SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless review

Full review

The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless is the lighter, simpler option in SteelSeries' range, and it stands out for the combination of low weight and a long battery. SteelSeries lists a weight of 265 g and up to 60 hours per charge, which makes it the lightest wireless headset in this group.

It connects over a 2.4 GHz USB-C dongle or Bluetooth 5.3, with a Quick-Switch button to jump between them, so you can game on the dongle and still get a call on your phone. The listed platforms are PC, Mac, PS5 and PS4, mobile, and handhelds such as the Switch, ROG Ally and Steam Deck. It also works as audio on Meta Quest 2. Xbox is not mentioned on the page.

The microphone is a retractable ClearCast 2.X design with 32 kHz, 16-bit audio, and on PC Sonar can apply AI noise cancellation to it. For sound, 360 degree Spatial Audio is available through the free Sonar Virtual Surround Sound on Windows, and the headset is also compatible with Tempest 3D Audio for PS5 and Microsoft Spatial Sound, which are sold separately.

The Arctis Companion App lets you switch audio presets from your phone, and the headset has two save slots for EQ profiles. SteelSeries does not publish driver size, and there is no headphone noise cancelling. It is a strong pick if comfort and battery matter more than extras.