractal Scape
- Weeks of daily use on PC, PS5 and iPhone
- All connection types tested
- Tested in online gaming, Discord communications, and business calls
Being a wireless product with many usage options, including an on/off RGB battery saver setting, it was important to test the Scape’s stated battery capacity and wireless stability.
This meant tracking hours of use at no cost, organizing long mountaineering sessions in Cairnand lots of Discord chats to test wireless range.
First revision in February 2026
Learn more about how we test
