Let’s start with a fact. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite headset is a very expensive piece of equipment – $1349 to be exact. It is a ridiculous amount of money that no one needs to spend to get an excellent audio experience while gaming. This is a luxury item; it’s not something you need, it’s something you want. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to tear up the streets of Melbourne behind the wheel of a Porsche, but my Volkswagen Polo does just fine. SteelSeries wants you to believe that the Arctis Nova Elite is more than a gaming headset, and in a lot of ways it is, but that doesn’t make the price less eye-watering. Still, for those who can actually afford the Arctis Nova Elite, it’s honestly a pretty great headset.
Despite a much higher price, don’t expect a massive upgrade over its $549 Pro sibling (a headset I raved about in my review back in 2022). However, where the Arctis Nova Elite does set itself apart is its support for wireless hi-res audio (96kHz/24-bit), making it the first gaming headset to offer it. For everyday and casual gamers, this might not mean much, but for the audiophiles who love to get on the sticks or keyboard and mouse and also love their music, the ability to hear more detail will be a selling point.
So what is hi-res audio, and why is it a selling point? Essentially, hi-res audio is a more detailed audio file that contains more data from the original studio recording and has higher bit depth and sample rate than CD-quality audio (16-bit/44.1kHz). For gaming, the benefits are richer and more immersive atmospheres and soundscapes. When it comes to music, Spotify, for example, has recently launched lossless audio formats, but while lossless audio is higher quality, it does not mean hi-res. Spotify’s lossless audio is 24-bit/44.1kHz, whereas Tidal offers hi-res audio for those who want to treat their ears to the best. The question will be: Can you actually hear the difference between the Nova Elite and the Nova Pro? The honest answer for a lot of people will be no, but that doesn’t mean the extra detail isn’t there.
The headset has a durable and premium design
Helping achieve the Elite’s sound prowess are 40mm carbon fibre drivers that deliver clear and crisp audio with driving bass. This is easily one of the best sounding gaming headsets on the market, if not the best. Gunplay packs a satisfying punch, explosions feel crunching, hand-to-hand combat lands with a solid thud, and background ambience sounds immersive. The Arctis Nova Elite also supports spatial audio, which ensures sounds, like footsteps, are clear and easier to pinpoint, giving you an advantage to get the jump on your opponent.
I played a ton of games while reviewing the Arctis Nova Elite, and titles like Resident Evil Requiem, Arc Raiders, Battlefield 6, and Absolum all sounded excellent for different reasons, but listening to music is where the headset and its perks truly shone. Music is probably my one true love, and I’ve often been told I have eclectic taste (from the person in the mirror), so testing the unit’s ability to keep up was fun. Regardless of what genre I was listening to, it sounded tight, punchy and detailed. Hearing the nuances of Don Broco and Nickelback’s collaboration on Nightmare Tripping, the crunch of FiRSUN’s debut album, the catchy grooves of my new favourite pop rock band Living Room for Small and their song OMG, or the calming and emotive compositions from Niclas Lundqvist, I had a blast and would often get lost in how good it all sounds.
Powering the headset’s connectivity is the new GameHub, which like the Arctis Nova Pro lets you utilise both 2.4Ghz and Bluetooth connectivity. It sports an OLED display that shows volume levels, audio settings, input, and charge status, and a big knob to adjust volume (turn) and settings (push) on the front. On the back you’ll find three USB-C ports, plus a 3.5mm input and output, which allows you to connect to four devices at once (including Bluetooth). So if you have multiple consoles, there’s no need to constantly swap cables over when you move to a different game or platform.
Connect as many consoles as you own (up to three)
SteelSeries has always had some of the sexiest gaming headsets out there, and the Arctis Nova Elite continues that reputation by following the design of the Arctis Nova Pro but adding a few tweaks. The build quality feels superior this time around, with an all-metal frame and metal volume dial compared to the Nova Pro’s plastic and aluminium frame. It does come in slightly heavier, but it feels pricey and premium. The Arctis Nova Elite comes in either Obsidian Black or Sage Green (which has gold trimming), and thanks to its stylish design, both colours could easily pass as a lifestyle headset if you wanted to wear it out in public.
On the headset you’ll find the volume dial, power button, mute button, 3.5mm jack, retractable mic, and USB-C charging port on the left earcup, with the right earcup housing the battery and Bluetooth button. It’s all fairly intuitive to use once you get used to the placement.
Alongside audio quality, comfort is the next most important feature for any headset, and the Arctis Nova Elite’s memory foam earcups are as comfy as they come, even during long gaming sessions. As a small man (I can sometimes reach the top shelf on my tippy toes), my head is on the smaller side, and you know what they say about small heads…small ears. The ski goggle headband has three different size options, and the headband expands above both earcups a fair way, so those with bigger heads can find the right fit.
Gunplay packs a satisfying punch, explosions feel crunching, hand-to-hand combat lands with a solid thud, and background ambience sounds immersive
One feature that I found a little lacklustre with the Arctis Nova Pro was the active noise cancelling. However, the Arctis Nova Elite improves this and does a solid job of blocking out noise and amplifying what you’re listening to thanks to its leather earcups that create a tighter seal.
Once again SteelSeries has included swappable batteries, meaning the Arctis Nova Elite essentially has an unlimited battery life. The second battery sits inside the GameHub while it charges, and SteelSeries says that each charge should get you 30 hours of juice, and while I’d be lying if I said I timed it, I definitely got good value for each charge. And that’s the benefit of having swappable batteries, I can switch to a fully-charged one whenever the one in use is getting low.
The headset’s retractable boom mic provides good voice clarity, and one little neat addition I like is that it also has a built-in mic that doesn’t require retraction, and although the quality is a little average, it means I don’t have a boom mic close to my mouth.
Like all SteelSeries headsets, its companion software Sonar is a core part of the experience, allowing users to tailor settings to get the most from the headset. While I use Sonar and like it for the most part, it does have its fair share of issues.
The main problem is that if you don’t give Sonar full control of your audio, it’s going to take it anyway, and it makes everything just that extra bit harder. It’ll set itself as the default output for everything (Discord, Teams, etc.), and will constantly change what the input source is, no matter how many times you set the Arctis Nova Elite as the default device. Right now I cannot get Spotify to play through any other channel other than Sonar, but that’s a future problem.
Prepare for the Sonar take over
Final Thoughts
I’ve always said that if you’re buying an item you’re going to be using frequently (such as a TV or a couch), then it’s better to treat yourself to something quality, even if it means you might need to stretch the budget a little (within reason). The same goes for a gaming headset, and if you’re someone who plays on multiple platforms, loves their music and wants the best of the best, then the Arctis Nova Elite is an expensive but worthwhile investment. For everyone else, I’m not sure the Arctis Nova Elite is streets ahead of the Nova Pro like you’d expect (it’s certainly not $800 better), and SteelSeries (and other brands) offers several worthy options at significantly lower price points. Like everything these days, it’ll come down to budget.
Review unit supplied by the manufacturer
Click here for more information on WellPlayed’s review policy and ethics
