is an editor covering deals and gaming hardware. He joined in 2018, and after a two-year stint at Polygon, he rejoined The Verge in May 2025.
Not many gaming headsets have a Scandinavian minimalist aesthetic, which is why Fractal’s $199.99 Scape caught my eye. Like many of Fractal’s PC cases, this headset looks more sophisticated than you might expect from gaming gear, with clean lines and simplistic color schemes that might blend in better with your furniture and desk setup.
I’ve spent the last few weeks using the Scape at work and while playing games, and it’s among the best that I’ve ever tested in this price range. The fit and finish are impressive for a first-gen device from a company with no lineage in audio hardware. Its sleek design comes in gray or black, with minimal LEDs that add a subtle glow around the bottom edge of the ear cups (these are the first LEDs in a headset I haven’t wanted to immediately switch off). It has a chunkier version of Apple’s Digital Crown on the back of its left ear cup. The knob controls volume and can be clicked to pause and resume content (double- or triple-clicking skips and reverses songs, respectively).
Previous Next
1 / 3 The knob is great for small volume adjustments, and to play, pause, or skip tunes.
This headset features a button on its right ear cup that lets you toggle between three premade audio equalizer settings. It’s great to have these controls on the hardware, not just buried within a companion app. And configuring the Scape feels as elegant as using it. Everything —including customizing those EQ presets — is handled by a web tool called Adjust Pro. It also lets you tweak the mic’s sidetone, adjust the headset’s LED lighting (you can opt for one of 10 tasteful themes, including “campfire,” and “northern lights,” set it to a custom color and pattern, or turn it off), and install firmware updates when needed. You can even download a portable version of the Adjust Pro app that works without installation or an internet connection. It’s all very thoughtfully designed.
Previous Next
1 / 3 In Adjust Pro, you can select from different lighting themes for the LEDs or turn them off.
... continue reading