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SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wi-fi: one-minute evaluation
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wi-fi is a refresh of the corporate’s earlier midrange gaming headset choice, again to impress us all as a wi-fi iteration with tons of performance that makes it battlestation-ready.
The factor is, there was a transparent and rapid distinction between the sound, really feel, and design of gaming headsets. In 2025, although, establishing the hierarchy of accessible fashions isn’t as easy. Gaming headsets are a hotly contested area, and there’s little or no distinction in sound high quality between these wi-fi, dual-connectivity $110 / £100 cans and something priced inside $50 / £50 from opponents like Razer, Logitech G, Corsair, or HyperX. Which means its characteristic set must line up together with your particular use case for this headset to make sense as your subsequent buy.
A few of its promoting factors are common: nice sound, simple setup, and 40 hours of battery life with speedy charging. Over the 30 hours or so I’ve spent utilizing it (the ‘X’ variant designed with Xbox in thoughts, particularly), these guarantees have held true, and there’s nobody who wouldn’t respect them.
Then it will get extra particular. If you need a premium headset that you may simply change between console and PC sources with, and also you’re probably to make use of the companion app, it is a unbelievable bundle. For those who’re extra of a minimalist who’ll probably solely use it with one gadget and doesn’t care an excessive amount of about tweaking settings, the value begins to look steeper, and the likes of Corsair’s meat-and-potatoes wired HS55 Encompass headset may meet your wants and prevent $40 within the course of.
Backside line: there are many fascinating options right here and so they’re bundled in with the signature consolation and crisp, breezy sound attribute we’ve all come to count on – and love – from the Arctis vary over time. However the $110 / £100 pricing of those Arctis Nova 3s is a great distance north of the wired Nova 3s, which can be found for $75.
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SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wi-fi: Value and availability
- Listing value: $109.99 / £99.99 / AU$109.99
- A lot pricier than the wired Arctis Nova 3s, albeit with extra options
- Closest rival with related specs is the Corsair HS80 RGB
The value of this lower-end 3-series of the Arctis vary is creeping up, and whereas there are actually sufficient further bells and whistles to justify it, it does go away a little bit of a spot between the $60 and $110 value factors throughout the Arctis lineup.
Conversely, the Arctis Nova 5s and the discounted Nova 7s and 9s are all often going for between $120-$140 now, so it appears like it could have made extra sense for the Nova 3X to supply a real low-budget choice.
With this MSRP, the closest competitor that gives related specs is Corsair’s HS80 RGB. Each are wi-fi gaming headsets with multi-device help, however on the specs sheet, it’s the SteelSeries that comes out most favorably, because of the Bluetooth and a pair of.4GHz wi-fi connectivity and quick charging.
The looks and tactile really feel may not yell ‘premium!’ on the prime of its voice, however when you get these delicate earcups over your ears and really feel how light-weight this mannequin is, it begins to make extra sense.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wi-fi: specs
Value | $109.99 / £99.99 / AU$109.99 |
Weight | 267g / 0.57 lbs |
Battery life | 40 hours |
Connection sort | Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wi-fi (USB-C receiver) |
Compatibility | PC, Xbox Sequence X (Xbox model solely), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Swap, iOS, Android |
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wi-fi: design and options
- Usually snug design
- You’re feeling the good thing about these light-weight supplies
- Not the flashiest headset on this planet
The ‘Nova’ a part of this headset’s title delineates SteelSeries’ refresh of the Arctis line from its unique ‘ski goggle headband’ ancestors that debuted in 2017 and devoured up all of the awards, ever.
Which means the headscarf on this mannequin runs beneath a tough plastic help band, popping into place through plastic press studs and suspending the load of the heavier supplies through the lateral pressure of the elasticated band.
It’s a sensible design that doesn’t appear to be it ought to work in addition to it does, and it’s helped alongside by a particularly light-weight building. On the scales (and the specs sheet), the brand new 3 Wi-fi weighs simply 9.4oz / 267g. And due to that headband, it appears like even lower than that.
Not a lot clamping power is required to maintain this firmly hooked up round your ears, so there’s a really totally different sensation than you’d discover on the aviator-style HyperX Cloud or Razer Blackshark designs that hug your ears like suction cups.
That every one contributes to an exquisite degree of long-term carrying consolation, and likewise, one suspects, to the ethereal, crisp sound high quality that Arctis cans at all times appear to provide.
When it comes to bodily controls, it’s a easy array, organized on the rear-left earcup: a mic mute button, notched quantity scroll wheel, energy button with mild ring, then a USB-C connection and the three.5mm removable mic enter.
My solely gripe with this array is that the plastic surrounding the mic connector doesn’t match precisely with the form of the feminine connection, however that’s actually solely an aesthetic quibble. In any other case, all of the controls feel and appear actually properly constructed, and so they’re sensibly laid out. The scroll wheel feels unbelievable, particularly.
On to the visible design. It seems the gaming peripherals market has come full circle: after years of shoving RGB-laden tat with tribal designs throughout it, it seems that all these collabs with professional gamers have paid off, and we’re getting less complicated, cleaner designs now that don’t lean into the gamer aesthetic. For that, the Arctis line previous and current deserves a pat on the elasticated headband.
Nevertheless, I’m within the unusual and sudden place of wishing for a bit extra edginess right here. Not fairly a tribal sample, however… one thing to higher distinguish it from productiveness {hardware} and make me really feel like the value is a no brainer. Maybe a mixture of matte and gloss finishes might need helped.
One final level on the design: it’s too early to inform for this mannequin, however I do know by way of years of utilizing quite a few Arctis and Arctis Nova headsets that the headbands do slacken over time, and this impacts the consolation degree.
Luckily, SteelSeries sells alternative headbands at a really affordable value, so when this occurs, it’s not a biggie to revive that factory-fresh feeling.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wi-fi: efficiency
- Crisp and distinctive audio
- Swap between PC and console simply
- Fast charging is a lifesaver
Let’s speak about sound. Firstly of this evaluation, I discussed that there’s not a lot in it between the massive vary of gaming headsets you can exit and purchase in 2025.
Ten years in the past, when producers had been obsessive about packing the most important drivers doable into their headsets and shaking your fillings unfastened with their bass response, there was an enormous variance in audio traits. Now the distinction between fashions and producers is way subtler.
That mentioned, there’s at all times been an ‘Arctis sound’. SteelSeries has at all times most popular a flatter EQ response for this vary, with a crisper excessive finish and a nice airiness that makes sound cues simpler to determine in aggressive video games, and makes music and flicks sound much less soupy than historic gaming cans might need completed.
That holds true to this Nova 3 Wi-fi. A part of it’s in all probability the material floor across the earcups, and the sunshine clamping power. They create an virtually open-backed headphone sensation, which I discover very agreeable, however it is a matter of style, not an empirical plus level.
EQ profile tweaking may be achieved – to an absurdly exhaustive diploma, frankly – through the companion app in your telephone. There are presets for tons of particular video games already on there at launch, however personally, I’d warning that this characteristic is far more about advertising than consumer expertise. In actuality, Name of Responsibility Black Ops 6, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Fortnite don’t really want distinct presets from one another.
It’s all gunfire and shouting on the finish of the day. It’s added worth, however unlikely to remodel your expertise of utilizing this headset. So think twice about this part and the way it matches into the value earlier than you’re taking the leap.
On to extra common wins: I really like the quick USB-C charging. The literature states 9 hours of battery life from quarter-hour of cost time, and whereas it’s exhausting to measure how correct that assertion is throughout real-world use, based mostly on my week of heavy use, it sounds roughly right. I’ve actually by no means had a session disrupted by battery degree, and that’s the underside line.
As for the mic, it appears like there’s extra compression and noise cancellation occurring by default than you’d sometimes hear on a contemporary headset mic, and which means it’s prioritising readability over a full-bodied, increase mic-style sound.
That is the right precedence placement for the overwhelming majority of customers, who want a mic to be heard over sport audio by their team-mates, moderately than to sound broadcast high quality to their streaming audiences. For those who do create content material utilizing a headset mic moderately than a devoted unit, this may not be ideally suited for you because it’ll require some parameter-fiddling to get a extra rounded sound.
Lastly, let’s deal with the biggie: multi-device connectivity through 2.4GHz wi-fi and Bluetooth. The concept right here is that ‘battlestation’-type players play on a number of units in a single space, switching between PC and console from one title to the following. Historically, utilizing one headset for each generally is a slight problem resulting from various connection requirements and compatibility. The USB-C dongle right here means you’ll be able to simply plug it into whichever gadget you need to use, and that’s the extent of the setup.
The Nova 3 Wi-fi’s twin connectivity means you may as well keep related to a gaming gadget plus your smartphone on the similar time, and apply totally different presets for every through the cell app so that you don’t by chance find yourself with Fortnite EQ in your TikTok movies.
Possibly it is a large deal for you. The presets don’t transfer the needle a lot for me, however dual-wireless is at all times a giant plus, and it provides loads to the pricing.
Ought to I purchase the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wi-fi?
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wi-fi: Additionally take into account
Is the Arctis Nova 3 Wi-fi leaving you chilly? Contemplate these cable-free, multi-platform options.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 Wi-fi | Turtle Seaside Stealth 600 (gen 3) | PlayStation Pulse Elite |
Value | $109.99 / £99.99 / AU$109.99 | $99.99 / £99.99 / AU$179 | $149.99 / £129.99 / AU$239.95 |
Weight | 267g / 0.57 lbs | 0.66lbs / 301g | 0.76lbs / 347g |
Battery life | 40 hours | 80 hours | 30 hours |
Connection sort | Bluetooth, 2.4GHz wi-fi (USB-C receiver) | Wi-fi (USB-A dongle), wired (USB-C to USB-A) | Wi-fi (PlayStation Hyperlink through dongle), Wired (3.5mm audio jack), Bluetooth |
Compatibility | PC, Xbox Sequence X (Xbox model solely), PlayStation 5, Nintendo Swap, iOS, Android | Xbox, Ps, PC, Nintendo Swap, iOS, Android | PlayStation 5, PlayStation Portal, PC |
How I examined the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X Wi-fi
- 25-30 hours spent testing throughout a number of units
- PC video games and iPhone apps used all through
- Consolation and battery life evaluated through long-term utilization and prolonged play periods, audio through music and in-game sound
Over the course of a full week of testing, I hung out in MotoGP 25, Hitman 3, and Shadow Man Remastered on PC. The latter’s 25-year-old audio may not have pushed the 3X’s drivers to their limits, however the brand new engine audio seize in MotoGP 25 conveyed plenty of element throughout the EQ spectrum, and the engine pops sounded notably rousing. In the meantime, in a stealth atmosphere like Hitman, the robust encompass panorama of this headset gave me loads of precision about the place guard dialogue strains and footsteps had been coming from.
I additionally had the three Wi-fi related to my iPhone 12 Professional Max through Bluetooth and used them to browse YouTube movies and hearken to music on Spotify between PC sport periods. I had loads of Discord chat on each units, taking impressions from my mates about mic high quality earlier than recording audio instantly into Ableton Reside for a real evaluation.
Lastly, I did some A/B testing with my day by day drivers, the Razer Blackshark V2 Execs, switching between headsets throughout the identical sport to listen to the exact variations in audio traits from the identical sound cues.
First reviewed June 2025
