The Steelseries Arctis Nova Elite is the Goldilocks gaming headset I’ve been waiting for

Introduction

They’ve come a long way from the head-rattling bass boomers of the early naughties, but gaming headsets still carry a bit of stigma among sound snobs. The Steelseries Arctis Nova Elite might be the first to truly break that trend, with audiophile-grade hardware and multi-talented connectivity that help to compete with the best high-end hi-fi headphones.

Drivers made from distortion-busting carbon fibre and true 24-bit/96KHz wireless listening are just a few of the sonic highlights, while a base station handles all your gaming gear – and guarantees you’re never short on battery power.

You’d hope for all that – and maybe more – given a pair will set you back an eyebrow-raising $599/£599/€649. That’s almost twice as much as the Astro A50 X, which had HDMI passthrough, and on par with music world heavyweights like the Bowers & Wilkins PX8 S2. Steelseries is no stranger to breaking new ground on price, though – and after spending a week putting one through its paces, I’m convinced the Arctis Nova Elite could genuinely do it all.

Design & build: green with envy

The Arctis Nova Elite stands out from pretty much any other gaming headset I’ve tried – and Steelseries hasn’t used a single colour-changing LED to achieve it. Blame the distinctive Sage Gold colourway instead, which to me evokes Ladurée macarons more than it does esports or first person shooters. You can also get one in black, if the distinctive gold trim is a bit too bling for your taste.

There’s a clear family resemblance, the ear cups being a similar shape to Steelseries’ other headsets and the suspension-style headband making a return, but with a few tweaks that take it much further upmarket. The inner part of the headband is steel now, and the ear cup hangars are milled from aluminium. The volume wheel is machined from metal, too. Factor in the faux leather wrapping around the headband and ear cushions, and it all feels suitably luxurious. I equally had no worries about wearing it outdoors like a regular pair of headphones.

This isn’t a particularly light headset, weighing in at 380g, but Steelseries has judged the comfort very well. Being able to pop off the suspension band and adjust the amount of tension means no head sizes are left out, and the ear cushions are plushy stuffed with memory foam material. Height, tilt and swivel adjustment cover all the bases, and now it has softened ever-so-slightly after a week of regular listening, the clamping force feels spot on.

You have to pay very close attention – or recognise the Steelseries logo on each ear cup – to tell you’re looking at a gaming headset. The retractable boom mic sits perfectly flush to the left ear cup, and the accompanying mute button matches the power and Bluetooth pairing keys. The 3.5mm port next to it isn’t exactly a giveaway either, and I like how the USB-C port has been hidden beneath a removable cover on the outer part of the ear cup.

A big thumbs up to Steelseries for fitting an onboard mic that can handle calls, meaning you don’t have to pull out the boom mic when you’re away from your desk. It’s clear enough, but the main mic’s AI-assisted noise reduction goes even better: colleagues couldn’t hear the drilling going on outside my window at all when my landlord was getting some maintenance done, while my webcam’s microphone was unusable.

Features & battery: get your game on

The Arctis Nova Elite isn’t the first time Steelseries has bundled one of its gaming headsets with a base station, but the new GameHub is easily the firm’s most advanced to gate. The compact black box easily slots under your monitor or next to your console collection, putting at-a-glance audio info on its OLED display panel and acting as a one-stop shop for all your cables.

Three USB-C inputs at the rear let you hook up a PC, Xbox and PS5 simultaneously – or swap out the latter for a Nintendo Switch or other console if you prefer. I prefer this approach to Astro’s HDMI passthrough, as while it means more cables overall, there are no worries about compatibility with HDR or variable refresh rate modes. 3.5mm line in and out ports then handle analogue audio.

Multi-console gamers will also love how the GameHub can layer in 3.5mm and Bluetooth audio on top of whatever platform you’re using, and your PC sound at the same time. While I’ve never needed four audio streams at once, you could have console gameplay, PC-based voice chat and Bluetooth music from your phone, all at once. It all worked without any audio hiccups in my testing.

The giant volume dial and single touch-sensitive button on the front of the control box handle the most important settings, like the active input and game/chat audio mix – but you can do the same from the headset itself if you’re gaming from the other side of the room. Simple descriptions in large font on the screen make it easy to find your way around without picking up your phone or heading to the GG software on your computer. The gold metal-effect dial adds a bit of bling to my Sage Gold review unit; the black version is more subtle.

It’s the built-in battery charger that’ll come in especially handy if you’re a hardcore player – or just the forgetful sort. A slot in the side of the GameHub holds a second battery pack (included in the box), guaranteeing you’ve got a fully charged spare ready to go if the one in the headset runs dry. The right ear cup cover is easily popped off with a fingernail – it’s only held on with magnets – and swapping cells takes literal seconds, effectively meaning you have zero downtime.

I routinely saw close to Steelseries’ claimed 30 hours of use over 2.4GHz, and while Bluetooth listening was less, that was largely down to me using ANC. It’s still competitive, even if you leave the second battery at home while away from home. Don’t panic about not having the GameHub with you when out and about, either, as the headset has an on-board USB-C connection for direct charging. Being able to buy replacements should the included batteries reach the end of their usable life is also great for sustainability – something a lot of Bluetooth-only wireless headphones aren’t that hot on.

Speaking of Bluetooth, you get LE audio and LC3+ support here. That will futureproof the Arctis Nova Elite for some time, and guarantees its hi-res listening doesn’t just apply to when you’re connected over 2.4GHz to the base station.

Interface: all you need and more

Naturally the Arctis Nova Elite slots into Steelseries’ existing GG software, giving PC players fine-grain control over pretty much every aspect of listening and voice comms. For everyone else there’s the Arctis mobile app, which is a bit more stripped back – but still lets you pick between EQ presets, adjust the ANC, and tweak the mic to your heart’s content.

It’s very easy to navigate, with just a few screens to swipe through and useful info like battery and connection status front-and-centre. High-end hi-fi headphones tend to have more features, admittedly, but unless you’re a sucker for spatial audio or insist on a personalised listening profile, you’re really not missing out on a lot here.

Steelseries GG is where the bulk of the action is. You have full control over the two types of spatial audio, letting you dial in distance and direction for competitive shooters or go for a more immersive feel for single-player content. It’s pretty convincing out of the box, with a wider soundstage than you’d get from a pair of stereo headphones.

The parametric EQ adjustment is unbelievably granular, giving you way more control than a few basic equaliser bands. It’s complex, and takes time to tweak exactly how you like; if you’re not an audio geek there might be too many options to fiddle with here. A good thing there are literally hundreds of game-specific EQ modes to pick from a list within the app, then. These can be applied per-app, too, so your in-game EQ doesn’t affect chat audio.

I wasn’t previously a big fan of Sonar, the part of the app that takes over from Windows’ audio management, but it makes a lot more sense once you start routing specific apps to the chat and microphone channels. It lets you split off voice comms from your games, with individual volume control, even before you factor in a second console into the mix.

Sound quality and noise cancelling: sets the new standard

Top-tier gaming headsets now regularly feature active noise cancellation, but I can safely say I’ve yet to try one that’s as good as the Arctis Nova Elite. The way it can mute background distractions is up there with premium headphones from traditional sound brands. A four microphone array and effective algorithms help quieten low-frequency drones like power tools, and sudden higher frequency sounds like crying children weren’t much of a challenge either.

Wind noise can often be the undoing of some ANC systems, but it absolutely wasn’t a dealbreaker here. I don’t think we’re in Bose or Sony territory just yet, but the fact this is even in the conversation shows Steelseries has put in real effort. It’s one part of what makes these headphones so multi-talented.

The other part is the 40mm dynamic drivers, which are made from carbon fibre and set into brass surrounds. The combination minimises distortion and maximises fine detail in a way you wouldn’t expect for a gaming headset.

Starting with music and movies, there’s a crispness and bite to the high-end that genuinely surprised me. The more hectic moments on Burial’s Dreamfear can be a recipe for sibilance and sharpness, but there’s none of that here. Vocal clarity is excellent, and the mid-range is allowed to breathe. Bass is handled equally well, with enough on tap to give the drum stabs on HEALTH’s Ordinary Loss plenty of aggression, but never straying into cluttered or discordant territory. Overall clarity really does give some big-name alternatives a run for their money.

This of course translates to engaging and dynamic sound in games, with brilliantly transparent highs that give breaking glass and spent brass real texture. At the other end of the spectrum, explosions and gunshots have a wonderful amount of low-end punch, without becoming boomy or dominating. It’s possible to take things too far in either direction with an especially strong EQ, but as long as you’re sensible with your settings – or stick to a preset – this is a simply fantastic listen.

Steelseries Arctis Nova Elite verdict

I’ll admit I was skeptical when the Arctis Nova Elite arrived. Could any gaming headset justify such a high price, even one with an audiophile angle? Now that I’ve lived with a pair for a week, the answer is an emphatic yes. These are high-grade headphones that compete on clarity with mainstream rivals – to the point they can easily become your everyday pair, not just your console companion.

No other gaming headset can match its noise cancelling ability, the Bluetooth options are future-proof, and the styling is conventional enough that – minty green colours aside – you won’t stand out wearing them on your commute. Sure, the multi-console connectivity will be overkill for some, but the GameHub adds an extra level of control and battery-swapping convenience.

If you’re prepared to pay $300 (or more) for a gaming headset, then the same again for a pair to handle all your other listening, it’s not hard to justify the Arctis Nova Elite’s premium. It really can cover every base.

Steelseries Arctis Nova Elite technical specifications