SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 review: sublime, versatile, and about as close to the complete package as it gets

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5: Two-minute review

SteelSeries is aiming for “affordable luxury” with the Arctis Nova 5 headset and it feels like it's succeeded in delivering exactly that in this wireless gaming headset. Priced competitively, what you get for your money is excellent before you even get to the gaming headset's unique selling point: the Companion App.

We tested the 5X, which offers compatibility with every platform, including PlayStation – if you’re looking for a one-and-done solution in your next mid-to-high-end gaming headset, this will be the one, no matter what you play on. Throw in excellent battery life of up to 60 hours that will easily last you days’ worth of sessions, a robust build, comfy design, and that sweet SteelSeries audio quality straight out of the box, and the Nova 5 swings even harder.

While those are exceptional features and characteristics, it’s the addition of the Companion App that helps set the Nova 5 apart from its peers. Having dozens of expertly designed audio profiles for a vast range of games at your disposal is a game changer - especially as you can switch between them (and a couple of other settings) at the touch of a button.

In my nearly two weeks of testing the headset across multiple platforms, devices, games, and media, the Nova 5 has been a consistently excellent performer. It’s a super gaming headset package and an exceptional one at its price point. It’s one of the easiest recommendations I've ever made in all my years testing headsets: the Nova 5 could be all the wireless gaming headset you’ll ever need. 

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5: Price and availability

• List price: $129.99 / £129.99 / AU$139.95
• Widely available
• Mid-range wireless headset price point

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 headset is available now and costs $129.99 / £129.99 / AU$139.95. It comes in two options, the Nova 5 and the Nova 5X (the Xbox-focused variant that we tested). The 5X is arguably the better value for money as it's compatible across all platforms. The Nova 5’s free Companion App increases the bang for buck value, regardless of the version you choose.

The Nova 5’s price point puts it firmly in the mid-range of wireless offerings. It's a deliberate move from SteelSeries to offer that ‘affordable luxury’, bringing a premium headset and its trimmings into the mid-range zone. It’s the same price as Sony’s new PlayStation Pulse Elite headset and a little cheaper than Turtle Beach’s Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX headsets, but a big chunk more than some excellent sub-$100 wireless gaming headsets, such as the PS5 Pulse 3D wireless headset and Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless Headset.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5: Specs

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5: Design and features

• Excellent design and build quality
• Multi-platform connectivity and compatibility
• Up to 60 hours of battery life

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 looks and feels like a SteelSeries headset right from the off. It shares the new Arctis Nova design form that we’ve grown to love this generation from the likes of the Nova 7X and the Nova Pro Wireless. All in black, it looks slick and is easily something you’d wear on the commute as a pair of headphones. What’s more, you can customize the headset with Nova Booster Packs.

In terms of buttons and interface, it’s a pretty simple affair. On the left cup, there’s the retractable mic - which slots neatly into the shape of the headset when not pulled out - the mic mute button, and the volume wheel. There’s a little resistance to the wheel, which is most welcome to stop unwanted level changes from brushing against it - something that’s an improvement over the past generation Arctis series. On the right, there’s the USB-C port, the game-chat balance wheel, the power button, and the Quick Switch Button (to swap between Bluetooth and 2.4GH).

Elsewhere, there’s a wide-boy USB-C dongle with an adapter cable for USB-A ports. The dongle on the Xbox variant has a USB notch and an Xbox notch that you’ll need to switch between, with the latter the setting for everything but Microsoft’s consoles. And it really is everything: this can be your PC gaming headset, PS5 headset, Switch headset; the lot.

The earcups are finished with SteelSeries’ AirWeave soft material and are incredibly comfy and don't get too hot during long sessions. Teamed with the ski-band design once more, the whole headset rests very comfortably. You can also swap out the earcups for the brand’s other leatherette material if you wish, by purchasing them separately. 

SteelSeries claims the Nova 5's battery life can be up to 60 hours, which is impressive and more than enough for even the most regular competitive use. While it doesn’t reach the dizzying heights of the 300 hours claimed by the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless, for example, 60 hours equates to two and a half days. Plus there’s fast charge available too, which will get you six hours of juice from just 15 minutes of charging.

All these features are super and show that the Nova 5 can punch above its weight, however, it’s the headset’s Companion App that gives it something more unique. This free app for iOS or Android is effectively a small mixing deck-like means to alter audio profiles, change EQs, and carry out other light tinkering (sidetone, volume, etc) on the fly while using your headset. 

The Nova 5 can connect to the app via Bluetooth while you’re gaming via 2.4 GHz, giving you access to more than 100 presets for individual games that have been designed by esports pros, game devs, and audio experts. This elevates the Nova 5 above its competition. PC users will still be able to use the brand’s Sonar software too, so there’s plenty of flexibility on offer with the Nova 5.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5: Performance

• Superb gaming audio
• Crystal clear mic
• Super supporting audio profiles to use

The out-of-the-box SteelSeries audio from the Nova 5 is exceptional. It’s entirely possible that you could use it as is and be extremely happy. High notes never squeal, the mids are lovely and rounded, and the bass is strong and punchy without ever sounding muddy. From playing a chill game such as Botany Manor to coordinating stealthy assaults on strongholds in Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint online with my pals, from chaotic enemy fights in Diablo 4 to every smash and roar of Kratos’ combat in God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, SteelSeries’ Neodymium magnetic drivers never missed.

Playing around with the Companion App does genuinely make a difference, however. There are so many profiles to choose from and the differences can be quite distinct. Even if there isn’t the exact game you’re playing on there, it might well be coming soon – SteelSeries told me that it's always making new profiles as close as possible to new game launches – and you’ll likely find a similar one that will fit the bill. That said, I quickly found that some profiles don’t have quite the impact on the audio I expected. It’s not a huge deal, but it may mean the real number of effective profiles to use is much lower than the claimed 100-plus.

The option to tinker with the volume limiter and amount of sidetone, and browse music and movie EQs on the app is excellent too. You can keep separate EQs for gaming on the 2.4GHz connection and Bluetooth connection so you won’t get weird experiences when switching between them or using the headset for different uses close to each other.

On a practical level, using and wearing the headset is a joy. The design is predictably comfortable for hours on end and the build quality is such that it feels like it could easily survive a drop – or several. 

There’s very little to complain about. Perhaps the lack of active noise cancellation will irk some users, particularly if using the Nova 5 as a pair of commuting headphones, and, on the App side of things, it’d be great to see other headsets compatible with it too. But these are small gripes.

The Arctis Nova 5 has become my go-to Xbox headset, filling a little gap I personally had, but it could be my go-to anything headset. All in, the performance, design, and build, mean the Nova 5 (particularly the 5X, given its extra connectivity) offers something close to the full package. Add in the fact that it’s priced very aggressively and it out-punches a lot of competitors in the same bracket. Many players may find that this is the only gaming headset they’ll need for a good while.

Should I buy the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider...

If you’d like to weigh up some options before deciding on the Nova 5, there are a couple of other headsets that offer some of the same functionalities and similar levels of performance and some that take it a step further. 

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is definitely the more premium brethren of the Nova 5 but offers top-tier performance. It might lack support for the app, but the Nova Pro Wireless has incredible audio quality, an ingenious battery life solution, and a brilliant DAC unit that offers some EQ manipulation too. The Xbox variant of this headset is also multiplatform.

For more information, check out our full SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless review. 

Astro A30 Wireless
The Astro A30 Wireless offers some similar companion-app-functionality and can be a viable candidate for those looking for a do-it-all headset – including using it out and about. It lacks audio presets and the audio mix is different, but it could be a solid alternative in broadly the same price category.

For more information, check out our full Astro A30 Wireless review. 

How I tested the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5

• Used almost every day for two weeks
• Tested across PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, and mobile…
• Compared against other headsets

I’ve spent weeks with the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 and have been able to test across all the platforms available to me, as well as multiple games and media. I was able to directly compare it to other headsets I have, including the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, Sony Inzone H9, and the Astro A30 Wireless.

I played a range of games to test the Nova 5 – and the Companion App’s presets – across a range of platforms. I played the strategy game Frostpunk on PC, and chill horticultural-sim Botany Manor along with Senua’s Saga Hellbade 2 on Xbox Series X. I also did a bunch of playtesting on the PS5, diving into Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, God of War Ragnarok (the Valhalla expansion, specifically), and Still Wakes the Deep. 

I tested the mic on my work PC for meetings and voice calls, while also playing Ghost Recon Breakpoint on the PS5 (don't at me) with my friends to put it through its multiplayer paces.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May to June 2024.