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- Luxurious build and fit
- Best-in-class sound
- Effective ANC
- Eye-wateringly expensive
- Heavy when used as headphones
A long, hot summer made gaming tough; even the best fans couldn’t prevent things from getting uncomfortably toasty as my TV radiated heat into the loft conversion I dwell in.
But testers gotta test, and reviewers gotta review. So I got a sweat on with the sweatlords in Mistfall Hunter; slashed my way around 19th-century Japan in Rise of the Ronin; headbutted goblins as a dwarf in Absolom; and traversed several other gaming worlds in solo and multiplayer to put the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite through its paces.
It’s one of the best-rated gaming headsets on the market, but also one of the most expensive. After three months using it as my go-to headset and occasional replacement for over-ear headphones, do I think it’s worth the significant expense? Read on to find out.
What do you get for the money?
- Premium gaming headset
- GameHub wireless base station
- Microphone pop filter
- 3 x USB-C to USB-A cables
- Carrying pouch
The Arctis Nova Elite costs £600, between the PlayStation 5 with a disc drive (£570) and Xbox Series X (£670). Let that sink in: in 2026, manufacturers are selling headsets that cost more than the consoles they were created for. But the Arctis Nova Elite package includes much more than a single headset, and it delivers build quality, features and functionality to justify the outlay.
The headset’s frame is made from cold-rolled steel and die-cast aluminium, while the memory foam earpads and outer headband are wrapped in vegan leather. A suspended inner headband made from a soft, stretchable elastic fabric distributes weight across your head. Both the build and aesthetic scream premium, particularly in the Sage & Gold finish I tested. There’s also a super-sleek “Obsidian” black version.
Unless you’re a streamer, a gaming headset’s appearance probably isn’t all that important to you. However, the Arctis Nova Elite doubles as a capable pair of over-ear headphones thanks to dual Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity and impressive specs. 40mm carbon fibre drivers with brass surrounds deliver the sound, while Bluetooth compatibility includes SBC, LC3 and LC3+ codecs, and multipoint pairing support. A beamforming mic built into the right earcup handles calls if you don’t want to use the retractable mic, and active noise cancellation and transparency modes let you control external sound levels.
A headset for all scenarios and platforms
Although the Arctis Nova Elite impresses as a Bluetooth headset, the included GameHub with OmniPlay unlocks its true potential. This wireless base station supports high-resolution audio up to 96kHz/24bit when paired with a compatible source.
And the Arctis Nova Elite works with every gaming source imaginable. If you own a desktop PC, gaming laptop, Mac, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, Switch 2, Android phone, iPhone, tablet, or even the Meta Quest 3, it’s got you covered.
Software support comes from the Arctis companion app for mobile devices, SteelSeries GG and Engine for older Windows machines and macOS, and GG and Sonar for Windows 10 PCs and above.
You can connect multiple sources to the hub via three USB-C ports (one of which is earmarked for Xbox consoles) and an audio line-in on the rear of the hub. You can play audio from four sources simultaneously (two via USB, one via Bluetooth and one via the line-in) and balance individual levels as required. Those levels appear on a digital display on the front of the hub, which also shows mic volume, headset battery life, and charging status. On-display menus also let you adjust various settings, which I’ll discuss in more detail later.
The GameHub also functions as a charging dock for the two batteries that come with the Nova Elite. Each has a stated battery life of 30 hours and is accessed by removing the magnetic plate attached to the outside of the right earcup.
How I tested the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite
I spent many weeknights and an ungodly number of weekend hours using the Nova Elite as my primary gaming headset. I own a PS5, Xbox Series S, Switch 2, ROG Ally and a Windows laptop that can run semi-demanding games, so I used each to test the headset’s connectivity, audio performance and features.
When assessing audio, I mostly played single-player games, but I also gamed online with friends to assess microphone quality and the ChatMix option. I also used the Arctis Nova Elite as a replacement for over-ear headphones at home and when travelling to and from work, analysing sound quality with music and assessing how effective the noise cancellation was in different environments.
How comfortable is it?
A gaming headset can have all the functionality under the sun, but if it gets uncomfortable during an all-day session, it’s not going to fly. Perhaps fortunately (as it forced me to get outside and touch grass), the summer’s searing heat meant such epic sessions were relatively sparse. But I was nothing but impressed when wearing the Nova Elite for two, three, sometimes four or five hours at a time.
The memory foam inside the earpads is extremely plush, and my ears felt securely enclosed but never stifled. Meanwhile, the inner headband did a good job of spreading the headset’s weight evenly across the top of my head. The Nova Elite is pretty heavy, though. At 380g, it’s heavier than the other headsets I own: the HyperX Cloud Orbit S (368g), Razer Kaira Pro (365g) and Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal PC/PS5 (279g).
It’s also significantly heavier than popular noise-cancelling headphones like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones 2nd Gen (250g), Sony WH-1000XM6 (254g) and Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless (290g). With options like that available, I wouldn’t actively choose to wear the Nova Elite outside the house. Still, if you don’t already own a pair of premium over-ears, it’s an attractive, comfortable, if somewhat bulky, stand-in.
How easy is it to control?
The Nova Elite’s button layout is straightforward, which means interacting with the headset is never a chore. A single button on the right earcup handles key Bluetooth operations: play/pause, skip track, previous track, and answer/end call. The Power button on the left cup doubles as the ANC toggle, while the scroll wheel at the base of the earcup lets you adjust volume. The wheel has a tactile, textured exterior and moves with a pleasing click.
However, there’s more to the wheel than meets the eye. When the headset is connected to the wireless GameHub, pressing it in toggles between Volume, SourceMix and ChatMix controls. This lets you easily balance different audio or chat feeds, something most casual gamers won’t need, but a big boon for streamers and pro gamers.
You can also hold down the volume wheel to access the settings menu on the GameHub’s OLED display. This lets you manually select your preferred equaliser and source, turn ANC on or off, change the display’s brightness, and more. I initially found the GameHub’s menus a little clunky to navigate with the headset controls, but learned the ropes quickly.
How good is the microphone quality?
Phenomenal. I’m not exaggerating when I say that the Arctis Nova Elite delivered the best comms experience I’ve ever had when gaming. With other gaming headsets I’ve tested, people have reported crackling, background noise or occasional dropouts. The Nova Elite had no issues.
After babysitting Will Georgiadis through a few rounds of Mistfall Hunter, I asked the wet-behind-the-ears mercenary how I sounded through the retractable boom mic. “Superb,” he replied. “Like you were in the room with me. Or at least, in the room with me, speaking to me through a very good mic. Your voice didn’t cut out once while we were playing.”
Quizzed about whether he heard any distractions during the session, he said, “I never noticed any background noise when playing; the mic focused on your voice very clearly.”
Boom mic for quality, beamforming for convenience
While I found the boom mic superior to the discreet beamforming mic, the latter still impressed. Both picked up my voice cleanly when recording voice clips, but the boom mic was slightly more defined and more resilient against environmental sounds. That said, I avoided using it outside the house, and here, the beamforming mic came into its own. Its voice note and call clarity beat many detachable headset mics I’ve tested over the years and almost all the leading contenders in the over-ear headphones world.
The Nova Elite also offers microphone customisation beyond that you’ll find on the gaming headset competition and every pair of over-ear headphones I’ve tried. You can tweak the sidetone (how loudly you hear your own voice) on both the boom and on-ear mics, adjust the level of noise cancellation each mic applies, and select from nine presets ranging from “Deep Voice” to “Broadcast High Pitch”. Features like this aren’t must-haves on more modest headsets, but make the difference on a premium product like this.
How good is the sound quality?
The words that spring to mind here are balance, clarity and nuance. The Arctis Nova Elite has hi-fi-like sensibilities; it communicates source material naturally and does so in great detail. Nothing in Mortal Shell II’s soundscape escaped my attention. Everything from the creaks of tree branches and whispers of demented enemies to the cawing of crows, the sway of a hanged body, and even a fly buzzing past was articulated superbly.
I was particularly impressed by how the Nova Elite handled positional audio cues. It was always clear which direction sounds originated, and I often heard things before I saw them. This is useful in a game that likes to spring nasty surprises like Mortal Shell II, but was even more valuable in Mistfall Hunters. Thanks to the Elite’s precise positioning, I located enemy hunters and the bell-ringing Woodlings (which you use to exit the first map) much more easily than in the Samsung QS90H soundbar’s Game Pro mode.
As well as its delicate, almost analytical attention to detail, the Nova Elite ramps things up to successfully add weight and impact when necessary. The deep, booming drums on the rousing theme of Mistfall Hunter had great force, and were paired with well-separated string instruments and Nordic-chant-inspired vocals. As the song built to its crescendo, the Nova Elite had no problems matching its energy and dynamism; the rise and fall from quiet to loud was reproduced excellently.
Excellent impact and always-clear dialogue
Sound effects as I roamed the map slaying enemies were equally visceral. There was a believable thud as I slammed my shield into an Elite Berserker, a palpable swish as I swung my sword and a fleshy hit as I landed the follow-up on my target.
I mentioned balance earlier, and one of the things that impressed me most about the Nova Elite was its ability to ensure dialogue remains intelligible no matter how hectic the rest of the soundstage gets. During the climactic final scene in the true ending of Dragon’s Dogma II, when you’re climbing across the back of a flying dragon, dodging eruptions and flaming breath, the Pathfinder’s explanatory voiceover was perfectly audible above what could be overwhelming environmental effects. In less frenetic scenes, I consistently enjoyed the crispness of the dialogue presentation.
I didn’t feel much need to switch out of the Flat EQ preset, as it proved suitable for the wide range of games I played while testing the Nova Elite. However, it’s worth mentioning that there are 384 presets to choose from in the Arctis mobile app. That’s not a typo. 384. This includes presets for recent and popular titles, including Baldur’s Gate 3, Resident Evil Requiem, Fortnite and Valheim. Those looking for a personalised approach can use SteelSeries’ Sonar or GG software to shape their own frequency curve.
How effective is the noise cancellation?
Is the Arctis Nova Elite as good at attenuating sound as top-tier ANC over-ear headphones? Not quite. But it’s undoubtedly the most capable noise-cancelling gaming headset I’ve tested and does more than enough to let you game in peace in most environments.
I wore the headset on flights to and from Cologne for Gamescom and whittled away the time playing Cinderia (an indie roguelite I highly recommend ) on the ROG Ally. The headset significantly reduced the low thrum of the engines and tempered chatter a reasonable amount, too, rendering my Cinderia experience largely distraction-free. It won’t make conversations and announcements completely disappear, however; I was painfully aware of a parent soothing their crying baby on my train back home from the airport.
At home, where I used the headset most, the noise cancellation let me fully lock into whatever I was playing. No external sounds were loud enough to knock me out of my gaming stride; I can see a few partners and spouses potentially getting a bit miffed here. However, three ANC levels and an effective Transparency slider let you control how much external sound gets in. So, if you have to keep one ear on real-world responsibilities, you can.
Should you buy the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite?
It would be ridiculous of me to suggest you all rush out and splurge £600 on a gaming headset; most people don’t need the features, luxurious build or customisation the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite offers.
It’s a very expensive gaming indulgence, but one that delivers on its performance promises. No headset more comfortable, sonically superb, or comms-adept has graced this bald head in three decades of gaming.
So, if you’re a pro gamer or, like me, spend enough time gaming every week for it to constitute a second job, the Arctis Nova Elite should be at the top of your wishlist. Just think how smug you’ll feel having booked a week off work to play Grand Theft Auto VI with these beauties on.
