Customer Ratings & Reviews

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 headset is a good choice for those looking to game without breaking the bank. It looks cool and sleek but one down side is that it is plastic and cheap feeling. If you are looking to game on with your PC, Playstation 4/5, or Nintendo Switch, this can be interchanges between them all. If you really do decide to game on for countless hours between those consoles and PCs then you would be happy to know that this headset boasts a 60hr battery life. SteelSeries is no stranger to quality headset drivers and this Arctis Nova 5 does have great HiFi sounding drivers that power audio cleanly. I do love that the USB dongle is on the smaller size AND is USB-C to take up less of a footprint. This headset begs for you to play on with how comfortable it is even after long periods of gaming late into the night. Once again, I love the fact that it is made with those long hours in mind with the battery life and great comfortable feel. The ear cups themselves are not premium feeling at all but they are comfortable enough for something in this class of headsets.

First Impressions - This gaming headphone set came well packed including all of the accessories. The headset with extendable MIC, USB-C and USB extension cords and a 2.4GHZ dongle were nicely separated and well bundled. Upon removing the headset, I plugged it in to charge and waited around an hour to for it to indicate charging complete. Comfort - These are more comfortable than every other gaming headset I have used. The combination of adjustable fabric suspension strap along with the soft ear cups and light weight make them "disappear" once you have them on. It's a very odd feeling putting on a headset that appears somewhat large and then to barely be able to notice you wearing it. I've used a few other headsets in this style in the past but have yet to have one be as comfortable as this. Noise cancellation - The ear cups provide enough ambient noise cancellation to cause someone else to have to yell so you can hear them. Wireless - Finally - A headset that works with everything I want to pair it with ! This can toggle between a connected Bluetooth device and a connection to the wireless dongle. That's important for me in an environment where I may need to answer a call coming in on my cell while gaming, watching a movie or listening to music from my PC. Buttons - There is a volume adjustment, a quick switch to flip between dongle connected and Bluetooth - this includes notification beep if you have an incoming call and a power/pairing mode switch. All controls are textured and work in a way to make it easy to operate from the headset while it is on via touch. Media and Conference call use - After watching a movie or two with these, I connected to my work computer for conference calls throughout the week. I used the mic extensively and played back recorded audio to make sure it picks up my voice. It does occasionally pick up on ambient sound but the effect is minimal compared to some less expensive headsets I have used. Audio Quality - Is great at a low to mid volume which I consider important as I am not usually trying to melt my eardrums with my headset. If you turn these up the bass response is very strong and clear along with mids that tend to be drowned out on lower end earphones. I did do some light gaming and the low end response at any volume level is very good which adds a lot to quiet horror games. Battery life - is advertised at up to 60 hours. I'm currently around 40 hours of use and I have yet to charge these. That is at least double and possibly triple the life of any wireless headset I have used this actively. What I love- COMFORT - Adjust the inner support correctly, fit them and they disappear Battery Life - This is "all week use" for me. No worries about having to constantly charge. Room for improvement- It would be nice if the battery was swappable. Appears to be internal and not replaceable.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Gaming Headset has been amazing! The sound quality is crisp and immersive, whether I’m gaming on PC, PS5, or PS4. The wireless connection is rock-solid with zero noticeable lag, and the comfort is top-tier — I can wear it for hours without any discomfort. The mic clarity is excellent for team chat, and the battery life easily lasts through long gaming sessions. I also love how easy it is to switch between devices. The build feels premium, and the controls are intuitive. Overall, this headset delivers on everything — sound, comfort, and performance. Definitely worth the price!

I recently picked up the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless headset to use for work, travel, and gaming.  I was pleasantly surprised that the headset is comfortable for long wear and is highly customizable. In the box is the headset, USB-C to A charging cable (5'), a USB-C to A extension cable (5') and a USB-C 2.4 GHz wireless dongle.  Setup is easy, I've paired it to my Android, gaming desktop, and work laptop with ease using various configurations of wired, wireless, and Bluetooth.  One thing I appreciate is the ability to quickly swap between Bluetooth and wireless, as my work laptop doesn't have any available ports for USB-C dongle, so I can leave the dongle with my desktop and swap to Bluetooth for laptop and phone. Unfortunately I do experience a slight mic lag on Bluetooth when paired with video conferencing software. The build is solid, maybe a bit too solid, as the headset weighs in at 265g. Not an issue for me, but I do find this headset slightly heavier than many similar designs.  The outer band is flexible, and as I mentioned above, I can comfortably wear these all day without fatigue, pain from the band, or pain due to pressure around my ears. There is a comfort flex fabric strap under the outer band with three adjustment levels on each side, this ensures that the outer band does not rest on your head, and keeps you both comfortable and cool. One call out here is that if you have a larger head, this may not be the right headset for you.  My teen complains that it doesn't quite fit his head right, my head is slightly smaller and I have no issues. The ear cups are mesh fabric, allowing for breathability so they don't get too sweaty after hours of use. One unique function is that the ear cups pivot 90 degrees to the back, this allows you to lay them on a surface and, through the software, have them act as speakers.  Lastly is the layout, from back to front, on the left ear is mute button and +/- volume roller, then in the front is a pull out flexible mic that can bend and adjust as needed.  The mic can also be used while tucked away in the headset, all depending on preferences and needs.  There is also a red LED mute indicator on the mic itself. On the right ear is the quick connection button that toggles between Bluetooth and wireless dongle, power button, and USB-C charging port. Overall build I give 4.5 stars. The companion app / software is really where the Arctis Nova 5 brings something new to the table.  In the android app are the standard eq presets (full library of user custom eq settings available), mic volume, sidetone (ancillary sounds such as footsteps), mute LED brightness, audio limiter, and extended range mode. The app also shows battery life and if the headset is connected via Bluetooth or dongle.  The Sonar software for desktop has some really unique options, such as splitting out the audio into different channels, then you can adjust settings for each channel. It takes a bit of time, but really can have a dramatic impact on the game immersion if you're willing to put in the time. An example is if you split out your game and your chat, so one can go to your headset and another to the speaker.  Each channel offers a 10 band equalizer (see photo) to allow for full user customization.  Other software functions are headphone vs speaker mode and spatial audio settings and tuning which can make the same FPS game vastly different pending how its set.  Lastly is the mic options, there is a Clearcast AI noise cancellation option, noise reduction (in lieu of the Clearcast setting), noise gate for what noise threshold should be to allow mic pickup, compressor (limits what can be picked up so no deafening audio). Overall, if you're willing to put in the time to figure out and maximize the settings, 5 out of 5 for user customization and sound profile options. Lastly is the audio quality, out of the box, audio is a 4, but once I took the time to understand the presents, set custom profiles and really got into the eq options, I am very happy with the audio quality.  I do wish it was faster to set profiles and a bit more intuitive, maybe an example of different settings so I didn't have to do as much trial and error for each game type. I find that the bass is driven appropriately, the audio is crisp, and music quality is on par with high end headsets.  Overall this headset gets 4 stars, I really like the options and features, I think it's slightly on the heavy side and designed for those with a medium sized head (I wear a 7 1/4" hat).  The software is fantastic, but I also wish it had a quick play option that would give me some recommendations based on use (music vs gaming vs video conferencing). The value is all in what the user needs, and this one could very well be your 5 star best of the best headset if you want to spend the time customizing the eq settings and spatial performance. 

TLDR: Model Arctis Nova 5 Gaming Headphone. This is a new modestly priced, gaming, adjustable, full-size, adult-sized, oval ear cup headphone from Steelseries that work with a PC, with a bluetooth device, also uses 2.4 Ghz WiFi connections and has a very ingenious retractable microphone for gaming use, for phone calls, and online video meetings. It recharges fast for 60 hours of use on bluetooth, 50 with 2.4 Ghz. Box Contents: Upon opening the box one sees the Nova 5 Gaming headphones, a USB-C transceiver dongle for the 2.4 Ghz connection, a 5 foot long USB-A to USB-C cable for charging the headphones via a phone charger or any USB port on a computer or other modern device that also includes a USB charging port. Also included is a USB-A to USB-C dongle extension cable also of 5 feet length and an Info guide. It does not have any provision for analog wired connection for audio (as many non gaming headphones have for use when the battery is depleted). The headphone requires using a Nova 5 App for Android 9 and newer and iPhone 15.6 and newer; the computer software called GG + Engine needs Windows 8.1 and newer or Mac OS 10.13 and newer; the GG + Sonar Audio Software Suite needs Windows 10 or newer (no Mac version). The headphone has a Quick-Switch button to instantly move to Bluetooth (say when a phone call is received) and using the switch again will go back to the 2.4Ghz gaming mode. One can only listen to either bluetooth or 2.4 Ghz streams, not both simultaneously. The microphone is fully retractable into the left ear cup and is noise canceling that has been tested in the factory against hair dryers and jet plane noise - per Steelseries. In Bluetooth use the sound quality is very good both for music playback, phone calls, podcast streaming and general listening with both my Android phone and my Windows laptop via Bluetooth. In use for gaming, via the 2.4 Ghz WiFi USB dongle transceiver, the quality is also very good. Others heard me, since using terms that others would not be normally using, I was replied to instantly which confirmed to me that the microphone works well. The drivers produce a pleasant if not overly “booming” bass since it is geared for gaming and not the artificially contrived “super bass” that many headphones tout (and most likely may affect future hearing loss). I fully charged the battery using a USB phone charger. Specs indicate that using a charger for only 15 minutes will produce 6 hours of use. I anticipate the claims of 60 hours on Bluetooth and 50 on Wifi are realistic. The headphone is very comfortable to have on and is not overly heavy. The ear pads are comfortable for me as a grown adult and fully envelop my ears with their oval shape. Steelseries includes a small sheet of stickers also with the packaging. One came in handy in covering a scratch I made on the outside lid of my laptop. Note that there is a stretch band directly below the top scalp headband that makes wearing the unit more comfortable. This stretch band is adjustable and removable and I assume washable with simple hand soap to remove any hair and scalp oils. It snaps back on easily. See the pictures I included. I enjoy using this headphone due to both performance and comfort while in use.

PRODUCT STEELSERIES - ARCTIS NOVA 5 WIRELESS GAMING HEADSET FOR PC, PS5, AND PS4 - BLACK MODEL:61670SKU:6576706 SUMMARY REVIEW GOOD “STEP UP” HEADSET, WITH SOME MINOR DRAWBACKS The ARCTIS NOVA 5 has a lot going for it. The comfort “floating” style headset is easy to wear for long periods of time. Fits well for a Large Head. The sound quality is good. The included accessories have everything you need right out of the box. The SteelSeries control software allows you to fine tune the sound envelope to your preferences. I appreciate being able to switch from Dongle Mode to Bluetooth Mode in order to support a wider range of devices. Overall, this is a good step up from lower tiered headsets. Pricewise it sits at the upper middle tier. For sound quality, I think there are better options in this price range. UNBOXING / PARTS Like all SteelSeries products, the products are well protected with every included option. There is a cable for charging the headset (USB-A to USB-C Male), there is a cable for extending the Dongle away from the computer (USB-A to USB-C Female). The dongle itself is USB-C which is a nice change from traditional USB-A Dongles. My only tiny complaint is that the USB-C dongle is about the width of 3 ports. Depending upon how your ports are oriented and located on your laptop or desktop you might have an issue with the dongle blocking other parts. The headphone materials are lightweight, which is good for comfort. I can’t tell how durable they will be in the long run. Overall, it has a more “budget feel” to it. NOTE: For larger heads, pull down firmly (it takes some force) on the ear cups to extend the cups. PC GAMING I appreciate that the drivers auto load, but not the advanced control panel. This lets me choose what PC’s to install the control software (a good thing). I did have to manually pair the dongle and headset, it was not auto paired as indicated in the documentation. Environment Sound leakage. I was surprised how much ambient (outside) noise leaked into the headset in quiet parts of the game. This is a personal choice, some people like to hear what else is going on around them. I find it diminishes immersive gameplay. With no sound playing from the game, it is like you are not even wearing a headset in terms of sound blocking. Again, depending upon your preferences, this is either the best for sound leakage or worst for sound leakage. I can only say of the dozen or so headsets I’ve testing in the past 3 years, this allows the more outside sound to reach your ears than just about any headset I’ve tried. Comfortable to wear for long periods of time. I felt no fatigue even after a few hours. I wish it had a wired 3.5mm jack option for additional device compatibility. SOUND QUALITY / CAPABILITY Using the SteelSeries Control App (Sonar) you can fine tune the sound field to exactly how you want experience you sound. There are even pre-defined game profiles to optimize the sound on game per game basis. I find the sound quality just OK. It has good overall (average) sound. The sound felt a little thin / weak to me. I don’t know how to best describe it (sound is hard to describe) but compared to other headsets I’ve tested it is just not as immersive or rich. RECOMMENDATION The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 is a solid choice for mid-range headset. It prioritizes comfort and long battery life over sound isolation and audiophile sound quality. For a good everyday gaming headset it is a good choice, especially if you already have other SteelSeries products.

Just like the Steelseries keyboard and mouse I have had for about a year, this headset is well designed and built, offering great performance and value. It is comfortable and easy to use, both for games and calls. The Steelseries GG app allows me to manage settings and customizations for all of my Steelseries products in one place. Pros 1. Great audio quality and volume. Music is clear with solid bass response (just don't leave it on the standard flat EQ - see below). Disabling the audio limiter in the Steelseries software allows you to turn up the volume to hear soft details in games (really useful in games where subtle audio ques are key to survival... FNAF). - Steelseries GG PC software offers an extremely customizable equalizer with custom settings, presets for a ton of games, and different equalizers for either connection (2.4ghz and Bluetooth). You can take it a step further by enabling the Sonar feature, which allows different equalizers divided into task (gaming, chat, media). - Awesome battery life...Steelseries spec is 60hrs and I am on track to get close to that; using 1-2% per hour in 3-5hr blocks over the past 5 days. - Nice sized physical buttons and useful indicator lights. Mute button is a toggle with a satisfying click and has an indicator LED built in to the mic that turns it red when muted. There is a volume control knob that is independent of the source settings (letting you leave volume at max on your device and adjust the headset with no weird display glitches). There is also a button for quickly switching between connections and a clear LED that indicates the connection type and status. - Both the Bluetooth and 2.4ghz connection can be active at the same time (with the Arctis Nova mobile software). Allowing you to automatically switch to an incoming phone call on Bluetooth just by answering it on the phone and back to you PC again when it ends. - Stowable microphone can be positioned perfectly when needed and completely gone when you are not using it. I have used this headset for chat and also for work calls with no complaints. I like that you can configure the amount of microphone feedback (sidetone) and sensitivity in the Steelseries app. - Arctis Nova mobile software allows you to access settings, see connection/battery status, and change equalizer presets on the go. Things to Consider - I found the headset extremely comfortable, with breathable fabric ear cups and a stretchy fabric band for support (I love this, because I am bald, and many cheap headsets stick to my head). The headset offers some adjustment for head size, allowing the plastic band to expand by a little over an inch on each side for larger heads and a second set of holes on the fabric stretch band can be used to increase tension if the fit is too loose. I could see this being a tight fit for some, as I am average sized and these fit perfectly fully extended on length, with the stretch band on the looser setting, and little room to spare on the ear cups.

This headset is in the proverbial goldilocks zone of headsets in all respects. It is neither over the top or too low in quality, price, and performance, it is just right. I am incredibly picky about my headsets; I need to start off by establishing that with you. I have reviewed no less than 7 or 8 headsets in the last three years and no headset has been able to dethrone and permanently replace my daily driver gaming headset, my Logitech 535. This for over two years has been the most comfortable headset I have ever worn with a lightweight, cool feel and great battery life. This week, my headset has been dethroned by this most excellent Artic Nova 5 Wireless headset! Let me happily share all the specifics with you next, but I will just tell you to go ahead and buy this headset and try it out if you are even remotely sure you want to give it a shot! This headset is built for comfortable and endurance type gaming. That much is evidenced in every stich, hinge, fabric, and ounce of this very incredibly ergonomic headset. The ear cups are amazing at isolating sound, but the accomplish this not through being hot and sweaty pleather type material, but as foam and ventilated fabric ear cups! Very impressive design. I have a roasting hot head all the time, and this headset is one of the rare things that keeps my head cool in a 4-hour gaming session in my 77-degree F office. The suspension band styles of headsets are awesome and are a great movement in headsets. This is what was first notable about my beloved Logitech 535 wireless headset, and I am thrilled to see that design in other headsets like this one. You get the same support and weight distribution of the headset on your head without a giant foam cushion smashing in your head and giving you the infamous “streamer divot” on your dome, ha-ha! This headset is very customizable for all sorts of heads and seems to have a good balance of clamping strength, neither too much nor too little. The audio quality of this headset, plus the customizability in the SteelSeries software is, bar-none, some of the best I have experienced in this price range! The audio profiles and EQ of this headset is incredible to navigate. There are so many profiles built into the software to explore, including game specific audio profiles like “footsteps Call of Duty” “Hunt Showdown” and more. There are also music specific EQ settings that are just awesome. I particularly love the bass boost for my dubstep and EDM and lo-fi music. Even just Flat EQ profile yields some amazing audio. SteelSeries has dialed in this headset perfectly. The software of this headset on PC also has many more notable and excellent customizable features with intuitive controls and interactions. This headset has customizable sidetone that is incredibly clear in quality and can get LOUD. This would be amazing for hard of hearing gamers or streamers who are trying to appropriately monitor and modulate their voice during intense gaming sessions. This headset can get LOUD in general. There is a toggle turned on from the factory in the software on my headset that purposely limits the max volume of the headset. Turn this off and you could probably make your ears bleed, ha-ha! This is once again great for hard of hearing gamers who do not have their audiologists’ orders to limit external volume sources on their implants or hearing aid devices. The microphone is one of the cleverest pieces of engineering I have seen in a while. Not only is it a clear and excellent quality mic, but it is able to be tucked completely away and hidden! No easy to lose and annoying removable mic or flip up model here. Just stow it back in the headset and pull it out when you need it. A further clever piece of design is that when you put the headset on mute, there is a red LED that lights up on the microphone so you can quickly glance down and see if you are muted or not! And guess what? This is ALSO customizable. You can adjust the brightness of this LED in the SteelSeries software. I am a variety gamer Twitch Streamer with a little over 350 followers at the time of this review (EagleEyeHunts) and I am going to now use this headset and Mic combo in my streams! The versatility of this headset is amazing. It works via its USB-C 2.4ghz wireless hub, Bluetooth connection, or direct wired connection. I have used the Bluetooth and switching toggle between my phone and computer while gaming and it works perfectly. I think that people who are not yet in possession of a Bluetooth over the ear headset for listing to music should be really excited. This headset is a perfectly rational and even commendable pick for on-the-go music listening. I don’t even think it would be out of place in a gym workout session and certainly does not stick out in any circumstance around town during a commute. Higher-end SteelSeries wireless headsets offer simultaneous audio streaming from multiple devices, but personally I find that to be very distracting and prone to issues in audio balance, especially when I am streaming. This to me is the perfect balance between versatility and convenience. The 2.4ghz USB-C hub connection even works on my 2021 MacBook Pro 14! Very cool! My only non-SteelSeries dig on this headset is that I am getting confused why so many companies have switch to this obnoxious USB-C hub design that is short and wide. This one is over an inch and a half wide and covers multiple USB and other connection port when it is directly plugged in. SteelSeries does include a USB-C extension cable with a USB-A connection on the other side that works fine for extending the 2.4ghz hub away from the PC in question, but I still think it is obnoxious design wise. Overall, this Arctis Nova 5 Wireless headset is a major win for SteelSeries in my book! I am truly so excited to have this headset in my possession and I am looking forward to many hundreds if not thousands of hours of gaming and streaming on it. Thanks for reading my review and I hope it has helped increase your enthusiasm for your purchase!

These over-ear headphones have been a blessing for me. Unlike most other headsets, which tend to be heavy and tight and cause me headaches during extended wear, these headphones are incredibly comfortable. I’ve experienced no discomfort whatsoever. The smaller fit is perfect for my head, and even my 9-year-old finds them comfortable. While the sound quality is good, I do have better sounding headsets. However, the comfort level more than compensates for any minor audio trade-offs. I can wear these for hours without fatigue, which is most important for me. The controls are intuitive, but I do wish they had a few extra features. For instance, the retractable mic is convenient, but it remains hot even when not extended. I envisioned the mic would auto-mute when retracted, but that's not the case. The mic has a small red light at the end, which illuminates when muted. This feature is incredibly useful, but can be disabled via the app if you find it distracting. I’d also love a tap-to-pause feature on the earpiece, instead of searching for the button. Interestingly, despite being labeled “For PC,” these headphones work flawlessly with my PS5. You can seamlessly switch between the 2.4 GHz signal and Bluetooth by tapping a button on the right ear. This allows you to effortlessly toggle between phone calls and gaming. The retractable mic also gives this headset some additional versatility, allowing you to wear them to the gym or out on a walk. Lastly, the battery life is impressive. Even without a full initial charge out of the box, I’ve used them continuously for several days, and they’re still going strong.

Wow.... Headphones are getting better and better as new designs are rolling out. These artis nova 5s are wonderful. Setup was super simple. Charged for about 2 hours and I was fully charged. Bluetooth was a snap. Picked using cell or PC and I was in. Using the dongle was even easier. Switching between Bluetooth and wireless on android was a little bit messy as my kids phone was a bit confused. So I had to reboot the phone. Worked after that. Might have been an android issue. The hidden mic is one of the best parts... No more losing my mic boom. It pulls in and out with ease! Yeah!!! Game play was nice on dongle. Zero lag. Bluetooth was a different story. Supper laggy. Mic use with multiplayer was nice and easy to use. My kid ran geometry dash on PC and Android using dongle and it was flawless. Using Bluetooth and it was super lag. Would only recommend using Bluetooth on phone calls or zoom calls. Something that is not as demanding. Comfort was nice. 4 hours straight play and no ear or head fatigue. Fully adjustable for small or medium size heads was a cinch. Nice feel and weight. 3 days of play and still on first charge. So battery life is pretty good..

Highly recommended by one of the salespersons who happens to also be a gamer. Picked it up on sale and it did not disappoint. The headset sounds great and I'm able to pick up sound cues in every direction when playing Cyberpunk 2077 or Ready or Not. The battery life is exceptional and the headset light and extremely comfortable.

Packaged nicely, you get some swag (stickers), the dongle which is a USB-C, two cords (USB-A to USB-C male and a USB-A to USB-C female to use as an adapter for said dongle, and obviously the headphones themselves. Each of the USB-As has a nice bit of length to it so reaching a surface for charging or extending the dongle range a few feet can be achieved. The headphones connect via 2.4 or Bluetooth, and on the right can the button immediately next to the power handles this very quickly, though I will say the first time I went to power them off without looking I bumped the connection switch button, not a huge deal but mentioning it all the same. I really wasn't paying attention so user error, and the power button has a little nub on it which helps. Probably something to keep in mind if you have a kid using them as they may bump it and then wonder why something isn't working. The power (USB-C input) is also on the base of the right can. The mic is hidden in the left ear can and slides out but also has a little resistance on it, so you can have it partially out to any length between min and max and it will stay put, a nice feature as most of my other sets have a fixed length arm that doesn't always hit the sweet spot. There is a mute button and volume wheel on the left can, so you can see you have your mic/volume on the left side, anything power/connection related on the right - standard placement, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" situation. The elastic headband has three adjustments to help fit various head curvatures, nothing ground breaking, but something cheaper offerings don't provide so worth mentioning it's one of those little details that you get for buying something at this price-point. Last thing concerning the headphones before we move onto the software is the sound quality. It isn't anything audiophile worthy, but gets the job done when put up against other gaming headphones. I compared to my HD660S' and then to two G935s (one OEM, the other modified) and these surpassed each of the 935s but lost out to the 660S' when it came to reproducing the full sound range and maintaining it at volume. There's some noticeable clipping going on when things get punchy and there's a lot going on. Luckily there's PLENTY in the software to help with this, also the NOVA 5 is significantly cheaper than the HD660S (especially now with the S2 on the market and the price of the S has come down). So what really blew me away was the software. So much to mess with here that I figured I'd provide plenty of screenshots and give as quick an overview as I could. After getting it up and running it can be a little overwhelming, there's stuff for the entire gamut of products not just the headphones, and there's a lot of integration areas offering tie-ins to other platforms, games, etc. All-in-all, an awesome one-stop-shop to control your sound and mixing needs whether it be gaming, streaming, podcasting, or just listening to some music. You get what is essentially a mixing board for your different programs. You can drag/drop them into various categories and each of those categories can have their own settings which you can adjust on the fly, use the pre-configured offerings, or make your own. Some games are already in the library and have their own unique EQ settings, others can be added and I'm sure the EQ settings can be downloaded from the community or you can do your own (I didn't look into this, but it makes sense that it would be possible). For example I saw Fallout 76 in the library, but no other Fallout games. My immediate thought was that I could add those myself and then mirror the EQ for Fallout 76, or dig around online and see what others had used. I installed everything on my media/server PC so I fired up a number of programs, played movie files, music, and did some work calls with the mic (walkie talkie was fun), moving programs around the mixing board, adjusted settings at random, messed with the sliders and got a feel for just how nuanced you can dial things in. Awesome product, worth the price, software is top-notch, can't wait to put these through the paces on some games and continue to explore the software and the customization it provides. The only thing I even remotely have an issue with is the aforementioned clipping, but it is only in very exacting situations, which again, can be mitigated by adjusting the EQ/spatial sound/and any number of other settings. This is the only reason I removed a star in my overall score - the out of the box sound quality is a little "meh" forcing you to spend some time in the software to get it "just right." Aside from that, feel confident if you decide to snag these that you're getting a great product for your money. Highly recommended.

My old headphones started going out, so I got these as a replacement. They are so much lighter and more comfortable than what I had before. The battery life is great and the range away from my phone or computer is almost anywhere in my house. I definitely hope these last a long time.

So I am always looking for a good headset for my PC gaming. I'll be first to admit that I struggle with justifying buying gaming headsets above $200 or below $100. I always had a belief that I should only buy budget to mid tier headsets believing that the quality for sound and comfort would be the same, as long as I could adjust the settings on my computer or app. I have used SteelSeries in the past, and wanted to take chance on these since these fit in between my budget. The box lays out what the Artis Nova 5 offers. Setting up to my gaming laptop was pretty effortless, and I didn't need the included dongle. I really liked the fact that this claims a 60 hour battery life which is nearly twice that of competitive sets (50 for gaming, 60 for bluetooth usage). The mic boom is clearly tucked away inside the ear cup and comes out. a companion app that has a ton of game presets. There is an app that you can download that offers several sound options to best match your taste and mood. I was blown away at the sound quality when playing FPS games, RPG, and online. The Neodymium Magnetic Drivers made the sounds come out clear and very immersive. The Arctis Nova 5 offers 360-degree spatial audio, so I did feel very immersed in the game. When gaming on TF2, my team heard me really clearly and my voice was crisp. They are decent on the comfort level. The head band is supposed to provide a snug feeling, but I have a larger-than-average head, so it kept lifting the headset more top of my head. It is removable but the 4 prongs on the side would rub off the sides of my head. I ended up leaving it on which did press down on my hair. The over-the-ear cups are very comfortable. I mentioned earlier about the dongle and the ability to switch between the 2.4gHz to bluetooth with a simple button. This was a nice feature to have, but felt it was only necessary if I was using this headset for mobile gaming and I needed to answer a phonecall. Otherwise, I really only needed this for my PC. I did connect this to my XBox which provided similar experiences. Overall, these are really good mid-range gaming headsets. They are very clean looking, love the hidden mic, with great sound quality. I wished the headband could be removed without the grooves scratching my head, but again, not a deal breaker. For the price, these are definitely a good pick for PC usages.

The Steel Series Arctis Nova 5 is a gaming headset for the masses. It's available in three flavors; the Xbox, PS5 and PC. The one I got is the one for the PC which is also compatible with the PS5. The box is smartly packed with two USB-A cables, one for charging your headset and the other to hook up the USB-C 2.4 ghz dongle for the headset. The headset is designed for gaming and as such supports both Bluetooth and its proprietary dongle. It feature a pop out microphone that's on a flexible wand, a head strap and not much more. The headset is light but well built and the headband actually makes it feel like you're not wearing a headphone. The audio quality for the headphones is a tad bright for my tastes. I gave it about 8 hours of playing music at moderate volume to hope it just needed a break-in. The included steel series app that allows you to modify the sound settings worked but still a tad bright for my liking in the end. During gaming the headset performed but sadly I felt that my existing headset did a better job in spatial 3D placement. Perhaps it was something to do with the software settings. Sound quality once again was a tad bright and needed to turn down volume after a while. In conclusion, Do I like it?…yes it's a premium headset that's of quality. The sound quality may not suit me but perhaps would suit you. Overall it's a good headset if you're looking for a gaming headset this is one option but there are other options on the market that also should also be considered.

So I really like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Headset. I have a big head and they are pretty comfortable. Here are some of my thoughts about it. Pros: Comfort: The lightweight design and breathable ear cushions are great for long gaming sessions without discomfort. Ease of Use: Simple setup and user-friendly controls make it accessible for non-tech-savvy users. Microphone Quality: The ClearCast microphone provides clear communication, reducing background noise effectively. Wireless Performance: The 2.4GHz wireless connection is reliable and lag-free. Software Integration: The SteelSeries Engine software allows for extensive customization of audio settings. A few cons: Battery Life: While 20 hours is decent, it may not be enough for marathon gaming sessions. Customization: The software could be more intuitive and offer deeper customization options. Overall, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Gaming Headset is a versatile and high-quality product that caters to various user needs. With a few improvements and additional features, it could become an even more compelling choice across different user categories.

I've had the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 headset for about a month and a half now and it is the best headset I've ever owned, although I have a few complaints. Starting off with the comfort, I can wear this thing for hours and sometimes I'll forget I'm even wearing it. They're very well built and the design is very low-key and sleek. The sound quality is amazing and I can hear everything in game, but one major problem is that I can hear everything that I'm doing in real life too. The wheel on the back left side of the headset controls the volume, and if you put it too high you can hear quite literally EVERYTHING, whether it's clicking keys or background noise. It's not like you can only hear this stuff through the headphones, but it is amplified and you can almost hear it twice. Other than that, the mic quality is great but if you don't want to hear yourself talking then you have to keep the volume at about 75%, forcing you to turn the volume all the way up on your computer. With that, there is virtually no noise cancellation but when you're listening to music or playing a game you really won't notice any background noise. The software is also really annoying because when I want to connect the headphones via Bluetooth there are a million options (chat, microphone, media, aux, gaming) for the output sound, but when using the dongle there is a specific one which is better. Speaking of the dongle, there should really be a disclaimer that it is 3 ports wide and takes up so much space. I had to get a usb-c to usb-a adapter because my usb-c port is close to other ports that I need to plug other things into. Finally, the battery life is pretty good and it charges quickly. Overall, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 is a great choice for a gaming headset with great sound and microphone quality, but maybe wait for it to go on sale to buy it as $130 feels a little expensive (I got mine for $90 on sale) and unless you don't have port space for a monster of a dongle, definitely look into picking these up.

I can see how this headset can be comfortable for some people. However, if you aren't used to an elastic headband, it will take a couple of days to get used to it and might feel like it's digging into your head. If you have big ears, I don't recommend them; earcups are somewhat small. Soundwise, they sound great, and the online app is simple to navigate. You can customize the audio depending on the game or music you are listening to. They are light and the earcups are breathable, providing great comfort. I recommend it, especially if you can get it on sale which most times it is.

I bought these headohones a few weeks ago because my old arctis 5s finally stopped working after years of use. These headphones are a stepup from those the audio quality is better the microphone is better and the wearbility is better. For $120 and even the original $150 they are a great price. The 2.4ghz connectivity is amazing and its range is impressive and the seamless swap to bluetooth when pressing the button is very nice.

These headphones are comfortable, have a great noise level, and let me speak clearly through the mic. Best pair of headphones I've purchased.