Quick take
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is a flagship gaming headset with a laundry list of industry-leading features, including ANC, transparency mode, dual connectivity, and a wireless OLED base station. Our experience with the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless was overwhelmingly positive, especially the headset’s accurate directional audio and immersive soundstage. The headset also lives up to high expectations with its modern design and premium furnishings, though we wish SteelSeries had re-thought the ANC housing inside the ear cups that protrude and cause abrasion.
- Loaded with features
- Includes base station w/ extra battery
- Premium-quality design and materials
- ANC housing could cause ear discomfort
Table of Contents
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless specs
- Connectivity: Wireless, wired
- Design: Closed-back
- Compatibility: PC, Mac, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Mobile
- Drivers: 40mm
- Weight: 336 grams
- Frequency Response: 10-22,000 Hz (wireless), 10-40,000 Hz (wired)
- Microphone: Retractable boom
- Battery life: 44 hours (22×2)
Alternatives
HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless
The HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless has excellent gaming audio and an incredible 300-hour battery life, so you can play for months without recharging. The Cloud Alpha Wireless only connects via low-latency 2.4 GHz, making it less versatile than the Arctis Nova Pro, but it’s also available for a lower price.
Razer Kraken V3 Pro
The Razer Kraken V3 Pro is comfortable, with extra-thick ear cushions and a plush leatherette headband. The Kraken V3 Pro can connect via wired 3.5mm audio cable or wireless 2.4 GHz, but there’s no Bluetooth as you find on the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. If you love innovative features, the Kraken V3 Pro features HyperSense haptic-feedback technology that vibrates.
Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X
The Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X is an open-back, wired studio headset designed for mixing and mastering music. The DT 900 Pro X has an ultra-clear, transparent soundstage ideal for listening to vital audio cues while gaming. While the DT 900 Pro X is less expensive than the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, it doesn’t include a microphone or wireless connectivity.
Ergonomics
Ear cups
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless uses closed-back oval-shaped ear cups that are just big enough to fit over the ears. The ear cushions are made from thick memory foam covered in a quality leatherette material that’s soft to the touch. The leatherette ear cushions create a passive seal, significantly blocking background noise, which is especially useful with ANC enabled.
On the inside of the ear cup, stretchy fabric covers the plastic driver-housing area. One of the drawbacks of the ear cup’s interior is a protruding plastic nub, which is part of the ANC system. The nubs can contact your ear from time to time, which some users might find bothersome depending on the shape of your ear.
Headband
The Arctis Nova Pro uses a new suspension headband design with three levels of adjustability. The suspension headband strap is soft and stretchy, and does an excellent job distributing the headset’s weight. Suspension headbands are the most comfortable design to me because of how well they reduce head fatigue during long gaming sessions.
Audio
| Driver Size (mm) | Wired Frequency Range (Hz) | Wireless Frequency Range (Hz) | Nominal Impedance (ohms) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 10-40,000 | 10-22,000 | 38 |
Gaming
The sound mix of the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is incredibly well-tuned for competitive gaming. The headset produces accurate directional audio that enables the localization of sounds from a considerable distance, which puts it among the best headsets for Valorant.
Some gaming headsets can become overwhelmed by too many sound cues, but the Arctis Nova Pro naturally separates vital audio, like footsteps, from environmental noises. This allowed me to turn up the headset’s volume without feeling like I would harm my hearing during loud explosions and gunfire.
Music
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless can connect via Bluetooth and feature active noise canceling, which makes them a good candidate for listening to music on the go. The 40mm drivers pack enough punch to enjoy your favorite songs, and the overall sound is far superior to most dedicated gaming headsets.
Features
Tech
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless packs a more extensive list of tech features than you’ll find on almost any other gaming headset, including ANC, transparency mode, dual-connectivity, an OLED base station, and hot-swappable batteries.
The ANC and transparency mode features help users adapt to their environment using four microphones built into the headset’s exterior. ANC reduces the volume of background noise, making it easier to focus on the task at hand. Transparency mode amplifies outside sounds, which is especially useful for talking to others in the room without taking off the headset.
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless includes an OLED wireless base station that controls features like EQ tuning and chat mixing. The base station comes with two USB ports on the back, which lets the headset connect to multiple systems simultaneously, like a console and a PC. Finally, the base station charges the Nova Pro Wireless’ extra battery, so you always have a full charge on standby.
Software
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is compatible with SteelSeries free companion software, SteelSeries GG. The SteelSeries GG software features EQ tuning, custom presets, surround sound, and controls for gain, sidetone, volume, and more. Overall, SteelSeries GG is one of the most comprehensive companion softwares, and its intuitive UI design makes it easy to use.
Controls
Most of the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless’ controls are located directly on the headset. The left ear cup houses the main power button, mute button, and volume dial. The main power button controls on/off functionality, ANC, and transparency mode. Bluetooth connectivity is controlled with a separate button on the right ear cup.
The rest of the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless’ controls are located on the OLED base station. A large dial on the base station scrolls through the options on the screen and can be pressed to select. A small button below the dial is used to return to the previous menu.
Connectivity
Connections
| 3.5mm (wired) | USB (wired) | Bluetooth (wireless) | 2.4 GHz (wireless) | Dual Connectivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The headset features dual connectivity, allowing users to connect via Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz simultaneously. Dual connection, transparency mode, and ANC are unavailable with the 3.5mm audio cable plugged in.
The wireless base station acts as the transmitter for the 2.4 GHz connection, and it’s the best option for wireless gaming due to the low latency. The Bluetooth connection is best reserved for listening to music or watching media on a mobile device.
While connected via the 3.5mm audio cable, the Arctis Nova Pro has a broader frequency range of 10-40,000 Hz. During testing, I didn’t notice a considerable difference between the audio quality of the wired and wireless connections.
Compatibility
| PC | Mac | PS4 | PS5 | Xbox One | Xbox Series X/S | Switch | Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is one of the most-compatible gaming headsets out there, able to connect to almost any device via 3.5mm, low-latency 2.4 GHz, or Bluetooth. SteelSeries sells a Playstation and an Xbox version of the headset; make sure you pick up the Xbox version to play wirelessly on Xbox consoles.
Pro tip
We recommend purchasing the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless for Xbox since it’s compatible with Xbox, Playstation, and PC.
Battery life
The Arctis Nova Pro comes with two batteries, each with 22 hours of charge, for a total of 44 hours. The OLED base station charges whichever battery is not in use, which gives the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless an unlimited battery life as long as you keep one charging in the base station.
Two magnetic plates on each ear cup can be removed to reveal a battery on one side and a USB charging port on the other. The headset can even maintain power if the batteries are swapped within 8 seconds of each other.
Microphone
The Arctis Nova Pro uses a retractable boom microphone that extends from the left ear cup, sitting flush with the headset when not in use. The boom microphone easily bends to conform to the perfect distance from your mouth.
The retractable boom microphone is clear for talking to teammates in-game or through chat applications like Discord. The microphone uses AI-powered noise cancellation to help reduce background noise, like a fan or a keyboard clicking in the background.
A red LED light on the tip of the microphone illuminates when muted, letting you know the status of your mic. This is a valuable quality-of-life feature, so you don’t need to remove your headset to check the microphone. We include below a brief recording so you can hear for yourself the quality of the microphone’s audio.
In the box
- Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Headset
- Wireless Base Station
- 2x Lithium Ion Batteries
- 2x USB-C to USB-A Cable (5 ft / 1.5m)
- 3.5mm to 3.5mm Audio Cable – 5 pole to 4 pole (4 ft / 1.2m)
- 2x Removable Magnetic Ear Plates
- Microphone Pop Filter
- Product Information Guide
