Best SteelSeries Gaming Headsets

For most gaming setups, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless is the best SteelSeries gaming headset to buy in 2026. It combines a 2.4 GHz USB-C dongle with a Bluetooth radio, so one headset covers PC, PlayStation, Switch and mobile, and its published battery rating of up to 60 hours turns charging into a monthly chore instead of a nightly one. Buy it if your gaming is split across a desk and a couch and you are comfortable in the mid-range tier. If you play almost entirely on PlayStation and want to spend as little as possible, the wired Arctis Nova 1P is the value pick. If you want the deepest feature set SteelSeries sells — active noise cancellation, a desktop base station and hot-swappable batteries — the Arctis Nova Pro Omni is the premium answer. Xbox-only households should look at the Arctis Nova 5X, whose dongle is built around that console’s stricter USB audio requirements rather than the generic multi-system approach.

Top 3 Picks

Best overall: SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless

The Nova 5 Wireless hits the sweet spot between price tier and capability: 2.4 GHz wireless for latency-sensitive play, Bluetooth for phone calls and handheld sessions, up to 60 hours of published runtime, and a retractable ClearCast Gen 2 boom mic. It suits the player who owns two or three systems and refuses to buy three headsets.

Best budget: SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1P

The Nova 1P is a plug-in-and-play 3.5 mm headset tuned for PlayStation, and at the budget tier it removes every failure point that costs money later — no battery to fade, no dongle to lose, no charging cable to forget. It still uses the same 40 mm driver size as the flagship models and the same suspension-band comfort system.

Best premium: SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni

The Nova Pro Omni is for the buyer who wants the top of the range: the Nova Pro family’s dual hot-swap battery design, active noise cancellation, and a desktop base station that acts as a small audio hub with EQ and multiple inputs. It costs premium money and adds real weight, but nothing else in the lineup does as much at once.

Quick Comparison

How We Chose

This roundup is built from published specifications, the way the Arctis Nova lineup is positioned by the manufacturer, and the practical constraints of real gaming setups — not from any physical product handling. Four filters did most of the work. First, platform compatibility: a headset only earns a place here if its connection method genuinely matches the systems it claims to serve, because Xbox consoles in particular do not accept generic USB audio devices and need either a licensed dongle or a 3.5 mm cable into the controller. Second, connection type and the trade-offs that follow from it — wired models have no battery to manage, while wireless models buy freedom at the cost of charging cycles and dongle management. Third, category fit within the range: we avoided recommending three products that do the same job at the same price, and instead covered budget wired, budget wireless, mid-range dual-wireless and premium. Fourth, upgrade path: what a buyer gives up by staying one tier lower, and what they actually gain by moving up. Price tiers here are budget, mid-range and premium rather than fixed figures, since listings move week to week.

1. Arctis Nova 5 Wireless – Best for Mixed-Platform Wireless Play

The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless is the headset to buy when your gaming happens on more than one machine and you want a single pair to cover all of it. Its USB-C dongle moves between PC, PlayStation and docked Switch, while the Bluetooth radio handles phone calls, handheld Switch play and anything else with a Bluetooth transmitter. That two-radio approach is what separates it from cheaper wireless headsets, which typically give you one connection and force you to choose between game audio and everything else. It suits the player with a desktop PC and a console in the same room, the commuter who wants one headset for a laptop and a handheld, and anyone who finds a 3.5 mm cable annoying but does not want to pay premium prices to escape it.

Key specs

• 40 mm neodymium drivers, the same driver size used across the Arctis Nova range
• 2.4 GHz wireless via USB-C dongle, plus a separate Bluetooth connection
• Published battery rating of up to 60 hours, the longest runtime in this roundup
• Retractable ClearCast Gen 2 boom microphone with software-driven noise reduction
• ComfortMAX suspension headband with pivoting, height-adjustable earcups
• Fabric ear cushions rather than leatherette, which breathe better in long sessions
• On-ear controls for volume, mute and connection switching
• Companion app with game-specific EQ presets; desktop software adds EQ, virtual surround and mic tuning on PC

Strengths

The headline number is the runtime. Sixty hours is not a marketing rounding of twenty — it is roughly four to six times what most wireless gaming headsets deliver, and it changes the ownership experience more than any other single specification. A player who games ten hours a week charges this headset about once a month. Compare that with a typical 20-hour headset that needs a cable every fortnight, and the Nova 5 starts to look less like a luxury and more like the practical default.

The second strength is the dual-radio design. Keeping a phone call on Bluetooth while game audio runs over the low-latency dongle is the single most useful trick in a modern headset, and it is the feature people miss most when they downgrade. The Nova 5 handles that split cleanly, and the dongle’s compact USB-C form factor means it does not block the neighbouring port on a laptop or a console’s rear panel.

Comfort holds up too. The suspension band spreads weight across the top of the head instead of concentrating it on a padded strip, and the fabric cushions run cooler than leatherette over a three-hour session. Nothing about the build suggests premium materials, but nothing feels fragile either, and the retractable mic means the boom disappears into the left cup for travel.

Pros

• Up to 60 hours of published battery life — the best in this comparison
• 2.4 GHz dongle and Bluetooth available without choosing one or the other
• Retractable microphone keeps the headset presentable outside the house
• ComfortMAX suspension band works well for glasses wearers
• Mid-range price tier despite flagship-level runtime
• App-based EQ presets make tuning quick on consoles and mobile

Cons

• No active noise cancellation, so it will not quiet a loud room
• The dongle is required for low-latency audio; Xbox is not covered by the standard model
• Plastic-heavy construction at this price tier
• Microphone noise reduction is strongest when the desktop software is in the loop

How it compares

Against the Arctis Nova 5X Wireless, the difference is one word: Xbox. The 5X exists because Microsoft’s consoles do not accept generic USB audio devices, so if an Xbox is your primary machine, the standard Nova 5’s dongle will not carry game audio there. If you are a PC-and-PlayStation player, the standard Nova 5 is the more flexible of the two.

Against the Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gen 2, the Nova 5 wins on battery by a wide margin and loses on simultaneous audio mixing and microphone refinement. If you routinely want game audio and a Discord call blended at once, the Nova 7 is the better tool; if you want to charge once a month, the Nova 5 is.

2. Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gen 2 – Best for Two Audio Sources at Once

The Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gen 2 is the pick for players who live with two audio streams running simultaneously. Its defining behaviour is mixing 2.4 GHz game audio with a Bluetooth source at the same time, so a voice chat on a phone, a podcast, or a work call sits underneath the game without either one being muted. That is a genuinely different use case from the Nova 5’s connection switching, and it is the reason this headset has a following among people who stream, raid, or take calls while playing.

Key specs

• 40 mm neodymium drivers, consistent with the rest of the Arctis Nova family
• 2.4 GHz USB-C dongle with simultaneous Bluetooth mixing
• Published runtime in the high-30s of hours — a step below the Nova 5, still well above average
• ClearCast Gen 2 boom microphone with software noise reduction
• ComfortMAX suspension band, pivoting earcups, replaceable ear cushions
• On-ear volume dial and microphone mute
• Desktop software for EQ, virtual surround and mic shaping on PC
• Gen 2 revision of the Nova 7 platform, positioned as a refinement rather than a rebuild

Strengths

Simultaneous dual-audio is the whole argument for this headset, and it is worth being precise about why. Most wireless headsets treat Bluetooth and the dongle as alternatives: you pair one, you lose the other. The Nova 7 Gen 2 keeps both live, which means a phone call arriving mid-match does not require unplugging anything or digging through a menu. If you have ever missed a call because your headset was locked to a console, this feature pays for itself in annoyance saved.

The microphone is the second strength. The ClearCast Gen 2 boom is a bidirectional design, and with the desktop software engaged it does a credible job of rejecting keyboard clatter and fan noise. That matters more than driver specifications for anyone who spends their evenings in voice chat, because the people listening to you judge the headset by your microphone, not by its frequency response.

Comfort follows the family formula: elastic suspension band, pivoting cups, and a weight distribution that keeps the pressure off the crown of the head. The Nova 7 line has been around long enough that replacement ear cushions are easy to find, which extends the useful life of the headset well beyond the first set of pads.

Pros

• True simultaneous 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth audio mixing
• Strong microphone for its tier, with effective software noise reduction
• Comfortable over long sessions thanks to the suspension band
• Replaceable ear cushions make long-term ownership cheaper
• Works across PC, PlayStation and Switch via the dongle, plus anything with Bluetooth
• Gen 2 refinements keep it current in 2026

Cons

• Battery life is roughly two-thirds of the Nova 5’s published figure
• No active noise cancellation at a mid-range price
• Dongle must be present for low-latency audio, which is one more thing to lose
• Xbox support depends on the variant you buy

How it compares

Against the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless, the Nova 7 Gen 2 trades battery life for audio mixing. Thirty-eight hours versus sixty is a real gap — about three weeks of charging versus six for a ten-hour-a-week player — but if you need two sources blended, the Nova 5 cannot do it. Choose on that single question.

Against the Arctis Nova Pro Omni, the Nova 7 Gen 2 is lighter and simpler, and it gives up active noise cancellation, the base station and the hot-swap battery system. The Pro Omni is a desk-bound audio hub; the Nova 7 is a headset you can carry between rooms. Buy the Pro only if you want the station as much as the headset.

3. Arctis Nova 1P – Best for PlayStation on a Budget

The Arctis Nova 1P is the sensible answer for a PlayStation owner who wants good sound, a decent microphone and nothing to charge. It is a 3.5 mm wired headset, so it draws power from the controller or the device it is plugged into, and it works with the DualSense controller jack, a PC, a Switch in handheld mode and a phone or tablet with a headphone socket. Nothing about it needs firmware, pairing or an app. It suits the player who games a few evenings a week, the parent buying a first proper headset, and anyone who has already lost one wireless dongle and refuses to lose another.

Key specs

• 40 mm neodymium drivers — the same size class as the flagship Nova models
• 3.5 mm wired connection, no battery, no dongle, no pairing
• Published weight of roughly 236 g, making it the lightest option in this roundup
• ClearCast boom microphone with a mute control on the headset
• ComfortMAX suspension headband and pivoting earcups
• Fabric ear cushions over memory foam
• PlayStation-oriented tuning and cable layout, with broad 3.5 mm compatibility elsewhere

Strengths

Wired is not a compromise at this tier — it is the point. A 3.5 mm headset has no battery to degrade, no dongle to lose, no latency to manage and no charging routine to build. It works the first time and every time, which is worth more to a casual player than any specification on a box. The roughly 236 g weight matters here too: it is light enough that a four-hour session does not leave the neck or jaw complaining.

Sound quality is better than the price tier suggests. The 40 mm drivers are the same size used further up the range, and the tuning is aimed at games rather than music, which means footsteps and directional cues come through clearly enough to be useful in shooters. On PlayStation 5, 3.5 mm also lets the console’s own 3D audio processing do the spatial work, which is a genuine advantage over headsets that rely on their own virtualisation.

The microphone is a fixed-boom design with a mute position, and it is entirely adequate for party chat. It is not the ClearCast Gen 2 with software noise reduction that the wireless models carry, so a mechanical keyboard will be more audible to your friends — the simplest fix is to keep the boom close to the corner of your mouth, which improves the ratio of voice to background noise more than any setting will.

Pros

• Budget price tier with no ongoing costs
• Lightest headset in this comparison at roughly 236 g
• No battery, no dongle, no software required
• Works with PS5, PS4, PC, Switch, mobile and anything else with a 3.5 mm jack
• ComfortMAX suspension band at an entry price
• Console 3D audio can be handled by the PlayStation itself

Cons

• The cable is a permanent tether and a wear point
• Microphone lacks the noise-reduction processing of the wireless models
• No EQ or virtual surround without a PC and the desktop software
• No wireless option at all in this model

How it compares

Against the Arctis Nova 1, the 1P is the PlayStation-flavoured version of the same idea. The two are extremely close in specification; the differences come down to which platform the tuning and cable arrangement favour. If your main machine is a PS5, the 1P is the one to pick; if it is a PC, the standard Nova 1 is the more natural fit.

Against the Arctis Nova 5P Wireless, the trade is obvious: the 5P adds a 2.4 GHz dongle, Bluetooth and up to 60 hours of battery, and it costs more and needs charging. If you play in long sessions away from the console or want to walk around the room mid-match, the wireless model earns its upgrade. If you sit at a desk and plug in, the 1P does the job for less.

4. Arctis Nova Pro Omni – Best for Premium Feature Depth

The Arctis Nova Pro Omni sits at the top of the SteelSeries range, and it is aimed at the player who wants the headset and the desk hardware that goes with it. The Nova Pro formula combines a base station that acts as a small audio control centre, active noise cancellation for noisy rooms, and a dual-battery system that removes charging downtime entirely. It suits streamers, people in shared living spaces, and anyone who treats a headset as a piece of desk equipment rather than an accessory.

Key specs

• 40 mm drivers with high-resolution audio certification across the Nova Pro family
• Dual hot-swap batteries: one charges in the base station while the other powers the headset
• Active noise cancellation with a transparency mode
• Desktop base station with EQ, input switching and multiple USB connections
• ClearCast Gen 2 boom microphone with software noise reduction
• Premium materials including leatherette ear cushions, with fabric alternatives common in the family
• Heavier than the wireless Nova 5 and Nova 7 models because of the battery and electronics
• 360-degree spatial audio support through the desktop software

Strengths

The dual-battery system is the feature that justifies the price tier. Because one battery always sits in the base station charging while the other runs the headset, there is effectively no downtime: you swap a small cell in a couple of seconds and carry on. Owners who have used this system for a year or two describe never plugging the headset in at all, which is a different relationship with a wireless product than most people have. If your sessions run six hours or longer, this alone can be worth the upgrade.

Active noise cancellation is the second differentiator, and it is genuinely useful in a way that is easy to underestimate. It does not only help in a loud room — it also masks the hum of a PC, a fan, or an air conditioner, which lowers the volume you need to run at for the same sense of immersion. Anyone who shares a living space, works near a busy road, or games late at night while others sleep will notice the difference.

The base station is the third piece. It gives you hardware EQ control without alt-tabbing, switches between two connected sources, and keeps the headset charged. In practice it turns the headset into a small audio system with a physical interface, which is exactly what people who dislike software-only control are looking for.

Pros

• Hot-swappable batteries mean effectively unlimited runtime
• Active noise cancellation with a transparency mode
• Base station provides hardware EQ, input switching and charging in one box
• Premium build and materials at the top of the range
• Broad connectivity through the station and the dongle
• Strong microphone with software processing

Cons

• Premium price tier — the most expensive approach here by a wide margin
• Heaviest headset in this roundup, which some players notice over long sessions
• The base station takes desk space and is not portable
• More components means more things to keep track of, including two batteries

How it compares

Against the Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2, the Pro Omni wins on every premium axis — noise cancellation, battery strategy, base station, materials — and loses on portability and price. The 7P Gen 2 is a headset you can throw in a bag; the Pro Omni is a fixed installation. If you never leave your desk, the Pro’s advantages compound; if you move between rooms and consoles, they mostly do not.

Against the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless, the comparison is starker still. The Nova 5 delivers longer single-charge runtime and lighter weight for far less money. What it cannot do is cancel noise, run indefinitely on swapped batteries, or give you a physical control station. Buy the Pro Omni for those three things specifically, not for general “better sound”.

5. Arctis Nova 5P Wireless – Best for PS5 Wireless Value

The Arctis Nova 5P Wireless is the PlayStation-flavoured version of the Nova 5, and it lands in the budget tier despite carrying the same headline battery figure as its mid-range sibling. It pairs a USB-C dongle tuned for PlayStation consoles with a Bluetooth radio for mobile and handheld use, and it keeps the retractable ClearCast Gen 2 microphone and the ComfortMAX comfort system. It suits PS5 owners who want wireless freedom without paying mid-range money, and it makes a strong second headset for a household that already has a desk setup.

Key specs

• 40 mm neodymium drivers, matching the rest of the Arctis Nova line
• 2.4 GHz USB-C dongle plus Bluetooth for a second device
• Published runtime of up to 60 hours, identical to the standard Nova 5
• Retractable ClearCast Gen 2 boom microphone
• ComfortMAX suspension headband with pivoting earcups
• Fabric ear cushions and on-ear volume and mute controls
• Companion app EQ presets for console and mobile tuning
• PlayStation-first connection layout, with PC support through the same dongle

Strengths

The value proposition is unusually clean: the same 60-hour battery rating, the same driver size and the same microphone generation as the mid-range model, at a lower price tier. The saving comes from positioning rather than from obvious hardware cuts, which makes this one of the easiest recommendations in the lineup for a PlayStation household. Two of these cost less than one premium headset.

The dongle’s PlayStation orientation means fewer compatibility surprises. Plugging into a PS5 gives you low-latency game audio without a configuration step, and the Bluetooth radio stays free for a phone, a tablet or a laptop. That split — console on the dongle, everything else on Bluetooth — is the pattern most players settle into, and this headset is built around it.

The retractable microphone is a practical touch that the wired budget models lack. Push it in and the headset looks like a pair of ordinary over-ear headphones, which matters if you also use it for music on a commute or for calls at a desk. The ClearCast Gen 2 element is the same generation used higher up the range, so voice quality is a step above the entry-level wired models.

Pros

• Budget price tier with a 60-hour published battery rating
• ClearCast Gen 2 retractable microphone, a generation above the wired budget models
• Dongle and Bluetooth cover console, PC and mobile
• ComfortMAX suspension band at an entry price
• App-based EQ presets work without a PC
• Light enough for long sessions relative to the premium tier

Cons

• No active noise cancellation and no wired 3.5 mm fallback in the wireless design
• Xbox is not covered by the PlayStation-oriented dongle
• Build materials are functional rather than premium
• Battery is not user-replaceable, so runtime will fade over several years

How it compares

Against the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless, the 5P is the same product family with a different platform emphasis and a lower price tier. If your primary machine is a PlayStation and you rarely touch an Xbox, the 5P is the smarter purchase. If you split time between a PC and a console, the standard Nova 5’s broader positioning is the safer bet.

Against the Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2, the 5P gives up simultaneous audio mixing and some microphone refinement, but it gains roughly twenty hours of published battery life. For a player who charges on a whim and hates cables, that trade usually favours the 5P.

6. Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2 – Best for Competitive PlayStation Play

The Arctis Nova 7P Wireless Gen 2 is the PlayStation-tuned member of the Nova 7 family, and it is the headset to pick if competitive shooters are your main diet and you want game audio and voice chat blended without juggling devices. It keeps the simultaneous 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth mixing that defines the Nova 7 line, adds the Gen 2 refinements to the platform, and pairs it with a PlayStation-first connection layout. It sits in the premium tier here because of how it is positioned relative to the rest of the range.

Key specs

• 40 mm neodymium drivers across the Nova 7 platform
• Simultaneous 2.4 GHz dongle audio and Bluetooth mixing
• Published runtime in the high-30s of hours
• ClearCast Gen 2 boom microphone with software noise reduction
• ComfortMAX suspension band, pivoting earcups, replaceable cushions
• On-ear volume dial and quick mute
• PlayStation-first dongle behaviour with PC support
• Desktop software for EQ, virtual surround and microphone shaping

Strengths

For competitive play, latency is the specification that matters most, and the 2.4 GHz dongle is the reason this headset is suitable for it. Bluetooth alone introduces delay that is noticeable in a firefight; a dedicated low-latency link does not. Having that link active while a phone call runs on Bluetooth means you never have to leave the game to take a call, which is the practical benefit competitive players actually notice.

The microphone holds up under scrutiny. ClearCast Gen 2 is a bidirectional element, and with the software processing active it rejects the mechanical keyboard noise that ruins most budget setups. Teammates judge you by how you sound, and this is one of the better-sounding headsets in the mid-to-premium band without a dedicated external microphone.

Comfort is the family standard: suspension band, pivoting cups, fabric cushions, replaceable pads. The Nova 7 platform has been in circulation long enough that third-party cushion options exist, which is a quiet advantage for anyone who plans to keep a headset for four or five years rather than one.

Pros

• Low-latency 2.4 GHz link suitable for competitive play
• Simultaneous Bluetooth mixing for calls and voice chat
• ClearCast Gen 2 microphone with effective software noise reduction
• PlayStation-oriented connection layout with PC compatibility
• Comfortable over long sessions; cushions are replaceable
• Gen 2 platform refinement rather than a first-generation product

Cons

• Premium price tier for high-30s-hour battery life
• No active noise cancellation
• Xbox support is not part of this variant’s design
• Full microphone and EQ benefits depend on desktop software

How it compares

Against the Arctis Nova 5P Wireless, the 7P Gen 2 costs more and delivers less battery, but it adds simultaneous audio mixing and a more refined microphone. If you are in party chat every night and want your phone connected at the same time, the extra spend is justified. If you play solo with the sound up, the 5P covers you for less.

Against the Arctis Nova Pro Omni, the 7P Gen 2 is lighter, cheaper and portable, and it gives up active noise cancellation and the hot-swap battery system. The Pro Omni is the better headset for a fixed desk in a noisy house; the 7P Gen 2 is the better headset for someone who moves between a console and a laptop.

7. Arctis Nova 1 – Best for PC and Wired Simplicity

The Arctis Nova 1 is the universal wired model in the range: a 3.5 mm headset with no battery, no dongle and no pairing, tuned for PC use but happy on anything with a headphone jack. It is the headset to buy when you want the lowest-friction option available and you are not willing to manage a charging routine. It suits students, PC players who already own a DAC or sound card, and anyone building a first setup on a tight budget.

Key specs

• 40 mm neodymium drivers, the same size class used across the Nova range
• 3.5 mm wired connection, compatible with PC, PlayStation, Xbox controllers, Switch and mobile
• Published weight of roughly 236 g, the lightest class in this roundup
• ClearCast boom microphone with on-headset mute
• ComfortMAX suspension headband and pivoting earcups
• Fabric ear cushions over memory foam
• Desktop software support for EQ and virtual surround on PC

Strengths

Simplicity is the feature. There is nothing to charge, nothing to pair, and nothing to update, which means the headset works identically in five years to the way it works today, provided you look after the cable. That reliability is worth more than it sounds for a first headset or a secondary one, because the most common failure mode for wireless gear is not a broken driver — it is a battery that no longer holds enough charge or a dongle that has gone missing.

The PC advantage is real. Plugged into a computer, this headset gets access to the desktop software, which adds parametric EQ, virtual surround and microphone shaping. On a console you get the console’s own audio processing instead. Either way, you are getting the same 40 mm drivers used higher up the range, and the tuning leans towards games rather than music, which is the right choice for the price tier.

Weight is the other quiet advantage. Roughly 236 g is light enough that the headset disappears during a long session, and the suspension band distributes what little weight there is across the top of the head rather than concentrating it on a single padded strip. For glasses wearers, the pivoting cups and low clamp force make it one of the more comfortable budget options around.

Pros

• Budget tier with no ongoing costs and nothing to charge
• Roughly 236 g — comfortable for very long sessions
• Works with virtually any device that has a 3.5 mm jack
• Desktop software unlocks EQ and virtual surround on PC
• ComfortMAX suspension band at an entry price
• No latency and no wireless interference to troubleshoot

Cons

• Cable is a permanent tether and the most likely part to fail first
L
Linda Harper
We compare specs, materials and verified owner reviews before a product earns a spot. Rankings are never paid.
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