Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Multi-System Gaming Headset — Neodymium Magnetic Drivers — Active Noise Cancellation — 2 Battery System — ClearCast Gen 2 Mic — PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, Mobile

I'm a gamer....and also a remote worker. I found myself looking for an audio solution that would fit both worlds. At the time I was using a wired Arctis Pro headset (prior generation) for gaming, and wireless earbuds for work communications. Needless to say, switching products for different use was becoming irritating, considering both PC's are set up on the same desk. I happened to be browsing the SteelSeries site, and came across the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. Love SS products, as they have never failed me (headset, mouse, keyboard). Needless to say, I took the plunge and purchased them. I've always been a bit skeptical regarding headsets that are both wireless and bluetooth capable. Prior items I've tested always fell short, either in battery life, bluetooth or wireless range. I'm happy to say, I have yet to see any issues with the headset, with one exception, which I'll touch on later. Considering my prior SS headset was the Arctis Pro w/GameDac, I chose to purchase the model with GameDac for the Nova Pro Wireless. My first thought was about battery life *shrug* as that always seem to be a point of contention, even with earbuds I had in the past for use with my phone. I didn't waste time regarding testing wireless and bluetooth battery life separately. Once I had the latest SteelSeries software updates, and updated the headset to the latest firmware, I connected both my personal PC and my work phone to the headset. On an average day, I am typically in calls for at least 6 hours. In between calls, in the past, I had been using the personal PC to stream music via the wired Arctis Pro headset. Needless to say, the idea the Nova Pro wireless would eliminate swapping between headset and earbuds was the first thought in my head. The results were technical perfection. I could listen to music without issue. During inbound or outbound calls, the music muted as calls started. Calls ended, and back to music. No swapping between two devices, no hassle...no muss and no fuss. They say the battery life is on average 11 hours. Luckily this has two batteries and the DAC is also the charger for the spare battery. I've used the headset consistently day in and day out, and typically find I'm only changing the battery after about 13 hours of use without bluetooth enabled, and about the same with bluetooth only being used. With both, I see about 10-11 hours of usage before needing to swap batteries. During the first couple of days, I noticed sound quality wasn't what I was used to from my Arctis Pro headset...then it dawned on me. I needed to go back into the SteelSeries software, and make sure I had changed both the settings and Sonar to have these as the primary sound device, as well as doing the same in my Windows settings. 5 minutes later, music was back to the quality I had grown accustom to. Sounds when gaming had not only returned in quality, but were actually better. Spatial sound allowed for easier identification of direction. All in all, just turned out an overall bettter experience. Another plus was getting up from my desk, having grown comfortable with wearing a headset, and not jerking my head back down because of a cord. I had walked from my desk to my kitchen before I even realized just how freeing the wireless experience was. Distance of the coverage is also amazing. For bluetooth, I can walk 30 feet away from my phone without issue, where my earbuds (Sony 1000MX5) started cutting out after about 5-6 feet, requiring me to pick up my phone every time I moved. On the wireless side, music moves with me all through the house. I can cook, clean, or just chill anywhere and enjoy it. Even this gets close to 30 feet before I start noticing any degradation. The only thing I did notice was something that should have been obvious: if the microwave is between the headset and DAC, it will cause the audio to flutter, but not break completely. Now to the ANC (Noise Cancellation). While it is a great addition to this headset, I think this might be where I have found, from prior use of both, Sony and Bose have more efficient noise cancelling. On the plus side, while it doesn't completely eliminate consistent noise, it does drastically reduce it to a level of being some distance away. Even with the lawn mower nearby, I could hear people on the calls, as well as they could hear me, without the lawn mower drowning either side out. The ANC reduces sound possibly -30db, but doesn't eliminate them all together. Even consistent noises become a minor backdrop in the audio world. It does its job well...even when on Discord with auto-mic in a chatroom. Now I mentioned an exception at the start of this review, and here it is: the fit. My wired Arctis Pros would allow me to bend over and or tilt my head without moving around on my head. This isn't the case with the Nova Pro Wireless. I believe this is due to one simple reason: the factory pads on the headset do not feel as robust as the former, therefore does not have the same ability to remain stationary. This is easily rectified by purchasing aftermarket replacements. If SS were to pay closer attention to reviews, they would see how some have stated this, and I'm in agreement: make them robust...and make them a bit more breathable as well. The faux leather design is just a trend all headset manufacturers follow as it "allows a better fit to eliminate noises around you" Pish Posh! There is hardly any difference between using a breathable material vs "leather" materials, unless you are an uber-picky audiophile. Listen to the people SS...they have spoken. Outside of the pads, this is hands-down a 5-Star production for battery life, sound quality, gaming, media and bluetooth connectity to a ton of various products from phones to TV's to streaming devices. A stellar upgrade from the Arctis Pro wired, in both quality and freedom of movement. If you have your doubts about switching from wired to wireless...do yourself a favor....CUT THE CORD!!! You won't regret it at all.

I see the top review is by a guy named M. Webb. I'd like to address some of his points and how just a few seconds of reading the instructions would have addressed all but one concern he has because the optical port was removed. I have no issues with the GG software. There is a feature that will allow you to hear yourself with ANC on when you're using the mic. If you go to the break-out box, you can turn that off. Other than that, I don't see why he is recommending to stay away from it. You NEED it to update the firmware. 1. "you're restricted to only making changes to sound profiles, etc when you use the software" Hold the button down, it will go into the menus to adjust the sound profiles. It says so in the instruction manual. After updating the firmware I closed the app and have not opened it again. It's running in the background, and I have not used to adjust levels or anything. I do it all with the break-out box it came with. 2. "So they give you this charging box now that doesn't let you do anything other than adjust the volume and chatmix" Again, HOLD THE BUTTON DOWN for like 2 seconds and you can adjust everything from the break-out box just like the previous model. You CAN change sound profiles. You CAN adjust the chant mix You CAN switch input/output modes Read the instructions. 3. "Smaller battery - the previous generation used 1000 mah - they reduced the size to 700 mah. Less capacity so now we have to charge more often / buy more batteries" This is just flat out WRONG. The batteries easily last twice as long as the previous model. The previous model had a much shorter battery life, I have no idea WTF he's even talking about, to be honest. 4. They didn't get rid of digital output, but they did get rid of the optical output, that's his first valid point. But I don't know why you would need it anymore. You can link this with any device that has a USB with the included USB C cable. And yes, it's in surround, not stereo. Again, it seems like he just needs to read instructions, I have had 0 issues swapping devices without having to unplug/plug in any device. The headset outputs surround sound, check your settings. 5. " They decided to use the cheapest plastic design at this single point of failure resulting in headphones that deteriorate well within the warranty period unless you have a tiny head or treat them like they're made of glass." I have no idea what he's even talking about. These are some of the sturdiest headphones I've ever bought. They feel like a tank and are solid. I don't know where this "single point of failure is." He doesn't explain or elaborate. I am looking all over my set and can't find what he's talking about. Everything is sturdy, there are made from metal and thick plastic, but it doesn't feel heavy to wear. 6. "ANC is shit quality. I Have 4 year old BOSE with ANC that work so much better at masking / eliminating drone noise." The ANC is not the best you can get, but it works really well. Based on his previous complaints, I would guess he doesn't know how to turn the ANC on. I cannot hear my PC next to me, I cannot hear the AC running from where I'm sitting with the ANC turned on. Is the ANC as good as my Sony XM5s? Hell no, but those are the best in the industry. If you're getting these to wear everywhere and block sound, they are not the best, for that. But for just sitting at home playing games, again, it works really well. So in conclusion, he has no idea what he's talking about. These are some of the best feeling and sounding gaming headsets I've ever bought. Wearing them kind of feels just like the Sony XM4/5s. So if you like how those fit and feel, you will like this headset. You can connect to 2 devices with this at once too using the breakout box and Bluetooth. So you can listen to a podcast/music on your phone and be connected to your PC/PS5 at the same time listening to both. So I would very much recommend this if you can afford it. They are a very good headset and a justifiable upgrade over the previous model. Some other things to address. I saw another complaint about that, Bluetooth not working. It works fine if you connect it correctly and don't walk away too far. But I can walk downstairs and still listen to my phone with this if the phone is upstairs connected with Bluetooth. I have not had any issues dropping the connection. Maybe it's a defect and he should exchange them? I don't know, I don't have that issue. Another complaint was about having to use the software to adjust the chatmix. You CAN NOT use the software for that. If you try and adjust it with the software it tells you to use the box! See the included screenshot.

I primarily use these on PC for gaming, and the sound quality is genuinely excellent — very clean and detailed. I also have the Arctis Nova 1, which already sounds good for a wired headset, but this is clearly a step above. Comfort has been great even in longer 4–5 hour sessions. No pressure points or fatigue, which matters more than I expected at this price. The hot-swappable battery system is a standout feature and one of the main reasons I bought these. Being able to swap batteries instead of constantly plugging in makes a big difference in day-to-day use. The base station exists mostly for setup in my case — I don’t interact with it much after that. The biggest downside is price. Like a lot of SteelSeries gear, it’s expensive, and you really need to be someone who will take advantage of what it offers. If you’re just looking for decent sound, there are cheaper options that will get you most of the way there. That said, if you want strong wireless performance, great sound, and the convenience of the battery system, this is a very solid headset.

I ordered the Steelseries Nova Pro Wireless to replace my Steelseries Arctis Pro (wired) headset. I ordered two sets of the Steelseries Nova Pro Wireless headsets, one for me and one for my wife. The headsets arrived amazingly fast, same day for one headset and early the next morning for the second headset. The headsets were packaged very well for safe transport. Because I already owned another Steelseries headset I knew the GAMING sound quality (and associated software "Steelseries GG") worked very well and the Steelseries Nova Pro wireless possess a slightly better sound. The sound ,when gaming, compared to my older wired Steelseries headset is deeper bass, spicy highs, and richer voices in the Nova Pro Wireleless *when using the Sonar software*. The ANC (automatic noise cancelling) in the Nova Pro Wireless is on par with any audiophile high end headset, even comparing it to my Sennheiser, Bose, B&W, or B&O. The headset itself (comfort wise) is on par as well with high end quality headsets. Music reproduction is NOT anywhere near high end quality and if you desire a great sounding headset for music and videos, this headset will disappoint you. On deep bass notes for EDM/House/Dubstep, the drivers crackle at max volume. There are no rich notes of bass that vibrate your eardrum to be found. The Nova Pro Wireless headset is much more comfortable versus my Steelseries Artis Pro headset, this is primarily due to the headband on the Nova Pro, and the ability to adjust individual ear heights. The Nova Pro gently rests on my head versus the Arctis pro which put undue pressure on top of my head and had a much tighter feeling. The Nova Pro wireless does not possess any RGB which I personally find a little disappointing. I believe Steelseries will release a wireless RGB version in the near future. The cushioning around the ears is faux leather. While it is plush and comfortable in fitment, it is very uncomfortable for anything longer than 10 minutes due to radiating body heat. Your ears will become hot steamy messes inside the encapsulating headset. To address this I ordered two 'cooling gel+cloth earpad replacements' which can easily be found here on Amazon in several colors and patterns. The Steelseries Nova Pro wireless comes with two rechargeable batteries which is extremely pleasing, there doesn't have to be any downtime or corded attachment when one battery drains. Battery life for a single battery lasts me a few days of gaming/media consumption/music before I need to recharge it. I leave the volume at max settings and even increase the db +2 from the Sonar settings menu. I like everything LOUD and with heavy bass. On the Steelseries website it states that a single battery lasts 36 hours (when using 2.4ghz connection, the default connection method to the included control hub). The battery that isn't in use sits in the Control Hub, which charges it, but if you prefer, you can also plug the included USB cable into your headset to charge the battery from the headset itself. The headset can also be connected via Bluetooth to any device (including PC), however for my specific usage (PC only), I choose to not utilize bluetooth due to Windows 11 connection stability issues that are well known. If you utilize bluetooth to your PC the headset also states that is has much less battery duration life (18-22hours vs 36). The headset comes with two USB-A to USB-C cables, one for connecting the Control hub to your PC and another for connecting the Control Hub (simultaneously) to a Xbox/PS5/etc. The Control hub uses a monotone OLED display which is decently bright (could be brighter IMHO). The control of the volume knob has a satisfying movement that feels of decent quality. There are built in 'sound environments for certain games that can be adjusted from the Control hub but a much more extensive list of games within the Sonar menu (Steelseries GG app). My major gripe comes from the quality control and non-existent Customer Support from Steelseries. As I stated earlier, I ordered TWO of these headsets, within a week of each other. *Both* headsets displayed greasy fingerprints inside the OLED glass/screen cover (it may be plastic but it is not removable to confirm). Initially with the first headset I assumed it may be an Amazon return that was re-packaged very well. However...the second headset was positively un-opened and brand new yet had the same fingerprints inside the OLED screen, as well as a small knick on the side of the OLED screen. The surface of the OLED screen also has micro-abrasions on both of them, similar to when you use something abrasive to clean glass/plexiglass. Both headsets arrived with a clear plastic film covering the screens which would be very difficult to remove then put back on with the same integrity, therefore it is clear that Steelseries has a manufacturing quality issue. Because of this problem I attempted to contact Steelseries for the first time since owning their products for years. Customer support is non-existent unless you order your product directly from the Steelseries website. In 2024 it is in-excusable for a large company to not provide an immediate direct method for problem resolution, and a customer support forum or Q&A is not a sufficient method. Steelseries expects Amazon to handle their problems. Luckily Amazon provides an amazing customer experience and is sending me another Steelseries Nova Pro wireless headset, once received I have to send the damaged one back, but there is no charge to me or downtime during this process. I will update this review once I receive the replacement headset...which I hope does not arrive with greasy fingerprints inside the display. Due to the two highly negative aspects of this headset, one: the greasy fingerprints inside the OLED glass on TWO headsets, and two: the non-existent customer support, three: the crackling bass notes when listening to music...at an exorbitant price compared to other high end headsets in the same price range... I cannot recommend this headset to others.

Pleased with these headphones overall! The active nose cancellation performs well, and though I'm no audiophile, the sound quality is perfectly serviceable. I find it especially performs better than my old Corsair Voids in lower frequency ranges, and though I haven't had a real chance to try the spatial sound, it seems to work well in a controlled test. I like having a display showing the batteries' change levels and quick access to some controls without needing to go into the software, but I do miss the analog controls on my old Arctis 7 Wireless. The battery life is maybe below average, but the so-called infinite battery life system of Having Two Of Them mostly mitigates that annoyance along with the display showing the charge levels. Took a little practice but I can do the swap without taking the headphones off now. One feature I was pleased to discover is the ability to simultaneously connect to the wireless adapter and Bluetooth! I use this to watch streams on my PC while playing on my Steam Deck and get audio from both seamlessly mixed, something quite annoying to achieve otherwise. Maybe a niche use case, but it's one I personally run into a lot. Very cool! What I don't like are the stock earpads and some of the software functionality. The stock pads I found immediately uncomfortable, and bought third-party replacements right away. I sadly recommend anyone buying these do the same. I loved the analog chat mix on my old Arctis 7, and was always apprehensive of replacing them because of the newer headphones using a software-based approach instead. And unfortunately I've found that the ChatMix function through GG to be very flaky, most often the feature is disabled in the app and I can't access it by pressing the volume wheel. It's probably something with my software configuration, but it is disappointing to lose the immediate access found on the older headphones. You can change the wireless mode to prioritize speed or range, though the range is a little less than I've gotten with other wireless headphones. This is probably partly due to needing the dongle thing accessible instead of putting it where it'll give me better range, but worth mentioning. When the signal starts to give out, it just puts out whatever garbled data it's put back together, which I personally prefer to just cutting out, but some might find it unpleasant.

TL:DR; Buy these headphones, 9.3/10. First review, so bear with me. These headphones have to be one of my favorites. I own Skullcandy Crusher Evos and previously owned HyperX Cloud II's before they broke, which is why I bought these ones. Sound Quality: Out of the box, the sound quality out of the box is decent at best, but that's what the GG client software is for. With a bit of patience, you can tweak the EQ however you like to find your preferred/perfected audio experience or you can choose between a myriad of presets. You also have the options to switch presets on the fly through the base station. Having such agency with a product on top of it being a genuinely good listening experience makes it a worthwhile product in my book. 9/10. Build Quality: I would say the build quality is pretty damn good. It's a mix of plastic with metal parts, but the plastic doesn't feel cheap to me. I have a tendency to sleep with my headphones on with one ear cup off on the side that I am lying down on (which is how my HyperX's broke. Stupid, I know) and it doesn't seem like these can/will break very easily. Aside from that, the band that goes between the top of your head and the actual top of the headphones is a Godsend! I'm used to headphones kind of digging into the top of my head and being a bit painful, but the band completely nullifies any chance of that happening, I'm surprised more headphones do not have this feature. Easily one of my favorite features of these headphones. 10/10. Features: I love the convenience of the base station, being able to change the volume and other settings at will, especially changing whether you want game audio dominant or "party" audio dominant. It brings me back to being on Playstation. Moreover, the hot-swappable battery system is much more preferrable than USB charging in my opinion. I have a tendency to forget to charge my headphones so I'm always charging them while using them; the battery system gets rid of that issue completely. Not only will the headset turn off after 15 minutes (if you have it set to that like I do), if the battery is low, all you have to do is take the extra battery out of the base station and pop it into your headset and let the other one charge. I love it. The only issue with this is, apparently it's hard if not impossible to replace these batteries with the actual model if they're lost or broken or what have you. I can neither confirm or deny this because I only heard of this being an issue and haven't actually put in adequate research or have experienced this myself. But either way, I still love this system. I prefer it way more compared to USB charging. 9/10. All in all, I love these headphones. These have to be one of the best I've ever purchased. I'm enjoying them so far, and I don't see myself switching off from them any time soon. The features that they offer are perfect in my case. That being said, they may not be perfect for you, so do your research before buying these headphones because they are quite expensive. Remember that reviews are subjective, so one person or even many people's experience may not 100% tailor to your potential experience. Or do what I did, buy them and see how you like them. If you don't like them, you could always return it. If you made it all the way to the end, thank you for taking the time to read my review. :) Overall Rating: 9.3/10; would highly recommend. (Edit: 3 months later and headphones are still working as if they’re brand new. Quality has not dipped at all yet)

I've been wanting to purchase the Steelseries Arctis Nova Wireless Pro headset for a very long time, but could never justify spending the $350 for something I didn't strictly need because my current headset was working fine. However, after months and months and months of debating, I finally went ahead and bought it. I don't regret it at all. Yes, $350 is a lot of money and definitely more than I would just throw at a luxury good. However, I am very happy with my purchase. Where should I start? 1) Sound quality is amazing. I'm not an audiophile by any means, but music is clear and the bass is deep. Game audio is superb and it sounds just like my wired headsets. No issues at all here. 2) Microphone quality is very good, too. I've got not complaints from anyone. 3) Comfort is not perfect but more than good enough. They're a little tighter than my Arctis 7, but I only run into some very mild discomfort after eight hours of continuous use. Since I use these as my office headset, comfort is very important to me. 4) The swappable battery was the main selling point for me. I use this headset for work, and I often times forget to charge them. Since there's a swappable battery, I'm never in danger of running out of juice. If I'm low, then I switch to the other battery (that's charging in the hub) and I'm good to go. 5) Since I work from home, I needed some way to swap between my work laptop and my home desktop. Previously, I was using a USB switch, which is fine but clunky. The integrated hub makes this so easy. It allows for two wired inputs: PC-PC/PS5 or PC-Xbox, depending on the version. Do note that if you're connecting two PCs, you cannot use the PC-Xbox, as the Xbox port will not work correctly. 6) Perhaps the only downside is the Noise Cancellation feature. It works, but doesn't work as well as a dedicated Noise Cancellation device. Since this was not a critical feature for me, I don't mind, but please be aware that it's not the strongest part of the headset. All in all, if you have $350, and you're looking for an amazing wireless headset with swappable batteries and multiple inputs, the Nova Pro Wireless is what you're looking for. I highly recommend and I don't regret my purchase at all.

I have a variety of over the ear headphones. I’ve worked remotely since 2015 full-time, and as such I spend 10-12 hours a day with headphones on for both professional work and personal gaming. As such, I’ve a pretty solid experience and frame of reference. We own other SteelSeries headphones, including their synthetic 7.1 surround sound which was a game changer for us watching movies at night while the other partner is sleeping. Till this year, though, I was a dedicated Astro A40 user. While I preferred wired due to the extended use I put in daily, I opted to switch to wireless this year in the hopes that SteelSeries batteries could keep up. For sake of reference, I use Apple AirPod Max and Airppod Pro Gen 2 daily along with my SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro. PROs: Things I like about the headphones. - Weight — these are light on the head. While not critical to me, my partner is very susceptible to weight leading to strain to her neck. SteelSeries are generally lighter than the competition, and so this is important to consider if it matters to you. - Microphone — I really appreciate the boom mic. It’s easy to get near my mouth without a lot of fuss. I really appreciate the mute light. It’s very easy to spot of out of the corner of your eye. - Sound Quality — I think the sound quality is quite good. It does not have quite the deep resonance in the Airpod Max, so I prefer those for listening to music. But I have zero issues using this as my daily drivers, and they work surprising well in games like Apex Legends where spatial audio is key. - Software — I appreciate that SteelSeries has thoughtfully created some great control software. While I normally do not fiddle with these things too much, I appreciate that I can with these headphones. - Swappable Batteries — one thing I hate about any wireless device is the need to let them sit and recharge between use. As noted, I use my headphones for long enough in a single day that I cannot afford to just recharge for an hour between use. Being able to just swap out 1 battery with a freshly recharged brilliant is one of the things I’ve always appreciated about the Steel Series. It’s still a bit of a PITA if you are in the middle of doing something, but the DAC shows you the battery levels for both the charging and in-use battery, so really can only blame yourself if the battery dies mid ranked play. CONs: Things I do not like, but are fixable - Noise Canceling Cone — you might have heard about the physical bit that sticks out inside the headphone ear cup. It’s true that it may impact some users. I’m one of those users. It just stands out too far. For me, it was not so far out that I could not use them, but it was noticeable enough to detract my from enjoyment of them. Fortunately, there is a simple fix. Go get aftermarket cushions. I personally recommend Wicked Cushion’s gel cushions — these are a bit thicker than Arctis. Frankly, Arctis should just throw their own out and source from Wicked Cushion to win back a star. HUGE CONs: Things that I think are broken - Noise Canceling — I find SteelSeries NC is pretty hit or miss. While it helps, it’s not even in the same class as Apple comparing against either AirPod Max or AirPod Pro Gen 1 or 2. Hands down, this is my biggest let down as it’s not clear there is anything I can do but hope they do a firmware update. Otherwise, I think SteelSeries sorta “sh*t the bed” on this. OVERALL If the noise cancelling was even close to Apple’s I would have given this 4 out of 5 stars. But it’s bad enough that I do not think that these can even score a 4 stars till it’s addressed. While the noise cancelling cone is annoying, it’s a fixable solution with aftermarket so I’m willing to overlook this design miss. If you are looking for a solid wireless headphone these are reasonable. But to be honest, you can find less expensive ones from SteelSeries. That said, the added cost of these for active noise cancelling makes it very hard for me to recommend these as they stand. I hope that my experience is largely firmware that can be fixed in the future … but if the issues I’ve encountered are fundamental to the physical design then you should conservatively look elsewhere.