SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite review: The ultimate gaming headset?

SteelSeries is stepping up its game with an entirely new premium-tier gaming headset: the Arctis Nova Elite. This isn’t the sequel to the Arctis Nova Pro, but a new “gaming audiophile” headset that’s nearly twice the price. The Elite packs carbon fiber drivers, enhanced ANC, Hi-Res Wireless connectivity, and a base station that lets you simultaneously connect to just about every console and system imaginable while mixing audio from four sources in real time. Is this the ultimate do-everything gaming headset, or an expensive solution to problems most gamers don’t actually have?

What’s it like to use the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite?

The materials and build quality genuinely feel premium from the moment you pick up the Elite. The large, plush ear cups are super comfortable for extended sessions, while the all-metal frame feels solid and sturdy without any flex or creaking. The suspension headband uses a soft fabric that doesn’t feel scratchy or itchy like other, more affordable headsets I’ve tried. I only have one long-term durability concern, which is the pleather wrapping on the ear cups, which could wear out with heavy use. However, at least the ear cups are replaceable, should you need.

The adjustment system is also straightforward—you can slide the metal headband out to fit different head sizes, and the suspension band has three notches for height adjustment. The headphones rotate to lay flat but don’t fold for travel. There are magnetic plates on the outside of each ear cup for easy access to the removable battery on the right side, which you can hot-swap with a second one charging in the base station, and the USB-C charging port under the left ear cup.

The gold-accented metal volume roller has a nice textured feel. The boom microphone slides in and out smoothly with a slight indentation to pull it out, and sits completely flush when retracted for a discreet look. SteelSeries also includes a nice leather travel pouch, which, frankly, is the least they could do for the price. The top of the case folds over and seals magnetically, and there’s a large zippered compartment inside to hold cables and accessories.

The GameHub base station is easy to set up and use. Simply plug it into your PC via the USB cable, and the headphones automatically connect. There are plenty of ports on the back, and audio can be mixed from up to four sources (PC, Console, Bluetooth, and Aux).  However, I think the OLED screen is a bit overkill—it displays the same basic menu most of the time, and because of that, I worry about burn-in over time. An E-Ink display might have sufficed for the simple black-and-white interface.

How do you control the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite?

There are three main ways to control the Elite: physical controls on the headset, the GameHub base station, and software apps. The headset itself keeps things simple with controls on the left ear cup: a power button, which also cycles between ANC modes, a microphone mute button, and the textured volume dial.

You can also make all the same controls from the GameHub base station, and more. The large golden knob is a pleasure to use and shows real-time dB adjustments in both channels, and the touch-sensitive button makes navigating through menus and audio channels easy enough. You double-tap to move forward and tap to move back, while clicking the volume knob to make a selection. The menus are simple to navigate through for EQ settings, device mixing, and audio level monitoring across multiple connected devices. You can adjust pretty much everything from the base station without touching your phone or computer.

On the software side, SteelSeries offers two options. The mobile Arctis Companion app handles real-time audio configuration for game audio, Bluetooth audio, and microphone EQ—all adjustable while the audio is playing back. PC users get the more advanced Sonar Software Audio Suite with additional mixing and customization options. Let’s unpack all those features in the next section.

Should you use the Arctis App or GG Software for the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite?

Which app you should use depends on your platform and how deep you want to go with customization. PC users have a choice, but SteelSeries GG (which includes the Sonar Audio Suite) is the clear winner if you want advanced features. GG offers more granular EQ control, including an 11-band parametric equalizer to dial in frequency, gain, and Q factor exactly as you want. There are hundreds of game-specific EQ presets to choose from, and you can also tweak any of them to your liking with the EQ.

There’s also spatial audio options, AI-powered noise suppression for your microphone, and detailed mixing controls for separating game audio, chat, and media. The interface is more detailed and in-depth than the mobile app, and you get features like gameplay recording, highlights, and streaming integration. Unlike the previous Nova Pro Wireless, SteelSeries appears to have resolved the EQ integration issues—you can now use both the software EQ settings and still make adjustments through the GameHub’s physical controls without conflicts of one overriding the other.

There are plenty of microphone equalization options as well. You can select from several EQ presets, adjust the frequency bands to your liking, and adjust sidetone levels for both the boom mic and the microphones built into the headset, which activate when the boom mic is retracted.

If you’re primarily a console gamer, the mobile Arctis App is your only real option—and thankfully, it’s pretty capable. You get access to all the same game-specific EQ presets, real-time EQ adjustments for 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connections, and microphone tuning. It has a simpler interface that can be easier to navigate on the fly while sitting on the couch in the middle of a game.

How do you connect the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite?

The better question would be, what don’t they connect to? The Arctis Nova Elite supports 2.4GHz wireless with Hi-Res 96kHz/24-bit audio transmission. On the Bluetooth side, you get 5.3 with LE Audio support, including SBC, LC3, and LC3+ codecs, plus multipoint connectivity for managing multiple devices. All this is quite robust for a wireless gaming headset.

Then you have OmniPlay, which lets you have up to four wired connections and mix audio from up to four sources simultaneously, on top of the simultaneous Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless. That makes six audio streams total. For example, you can have USB connections to PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, Bluetooth to your phone, and a 3.5mm line-in, all feeding audio to the headset at once. The GameHub base station handles this through three USB-C ports (with Port 3 specifically Xbox-capable), plus dedicated 3.5mm line-in and line-out jacks.

For situations where you don’t want to lug the base station around, the headset has a 3.5mm audio jack for wired listening. There’s no support for direct USB audio, though—you can’t plug the headset directly into a PC via USB-C and get audio, only charging. Still, I don’t miss it, as the flexibility here is impressive. You can go from a full desktop setup with multiple systems connected to a simple Bluetooth connection for commuting, all with the same headset.

Unlike the Nova Pro Wireless, which required choosing between PlayStation and Xbox versions, the Elite works with everything out of the box. The compatibility list is extensive: PC with ChatMix support through Sonar software, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series S/X with ChatMix, Mac, Nintendo Switch 2, iPhones, Android devices, Meta Quest headsets, tablets, and handheld gaming devices. Most of these can connect via either the GameHub’s USB-C wireless or Bluetooth, giving you options depending on your setup.

How long does the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite’s battery last?

Theoretically, forever. SteelSeries calls it the “Infinite Power System,” and while that’s a bit of marketing hyperbole, the dual battery setup effectively eliminates any battery anxiety. You get two 700mAh lithium-ion batteries that provide 30 hours of playtime each—meaning 60 total hours between charges if you manage them properly. Practically, this means you can game indefinitely as long as you remember to swap batteries occasionally. One stays in the headset while the other charges in the base station.

The hot-swapping works exactly as advertised. When one battery dies, you pop off the magnetic right ear cup cover, swap in the fresh battery from the GameHub’s charging bay, and keep playing. The headset also stays powered for about eight seconds during the swap, so you won’t lose audio mid-game if you act fast. Each battery takes roughly three hours to fully charge, but the fast charging delivers four hours of playtime from just 15 minutes of charging via USB-C.

The 30-hour rating per battery is conservative, too. In my testing with moderate volume levels and mixed wireless/Bluetooth usage, I consistently hit that mark and sometimes exceeded it slightly.

How well does the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite attenuate noise?

The Elite delivers a significant upgrade over the Nova Pro Wireless in both passive isolation and active noise cancelation. With ANC enabled, the headset achieves an average noise reduction of 84%, making it the best noise canceling gaming headset we have tested so far. The passive isolation alone does decent work thanks to the large, well-sealed ear cups, but the active cancellation really shines in the low frequencies where it matters most.

Looking at the frequency response, the ANC system excels at eliminating low-frequency noise by up to 30dB. Think air conditioning hum, computer fans, traffic rumble, or that annoying refrigerator buzz. It’s also surprisingly effective at reducing mid-range and high-frequency sounds by up to 48dB, to quiet things like conversations happening nearby or keyboard clicking from other gamers in the room.

How do the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite sound?

I really liked how the Arctis Nova Elite sounds for gaming and listening to music. Its carbon fiber drivers enhance clarity and detail. While the default tuning may not suit everyone’s preferences, there are extensive EQ customization options to get the headset to sound exactly how you want it to.

Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS)

The chart below shows how the sound of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite was assessed by the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics.

Our MDAQS testing shows mixed results. However, there’s an important caveat: these measurements were recorded via Bluetooth in our standardized lab setup, not through the Elite’s primary 2.4GHz connection. As such, take them with a grain of salt as they don’t reflect the headset’s Hi-Res 24-bit/96kHz transmission through the GameHub, which did provide better timbre accuracy and overall fidelity in my experience.

Over Bluetooth, however, the Elite scored 2.3 for Timbre, 3.6 for Distortion, and 3.2 for Immersiveness, with an overall score of 2.9 out of 5. The relatively low timbre score suggests some frequency response irregularities, while the higher distortion score indicates reasonably clean reproduction. The immersiveness score sits in the middle range, reflecting decent but not exceptional spatial positioning. Again, this was all tested with the default tuning, which you likely are not going to be using if you are buying this headset.

Reviewer’s notes

Editor’s note: this review uses a hover-enabled glossary to describe sound quality based on a consensus vocabulary. You can read about it here.

Objective Measurements

The Arctis Nova Elite’s default frequency response shows a bass response that stays closer to our house curve without any overemphasis. However, there’s a significant scoop in the midrange between 200-500Hz, as well as a noticeable dip at 5kHz, followed by a treble peak just before 9kHz. This treble emphasis can actually benefit gaming by enhancing positional audio cues.

Despite these deviations, the Elite’s extensive EQ options allow you to address any frequency response concerns. The full parametric EQ allows precise adjustments to specific frequency bands—you can raise the scooped midrange, tame the treble peak, or add more bass exactly to your preferences. This flexibility means the out-of-the-box tuning here is more of a starting point than a limitation.

How good is the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite’s microphone?

The retractable microphone is easy to pull in and out and position for optimal sound. When retracted, it sits flush with the rest of the ear cup, and a visible red light illuminates when you mute the mic. The microphone quality is excellent and is highly optimized for communication, and it is one of the best gaming headset mics I have ever tested.

If you want a more discreet look, you can also take calls with the boom mic retracted, thanks to the mics built into the headset itself. As you can hear from the samples below, this won’t be as good quality as the boom mic, but it’s nice to have both options.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite boom microphone demo Flat EQ:

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite headset microphone demo:

Should you buy the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite?

For nearly $600, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite certainly isn’t cheap. Really, it makes the most sense for people who have the money and specifically want a headset that connects to three or four devices on the fly. Mixing between four or more simultaneous audio channels is the big feature you won’t find anywhere else. If you own that many gaming consoles and a PC, you can probably afford it. But for many, it might be overkill. Most other capabilities, like game-specific EQ presets and the custom equalizer, are available in much more affordable SteelSeries options like the Nova 5 or even Nova 3.

The investment makes more sense if it will double as both your gaming headset and everyday headphones. The sleek, non-gamer aesthetic and premium build quality support that dual role, as do the extensive EQ options, and both the boom and built-in microphones perform well for calls on the go or gaming at home. The hot swappable battery system means this headset can last forever, but again, you can get that feature with the Nova Pro Wireless for roughly half the price. Sure, this is the ultimate do-it-all gaming headset if you have a spec’d-out gaming station or streaming setup. Still, if you’re primarily gaming on one platform, you’re paying a hefty premium for many bells and whistles with diminishing returns, and you may want to consider other options.