SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro x Gaming Headset (Wired)
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro X is a wired gaming headset with 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound for competitive gamers. You can hear exactly where your opponents come from, thanks to this sound technique. This way, you can outsmart any opponent, and have a huge advantage in online shooters. Adjust the balance of the sound with the included GameDac Gen2, and make sure you have the perfect experience. Because the leather ear cushions are filled with memory foam, you can comfortably wear it for hours. In addition, the Arctis Nova Pro X is made with a sturdy metal frame, so it can take a hit.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro X is a wired gaming headset with 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound for competitive gamers. You can hear exactly where your opponents come from, thanks to this sound technique. This way, you can outsmart any opponent, and have a huge advantage in online shooters. Adjust the balance of the sound with the included GameDac Gen2, and make sure you have the perfect experience. Because the leather ear cushions are filled with memory foam, you can comfortably wear it for hours. In addition, the Arctis Nova Pro X is made with a sturdy metal frame, so it can take a hit.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro X is a wired gaming headset with 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound for competitive gamers. You can hear exactly where your opponents come from, thanks to this sound technique. This way, you can outsmart any opponent, and have a huge advantage in online shooters. Adjust the balance of the sound with the included GameDac Gen2, and make sure you have the perfect experience. Because the leather ear cushions are filled with memory foam, you can comfortably wear it for hours. In addition, the Arctis Nova Pro X is made with a sturdy metal frame, so it can take a hit.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro X is a wired gaming headset with 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound for competitive gamers. You can hear exactly where your opponents come from, thanks to this sound technique. This way, you can outsmart any opponent, and have a huge advantage in online shooters. Adjust the balance of the sound with the included GameDac Gen2, and make sure you have the perfect experience. Because the leather ear cushions are filled with memory foam, you can comfortably wear it for hours. In addition, the Arctis Nova Pro X is made with a sturdy metal frame, so it can take a hit.
in 8 offers
The lowest price for SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro x Gaming Headset (Wired) right now is $199.00 at Cash Converters, compared across 8 retailers.
The all-time low was $140.00 on 30 June 2024 — today's price is 42% above the lowest ever. It has been notably cheaper before — worth setting a price alert.
Prices last updated 9 Sept 2026.
Last updated at 09/09/2026 23:30:47
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro for Xbox - Multi-System Gaming Headset - Hi-Res Audio - 360° Spatial - GameDAC Gen 2 - ClearCast Gen 2 Mic - Xbox, PC, PS5
Free delivery
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Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro Black Gaming Headset
Delivery $19.45
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro for Xbox Gaming Headset, Black
Delivery $15
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro X Gaming Headset
Free delivery between Fri – Tue
Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro X Gaming Headset Silver
Delivery $41.99
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Gaming Headset for Xbox
Delivery $7.95
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Gaming Headset for Xbox
Delivery $7.95
SteelSeries Nova Pro X Wired Gaming Headset Headphones Microphone PC XBOX GameDAC
Delivery between Sat – Wed $10
originally posted on jbhifi.com.au
So far this headset has been an absolute pleasure to use. In terms of the Sound quality, it’s the best sounding headset I’ve used and I’ve used a fair few ranging from Hyper X, RIG, and of course previous steel series headsets. Being a gamer who plays games that require stuff like sound whoreing (Rainbow Six Siege), I find myself 1 step ahead every time because I can hear them before they can hear me. The depth of sound is awesome and precise. Definitely the crispiest sounding headsets I’ve had. Mic quality is fantastic and clear for my teammates when I need to make stuff like call outs. The headset fits on my head quite well and is very comfortable to play with. The features it comes with are easy to use it’s as simple as plug in and play as soon as you get it (I ... MoreSo far this headset has been an absolute pleasure to use. In terms of the Sound quality, it’s the best sounding headset I’ve used and I’ve used a fair few ranging from Hyper X, RIG, and of course previous steel series headsets. Being a gamer who plays games that require stuff like sound whoreing (Rainbow Six Siege), I find myself 1 step ahead every time because I can hear them before they can hear me. The depth of sound is awesome and precise. Definitely the crispiest sounding headsets I’ve had. Mic quality is fantastic and clear for my teammates when I need to make stuff like call outs. The headset fits on my head quite well and is very comfortable to play with. The features it comes with are easy to use it’s as simple as plug in and play as soon as you get it (I am a PS5 player btw). The Game DAC is simple and easy to use and makes it much easier to adjust volume level as well as letting me test the volume by using the small outlined circle on the front of it. The earmuffs themselves are noise cancelling I believe as I’ve found that when I’m playing games or even just wearing the headset, outside noises don’t leak into the earmuffs at all (I know this because I can’t even hear someone right next to me). It comes with multiple cables and the headset itself comes in a storage bag/soft pouch in case you need to move it or store it somewhere. Anyone that puts a bad review on this product must have gotten a faulty headset (which is covered by warranty I believe) because I have seen no faults in mine yet and gaming has been an amazing experience. I do not regret my purchase what so ever and I can see myself using this product and brand for many years to come as they have been the most reliable for me in terms of headsets. I definitely recommend this product to anyone that is looking for a headset that will last you a long time and is top quality and/or performance.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
I've owned several higher end gaming headsets and this is hands down the best yet. They are not without a few flaws but over all experience is fantastic.Out of the box sound quality is outstanding and the software allows the headset to be EQ to fit your own needs. No head shaking bass by default but that can absolutely be EQ'd into it. I've not heard any distortion while using the EQ either which is rare and evidence of a good quality driver. Great situational awareness is fantastic, they have a very solid 3d space you can hear and track where sounds are coming from, above, below, behind etc. These are well worth the upgrade from the previous version without going into technical reasons they are just hands down better, look better, sound better and I feel have a ... MoreI've owned several higher end gaming headsets and this is hands down the best yet. They are not without a few flaws but over all experience is fantastic.Out of the box sound quality is outstanding and the software allows the headset to be EQ to fit your own needs. No head shaking bass by default but that can absolutely be EQ'd into it. I've not heard any distortion while using the EQ either which is rare and evidence of a good quality driver. Great situational awareness is fantastic, they have a very solid 3d space you can hear and track where sounds are coming from, above, below, behind etc. These are well worth the upgrade from the previous version without going into technical reasons they are just hands down better, look better, sound better and I feel have a better build quality. Compared to a few others, I think these perform and sound better than Astro A50, A40 /w mixamp, Previous version of Steel Series Arctis Pros, they are "On-par" with my Apple Airpod max, in some situations sound better, the sub bass is impressive and comparable to my Shure SE846 IEM which is a $1,000+ IEM that has a dedicated sub /w lowpass filter.You won't find many negative reviews on these and for good reason, they are expensive but worth it. Some confusion I've seen the difference between the Xbox version and the PS5/PC version. Here is what you need to know on that. If you have all 3 and plan to use them wirelessly with all 3 get the Xbox version. If your PS5 is close to your PC and you want to switch between the two without unplugging anything, get the PS5 version.The xbox version basestation has a dedicated xbox usb port and 1 normal usb port, the ps5 version has 2x usb ports so the PS5 version will work with xbox but not wirelessly. You'll have to use the 3.5 cable and plug into a xbox controller, flip side the xbox version will work with both PC and PS5 wirelessly but you still only have the 2 usb ports and the xbox one will ONLY work on xbox leaving you to 1 port so you can't hook all 3 to it at the same time.
originally posted on bestbuy.com
I have changed to these headphones from Astro A50's Gen 4. These are a great upgrade and I feel work much better for PC than the Astro's did.Positives:Sonar - Great for FPS Titles and hearing FootstepsNoise Canceling - Is great and really does limit what you can hear outside, this is able to be configured to your liking if you don't want ANC always on.Dual Audio Streams - The software and device does allow for this and it's been great.Battery Life - I wear this headset probably around 7-10hrs a day and can typically get around 15hrs out of each battery, but since this comes with 2 batteries one is always charging and I am never down on power.Cons:Software - Now this may vary per person, but since I use a Elgato Wave Mic 3 it has it's own software and trying ... MoreI have changed to these headphones from Astro A50's Gen 4. These are a great upgrade and I feel work much better for PC than the Astro's did.Positives:Sonar - Great for FPS Titles and hearing FootstepsNoise Canceling - Is great and really does limit what you can hear outside, this is able to be configured to your liking if you don't want ANC always on.Dual Audio Streams - The software and device does allow for this and it's been great.Battery Life - I wear this headset probably around 7-10hrs a day and can typically get around 15hrs out of each battery, but since this comes with 2 batteries one is always charging and I am never down on power.Cons:Software - Now this may vary per person, but since I use a Elgato Wave Mic 3 it has it's own software and trying to get these two to work well with each other can be a little frustrating. I would say with enough time and tinkering you should have no problems, but some little things do come up and have to make changes.Comfort - So overall the comfort of this headset are decent, but the EarCups are a common complaint as they can be prettty small for people like myself. Also they can get warm since SteelSeries doesn't offer Mesh option since these are a different size compared to all their other models. Also note that many people complain about the speaker that sits in the middle of and pokes out a bit more than people like and can also hit your ear, I didn't have this problem but was aware of it prior to purchasing. I did upgrade my EarCups to the WC FreeZe Cooling Gel and these are a MUST HAVE they made all the difference for comfort and heat control.Overall:I am happy with my purchase I would just like to see in the future other options from the factory for ear cup changes since I don't like the Leather Cups and always prefer to Cloth. Like I stated above the WC FreeZe are perfect replacement and made this headset amazin.g
| General | |
| Product Type | Headset - wired - 3.5 mm jack |
| Style | Games |
| Colour | Black |
| Recommended Use | Game console, portable electronics, computer |
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro for Xbox - Multi-System Gaming Headset - Hi-Res Audio - 360° Spatial - GameDAC Gen 2 - ClearCast Gen 2 Mic - Xbox, PC, PS5
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro Black Gaming Headset
Delivery $19.45
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro for Xbox Gaming Headset, Black
Delivery $15
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro X Gaming Headset
Free delivery between Fri – Tue
Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro X Gaming Headset Silver
Delivery $41.99
So far this headset has been an absolute pleasure to use. In terms of the Sound quality, it’s the best sounding headset I’ve used and I’ve used a fair few ranging from Hyper X, RIG, and of course previous steel series headsets. Being a gamer who plays games that require stuff like sound whoreing (Rainbow Six Siege), I find myself 1 step ahead every time because I can hear them before they can hear me. The depth of sound is awesome and precise. Definitely the crispiest sounding headsets I’ve had. Mic quality is fantastic and clear for my teammates when I need to make stuff like call outs. The headset fits on my head quite well and is very comfortable to play with. The features it comes with are easy to use it’s as simple as plug in and play as soon as you get it (I ... MoreSo far this headset has been an absolute pleasure to use. In terms of the Sound quality, it’s the best sounding headset I’ve used and I’ve used a fair few ranging from Hyper X, RIG, and of course previous steel series headsets. Being a gamer who plays games that require stuff like sound whoreing (Rainbow Six Siege), I find myself 1 step ahead every time because I can hear them before they can hear me. The depth of sound is awesome and precise. Definitely the crispiest sounding headsets I’ve had. Mic quality is fantastic and clear for my teammates when I need to make stuff like call outs. The headset fits on my head quite well and is very comfortable to play with. The features it comes with are easy to use it’s as simple as plug in and play as soon as you get it (I am a PS5 player btw). The Game DAC is simple and easy to use and makes it much easier to adjust volume level as well as letting me test the volume by using the small outlined circle on the front of it. The earmuffs themselves are noise cancelling I believe as I’ve found that when I’m playing games or even just wearing the headset, outside noises don’t leak into the earmuffs at all (I know this because I can’t even hear someone right next to me). It comes with multiple cables and the headset itself comes in a storage bag/soft pouch in case you need to move it or store it somewhere. Anyone that puts a bad review on this product must have gotten a faulty headset (which is covered by warranty I believe) because I have seen no faults in mine yet and gaming has been an amazing experience. I do not regret my purchase what so ever and I can see myself using this product and brand for many years to come as they have been the most reliable for me in terms of headsets. I definitely recommend this product to anyone that is looking for a headset that will last you a long time and is top quality and/or performance.
I've owned several higher end gaming headsets and this is hands down the best yet. They are not without a few flaws but over all experience is fantastic.Out of the box sound quality is outstanding and the software allows the headset to be EQ to fit your own needs. No head shaking bass by default but that can absolutely be EQ'd into it. I've not heard any distortion while using the EQ either which is rare and evidence of a good quality driver. Great situational awareness is fantastic, they have a very solid 3d space you can hear and track where sounds are coming from, above, below, behind etc. These are well worth the upgrade from the previous version without going into technical reasons they are just hands down better, look better, sound better and I feel have a ... MoreI've owned several higher end gaming headsets and this is hands down the best yet. They are not without a few flaws but over all experience is fantastic.Out of the box sound quality is outstanding and the software allows the headset to be EQ to fit your own needs. No head shaking bass by default but that can absolutely be EQ'd into it. I've not heard any distortion while using the EQ either which is rare and evidence of a good quality driver. Great situational awareness is fantastic, they have a very solid 3d space you can hear and track where sounds are coming from, above, below, behind etc. These are well worth the upgrade from the previous version without going into technical reasons they are just hands down better, look better, sound better and I feel have a better build quality. Compared to a few others, I think these perform and sound better than Astro A50, A40 /w mixamp, Previous version of Steel Series Arctis Pros, they are "On-par" with my Apple Airpod max, in some situations sound better, the sub bass is impressive and comparable to my Shure SE846 IEM which is a $1,000+ IEM that has a dedicated sub /w lowpass filter.You won't find many negative reviews on these and for good reason, they are expensive but worth it. Some confusion I've seen the difference between the Xbox version and the PS5/PC version. Here is what you need to know on that. If you have all 3 and plan to use them wirelessly with all 3 get the Xbox version. If your PS5 is close to your PC and you want to switch between the two without unplugging anything, get the PS5 version.The xbox version basestation has a dedicated xbox usb port and 1 normal usb port, the ps5 version has 2x usb ports so the PS5 version will work with xbox but not wirelessly. You'll have to use the 3.5 cable and plug into a xbox controller, flip side the xbox version will work with both PC and PS5 wirelessly but you still only have the 2 usb ports and the xbox one will ONLY work on xbox leaving you to 1 port so you can't hook all 3 to it at the same time.
I have changed to these headphones from Astro A50's Gen 4. These are a great upgrade and I feel work much better for PC than the Astro's did.Positives:Sonar - Great for FPS Titles and hearing FootstepsNoise Canceling - Is great and really does limit what you can hear outside, this is able to be configured to your liking if you don't want ANC always on.Dual Audio Streams - The software and device does allow for this and it's been great.Battery Life - I wear this headset probably around 7-10hrs a day and can typically get around 15hrs out of each battery, but since this comes with 2 batteries one is always charging and I am never down on power.Cons:Software - Now this may vary per person, but since I use a Elgato Wave Mic 3 it has it's own software and trying ... MoreI have changed to these headphones from Astro A50's Gen 4. These are a great upgrade and I feel work much better for PC than the Astro's did.Positives:Sonar - Great for FPS Titles and hearing FootstepsNoise Canceling - Is great and really does limit what you can hear outside, this is able to be configured to your liking if you don't want ANC always on.Dual Audio Streams - The software and device does allow for this and it's been great.Battery Life - I wear this headset probably around 7-10hrs a day and can typically get around 15hrs out of each battery, but since this comes with 2 batteries one is always charging and I am never down on power.Cons:Software - Now this may vary per person, but since I use a Elgato Wave Mic 3 it has it's own software and trying to get these two to work well with each other can be a little frustrating. I would say with enough time and tinkering you should have no problems, but some little things do come up and have to make changes.Comfort - So overall the comfort of this headset are decent, but the EarCups are a common complaint as they can be prettty small for people like myself. Also they can get warm since SteelSeries doesn't offer Mesh option since these are a different size compared to all their other models. Also note that many people complain about the speaker that sits in the middle of and pokes out a bit more than people like and can also hit your ear, I didn't have this problem but was aware of it prior to purchasing. I did upgrade my EarCups to the WC FreeZe Cooling Gel and these are a MUST HAVE they made all the difference for comfort and heat control.Overall:I am happy with my purchase I would just like to see in the future other options from the factory for ear cup changes since I don't like the Leather Cups and always prefer to Cloth. Like I stated above the WC FreeZe are perfect replacement and made this headset amazin.g
I returned the headset the very next day. I never return things, and I never review them, but this headset so underperformed that I felt morally obligated to say so. I've had a logitech 935 for several years now and was looking to upgrade to something better. After doing a fair amount of research I found this to be one of the MOST widely heralded headset that I have ever seen. So I figured "Thats awfully expensive but I'll pay good money for a good product." I had imediate concerns upon opening the box. The headset was surprisingly small for me, though I do have a rather large head so I figured "Oh well, downside of being me I guess." The headset did fit relatively well despite being small, though my ears barely fit inside the earpeice. After pluging in the headset ... MoreI returned the headset the very next day. I never return things, and I never review them, but this headset so underperformed that I felt morally obligated to say so. I've had a logitech 935 for several years now and was looking to upgrade to something better. After doing a fair amount of research I found this to be one of the MOST widely heralded headset that I have ever seen. So I figured "Thats awfully expensive but I'll pay good money for a good product." I had imediate concerns upon opening the box. The headset was surprisingly small for me, though I do have a rather large head so I figured "Oh well, downside of being me I guess." The headset did fit relatively well despite being small, though my ears barely fit inside the earpeice. After pluging in the headset and downloading the software I began to to poke around and see what the headset can do. Hopped on a call with a friend and asked how I sounded only for him to say I didnt sound any different. Again "oh well, I cared more about the sound anyway." So I fire up a game and I imediatly get thrown off by the sound. It sounds like I'm listening to a game on decent speakers through a tin can and theres an odd delay in the sound that is seriously of putting. I start going through settings to see if I can fix it, maybe some setting I didnt turn on. Through more testing I find that the surround sound is also truly awful. No real blending between speakers to make it seem like anything imersive and more like there are junk speakers about 6 feet away from you that turn on on at a time. I tried tweaking various settings, turning on and off certain features and while things MIGHT have gotten better, they never were any kind of GOOD. I had such high hopes for this headset and actually put myself in a bit of a financial spot for this only to get a product roughly as good as store brand earbuds. I genuinely would have better sound on my Sony earbuds than on this headset. The base station as well didnt have certain setting the manual said it did have ,such as a surround sound setting, and the "button" which seems to be more a sensor on the front that you use to go back in menus either wouldn't respond at all or would act like it was being held down leading to an anoying beeping in the headset and being unable to adjust anything with the base station. It may seem like I'm just trying to talk down this headset but this genuinly the most expensive dissapointment I have ever had in EVERY WAY even after looking up solutions and tweaking various settings. Which is a shame becuase I really wanted to like it.TLDR Despite wide regard as the best headset ever, My 4 year old ailing Logitech 935 beats this headset in EVERY way, right of the box. Compared to this glorified tin can with software.
TL:DR – Costly headset, great audio, great build quality, lots of features, tiny ANC speaker is annoying and can cause discomfort, ears may get sweaty after long use. Look for aftermarket ear cushions with cooling gel. If you have the cash for it, then get it. If you want to continue reading I got some notes for pros and cons. Watch a youtube video review on these things which is what I did. My 4star review is mostly because of this stupid Active Noise Cancelling speaker built into the ear cup.I'll start with the cons first, which I think they're tolerable.Major con is this little speaker installed in the middle of the ear cup. This is meant for Active Noise Cancelling. Depending on the shape of your ear and/or the position of the headset, this speaker can rub ... MoreTL:DR – Costly headset, great audio, great build quality, lots of features, tiny ANC speaker is annoying and can cause discomfort, ears may get sweaty after long use. Look for aftermarket ear cushions with cooling gel. If you have the cash for it, then get it. If you want to continue reading I got some notes for pros and cons. Watch a youtube video review on these things which is what I did. My 4star review is mostly because of this stupid Active Noise Cancelling speaker built into the ear cup.I'll start with the cons first, which I think they're tolerable.Major con is this little speaker installed in the middle of the ear cup. This is meant for Active Noise Cancelling. Depending on the shape of your ear and/or the position of the headset, this speaker can rub up against parts of your ear. After a while this could potentially cause irritation and pain. Something I would recommend Best Buy do is have this headset on display to allow you to try it on and wear/feel it out for yourself. Some people don’t have any issues with this, others might. I unfortunately am part of the few that would have to deal with this. I don’t really use ANC, I’m thinking of putting some kind of felt around the speaker to potentially ease the pressure of the edge rubbing against my ear.A slight con is the material used for the ear cushion, again in order to achieve Active Noise Canceling, SteelSeries made their cushion out of a type of material that could trap heat, after long sessions of wearing this headsets your ears may get sweaty. I’m not sure if SteelSeries or a 3rd party will make cushions with cooling gels but heres hoping.At times you may hear some cracks in your audio, it hasn’t been a bad issue for me but its noticeable.The price... For what it’s worth this headset comes loaded with features and can do things that other headsets can’t. You could almost call it a complete package, which in case you’re paying for it. You may not need some of these features, case in point the ANC which I don’t use. You could do as good or good enough with a cheaper headset and get about the same audio or build quality.Now for the pros.This headset is loaded with features, hot swapable battery, ability to use both bluetooth and wireless connection at the same time, ability to control chat and game volume directly from the headset, retractable mic boom, EQ settings both on software and in the dongle, the build quality is nice the headset doesn’t feel flimsy, the audio settings are amazing, software allows you to tweak the EQ to your liking.The part about the swappable battery, you can charge your spare battery from the dongle that connects to your devices, or you can plug in a USB C cable directly into the headset and charge that way, battery life lasts a while.The mic is amazingly sensitive, I had to use the software to tone it down. This may sound like a con, but I was using Astro A40 headsets before, and no matter what people couldn’t seem to hear me at times unless I was shouting. So the mic on this headset is a night and day difference.The audio sounds amazing, for the average user they may not be able to tell the difference other than this headset sounds good, for anyone else that is an audiophile, you couldn’t do much better using these. There are other headsets which apparently sound even better but they may be lacking in features.Ignoring the ANC speaker that can cause some irritation, this headset feels comfortable around the ear and head. It feels snug enough for me that it’s not squeezing my head and it’s not too loose where it’s going the fall off the moment I look down.The range for wireless is good, I’ve used this headset around the house and at the office, walked past some walls and an elevator, didn’t lose connection.
TLDR: The headset is good overall, but the awful microphone quality and uncomfortable ANC mic placement make the headset a worse option than cheaper models. I would not recommend buying this headset unless you don't intend to use the microphone (in which case a good pair of headphones will get you a lot more value for the money) or unless the wireless multi-device connectivity is crucial for you.After using it for about a week, here are my thoughts:-The audio is great, and the ability to tune the EQ through the receiver and through the software is a pleasant experience. A bit heavy on the bass by default, but enjoyable nonetheless.-The battery charging system is a great feature, allowing you to seamlessly switch out an empty battery for a charged one, giving you ... MoreTLDR: The headset is good overall, but the awful microphone quality and uncomfortable ANC mic placement make the headset a worse option than cheaper models. I would not recommend buying this headset unless you don't intend to use the microphone (in which case a good pair of headphones will get you a lot more value for the money) or unless the wireless multi-device connectivity is crucial for you.After using it for about a week, here are my thoughts:-The audio is great, and the ability to tune the EQ through the receiver and through the software is a pleasant experience. A bit heavy on the bass by default, but enjoyable nonetheless.-The battery charging system is a great feature, allowing you to seamlessly switch out an empty battery for a charged one, giving you unlimited wirless use so long as you charge the empty battery while you use the full one. Charge time seemd to be 1-2hr from my experience, which was well fast enough to cover the 30hr of use on a single battery.-On-board controls are pretty good, nothing revolutionary, but they are intuitively placed and easily reachable.-The microphone is truly bad. I was not aware when purchasing that it would be this bad. I assume that this is the compromise Steelseries went for with this headset, but the sound ends up being muffled, low resolution and unpleasant to listen to. I would expect a headset at this price point to have an at least decent microphone quality, but I really cannot recommend using it. It's on par with low-end headset microphones.-The biggest flaw of this headset after the microphone quality is the placement of the Active Noise Cancelling microphones situated in the ear cups. They stick out horribly into your ear, so instead of having a flat earcup placed against your ear, you have this protruding bump in the middle, which for me, hurt my ears after only an hour of use. In general, I expect to take a few hours to adjust to new headphones, but this problem is beyond adjustment. It is a flaw.
As my title says, I've purchased several headsets, including the model that precedes this one, the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless (the model with the battery, not to be confused with this model, the Arctis Pro Nova Wireless), as well as the Astro Gaming A50 with base station.This thing is awesome! The noise cancelling beats every other headset I've ever tried, bar none. I mean, I have a dog that snores and it drives me CRAZY. Even through other headsets - and this is the ONLY one that actually blocked the sound. For that issue alone, it's worth every penny.But wait, there's more! The microphone disappears completely into the headset which is very slick. SteelSeries have expanded the capabilities of the controlling unit, as you have a lot better control of the ... MoreAs my title says, I've purchased several headsets, including the model that precedes this one, the SteelSeries Arctis Pro Wireless (the model with the battery, not to be confused with this model, the Arctis Pro Nova Wireless), as well as the Astro Gaming A50 with base station.This thing is awesome! The noise cancelling beats every other headset I've ever tried, bar none. I mean, I have a dog that snores and it drives me CRAZY. Even through other headsets - and this is the ONLY one that actually blocked the sound. For that issue alone, it's worth every penny.But wait, there's more! The microphone disappears completely into the headset which is very slick. SteelSeries have expanded the capabilities of the controlling unit, as you have a lot better control of the sound on each ear, etc.I've heard from other reviews about certain complaints, that I haven't had. One, that the cups get very sweaty - haven't experienced that, but just in case, I did buy (for like $15) replacements that are cloth. After a month, I've yet to need them. Also, I had heard that the cups can be painful on the ears - they were for me for a few days, but after a bit of break-in, no issues. (To be expected from right off the factory line, etc). I've heard complaints about the software, but I believe SteelSeries has fixed that, as it works fine for me and these have been out for about a year now.The sound is exceptional (as you'd expect at this price range). The build quality is fantastic. The battery life is longer than the previous version (by far) and they've added a charge port to the headset - so you can charge the battery w/out even removing it!All in all, I've probably owned a dozen different types of wireless headsets, and except for the fact it doesn't have different channels for "game and chat" (if you don't know what this is, then you're not missing anything), this thing is perfect and an upgrade in every conceivable way over the previous model.If you don't care as much about the noise cancelling, the extended range and the rechargeable battery, you can get most of the features for several hundred dollars less in the other models (that look identical to this headset) that use USB-C charging or are wired.
I was looking for a headset that would connect to my computer, my PS5 and my phone. I wanted it wireless to avoid miles of cable and switches and plugging/unplugging every time I switched my source. Long battery life (6+ hour usage) would be a plus AND I would want it to have a docking station so I didn't need to have a truckload of batteries of another cable to add to my rat's nest of cables already present. a docking station that could charge the headset when not in use. As for sound quality requirements: I am far from an audiophile with my tinnitus but I can still appreciate a good set of headphones. Comfort-wise I wanted something that could be worn as long as the battery would last without wanting to rip off the headset from pressure, sweat, etc.... How this ... MoreI was looking for a headset that would connect to my computer, my PS5 and my phone. I wanted it wireless to avoid miles of cable and switches and plugging/unplugging every time I switched my source. Long battery life (6+ hour usage) would be a plus AND I would want it to have a docking station so I didn't need to have a truckload of batteries of another cable to add to my rat's nest of cables already present. a docking station that could charge the headset when not in use. As for sound quality requirements: I am far from an audiophile with my tinnitus but I can still appreciate a good set of headphones. Comfort-wise I wanted something that could be worn as long as the battery would last without wanting to rip off the headset from pressure, sweat, etc.... How this headset matches up is as follows: 1. I am able to hook this thing up to my PC and my PS5 and never have to bother with the plug/unplug switcheroo ever again. YAY! And as an unexpected bonus, not only does this headset pair via bluetooth to my phone but it will "cut in" to the phone if I get a call while using the PS5 or the computer. No more having to take off my headset to answer a call. Another YAY! And the wireless transmitter automagically switches to whatever source I am using at start up without having to select it. If I do have both my PS5 and my computer going at the same time it is a simple matter of selecting my source from the wireless transmitter with minimal effort. 1a: There are those who would tell you to skip buying the PlayStation version and just buy the Xbox version since the PlayStation will work in the Xbox version. And while they are technically correct you must consider that the Xbox version has only 1 usb port that will work with a PC, or PlayStation or Nintendo switch. The other USB port will ONLY work with an xbox. So if you are using this headset to connect to your computer and PlayStation or Switch you MUST use the Playstaion version since either usb port can connect to all supported devices unlike the Xbox version which can connect to all supported devices on one port and ONLY AN XBOX on the other. Take that into consideration.... 2. While it does not have a docking station to charge the headset it does have an extra battery that resides in the wireless transmitter so when you notice on the transmitter display (or when you get an audible warning through the headset) you can simply (And easily) pop the spare battery out of the wireless transmitter, flick off the magnetically held (sweetness!) plate on the left side and pop out the battery for a quick swap. The headset has a capacitor that stores enough electricity to allow for the battery swap out so you can avoid the whole, power off, swap battery, power on, make another wireless connection, blah, blah, blah. On the right side, if you pop off the magnetically (Again, sweetness!) held plate you will find a USB-C port for charging the battery in the headset. So while this is not exactly what I was looking for, it performs well enough for my needs. 3. The sound quality for music/movies is sufficient. Again, with the ringing in my ears I am the last person to state how good the quality of sound is. So I will just say it sounds good to me. Now from a game perspective, I swear I can hear things I never heard before with my old headset(s). The mic is nothing to write home about. It gets the job done and people have no problem understanding me. My wife did comment that the noise cancelling aspects of this mic make me sound like I am talking in room by myself with nothing else around me. "Really hon? You would not be able to tell where I was based on background noise when talking on this headset?" I have got to remember that for a future "field test".... ;) 4. Hear comes the grain of salt opinion on my part. Are these the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn? No. Are they the most uncomfortable? Again, no. I would say that if I compared these to every headset and headphone (Almost 15) I have ever used I would say these are way closer to most comfortable and VERY far from most uncomfortable. For myself I have worn them for nearly 6 hours without feeling the need to rip them off my head. There are supposed to be aftermarket ear cup replacements for this particular headset that make these even more comfortable that they already are. I will be considering giving those a go in the future. One last point on the whole comfort thing: Given all the different head shapes and ear types it is impossible to categorically state that this headset is universally comfortable or uncomfortable. I will point out that the clamping pressure (and again, this is for MY head size and ear type) could be just a tad less. I don't feel like my head is caught in a vice or anything AND the headphones are never in danger of falling off my noggin. I just prefer a "loose" fit when it comes to my headphones. This is all the room I have for my "little" review. Good luck with your decision!
Full disclosure - I own a LOT of headsets: Arctis 7P, Arctis Pro Wireless, Arctis Nova Pro Wireless (the ones this review is for), Sony XM5, Sennheiser HD 6XX, Sennheiser PC363D (yes, they still work great 10 years later), Logitech G935, a Logitech G-Pro X, and some Beats Studio 3s. Given that, I think I've got a pretty good reference for what makes a 'good' headset. Also, I might have a problem.I bought Nova Pro Wirless headset the day they came out. Having previously owned the Pro Wireless headset that came out before these, I was excited for some of the new design, as well as the change from mini-USB connectivity to USB-C.After having used them for several months, here are my thoughts:After initially putting them on they felt markedly less comfortable than ... MoreFull disclosure - I own a LOT of headsets: Arctis 7P, Arctis Pro Wireless, Arctis Nova Pro Wireless (the ones this review is for), Sony XM5, Sennheiser HD 6XX, Sennheiser PC363D (yes, they still work great 10 years later), Logitech G935, a Logitech G-Pro X, and some Beats Studio 3s. Given that, I think I've got a pretty good reference for what makes a 'good' headset. Also, I might have a problem.I bought Nova Pro Wirless headset the day they came out. Having previously owned the Pro Wireless headset that came out before these, I was excited for some of the new design, as well as the change from mini-USB connectivity to USB-C.After having used them for several months, here are my thoughts:After initially putting them on they felt markedly less comfortable than the Pro Wireless headset, the ANC mic inside the cup would sometimes bump into my ear, and the clamp strength + pleather of the new cups made them extremely uncomfortable to wear for extended periods of time with glasses. The fact that the ear-cups can be individually adjusted to fit the height of your head is nice, no longer depending on the ski-strap style they used before, but it's completely undone by the cups themselves being markedly less comfortable than literally every other Arctis headset I've owned.The noise cancellation exists, but I think its pretty sub-par for a $350 wireless headset, others do it better and cost less. If that's your primary concern, get a pair of Sony XM5s or Bose Quiet Comfort. The "gamer" aesthetic is also toned way down, the mic itself retracts flush, and red mute led is completely obscured, so you can use these out and about without anything screaming 'gaming headset'.Battery life is absolutely spectacluar, as good as advertised if not better. They charge exceptionally quickly in DAC just like on the Pro Wireless before - I wish more companies with wireless headsets would copy this. Batteries are still hot swappable, but I find the cover to be more annoying to remove than the previous generations. I realize that's a nit-pick, but this is a 'premium' product at a 'premium' price point, I expect improvements across the board, not regression.Driver quality is great, sounds are clean and un-muddled, the ability to independently game/system audio from VC audio is great. However, they removed the physical button from the headset that allowed you do that, instead you have one volume button and it control the system audio, chat audio has to be adjust in the SteelSeriesGG software - big loss in quality of life, and inexcusable in a headset this expensive.The mic quality is great; however, the quality is contingent upon leveraging a lot of the settings in the SteelSeriesGG app, and you can apply those to other headset mics with very similar results. Also, the quality that your friends are going to hear is entirely dependent on the bitrate of the comms software you're using; so all the mic adjustments in the world won't matter if it's a crappy connection.The ability to pair to the DAC as well as another Bluetooth device simultaneously still exists and provides wonderful functionality if you want to game on the PS5 while talking to people in discord on another device. This, however, is NOT unique to this headset, every Arctis headset I've used has been able to do this.Audio pass-through continues to exist from the previous Pro Wireless, meaning you can connect a set of speakers to audio-out on the DAC and output will automagically swap to that once the headset is powered off. However, despite adjusting settings in the SteelSeriesGG software, and on the DAC itself, the pass through will sometimes swap to 'stream' instead of speakers, resulting in a really loud feedback tone when you turn on the headset mic and have the aforementioned speakers powered on; no amount of updates to the sofware of firmware appears to have resolved this.If you want a great Arctis headset, get an Arctis 9 or 9X depending on what Console you want to use it with, and get a more comfortable, equally feature rich headset (minus mediocre ANC), for about half the price of the Nova Pro Wireless.I would've returned it if Best Buy hadn't changed their return policy for MyBestBuy members _after_ I purchased it. I tried to like it for months, but in the end, I'm just going to be giving it to friend with a smaller head that won't find it as wildly uncomfortable as I do.TLDR - the headset isn't bad, but its absolutely not great. I don't think it's worth the money. Too many quality of life regressions, and not enough improvements to justify purchasing these if you already own the Pro Wireles, Arctis 9 or 9X, or any other premium headset.
Pros:-Good sound quality, very good if you use the SteelSeries sonar software to adjust EQ and stuff. Without that, it's a bit light on the bass end and sounds very hollow. The software also includes 3D audio simulation to give you a sense of directionality in games and such.-Active noise cancelation if you like that.-Using the soft band for support they're very comfortable to wear for a while, better than most - though if you get pain from headphones easily you're still gonna wind up adjusting them quite a bit as the pressure will still cause discomfort and eventually some pain anyway. Hard to avoid that, and they're not the lightest headphones out there.-Having the two battery packs that quickly swap is very useful for wireless headphones like these, and the ... MorePros:-Good sound quality, very good if you use the SteelSeries sonar software to adjust EQ and stuff. Without that, it's a bit light on the bass end and sounds very hollow. The software also includes 3D audio simulation to give you a sense of directionality in games and such.-Active noise cancelation if you like that.-Using the soft band for support they're very comfortable to wear for a while, better than most - though if you get pain from headphones easily you're still gonna wind up adjusting them quite a bit as the pressure will still cause discomfort and eventually some pain anyway. Hard to avoid that, and they're not the lightest headphones out there.-Having the two battery packs that quickly swap is very useful for wireless headphones like these, and the USB C charging port for if you can't or don't want to swap batteries is nice to have.Cons:-Sometimes the buttons on the headphones stop working altogether. Happened to me a few times when I swapped batteries, and I found that the only way I could make sure it wouldn't happen would be to intentionally go slow at swapping batteries so it wouldn't have a battery in it for at least 10 seconds (they're designed to automatically turn back on and reconnect if you swap the battery within 8 seconds to minimize how long you're out of a game - seemed like a glitch making the headset get stuck thinking it was off when it wasn't so it was ignoring the buttons or something, not sure, but kills the value of that feature).-The microphone sucks. The fact it can be kept inside the headset where it won't stick out or anything is nice, because I HATE using the microphone on this thing. It sounds awful, and it's way too quiet even with volume levels maxed EVERYWHERE. I tried using it with nVidia Broadcast to see if the AI noise reduction feature would improve quality at all, but it's so quiet that Broadcast can't even tell when I'm talking so it mostly just silences my voice - and I don't feel like yelling in my apartment to try to get it to work. I really wish they would put some effort into making a headset with an actual quality microphone. Price points like this, it's just stupid to have such a bad microphone.-While the wireless latency is good for almost everything, it's unusable for certain things. Personally, I use Rocksmith to practice guitar and learn songs sometimes. You generally can't use wireless headphones for that because the latency makes it extremely difficult to get the timing right and hearing the slight delay between when you play and when the sound comes out can be extremely disorienting. So this 'con' isn't specific to this headset, but to wireless headsets in general, I'm only including it because if you do that kind of stuff where latency is important you should know this is a bad way to go for that. I have to switch to corded headphones whenever I use RS or anything else where audio latency is critical.-Charging port would make more sense if it was somewhere around the edges, rather than underneath the removable plate on the side, pointing directly out. Having it on the bottom, in particular, would mean you could hook up a charging cable while you're wearing them and it would feel like regular corded headphones. Where they chose to put it... is awkward. And you have to keep track of the magnetic plate when you use it.
| General | |
| Product Type | Headset - wired - 3.5 mm jack |
| Style | Games |
| Colour | Black |
| Recommended Use | Game console, portable electronics, computer |
