Customer Ratings & Reviews

These are my very first pair of SteelSeries headsets. I have had every brand of gaming headsets you can imagine. First impressions: Very plain looking headset. No RGB. No crazy colors. Very simplistic design. All the buttons on both sides of the headset initially give a what does this button do. Thankfully there is an actual hard copy owner's manual to reference. Ear Cups: The earcup cushions feel very comfortable and the cloth material is very soft. Softer than my aging Corsair Void RGB Elite. Cups have the right amount of give to not push my eyeglasses against my temples. Each cup is marked L and R. The earcups fold flat but do not fold. Headband: Not a fan of the headband at all. There is a 3 way adjustment of the headband. I prefer a headband with memory foam on it instead of the elastic band. Fortunately it is still very comfortable and doesn't pull one's hair. I also don't like the adjustment of the earcup holder length. Takes a lot of force to pull them down. Sound/Mic: On a scale of 1:10 the sound is about an 8. You can make adjustments using the Arctis Nova 5 Companion App. Sounds good with bluetooth but I feel like the headset was built more for the 2.4GHz playback when connected to the Xbox Series X. No feedback with Mic (mic retracts). Sounds good and a little better than the corsair and on par with my wired HyperX wired headset. What comes in the box: You get a usb-c cable and another usb-c cable extension (no power brick), wireless dongle, and info guides along with some stickers. Charges: It rapids charge with USB-c. I just used my apple ipad pro charging block. The LED breathes green when charging. Final Thoughts: These headsets are packed with additional features that my son and I will never used. Get the xbox version because it can connect to just about everything. The build is solid and I hope the battery lasts a very long time. It does not have a 3.5mm jack so when the battery no longer holds a charge I guess it is end of life for the unit. I have not checked if usb-c charging port also seconds as a headphone jack. These do run a little small IMO opinion. If you have a larger than normal size head you should probably stay away or run them without the elastic band. The elastic band is removable but the actual plastic headband isn't lined with cushioning.

The best thing about this headset is its build quality. They feel very solidly built and I think they’ll be able to take a beating from your little ones, or from those of you who might just toss them onto your desk or wherever after you are done gaming. The headband, earcups are very strong and the earcups are quite comfortable. But to my ears, the sound quality is just alright. I’m very picky about headphones though, and I own some high end headphones. So to most consumers, these will probably get the job done. But if you’re an audiophile or expecting amazing sound out of these, then I would say look elsewhere. I played rocket league, Fortnite, and call of duty with these headphones on and they sound bright. To my ears they lack bass and miss, so most games are going to sound trebly. They are loud though, and voices in chat come through loud and clear. The microphone is cool because it retracts fully into the earcup. You’ll have to mute it with the press of a button otherwise it stays active when retracted. My only other complaint is the usb c dongle it comes with. The Xbox series x only has the OG USB ports for it, so you’ll have to use the long adapter that they provide in the box to use these wirelessly. I can’t blame the headset for it, this is Microsoft’s fault, for not putting a usb c port on the Xbox series x. The adapter is just unnecessarily long. For Pc, or Nintendo switch though, this will not be an issue as the wireless dongle will connect and pair great. All in all, I love the brand. They make a very good headset for most casual gamers. I would recommend these for your kids, they are very tough and should take a beating. They will be content with these. For serious gamers and audiophiles? I would suggest you spend a little more and get something better.

TLDR: The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X offers up an impressive 60 hours of battery life along with very good audio quality when using the included 2.4GHz dongle but comes up way short on Bluetooth audio quality compared to its competition. CONFIGURATION I initially configured the Nova 5’s on my Windows PC, which is my primary gaming PC. I would recommend initial configuration be completed with a PC before using the 5X with other devices due to a mandatory firmware update this is required on first power up. Fortunately, the firmware update to both the dongle and the headset completed quickly and without any fuss or issues. One thing SteelSeries needs to work on is their Windows apps. They have a total of 5 different apps you can download that are applicable to the 5X. Users must download the Gaming Gear app for firmware updates and then a separate app, Sonar, for audio configuration. While both apps are easy enough to use, I don’t like the multitude of different apps. Not to mention the other 3 offerings for game captures, recording, etc. While separate apps do make for a much lighter weight install than SteelSeries’ competitors, it also makes it cumbersome to find the app you want when you want to make changes. USE The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X boasts an impressive battery life, up to 60 hours! With a 15-minute fast charge option that nets you up to 6 hours of use. Wow! Using them for several hours playing games on the PC didn’t faze the 5X’s as they were still showing 98% battery life. Outstanding. Like other manufacturers have started doing, the 5X’s allow the user to switch seamlessly between the 2.4GHz dongle and Bluetooth with just a press of a button. It works well & I was able to switch between my PC (2.4) and my iPad (Bluetooth) with ease. I’m glad manufacturers have started making it simple to switch between multiple devices. SteelSeries states the Nova 5X’s can reproduce the full audio spectrum, 20Hz – 20,000Hz using their included 40mm drivers. When I first tested them, I was concerned that the 40mm drives would be substantially weaker than the now standard 50mm drivers found in most premium headphones. I was surprised at their ability to reproduce such low bass frequencies with drivers that are 20% smaller than a lot of the competition. Speaking of audio quality, the Nova 5X do a very good job sonically using the included 2.4GHz dongle. Audio is punchy and decently accurate (note that these do not offer any noise cancellation). There are over 100 different presets available in the either the Windows Sonar app or the SteelSeries companion app to help tailor the Nova 5’s to your liking. To be honest, 100 different presets is really overkill. Listed mostly by game (though there are several presets for movies and music) each preset is just a very subtle variation of the next and I couldn’t tell a discernible difference between most of them. I like other manufacturers’ approaches where they offer a basic configuration based on the game genre and then let you just fine-tune the settings from there, as like I said, the differences between 100 different presets are minimal for the most part. NEGATIVES As much as I enjoyed the sonic performance of the 5X’s while using the 2.4GHz dongle, I dislike their performance over Bluetooth. Quite frankly, these are some of the worst performing headphones over Bluetooth I’ve used in a long time, regardless of price point. Audio was muddied, muted, and lackluster to say the least. No amount of fine tuning via companion app was able to correct the poor audio quality. To add insult to injury there was a very noticeable Bluetooth lag. So much so, that only after about 20 minutes, I had to stop watching a movie with them. It was too distracting having the screen so far out of sync with the audio. Ugh. FINAL THOUGHTS I really enjoyed gaming with the Nova 5X’s linked to the included 2.4GHz dongle. The audio was very dynamic and aggressive. More aggressive than many others. The Sonar spatial audio works well and is very convincing at creating a virtual surround sound environment along with offering many different adjustments to help tweak the audio to your liking. What I don’t like, is that I cannot use Dolby Atmos or DTS Headphone X with the Nova 5’s. However, what really holds these headphones back is their poor Bluetooth performance. I have ear buds that cost 1/3 as much as the Nova 5’s that sound better via Bluetooth. I will give the Nova 5’s a recommended rating if being used with the 2.4GHz dongle. But, if used solely with a Bluetooth connection, it would be a not recommended. RECOMMENDED with caveats.

These headphones are super comfortable even for long periods of time and have good sound quality. The battery life last longer than any other wireless headphones I have used before. They are a great purchase for the price.

Love the ability to be able to have it connected to my xbox and phone at the same time. Weight and comfort are very good, simple install, also love the retractable microphone.

Good quality wireless headset. The sound is pretty good, the app is good, the build quality is good, holds a long charge. It's also reasonably loud, just remember to turn off the loudness protection in the application. Can you buy IEMs that sound better for this price? Yes. But these are nice from a convenience perspective. The app does allow you to EQ, which is nice. They do lean bass heavy.

Awesome so far. The duality of bluetooth and 2.4 usb brought a convenience I never thought of. Stays charge for days and sound is clear and mic sounds clean and clear.

Great headset. Great sound & build. Lightweight and comfortable. I don't like how you have to plug into a PC & use app to configure for Xbox use. But once done they work good. And the Bluetooth is a nice feature.

Light weight, long battery life, perfect amount of clamp force. Overall very happy.

Sound quality for the price can be a little flat, not enough depth to surrounding sounds or bass at times, just loud noise at times. That being said, the fact i can use it with anything an not just console does make this a convenient product, hidden mic so it dosent get damaged is nice. I would buy this on sale and i would recommend to anybody looking for something under the 200 price range

Very comfortable headset, not super heavy, sound quality is very nice sometimes as good as other headsets. Easy to sync and use.

Very comfortable and easy on the ears, sounds incredible my sound cues are much crisper and my kd has gone bonkers inedible product thank you

Bought these for my girlfriend, wanted to get her something wireless and comfortable but not break the budget on some A50s. These are comfortable and the battery not only lasts forever but it charges so fast. Comfy, never dies, can be worn for hours, and wireless, definitely checks all of my boxes

I’m a Sony fan and wanted the Pulse Elite to be my new replacement headset. I had been using the same old wired set for about 10 years and wanted to finally go wireless. Unfortunately the Elites were heavy and huge. The one size fits all set up was terrible. I have a small head (6 7/8 hat size) and the Elites just slid right off my head with any movement. I tried the Pulse 3D after. I heard they fit better and tighter. Wrong! I saw SteelSeries had something new coming out so I decided to wait a bit and I’m glad I did. They fit like a glove and are super light. I went with the 5X so that i could use them on Xbox and PS5. They’re very good. Also works with PS Portal as long as you’re in range of the PS5. Only small gripe is that the Nova 5 skipped the 3.5 jack. Pretty silly if you ask me but it is what it is. Can’t go wrong with these for $130. Sound is great and there are a ton of presets with the app. Also has bluetooth. Nice for watching TV through a Roku and such. Very good purchase.

I got this headset for my wife first because her gen 3 Astro A50’s went bad because of how the wiring is with those headsets so I took a look at these Steel Series headset & my wife liked them more then the Astro’s. So eventually I got a pair of these as well & I have to say they are amazing & they don’t break the bank. This headset can also be switch between being connected to your phone & your console. The app that this headset uses on your phone enhances this headset because there is so many premade settings for many popular games & there are some for movies & music. Highly recommend.

Great headset, the headset is really comfortable and light. I have always had issues with the clamping force of other headsets, but this one has got to be these best headset I've had. The sound quality is great and has plenty of setting that you can change via their Steelseries app.

Steelseries is my go to headset brand every time. I purchased their original “Arctis” line when it first released and have never looked back. For me, Arctis sets the standard for headset comfortability, ESPECIALLY for those who wear glasses and is always the biggest positive to owning the Steelseries line of headsets. The adjustable strap is also another great feature that prevents the headset from just resting on your head. While I’m not the biggest critique of sound profiles, I can state that the headset sounds good all around including voice chat and I have zero complaints. The microphone also is phenomenal and the biggest positive is its ability to filter out background noise and not pick up any unwanted audio. This will be my third headset since the Arctis line launched in 2018 so they have proved great on longevity and will last many years if taken care of.

Bought these on a recommendation from a friend with the PC only version. The price was right when on sale at Best Buy. The sound quality is crisp. The microphone sounds excellent to my friends. They are light and comfortable. Come with a dongle you have to remember to switch back and forth when you go from PC to Xbox or vice versa. The app can be a little wonky at times and they could sound a little fuller, but audio is infinitely adjustable to find something that works. The best part is being able to use 2.4 and Bluetooth simultaneously.

Wow people i love this headphones work with my car, my cellphone, my switch, the steam deack, the xbox and the best is the also work for the ps5. So is for all consoles and gadget that have a usb type c and Bluetooth. Dolby dts great sound it have various modes. Very confortable.

This is the third headset ive purchased this time for my dad. The connectivity is super simple and the audio quality is solid for the price point. Youd have to spend alot more to get any improvement in sound. Mic is also solid and does a good job of blocking outside noise with great clarity. Construction is also great for the price. Treat them right and youll have no issues