SteelSeries has waded into the other frontier of gaming audio with their new Arctis Gamebuds, bringing their biggest recent innovation along for the ride. Earbuds have seen a sort of renaissance in recent years, even as gaming headsets continue reinventing themselves. Driven by products like Apple’s AirPods, it’s hard to go out and about these days without seeing at least one person with a bud in one ear.
Through demoing and reviewing audio offerings from various outstanding brands across the industry, I keep gravitating back to SteelSeries’ Arctis line in my daily personal use—so I was curious how they would bring the same innovations to this new form factor.
Like most consumers will surely expect by now, the SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds come with a convenient case for storage and charging, which thankfully holds the USB-C dongle as well. This case has a slightly different shape, being more flat and oval than competitor’s offerings but still sliding conveniently into pockets. Each bud lays flat within, securing with a magnetized click, and connects with ease upon removal when you’re ready to use them.
While my previous pair of earbuds sometimes didn’t slot into their places properly or might not connect until I put them back in and tried again, I never encountered this bug with the Arctis Gamebuds. Granted, this is a small issue and potentially easy to overlook. Nonetheless, it was a relief when I realized I no longer needed my old habit of waiting at the start and end of use to make sure everything worked properly.
“After extensive use in different contexts, the SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds remained comfortable, especially after finding the right silicone tips. “
At a time when many other companies are making earbuds with longer rods that jut out, SteelSeries kept its design simple and elegant—while also backing it up with extensive research, scanning over 62,000 ear profiles to engineer a superior approach. The Arctis Gamebuds fit into the ear, with three different sizes of silicone ear tips for comfort and blend in discreetly. From the outside, they have a unique, almost triangular profile when in use.
After extensive use in different contexts, the SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds remained comfortable, especially after finding the right silicone tips. They stay well in place whether working around the house, playing games or on a commute, and I could have forgotten I was wearing them at all. IP55 water resistance goes a long way in this regard, too, removing the panic if you should get caught in a rain shower.
SteelSeries rates the battery life at 40 hours per bud—10 hours with up to three additional full charges in the case—and that promise holds up. Listening to music on desktop in 2.4 mode drains about 10 % after about 90 minutes, and I saw comparable results after using them on the PS5, even with transparent noise-cancelling. In a pinch, the case is compatible with Qi fast-charging devices for even more convenience.
Speaking of connection modes, like most of the Arctis Nova line, the Arctis Gamebuds support both Bluetooth and 2.4GHz via the included USB-C dongle. Tapping on either side three times rapidly swaps between these two modes. (Unfortunately the simultaneous audio of the Nova 7 or Nova Pro isn’t included, but that would have been a big ask.)
“…the Arctis Gamebuds bring all the power of the Arctis Nova headsets to a smaller, in-demand form, and that’s pretty impressive. “
Given that you’ll likely have a different device connected for each mode, it’s a blessing that a different EQ mode can be set for each. This is where the biggest innovation comes into play: the ability to change the EQ modes on the fly with the Arctis app. SteelSeries debuted this feature on the Arctis Nova 5 recently, bypassing the need to plug your device into a computer to switch between these sound profiles, and it’s right at home on the Arctis Gamebuds.
The Arctis app connects to the Gamebuds and puts over a hundred preset EQ modes on your fingertips, all designed by SteelSeries’ sound engineers, and most of them in conjunction with the developers and pros who know the associated games best. You can set the Bluetooth mode to the Music: Bass Boost mode for your ride on public transit, swap to 2.4GHz when you get home and hop on Fortnite, then switch over to a favourite single-player game like Stellar Blade and its unique profile—all without taking the buds out of your ear. The company’s potent Sonar engine truly comes alive on consoles with this level of accessibility.
Bespoke sound profiles, thoughtful design and the company’s tried-and-tested sound tech combine to make a versatile and potent option to enhance your gameplay (or multimedia) experience. I can’t say for certain if the earbuds’ sound offers a sharper edge than SteelSeries’ headsets, as both have made a remarkable difference with their 360-degree Spatial Audio; regardless, there’s now a compelling product on the market in both forms, allowing you to go with the type you’d prefer.
There is, however, one small thing truly holding the Arctis Gamebuds back: the onboard controls. An ambitious number of tasks can be carried out with different button presses: triple-click the right bud to toggle connection modes, tap once and hold to increase or decrease volume, tap the left once to change noise-cancelling modes, and so on.
It’s a fairly elegant system for such a small piece of tech… if both buds are in use. If you’re like me (though I admit I may be in a small minority here) and often utilize only one side at a time, some of that elegance disappears, or at least becomes less natural.
Luckily, single- and double-tap commands for each side can be customized as well, on the rare occasion when the buds are plugged into a PC, so I attempted mapping both volume controls to the right side, which I use more often. I applaud SteelSeries’ designers for putting so many options at our fingertips, but if I had to point out one thing to grow on, it might be this slight oversight.
(I also wish they would work natively with my PlayStation Portal when away from home. They’ve made my Portal use all the better, and it would be great to have that same utility on the go. However, this is no fault of SteelSeries, and I digress, because I want these two great things to play even nicer together.)
The Gamebuds are priced about $10 CAD cheaper than the Arctis Nova 7 headset, which is still my top recommendation for headsets in today’s market. They’re also about equivalent to the Arctis Nova 5, which pioneered the in-app EQ swapping, but pricier by about $40. This might make for a complicated three-way decision, which boils down to the form factor and other small accoutrements.
Otherwise, the Arctis Gamebuds bring all the power of the Arctis Nova headsets to a smaller, in-demand form, and that’s pretty impressive. If you want the power of a gaming headset, either at home or in your daily routine, but don’t want the bulk that comes with even the lightest, these mighty earbuds have you covered.
- QUICK-SWITCH DUAL WIRELESS — High-speed 2.4GHz wireless specifically for PS5 gaming, or switch to Bluetooth 5.3 for mobile
- ACTIVE NOICE CANCELLATION — 4-mic hybrid ANC provides true gaming immersion; ability to switch transparency mode for awareness
