Anyone who games competitively knows that even the slightest edge can make all the difference in the world between a win and a loss. That’s why so many players invest money into having the best mouses, keyboards, controllers, and headphones when playing. However, while there are plenty of people out there that are willing to invest hundreds if not thousands of dollars for their game nights with friends, the average person might not have that same willingness to go out and buy expensive gear simply for the one or two times a week they engage in a match of Warzone, Grand Theft Auto Online, or Minecraft with friends. They’re gonna want something that can handle the heavy lifting of not only their hobby as a gamer, but something that they can utilize on the train, at the gym, or listening to music around the house.
For people like this, there really isn’t a better option out there than the Arctics Nova Pro headphones, the newest offering from SteelSeries. Besides a few minor hiccups, we think they not only nailed their goal of creating headphones that make gaming a more enjoyable experience than ever before, but ones that you’re going to find yourself using everywhere you go.
Sound Quality
As with any headphones, sound quality is ultimately going to be the deciding factor for anyone that is interested in these no matter what they plan on using them for. So how do the Artctis Nova Pro headphones improve the listening experience? By putting the control in the hands of the user. The average headphones will offer a few different sound settings here and there, but most of them are predetermined and anyone that wants to customize their listening experience will have to do so through a third party of some kind.
The Arctis Nova Pro headphones however come with access to the Sonar Audio Software Suite. With this, users of the headphones are able to fully customize their audio settings for not only gaming, music, or chatting with friends but to some of the smallest details. For example, if you’re someone that really enjoys Warzone you’re probably aware of how important sound is when you’re unsure where other players might be. With the Arctis Nova Pro headphones, you are able to adjust audio settings to make it so the game will emphasize footstep audio, or maybe gunfire, it’s entirely up to how the player chooses to customize it.
That level of audio customization goes beyond the game though. Players are able to adjust microphone and chat audio as well. If you’re used to playing team games like Overwatch or Apex Legends and need to hear callouts then you might want to adjust it so priority is on chat audio instead of game audio. You can even adjust how other people sound in some instances. For example, does your friend always play with a loud fan or use a mechanical keyboard? With Sonar Audio Software Suite you can add background noise canceling to their audio.
This offers a level of customization that is rarely seen across headphones providers and that is easily their biggest strength. Other headphones can offer more comfort or portability, but nothing has the audio customization choices of the Arctis Nova Pro.
Comfort
That said, we do feel it’s important to talk about the comfort of the headphones. After all, a big selling point of these is how they can be taken on the go or used around the house and comfort plays a big part in if someone is willing to do that. After using them myself for the last few weeks I can say that they are more comfortable than the average pair of headphones, but they do eventually get tiresome of having on your head.
The best part of the Arctis Nova Pro continues to be the customization options. Every pair comes with an adjustable strap inside that allows the user to choose how loose or tight they want them to sit on their head. This strap prevents the headphones from ever feeling too small or squeezing on your head after wearing them for an eight-hour work shift. They’re also naturally designed to not put pressure on the temple points of the wearer’s head. This not only can help those of us who get pressure headaches from having something on our head all day, but it makes it so you don’t have to take them off quite as often to give your head a break.
That said, my ears would get a little irritated if I had them on for too long and with that would come the occasional headache. They’re still way better for marathon sessions than any previous headphones I’ve owned before, but I never got that feeling of forgetting I was wearing them.
Versatility
Finally, let’s discuss what makes these some of the most versatile headphones ever made. The best non-audio portion of these headphones is how they can seamlessly switch between devices. Each pair of headphones comes with a receiver that is used to connect the headphones to a device. Right now, I have mine sitting next to my PC and I have them plugged in through a USB. Thanks to that, I can adjust all my audio on my PC through the general sound mixer or Sonar. What’s really cool about these though is that, if I had my PlayStation 5 docked with this too and turned it on, I would be able to seamlessly switch over to that audio without getting up to plug it into a new audio port.
This ability to switch between devices is incredibly for those of us that own multiple consoles or devices and like to use the same pair of headphones for all of them. It’s thanks to this seamless and versatile switching that someone could, in theory, wear their headphones for an entire day. Leave the house and walk to work listening to music through Bluetooth on your phone, reach your desk at work and flip over to your computer audio, leave work and head to the gym, go back to your phone, only to flip over to the PlayStation or Xbox when you get home. Never once do you have to remove your headphones in any of these scenarios.
If you’re worried about looking silly wearing a pair of headphones with a mic in public, don’t be. All headphones come with a retractable mic that fits so seamlessly that it looks like there isn’t one at all. The style-conscious among us don’t need to be worried about having a weird mic dongle hanging out of the side of their head while working out at the gym. That mic can of course be used for gaming, meetings, or an online game night with friends.
For gamers, the value of these headphones comes in the multiple ways to customize and balance audio. It can’t be emphasized enough how awesome it was to be able to change settings based on the game. They sound great, feel great, and are easily on the same level if not above some of the most popular gaming headphones out there.
For the average person who games as a hobby, the versatility and comfort options make these headphones that can’t be beaten. They’re not only great gaming headphones but great for your everyday use in a way that you’re not going to find with average headphones. If you can afford the $350 price tag then we think they are well worth it.