SteelSeries has announced the latest in its lineup of gaming headsets with the The Arctis Nova 3 Wireless Series. It comes in two variations, the 3P for PlayStation, and the X3 for Xbox, but both work with PC and Switch The Arctis Nova 3 is a bit of a step down from some of the very impressive headsets we’ve reviewed like the Arctis Nova Pro, but comes with a price to match. It looks like the Nova 3 series is all about bringing whatever SteelSeries can manage from those higher-end headsets into something more folks can afford.
But the first exciting thing we need to address on these headsets are the colours. Without even needing a collab, the Arctis Nova 3 line of headsets come in black, white (eh,) aqua (oooh), and lavender (aaaaah). They haven’t skimped on the colour either, with each headset featuring an allover paintjob, including the recessed SteelSeries logo on the side, and even the detachable microphone.
Aside from the colour offerings, these headsets sport custom Neodymium Magnetic Drivers drivers, with up to 40 hours of battery life. They work with both Bluetooth and a USB-C dongle for high-speed 2.4GHz wireless, and you can quickly swap between wired devices. Plus there’s optimised fast charging that boasts 90 minutes of play time after only a 15 minute charge. All packed into, what looks like a fairly comfortable set that weighs only 260g. This actually seems like a great deal in a headset that’s only a little over $100 USD.
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But according to SteelSeries, it’s not just the hardware but the software that makes this headset worth buying. It pairs with the new Arctis App, which is free on both the Google Play and Apple App stores. This app lets you do a little more than the usual array of sound control and customisation, which is always helpful in a gaming headset so you can use your phone rather than having to pause the game. It also has over 200 presets for various games and playstyles.
It seems like overkill, but in a headset where money is being saved being able to dial in the sound this way means you can push the hardware available much further. It’s still almost certainly overkill, but I’d be keen to see how much they can elevate this new Arctis to maybe even something like the Arctis 7, or 5X.
These headsets should be up on the SteelSeries website now, retailing for $199 AUD, $119.99 USD, or €109.99. If these specs and hardware can push this midranged headset into the upper levels then that’s a huge win for SteelSeries, and for the consumer. Just think, you can use the money you’ve saved on your headset for more important things, like the same headset in the other cool colour.