The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless video gaming headset gets practically whatever right, using a compelling blend of style, convenience, and Hi-Res audio that sounds impressive.
It likewise uses demanding players tons of ways to personalize their audio experiences with functions like Pro Grade Parametric EQ and 3D Spatial Audio. And along with double cordless functionality (2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth), the Arctis Nova Pro featured a convenient base controller that lets you change between your PC and Xbox One or Xbox X/S at journalism of a button.
All this performance will set you back $349.99, which appears a bit steep thinking about a non-wireless variation retails for $100 less. Still, for earphones with a level of functionality that can actually make you a better gamer, this might be well worth the rate.
Note: See our roundup of the very best wireless video gaming headsets to find out about contending products, what to look for in a wireless video gaming headset, and purchasing recommendations.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless design
Some premium video gaming headsets get high marks for comfort but fall short in the style department. The SteelSeries Nova Pro Wireless, however, are a complete package featuring a trendy, mostly black exterior with a premium-looking gun metal leading band and earcup covers.
SteelSeries has actually integrated its ComfortMAX system into the Nova Pro Wireless’ style, which is an expensive method of saying the style is developed to accommodate heads of every size and shape.
3 main features intend to improve comfort: height-adjustable sides, a main versatile stress band, and turning earcups. I discovered the stress band to be more comfy than the cushion in my existing earphones, permitting my head more space to move. The earcups likewise feel really soft– so much so that I hardly noticed I was wearing anything on my head after a long stint video gaming.
The Nova Pro Wireless earphones are likewise remarkably hard. The top band is made from PVD layered steel however is flexible. The outer part of the earphones are also made from metal, and they proved scratch resistant regardless of my rough usage. Controls placed on the left-hand side are easy to navigate with your fingers as soon as you find them. The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless’ microphone withdraws into the base, offering it plenty of security.
From an audio point of view the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is outstanding, not just in regards to the quality, but due to the fact that the headset enables players to individualize their audio settings precisely as they wish– from an option of connectivity, right to their preferred EQ settings.
The headphones can be utilized wirelessly via a 2.4 GHz connection or via Bluetooth, but they can also be plugged in. These modes all have their respective advantages and disadvantages– the biggest difference of which is the audio quality. In cordless mode you get higher freedom of movement, however without the tonal range of the Hi-Res 96KHz/24-Bit audio you get while plugged into the provided GameDac Gen 2 base controller.
The new second generation GameDAC features an updated ESS Sabre Quad-DAC chip, which SteelSeries states more properly decreases distortion and noise than its predecessor. I got a far richer audio experience plugged into it while playing video games like Skyrim and Elden Ring than I did wirelessly, allowing me to pick up subtle seem like the wind in the lawn and trees. This richer soundscape truly did include more environment to my games and total elevated my video gaming experience. The microphone likewise produced a decent audio quality that won me a few compliments in voice talks.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headphones also score huge points for their Multi-System Connect performance. Switching between my PC and my Xbox One on the GameDAC needed just a few twists and clicks. Adjusting specifications like the EQ and chat settings across these platforms was likewise a cinch on the GameDAC’s generously-sized OLED display.
You can turn the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and 360 Degree Spatial Audio on or off whenever you like, however for the sake of my testing I kept them switched on. Putting these 2 technologies through their speeds, I found the ANC didn’t totally block some external sounds– this was more noticeable viewing motion pictures and listening to music than gaming, where my headphones seemed more effective at separating a video game’s audio.
The 360 Degree Spatial Audio on the other hand, was regularly impressive; it utilizes 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound tracks to send the specific placement of sound in area. It really boosted my spatial awareness in video games. Even without altering any of the EQ settings on the GameDAC controller, sounds resonated left and best and around each ear, properly showing directions and allowing me to more easily find enemies.
My wireless earphones likewise let me game through Wi-Fi connection while taking cell phone calls through a Bluetooth connection, which implies I never had to miss a call. This simultaneous audio functionality can likewise be utilized for listening to music, podcasts or in Discord too.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Software
Making quick equalization changes in the GameDAC controller is a pretty helpful function however you can do a lot more in the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless’ Sonar software, which you’ll find in the SteelSeries GG app. Here I could individualize the Nova Pro Wireless’ EQ settings for specific video games and likewise tweak the sound of my voice in chat, along with a bunch of microphone settings.
Something professional gamers comprehend is that tweaking your EQ can provide you a competitive benefit. For example, you can optimize your sound to choose your rivals’ footsteps from among the in-game clatter. Doing this yourself can be quite picky, but in Sonar, SteelSeries’ sound engineers give you 23 pre-made gaming presets to choose from– some generic, however others specifically for titles optimized for games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Fortnite, Dota 2, Forza Horizon V and Call of Duty: Warzone.
With this in mind, I checked one of SteelSeries’ more generic presets called ‘FPS Footsteps’ in an old preferred shooter, Insurgency. This worked a reward, easily magnifying the footsteps of anyone approaching me.
Having the ability to much better hear the steps of foes made it easier to protect crucial tactical points, particularly those that were indoors and already had a slight echo result. As you can envision, there’s no end to the amount of experimentation possible in Sonar, which is an amazing possibility for when we review future SteelSeries gadgets.
Conclusion
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is a premium gaming headset packaging Hi-Res audio as well as 360 Degree Spatial Audio, Active Noise Cancellation and a ton of customization options. They’re likewise elegant, hardy, and comfy. Our review set with dual cordless and wired connectivity does not come low-cost at $350, however if you can do without cordless, SteelSeries has a wired-only version for $100 less expensive.
