I’ve come to love SteelSeries headsets, with the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless still being the best gaming headset on the market in my eyes, but if there’s one lacking feature that I’ve wanted (that other headsets seem to have) is an app, and SteelSeries have finally come to the table with an app that supports its new headset the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless.
The reason why an app is so important is that for console gamers, unless you’re using an official headset (particularly on PlayStation), you need to use a PC or a Mac to edit your EQ settings, but with app functionality, you’re able to do it with the thing that is always by your side in your mobile phone.
Connecting to the app is super simple. The second I opened up a pre-release version on my phone, and turned the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless on, it instantly was found and paired, and each and every time I had the headset turned on, and opened the app, it was right there for me to make adjustments.
The app at the time of writing is super simple with it showing battery life, whether it’s connected to its Bluetooth and 2.4ghz dongle and then you can also adjust EQ settings, microphone volume, sidetone and the LED brightness of your mute indicator. SteelSeries has always offered a huge range of EQ settings on its GG PC software, ranging from a bunch of different game presets to music presets and all of these have come across to the mobile app with more than 100 available.
The best part about it though is that you can set different EQ settings for Bluetooth and dongle connectivity, so for instance, you can have the Call of Duty Modern Modern Warfare II EQ setting for dongle connectivity and then you can have one of the music EQ settings for Bluetooth and they’ll carry across to whichever devices that you’re using.
As far as the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless goes, it’s very similar to that in design of other Arctis Nova headsets in the range with a few key differences. Firstly, the Bluetooth and dongle audio playback aren’t simultaneous, with a quick switch button letting you quickly go between sources, but the actual connectivity is simultaneous.
This means that you can stay connected to the app even when using audio from your console, but if you get a call from your phone, you’ll get a subtle alert through the headset and pressing the quick switch button will automatically change the connection back to your phone, so whilst you can’t watch TikToks or listen to music from your phone whilst playing, for those key interactions, it still acts perfectly.
The other big change is the up to 60 hour battery life which is a huge bump on other SteelSeries headsets. This is due to the next-gen chipset that is in the Arctis Nova 5. I haven’t ran the battery out yet, but I’ve used it for the majority of a few days and still have more than 60% charge left. It’s rated for 50 hours of use over dongle and 60 hours over Bluetooth, so I’d suspect it would end up somewhere in the middle if you’re flicking between the two.
As far as audio quality goes, I was pleasantly surprised whilst gaming and also listening to music, and I think a big part of this is the EQ settings, as it’s not a one size fits all approach when it comes to EQ and headsets that are wired for gaming are very different to those that are meant for listening to music, so to have the best of both worlds is a big improvement.
Similarly, the retractable boom microphone is. ClearCast Gen 2X which allows for more clarity whilst gaming with 32KHz/16Bit support. Obviously, you’ll still get better performance using a standalone mic, but I was really impressed with the clarity on a headset that is sub $300.
In terms of the design, if you’ve had a Nova headset, it’ll be familiar to you. with the adjustable stretchy headband that is super comfortable to wear over a long period of times. The headset is light as well at only 260 grams. I wore it across an entire work day, and didn’t feel discomfort at all, even though I wear glasses so it’s a good sign.
All-in-all, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless is going to create a dilemma for anyone buying a new headset, as it offers a hugely increased battery life and also the app connectivity, which I’m sure will come to other SteelSeries headsets, but is a genuine game-changer for console gamers in my opinion, so I do hope that it does come as an update, particularly for the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless.
