SteelSeries is one of the high-profile companies that offer excellent gaming peripherals. Today in our SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Review, we will discuss its impressive audio gear.
The product is an affordable gaming headset packet with notable features worth considering. We appreciate SteelSeries for offering a mid-range headset, which was missing from the recent roster of the Arctis Nova headset.
We will discuss the product in this SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Review. Here, we will focus on its design, aesthetics, features, functions, performance, and specifications.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Packaging
The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless ships in a box with the SteelSeries branding, featuring its orange and grey colour scheme. In front, you will find the product image with its name, connectivity options, and compatible devices underneath. The rear of the package shows more detailed information about the product.
SteelSeries packed the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless with the following items and accessories:
- 1.5m USB-C to USB-A Dongle Extension Cable
- 1.5m USB-C to USB-A Charging Cable
- Compact USB-C Wireless Dongle
- Product Information Guide
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Review – Design and Functionality
The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless is a sleek and low-profile headset without the prominent branding that many gaming peripherals have. Its earcups protrude slightly, making it suitable for listening to music outdoors. The earcups also swivel inward, allowing you to rest the headset around your neck.
The fit of this headset is slightly loose, so it will not be ideal for semi-rigorous activities.
This headset has a solid and durable plastic chassis. Its headband sliders are also made of plastic, making it flexible but never creak when pushed.
When we used the product for this SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Review, we noticed its sturdiness and durability. Pushing the ear cups around did not feel like any of its parts would snap. Every single area of the headset felt solid and durable.
The ear cups offered superior comfort, thanks to its breathable mesh fabric material. They stayed nice and comfortable despite the hot weather when we tested the headset. Plus, the cushioning underneath was plush enough to provide comfort even during long hours of use.
We were also impressed since the cup size did not cause fatigue or ear pinching. There was plenty of room between our ears and the padding. This design shows everything was placed next to the drivers rather than being crammed against the headset.
Microphone
The microphone of the Arctis Nova 5 runs out from the left ear cup and is extendable. We noticed the flexible microphone stem when we tested the headset for this SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Review. Snapping it to the correct positioning was easy, and it felt durable like the rest of the headset.
Key Features of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless
Over a Hundred Game Audio Presets
eSports professionals and audio engineers tailored over a hundred presets you can use with the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless. They customised these audio profiles precisely for top games to enhance footsteps and various sounds for better immersion.
Arctis Nova 5 Companion App
The Arctis Nova 5 companion app lets you switch from one profile to another as needed. You will not need to leave your game, no matter your gaming device.
X-Ray Hearing
It is a technology that lets you hear more. It enhances footsteps, bomb plants, potion drinking, and other sounds for audio advantage.
Two Save Slots
You can save separate EQ profiles for gaming and Bluetooth audio. The headset saves your settings and switches automatically.
Quick-Switch Wireless
Conveniently take calls while gaming by switching from 2.4GHz to Bluetooth 5.3 by tapping a button. Mobile connections remain on standby when you return to your game. Also, you can keep your 2.4GHz bandwidth without affecting your media profiles for Bluetooth audio.
On-Ear Controls
The Arctis Nova 5 has on-ear controls for convenience and ease of use. You will find a power button, volume adjustment, mute button, and a Quick-Switch button. These controls gave us a better user experience while testing the product for our SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Review.
Cross-Platform Gaming
The compact USB-C dongle lets you swap between all systems. This headset supports PlayStation, PC, Switch, Meta Quest, and handhelds. It also works with smartphones and tablets with a USB-C connection.
Long Battery Life – Play All Week Without Charging
The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless has a 60-hour battery on a full charge. It can last up to five days if you play eight hours daily.
Neodymium Magnetic Drivers
You can hear everything with the ultra-detailed soundscape of deep bass, accurate mids, and crystal-clear highs. This headset features custom neodymium magnetic drivers crafted from a rare earth metal, ensuring high-quality audio in music and games.
360° Spatial Audio With Sonar Virtual Surround Sound
This technology lets you hear every sound from all directions for situational awareness and complete immersion.
Next-Generation Microphone
ClearCast offers hyper-custom audio curves, offering complete control over every sound aspect. It highlights all the details you need to hear. The microphone works with Sonar AI-Powered Noise Cancellation on PC for noise reduction in communication.
For convenience, the microphone is retractable for intelligible, noise-free voice calls.
Specifications
Headphone Specifications
- Neodymium Drivers: 40 mm
- Frequency Response: 20–22,000 Hz
- Sensitivity: 93 dB SPL
- Impedance: 36 Ohm
- Battery Life: up to 50 hours (2.4GHz Wireless) or 60 hours (Bluetooth)
Microphone Specifications
- Type: ClearCast Gen 2.0+, fully retractable boom microphone
- Polar Pattern: Bidirectional Noise Cancelling
- Frequency Response: 100-10,000 Hz @ 32kHz/16bit
- Sensitivity: -38 dBV/Pa
Hands-on with the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless
Audio is crucial when choosing the best headset for your needs. You must consider frequencies, positional audio, and soundstage to determine its sound quality.
We tested the product for gaming and music to share our experience in this SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Review. But before that, we will focus on its companion app.
Arctis Nova 5 Companion App
SteelSeries has really outdone itself with the new app released alongside the Arctis Nova 5. If you’ve ever struggled with clunky, overly complicated companion software, this app will feel like a breath of fresh air.
The Nova 5 mobile app is incredibly user-friendly, focusing on simplicity and efficiency. It strips away the unnecessary features that bog down other apps, offering a streamlined interface that lets you get right to what matters.
First off, it lets you keep an eye on your battery life with ease. No more guessing how much juice is left – you’ll always know when it’s time to recharge. Switching between EQ presets is a breeze, and the app allows you to do this separately for both 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth modes. This means you can have different sound profiles for different connections, which is perfect for those who like to customize their audio experience.
The app also offers control over microphone volume and sidetone. If you’re not familiar with sidetone, it’s a feature that amplifies external sounds, similar to an ambient mode. This is particularly handy if you need to stay aware of your surroundings while gaming. It also provides feedback of your own voice, so you can hear yourself as you speak. This feature is great if you want to avoid shouting or simply like to hear how you sound through the headset.
Pairing the Arctis Nova 5 with the app is as simple as it gets. Like any Bluetooth device, the app instantly recognizes the headset once paired, making setup quick and painless. The app is available for free on both Android and iOS, so no matter what kind of device you have, you’re covered.
The biggest standout feature of the Nova 5 app is the extensive EQ presets. Whether you’re a bass head or prefer a more balanced sound, there’s something for everyone. The app includes standard presets like bass boost and FPS settings, but it also offers custom profiles optimized for a variety of games.
These presets have been created by a team of developers, sound engineers, and eSports professionals, ensuring you get the best audio experience possible.
You’ll find profiles tailored for popular titles like Fortnite, Elden Ring, Fallout 76, and Escape from Tarkov, among others. These game-specific settings help to enhance the audio experience, allowing you to hear every detail and gain an edge in competitive play.
The ability to switch between these presets on the fly means you can always have the perfect audio setup, whether you’re creeping through the dark landscapes of Elden Ring or navigating the chaotic battlegrounds of Fortnite.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 and its companion app make a powerful duo. The app’s straightforward design and useful features make it easy to customize your audio settings and enhance your gaming experience. With a variety of EQ presets and intuitive controls, the Nova 5 is well-equipped to meet the needs of both casual and hardcore gamers. If convenience and high-quality audio are high on your list, this headset and app combination is definitely worth considering.
Audio Quality for Gaming
The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless gave us an immersive gaming experience. Enemy footsteps were audible in various FPS titles, allowing us to anticipate their location and how close they were. Also, this headset made us distinguish the distance and direction of different sound effects.
We were impressed with the positional audio when we tested this headset for our SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Review. Since many sound effects were more audible, we won multiple matches. With this headset, enemies were easy to pinpoint.
Loud weapons and gunfire were slightly harsh at higher volumes. Despite that, we have no complaints since we only use headsets at average volumes. We also noticed it performed best at medium volume levels.
When we played RPG titles, the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless delivered bass with clarity, supporting the background music excellently. Dialogues were also audible, even with background music playing simultaneously.
Audio Quality for Music
We also used the Arctis Nova 5 for listening to music. The headset delivered a natural audio profile out of the box. We loved the perfect balance between the frequency responses and the solid texture of the soundstage.
We were impressed with the detailed mids and highs, which were similar to the profile of the Arctis Nova 4. This headset picked out the finer points from each range, delivering high-quality sound with superior clarity.
The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless made various genres fuller and more impactful. Its audio shone best with pop, rock, and hip-hop tracks when we used the bass-centric EQ preset.
We also used the vocal-focused preset, which worked perfectly for listening to podcasts. The headset provided adequate clarity to the speech and prevented it from sounding drowned out.
We appreciate the different presets since they suit their respective type of audio. As a result, we enjoyed listening to various music genres and podcasts using a single headset.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Review Summary
The Arctis Nova 5 Wireless is a high-quality headset, making it an excellent addition to the Arctis Nova series. We appreciate SteelSeries for adding many pre-made profiles for video games and implementing a convenient way to swap between presets.
This headset offers superior audio quality. Its solid soundstage out of the box impressed us during our tests for this SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Review. We also loved the excellent build and on-ear controls that added convenience and gave us a better user experience.
We highly recommend this headset for gamers who want a high-quality headset. Its audio quality works well for music and offers an immersive experience for gaming.
Visit the official SteelSeries product page for more details about the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless.
