SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Headset Review
Online platforms bring a delightfully competitive element to the gaming experience. Central to this evolution? The rise of streaming sites such as Twitch. These allow players to broadcast their exploits to people all around the world.
This new way of playing and consuming content has made the gaming headset just as important as the controller. With so many different Bluetooth headsets available, however, it’s difficult to decide on the perfect device. Features such as active noise cancellation and spatial audio are essential, but what else do today’s modern gamers crave?
SteelSeries has been a leader in the peripheral space for years — and the new SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wireless gaming headset packs a powerful punch with its excellent features. Keep reading to learn more about this fantastic headset.
The Value of Wireless Gaming Headsets
Players have adored the wired version of the Arctis Nova Pro for some time now. As such, there's a steady stream of anticipation for the inevitable wireless version. In May of 2022, SteelSeries brought the wireless Arctis Nova Pro to market — and fans found a whole new reason to rush out and pick up the latest gaming headset.
There’s so much more to the Arctis Nova Pro wireless than just fantastic sound quality. SteelSeries has included a Sonar Audio Software suite to give players unprecedented levels of control. A parametric equalizer allows for pinpoint tweaking of everything from high-end ranges to low bass. Active noise cancellation completely eliminates the background noise around the player, delivering an unmatched level of immersion.
While most headsets feature clunky connectivity, the Arctis Nova Pro gaming headset prides itself on seamless back-and-forth switching. Players can swap on the fly from PC to Sony Playstation 5 to Nintendo Switch. Thanks to the unique Infinity Power System, two swappable batteries will keep the power flowing 24/7. This ensures that players never get dropped off the line. All this is possible thanks to the USB-C connected base station, where presets — as well as a Chat Mix feature — can be configured.
Unmatched Gaming Versatility
Bluetooth connectivity — and 2.4GHz connectivity — allows players to multitask. Need to take a call while staying involved in the game audio and all of its intricacies? This is possible with help of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wireless gaming headset. There’s no shortage of ways to use the device. These range from immersive single-player experiences that utilize surround sound effects to frenetic multiplayer gaming on the Microsoft Xbox, Sony Playstation, or Nintendo Switch. Steelseries has brought unmatched functionality to the gaming headset space with the Arctis Nova Pro wireless.
While some headsets feature a dizzying array of features and functions, actually wearing them becomes a literal pain in the neck over time. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wireless headset rests comfortably on any head as a result of the ComfortMAX system. The elastic headband is fully adjustable and made from soft materials. The right and left earcups can also be tweaked. Meanwhile, the over-ear nature of the design ensures that everything fits snugly. The build quality is top-notch, although customers have long expected this from SteelSeries gaming headsets.
The on-board controls featured on the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wireless have received a much-needed redesign. The power, Bluetooth, and mute buttons are now larger and easier to find in the heat of the moment. When players don’t require use of the microphone, it can easily be stowed away inside the headset. This adds to the already excellent versatility of this gaming headset.
Elite Sound Quality
A gaming headset is only as good as the sound quality it pumps out. As such, there’s definitely an argument to be made for the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wireless landing on some end-of-the-year best gaming headset lists. The previously mentioned Sonar software is a game-changer, as is the ability to adjust the game volume independent from the vocals being pumped out via chat.
Spatial audio is quickly becoming a new feature in a lot of big-budget game titles — and the audio quality pumped out by the Arctis Nova Pro ensures a fully immersive experience. Finally, the parametric EQ helps users tweak every aspect of the hi-res audio provided by the Arctis Nova Pro.
There’s a lot to love about the two swappable batteries included with this gaming headset — and thankfully, players won’t have to change them on a regular basis. Battery life is surprisingly lengthy, clocking in at nearly twenty hours when utilizing Bluetooth and active noise cancellation.
Compatibility and connectivity options are fantastic, with one interesting caveat: while the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wireless headset is compatible with PC, Mac, Sony Playstation, Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Xbox, the Xbox version of the device requires a few Microsoft-exclusive hardware tweaks. The Playstation version of this gaming headset doesn’t feature those differences, so it’s incompatible with Xbox devices. To summarize: the Xbox version of the device will work with all platforms, while the Playstation version will work with everything but its Xbox rival.
A Strong Competitor
The Arctis Nova Pro wireless compares favorably to similar competitors in this space. Older Arctis models such as the original Pro and Arctis 7x wireless will feel like a generational step backward when compared to the Nova Pro. Competition from Razer and Sony — such as the Blackshark V2 and Inzone H9 — lag just a bit behind. Sony’s Inzone H9 is the strongest competition, but a lack of Xbox compatibility keeps it from coming out on top.
The only area in which SteelSeries may struggle to court consumers is price: at $349, the Arctis Nova Pro is one of the most expensive gaming headsets on the market. Despite this, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wireless headset remains a no-brainer recommendation. Fantastic spatial audio, nearly a day’s worth of battery life, and excellent sound quality are all major selling points for anyone in the market for a gaming headset.