Despite the ubiquity of wireless earbuds, gaming audio companies haven’t fully embraced the technology, with only a handful of products available. Perhaps even more surprising is that SteelSeries, one of the category’s leading brands and a favourite of WellPlayed, hadn’t entered the market until the release of the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds in late October, which aims to pack SteelSeries’ signature sound and active noise cancelling (ANC) into an earbud offering. We’ve been going ears-on with the Arctis GameBuds for a couple weeks now, and in true SteelSeries fashion, there’s tons to love about the Arctis GameBuds, but the company’s first foray isn’t a flawless victory.
Like most gaming audio offerings, the Arctis GameBuds are available in different models to accommodate the various platforms, coming in black and white PlayStation versions and a black Xbox model for $359, making them one of the more expensive options. Both models support Switch, PC, VR and mobile devices, however the difference is that the Xbox version is also compatible with PlayStation consoles, making it more versatile if you own both platforms.
It uses a USB-C dongle for 2.4GHz connectivity (which amazingly fits snugly inside the case) and you can also pair devices via Bluetooth 5.3. The downside is that the earbuds won’t automatically switch between the two, so you’ll have to manually switch connections by triple-pushing one of the earbuds. The dongle is L-shaped so it will fit nicely into any portable device but it can potentially cover up other ports (such as the back of a PC), which could be an issue.
The design of the Arctis GameBuds finds a nice balance between gaming and lifestyle earbuds. Each earbud has the SteelSeries logo blazoned on it so gamers will recognise it but you won’t look out of place in public. Each bud has a button built-in that allows you to control things like volume and modes with presses rather than awkward swipes commonly used on earbuds. Instead of hanging down like the Razer Hammerheads (or Airpods), the Arctis GameBuds have a rounded design that sees the tip sit directly in your ear. Initially, I thought they looked slightly bulky and was worried they wouldn’t stay in my ears, but with three tip sizes included they fit surprisingly well and never came loose. I will say that I do find them a little finicky to put in as it takes me a couple twists to find the sweet spot, but that could be due to my small ears.
Audio is king when it comes to all earphones. Whether I was pulling off heists in Payday 3, taking out goons in Unknown 9: Awakening or sneaking past Death Angels in A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, it’s no surprise that the Arctis GameBuds deliver an excellent experience with immersive and punchy audio. The same can be said for listening to the new Breaking Benjamin tune, which I am doing on repeat as I write this, with the crunchy guitars and crisp production all coming through deliciously. The only knock I’d give them is that the volume can be a little low when playing on console (PS5 in my case) – I maxed out the volume on the earbuds but I had to crank the main volume via the console to make a real difference (even with volume limiter turned off).
Another string to the Arctis GameBuds’ bow is the Arctis mobile app that allows you to choose from over 100 game presets, such as Alan Wake 2, Fortnite, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which have been tailored to ensure the best audio experience with those titles. If you want to create your own EQs you can do so via the SteelSeries GG software and importing them to the Arctis app. The app also lets you see battery levels and play with the mic levels, ANC settings, as well as customise some of the button mapping. One part of the app that I do like is that you have separate profiles for 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connections, meaning you don’t have to keep playing around with settings if you switch between the two.
Active noise cancelling has become a popular feature in recent years, and for anyone purchasing earbuds to be used on the go, it’s definitely a feature worth considering. The ANC is easily the weakest part of the Arctis GameBuds – it’s certainly competent but pales in comparison to the market leaders like Sony and the XM5s. I was recently on a flight and found that the ANC on both the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Huawei FreeBuds Pro 2 performed better. Via the Arctis app, users can toggle between three levels of ANC (Low, Medium and High) and enable Transparency mode, which cuts out some of the bass to allow you to hear your surroundings without removing the buds.
As far as battery goes, the Arctis GameBuds provide around 10 hours of juice off a single charge without ANC enabled and about six hours while using ANC, which are impressive numbers. The case will give you a further 30 hours of charge, with a 15-minute power nap inside the case giving the buds a few hours of life. The case also supports Qi wireless charging, should the need or opportunity arise. The only thing I will say is that the case lid does feel a little plasticky and could easily be snapped in comparison to other buds.
Final Thoughts
SteelSeries has made a name for itself by releasing products that constantly deliver an exceptional user experience, and with the Arctis GameBuds, SteelSeries continues that trend with its first wireless earbud offering. They may cost a pretty penny, but the fantastic audio quality, great battery life and comfort, platform versatility and competent ANC make the Arctis GameBuds a worthwhile investment for any gamer looking for a wireless earbud option.
Review unit supplied by the manufacturer
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