SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite – Unboxing & First Impressions

Posted 2025/12/05 at 5:15 PM by Sas148

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Eliteworld-first Hi-Res Wireless certified gaming headsetUnboxing the Arctis Nova EliteBox & First LookWhat’s in the Box

Arctis Nova Elite headset

GameHub wireless base station / DAC

Two hot-swappable batteries for the Infinite Power system (one is already in the headset)

3x USB-C cables for connecting to PC/console and power

3.5mm cable for line-in / line-out

Quick-start guide and documentation

Premium carrying bag

Design, Comfort & Build Quality“lifestyle” + “luxury gaming” “gamer-y.”Nova Elite

An all-metal frame and metal control wheel

Plush memory foam earcups

A minimalist, Scandinavian-inspired design co-created with designer Jakob Wagner

Nova ElitefeelsNova EliteFeature HighlightsHi-Res Wireless & Carbon Fiber Driversworld’s first Hi-Res Wireless certified gaming headsetNova Elite24-bit / 96 kHz3× more detail and dynamic rangecustom carbon fiber drivers“pistonic” driversOmniPlay & GameHub: One Headset for Everything

Three USB-C inputs for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox simultaneously

Line-in and line-out ports

Support for up to 4 sources at once (2× USB-C + Bluetooth + line-in) with OmniPlay mixing

An OLED screen and control wheel for on-the-fly adjustments, including EQ and device mixing

chat on Discord on PC, play on console, and scroll on your phone – all at the same timeANC & MicrophonesNova Elite

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) with a 4-mic hybrid system that adapts in real time and, in SteelSeries’ testing, reduces up to 42% more ambient noise than key rivals.

AI-powered noise rejection that can cut up to 97% of background noise for your mic, keeping keyboard clacks and room noise out of comms.

A retractable boom mic with 32 kHz / 16-bit capture plus a discreet on-ear beamforming mic that takes over when you stow the boom for “street” use.

Infinite Power: Dual-Battery SystemInfinite Power System

One battery in the headset, one charging in the GameHub

Up to ~60 hours of playtime in total

Fast charge: roughly 4 hours of use from a 15-minute top-up (per SteelSeries).

“no downtime”Arctis App, Sonar & Game PresetsNova Elite

Arctis mobile app for real-time EQ changes, game profiles, ANC controls, and mic tweaks while you’re in-game

Access to 200+ game-specific audio presets tuned with audio engineers and pros (Fortnite, CoD, Apex, Minecraft, EA Sports titles, etc.)

SteelSeries Sonar on PC for deeper parametric EQ, virtual mixing, and per-game profiles

yourPrice, Value & Who This Is For$599.99Arctis Nova Elite“console price”

...for players who care deeply about sound.

...for players who are attracted to the idea of a single headset for everything: PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch, mobile, and whatever else you need. It even has Bluetooth.

...for players who are fashion sensitive or just want to have a "status symbol" on their head.

...and, ultimately, for players with an abundance of disposable income. For those that don't, I'll highlight some more budget friendly SteelSeries options below, several of which I've had over the years.

Budget-Friendly SteelSeries AlternativesNova Eliteand no one would be surprised if that were the case

Arctis Nova Pro Wireless – High-end, premium wireless with dual-battery and multi-platform support, but a step down from Elite’s full hi-res and carbon fiber driver package.

Arctis Nova 7 Series – “Best overall” mid-range wireless option for most players; strong feature set without going into luxury pricing.

Arctis Nova 5 Series – Positioned as “affordable luxury” and a great PS5/Xbox headset, if you want a taste of the Nova ecosystem.

Arctis Nova 3 Wireless / Nova 3 (wired) – More budget-conscious, with the wired version especially noted as a strong “best budget/mid-range” pick.

Arctis Nova 1 Series – Entry-level wired headsets for players who just want solid sound and comfort without any wireless or base station extras.

Pros & ConsPros

Truly excellent wireless audio with Hi-Res certification, the headset sounds glorious!

Carbon fiber drivers and wide soundstage for detailed in-game audio, and the soundstage is a fun feature to play with.

Infinite Power dual-battery system with effectively no downtime

Comfortable, premium design that doesn’t scream “only for gaming”

I feel like I didn't mention the carrying bag enough: I love this thing. It feels like Prada, or what I imagine Prada feels like.

Cons

Very expensive – more than many full consoles or GPUs

GameHub adds to desk clutter and cable routing, but really not much more than a wired headset would.

Feature set may be overkill if you only play on a single platform

You need to buy into SteelSeries’ software ecosystem to get the most out of it

Final ThoughtsdoesIn short: if you can afford it, I highly recommend it.Nova Pro WirelessNova EliteNote: This article includes affiliate links to SteelSeries. Purchases made through these links may support Wowhead at no additional cost to you.

Comment by thirty8overheadThank you Stephen!Comment by HeyHrothmarAre they WoW themed? or?Comment by Sas148Are they WoW themed? or?HordeAllianceComment by Dezerok600 bucks for a crappy steelseries mic they still can't improve on after all these yearsComment by VivihiaSteelSeries is still using that crappy design for their headsets, with that C-shaped bracket holding the earcup. It’s going to end up like the other Arctis models: the little piece of plastic that connects the headband to the earcup eventually cracks after about a year because of the constant pressure on it every time you take the headset off.

It looks cool, it is expensive (people will buy it), and fragile... (people will need an other headset in a year :p)Comment by SpurgeonSIX HUNDRED DOLLARS.

FOR A HEADSET.

SIX. HUNDRED. DOLLARS. I say this as someone who has purchased five separate arctis headsets over the years.

That’s insane. There is no universe where these things are worth more than an entire PC.Comment by TheRedRogueSIX HUNDRED DOLLARS.

FOR A HEADSET.

SIX. HUNDRED. DOLLARS. I say this as someone who has purchased five separate arctis headsets over the years.

That’s insane. There is no universe where these things are worth more than an entire PC.Comment by TrantsWould've been better off showcasing the $100-$200 range ones if you want sponsor clicksComment by KryonyxAt this point just get a quality pair of Planar Magnetic headphones and and a quality mic.Comment by Benadar1. Take existing product
2. Add fake gold paint and fake leather carrying case
3. Make up buzzwords like "carbon fiber speaker drivers"
4. Charge 100% more
5. ProfitComment by SteveFromFloridaI'll stick with my Corsair products. Having everything work together is important.Comment by ZerothianInsane price considering what else you can get in that range. Meze 109 Pro, Focal Elex can be around that price often, Sennheiser HD6XX are like half the price and almost certainly sound better. Focal Bathys are also wireless and are cheaper (from what I quickly checked just now).

Then you consider that the microphone on almost every single headset (this one included) sounds like ass. You're better off buying a pair of headphones for half the price of these, and a clip-on mic for pennies. You'll get better audio quality, better microphone quality, and a better bank balance.Comment by nyanmynecksIs this the same headset they pushing like for 5 years already ?
i mean i have it na its rocks but wtf?Comment by JanDeGroteSo why don't i buy a Corsair Virtuoso + Blue Yeti mic and arm combo and have like 100 euro left over?Comment by SylverbladeBeyerdynamic MMX 300 Pro. Enough said.Comment by galbsadiFor that price, I'd get myself a few extra pairs of Status.co's Between 3 ANCs for gaming.Comment by TeaspoonSteelSeries is still using that crappy design for their headsets, with that C-shaped bracket holding the earcup. It’s going to end up like the other Arctis models: the little piece of plastic that connects the headband to the earcup eventually cracks after about a year because of the constant pressure on it every time you take the headset off.

It looks cool, it is expensive (people will buy it), and fragile... (people will need an other headset in a year :p)Comment by jacho981- "who can be so dumb to buy this ^&*!"
- "WOW players"
- "right!"Comment by jacho981now seriously. you can a buy studio quality or mixing headset, a condenser mic and an audio interface for this price. this is just hilarious. they straight up know how stupid y'all are.Comment by DogeburgerWorld od warcraft?