I’ve been raving about the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 for over a year now to anyone who mentions “gaming headset” in my periphery, but there’s been one obstacle: price. However, the company’s latest offering, the Arctis Nova 5, is about to surpass that barrier and offer some luxury tech at a more affordable price—and with a new wave of functionality as well.
The next entry in the Arctis Nova product line packs a lot of the features and aesthetics of its brethren. Signature audio drivers, a fully retractable microphone, support for the Sonar Audio Software Suite, and flexible connectivity options are all packed into a familiar casing, offered in three iterations—the standard multiplatform and the PlayStation or Xbox-branded 5P or 5X. Like the rest of its wireless brethren, the Arctis Nova 5 utilizes a USB-C dongle for reliable latency.
If this was the end of the story, this would already be a compelling recommendation, just for packing most of the bells and whistles of the Nova 7 or Pro at only $129.99 USD. But SteelSeries didn’t stop there.
In a first for the company, the Arctis Nova 5 supports a new companion app which allows users to change their equalizer presets on the fly. The app launched with over 100 game-specific audio presets, all fine-tuned by SteelSeries with input from either the game’s developers, pro players, or both.
“Now, the Companion App allows users to swap the Arctis Nova 5’s presets without leaving the game…”
The Sonar software is a powerful ally, but it can be tedious for console gamers to go back and forth to the PC to change presets. Most users, myself included, would rather pick a more generic or multipurpose preset and leave it at that rather than periodically hook up the headset to tweak the onboard setting. Now, the Companion App allows users to swap the Arctis Nova 5’s presets without leaving the game, as easily as changing a dropdown menu on their phone while waiting in the lobby between rounds.
With so many presets to choose from right out of the gate, personal mileage may vary; you may find your favourite game’s preset isn’t to your taste, or that some suit you better than others, and might defer to one of the more generic settings. But simply having this many options at your fingertips while playing on a console is a big gamechanger—the list of games at launch is seriously impressive, from the obvious fare like Fortnite and Call of Duty to popular online games like Final Fantasy XIV and Destiny 2, down to smaller recent releases like Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash.
One of my favourite features of the Arctis Nova 7’s has been brought down to the 5 as well, albeit with a compromise. The 7 has dual simultaneous audio, allowing the use of both the 2.4gHz connection of the USB-C dongle and Bluetooth at the same time. For me, this has revolutionized travel and afternoon gaming sessions.
The Arctis Nova 5 offers a compromise instead: Quick-Switch wireless. With a press of the button on the right earcup, the headset swaps between connections, and each mode can have its own set audio EQs configured in the app—your game of choice on the dongle and a more media-friendly EQ on the Bluetooth. It doesn’t enable the same flawless multitasking functionality, but bringing part of this functionality down to the 5 is a welcome move, especially if the Nova 7 or Pros aren’t in your price range.
“SteelSeries’ Arctis Nova 5 fills a niche that the console market has been lacking—affordable luxury. “
Two other areas, however, have had a straight-up upgrade. The Arctis Nova 5’s ClearCast microphone has a new chipset onboard, effectively doubling its bandwidth and supporting 32KHz/16bit audio for crystal clear communication. The battery has also been taken to the next level—offering a 60-hour battery life off a single full charge. This means you could use it throughout the workday for a full week without ever needing to plug it in. Battery life is also visible through the app for quick reference.
In terms of its design, the Arctis Nova 5 does seem a tad smaller than the 7, or at least less accommodating to larger noggins. Other SteelSeries products have remained comfortable over larger spans of time, but this time, I noticed a little more pressure from the headband. Admittedly, this is just a personal finding, which might only affect a very small segment of the population who need very large hats. I never had to rip it off my head for mercy, but it was a marked difference.
Otherwise, the onboard controls are as accessible and utilitarian as fans might expect. This is among the sleekest and most discrete designs from SteelSeries to date, meaning you could wear it on public transport without tipping other commuters off to your hobbies.
While I might still give the edge to the next model up just for the simultaneous audio, SteelSeries’ Arctis Nova 5 fills a niche that the console market has been lacking—affordable luxury. If the Nova 7s sound great but you just can’t justify the increased price, this newest offering is a compromise that doesn’t feel like a compromise, especially when it’s putting so much power in the palm of console gamers’ hands. The Arctis Nova hardware line has been around for two years, and this feels like a halftime rallying cry; I can’t wait to see how SteelSeries applies these breakthroughs into their next products.
