I have always wanted to get my hands on a SteelSeries headset. You see, in gaming circles, it’s a popular brand among gamers looking for a relatively affordable option for gaming headsets. Along came the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless with a high promise when it comes to delivering quality audio for gaming.
Competitively priced
Let’s get the affordable part out of the way. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless retails for PhP 7,765/ USD 129.99. That’s right around the ballpark of one the more popular recommendations among gaming circles – The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 which, depending on where you’re looking, ranges from USD 150-170.
Among gaming-centric headsets released relatively recently, it’s also priced quite competitively. It’s more affordable than the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023), Sony INZONE H7 and H9 (the H3 is wired so that’s a non-starter here), and PlayStation’s Pulse Elite.
It’s also a lot more affordable than “mainstream” headset options like the Sony WH-1000XM series and Airpods Max.
While compelling, pricing alone isn’t the determining factor in making this purchase decision. So, what kind of value are you getting exactly?
Headset highlights
That’s our News Editor Luigi wearing the Arctis Nova 5
To me, the Arctis Nova 5 offers five features that help its case as the “default option” for gaming-related headset recommendations.
Game specific presets through the companion app.
The Arctis Nova 5 has a companion app available for iOS and Android. Through the app, you get a robust list of game preset equalizers already optimized for plenty of games. The list includes first person shooters like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and CS: GO, sports games like NBA 2K24 and EA Sports FC 24, and popular titles like Baldur’s Gate 3, Genshin Impact, Tekken 8, and much, much more.
Many of the titles are recently released games. If the specific game you’re looking for isn’t on the list, just pick one that’s close to that game’s genre and it should work like a charm. For instance, I always fire up Returnal when testing audio products because it has one of the best sound designs on any game ever. Unfortunately, that title isn’t available as a preset. So, I chose any of the shooter games like COD and Hell Divers 2 as the preset and I found that these worked well with the game.
By default, the equalizer is set to flat and I found that it works well for most media consumption. I tried switching things up and used music-focused titles like Hi-Fi Rush but felt that flat was still best for general music listening and video viewing.
Lightweight.
The headset is mostly made of plastic making it extremely light. That means there’s absolutely no strain whatsoever on your head when wearing it for an extended period.
Some might view this as a markdown in build quality. However, I think the weight and price byproducts balance the steady but not stellar build.
Battery Life.
The Arctis Nova 5 promises a 60-hour battery life (or the equivalent of 8-hour gaming sessions every day for a week). Further, USB-C fast charging can juice up to six hours in just 15 minutes.
Naturally, I don’t game for eight hours a day (nor should you, unless that’s how you make a living). In my mixed use of music listening, video viewing, video conferencing, and gaming for roughly 20 hours per week, I only felt the need to charge the thing once every two weeks. That’s elite.
There’s one outlier when I brought it to an overseas work trip. I charged the headset once towards the end of the trip, right before the flight back, to make sure I had enough juice for the plane ride.
Connectivity.
The headset’s claim to versatility in connectivity lies in two connection options: 2.4Hz dongle and direct Bluetooth.
The direct Bluetooth connection means it can seamlessly pair with most smartphones and laptops, and PCs. Meanwhile, the 2.4Hz dongle connection means you can use it with anything that has a USB-C port.
In my time with the device, I used it on the following devices:
- Legion Go
- PlayStation 5
- ROG Ally
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- MacBook Pro
- Huawei MateBook X Pro
- ASUS ZenBook DUO (2024)
- OPPO Find N3
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
- Xiaomi Pad 6S 12 Pro
- …and possibly more
That’s quite an exhaustive list. And yes, it works on a Nintendo Switch too.
ClearCast microphone.
The Arctis Nova 5 is now my default headset when taking video calls because of the ClearCast mic. For one, I love the way it’s tucked into the left earcup. Unlike Razer’s BlackShark V2 (2023) whose microphone is an attachment that can easily be misplaced.
Second, I asked for feedback from those I was in a call with and got feedback that my audio is pretty clear and crisp. I won’t be recording any voice overs with this mic, but for calls, it’s more than good enough. I imagine the same is true for co-op games, of which I do not play because I suck as a teammate.
Almost perfect
There are a few things I wish the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless had to make it my default headset for everything I do.
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).
This one really drives me nuts because I’ve really only extensively used headsets with active noise cancellation over the past half decade. Even some minor active noise canceling would have made this a no-brainer recommendation for me. Alas, that is not the case.
I mentioned earlier that I took this with me on an overseas work trip. That was not ideal at all. Coming from the Sony WH-1000XM4 and even the soundcore Space One headsets, I severely missed the active noise canceling feature. I could hear the buzzing sound and worse, a crying, whining child during the flight.
The lack of this feature is bearable in most settings like in your home while playing and while out and about walking or inside a buzzing café. But for traveling, it is best to have something that has ANC.
In-app equalizer adjustment.
The presets are great and all, but it doesn’t allow for personalized tweaking to make it sing the way you want to. The only way to change the equalizer is to switch it to any of the game presets as well as a flat and focus options. Focus ups the voice while flat is… just flat.
As of writing, your best option is to try every single available preset and find which one works best for you when it comes to uses outside of gaming. It’ll probably take an entire weekend day if you’re truly meticulous about it.
I wish it had slots for 2-3 personalized presets that users can switch to. I fervently hope this comes in a future app update.
A slot for the 2.4Hz USB-C dongle.
I tend to misplace tiny things. In fact, as of writing, I am unsure where I placed this exact USB-C dongle. I am also currently at a loss as to where I placed another tiny USB dongle, but that’s for a controller.
The dongle that comes with the Arctis Nova 5 is so tiny that I’m sure they could’ve figured out a way to include some kind of pouch in the headset itself to store it. They were able to figure out the mic part, perhaps they could have done the same for the dongle.
I’m sure I’ll find the dongle with a clean sweep of my room but some way to safely carry it with the headset would have done wonders.
Is the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless your GadgetMatch?
As far as gaming-focused headsets go, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless could soon replace its older sibling, the Arctis 7, as the top recommendation among console gamers. The sound quality is top-notch and the presets really do help in making you feel immersed in the gameplay.
That same level of immersion can also be experienced when listening to music that’s perfectly mixed. I strongly recommend using this with Apple Music for lossless sound. The sound isolation is elite and works both in gaming and music.
Some level of active noise canceling would have taken this over the top for me. I’m not even looking for something on par with Sony’s XM-series. Even something to the level of the soundcore Space One would have done the trick. If that comes in a future product, SteelSeries, you know where to find me.
That said, the Arctis Nova 5 is still a product I can recommend. The value you’re getting for what you’re paying outweighs any drawback I found. It’s a really good gaming headset and one you should consider if you’re in the market for one.
