SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless review

The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is a wireless gaming headset with Bluetooth alongside. It runs 2.4 GHz wireless and Bluetooth 5.0 at the same time, with a 12 m wireless range and USB-C charging. The listed platforms are PC, PlayStation 5 and 4, Switch, Mac, and mobile via Bluetooth. ROG Ally and Steam Deck are supported over USB.

That platform list suits someone who games on a console and works on a PC or Mac.

Tom's Hardware rates the audio very good. HiFi Oasis calls the sound profile excellent for both music and gaming, and notes that EQ helps. Owners separately praise strong sound and imaging.

HiFi Oasis says EQ helps, and owners report buggy software. Keep both in mind if you plan to tune the sound.

The headset has a retractable boom mic with ClearCast Gen 2. RTINGS and HiFi Oasis both rate the mic well. Owner feedback is less settled: microphone quality shows up as a complaint.

That split means the mic isn't a clear strength or weakness. If you take a lot of calls, weigh the professional ratings against the owner complaints.

The headset weighs 338 g according to Reviewed, and 339 g according to The Loadout. Tom's Hardware calls it very comfortable.

SoundGuys says the faux-leather pads warm up after an hour or two. For long sessions, that is the point to watch, since warm pads are likely to matter more the longer you wear it.

The headset uses two hot-swappable batteries, each rated up to 22 hours. SoundGuys measured 22 hours 36 minutes of battery life in its testing, which is slightly above the rating. Owners name the hot-swappable batteries as the most-cited positive.

The simultaneous 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth connection also gets owner praise. They like switching between two systems on dual connections. The limit comes from RTINGS, which says Bluetooth allows only one paired device at a time. You can have the wireless link and one Bluetooth device active together, but not several Bluetooth sources.

The headset has active noise cancellation with a transparency mode. RTINGS says the ANC blocks chatter well but struggles with low-pitched rumble such as bus engines. With that limit, it suits offices and shared rooms better than commutes on noisy transport.

Owners are less positive. Their complaints include underwhelming ANC for the price, buggy software and a high price. Those themes drag down the value case even where the sound and battery are well regarded. If ANC is your main reason to buy, the owner complaints and the RTINGS note on rumble are the findings to weigh most.

It suits buyers who move between a PC and a console, or between a PC and a handheld. The dual connections, long battery life and hot-swappable batteries fit that use. The sound reports give a further reason to consider it.

It suits buyers less if they want strong noise cancelling, need several paired Bluetooth devices, or want software without reported bugs. The high price is an owner complaint in its own right, so judge it against the features you will actually use.