SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite Review: Is $599 Premium Audio Worth It?
▼ Summary
– The SteelSeries Nova Elite is a $599.99 luxury gaming headset featuring hi-res wireless audio, carbon fiber drivers, and a metal frame for improved durability and comfort.
– It supports simultaneous audio streaming from up to four sources, including PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Bluetooth devices, through its Omniplay feature and GameHub DAC.
– The headset offers enhanced sound quality and comfort with plush memory foam ear cups and a sturdy metal frame, though hi-res audio improvements are subtle and vary by game.
– Key features include hot-swappable batteries providing 30 hours each, a choice of retractable or on-ear microphones, and AI-powered noise rejection for clear communication.
– While the Nova Elite provides noticeable upgrades over the $379.99 Nova Pro, its high price may only be justified for users seeking premium materials, multi-console compatibility, and hi-res audio.
For dedicated gamers seeking the absolute pinnacle of audio performance and cross-platform convenience, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite presents a compelling, albeit premium, option. Priced at $599.99, this headset aims to establish an entirely new luxury tier within the gaming peripheral market, a bold move that naturally prompts the question of whether such an investment is justified.
Having relied on SteelSeries headsets for years, starting with the Arctis Pro, I’ve spent the last month putting the Nova Elite through its paces. The company’s Nova line already represented a step up, but the Elite variant pushes boundaries with high-resolution wireless audio, carbon fiber speaker drivers, a durable metal frame, and the unique ability to handle audio from a PC, Xbox, and PlayStation all at once.
Visually, the Nova Elite in its standard black finish closely resembles the $379.99 Nova Pro, though a new sage and gold color scheme is also available. The most immediate physical upgrades are the metal frame and control wheel, replacing the plastic components found on the Pro model. The memory foam ear cups feel plusher and more comfortable, a welcome improvement for long gaming sessions. The blend of aluminum and stainless steel not only enhances sturdiness but also provides a more secure and snug fit, especially for those with larger heads. An irritating active noise canceling nub present in the original Nova Pro’s ear cups has been cleverly redesigned, becoming completely unnoticeable on the Elite.
Comfort and material quality see significant upgrades, making the headset feel genuinely premium. These physical enhancements are paired with a landmark feature for a gaming headset: hi-res wireless audio. You can stream 96kHz / 24-bit audio using the included GameHub DAC over a 2.4GHz connection or via Bluetooth with LC3+ support. Setting this up can be a bit technical due to Windows’ complex audio interface, and honestly, you need the right game or high-quality audio file to truly appreciate the difference.
The hi-res audio itself is a subtle refinement that I struggled to consistently detect. However, the overall sound quality boost, aided by the carbon fiber drivers, is more apparent. After hours immersed in the Battlefield 6 beta with the Nova Elite, switching back to the Nova Pro made explosions and vehicle sounds noticeably less impactful. That said, the audio advantage heavily depends on the game. In a title like Valorant, where the soundscape is sparse and focused on precise audio cues like footsteps, the difference was minimal. If competitive multiplayer shooters are your primary focus, the Nova Pro remains a more sensible choice.
SteelSeries has also refined the microphone system. You can choose between a retractable boom mic or a new on-ear microphone, offering flexibility if you dislike having a boom arm in your line of sight. While neither mic matches the studio quality of a dedicated microphone like the Shure SM7B, both deliver clear performance for in-game chat and Discord calls on consoles or mobile devices.
A standout feature is the seamless multi-source connectivity. Dubbed Omniplay, the Nova Elite can mix audio from up to four sources simultaneously. Imagine discussing strategy on a Discord call via the 2.4GHz connection to your PC, while hearing game audio from an Xbox connected via USB-C, and listening to music from your phone on Bluetooth, all at the same time. This functionality is incredibly practical for multitaskers.
The companion software ecosystem is robust. The SteelSeries GG app on Windows simplifies audio management, allowing you to easily control microphone selection and output device behavior. Its Sonar software feature makes it effortless to create separate audio channels for media, chat, and games, giving you individual volume and EQ control for each. A dedicated mobile app extends these capabilities, offering custom EQ levels and game-specific audio presets for over 200 titles, a feature that works wonderfully on consoles and mobile devices.
The active noise cancellation is competent for a gaming headset, performing similarly to the Nova Pro, though it doesn’t quite reach the silencing prowess of market leaders like Bose or Sony. Where SteelSeries excels is with its AI-powered noise rejection for the microphone, which effectively eliminates background sounds like keyboard clatter, ensuring your voice comes through crystal clear on calls.
The desktop GameHub DAC provides a central control point, displaying volume and battery information while offering granular adjustments for ANC levels, transparency mode, and microphone settings. The wireless signal strength is notably improved over the Nova Pro, eliminating disconnections in previously problematic areas of my home. The hot-swappable battery system is a game-changer; with two batteries included, you simply swap the depleted one with the fully charged battery from the GameHub’s dock. Each battery delivers roughly 30 hours of use, making battery anxiety a thing of past.
My only notable gripe concerns the low-battery alerts. Starting at 15 percent, a soft beep sounds every five minutes with no other on-screen notification, which I initially mistook for a background browser notification. A more urgent tone and a blinking light on the GameHub activate at 8 percent, making the initial 15 percent warning feel unnecessary.
After extensive testing, returning to the Nova Pro feels like a downgrade. The Elite’s improvements, while sometimes subtle in isolation, become glaringly obvious in a direct comparison, similar to the jarring experience of reverting from a high-refresh-rate monitor back to a standard 60Hz panel.
The ultimate hurdle is the price. At $599, the Nova Elite costs as much as an Xbox Series X console. You are paying a $220 premium over the Nova Pro for top-tier cross-platform compatibility, hi-res audio potential, superior comfort, and premium materials. If you are searching for one of the best gaming headsets available, the Nova Pro is the rational pick. However, if your budget allows you to venture into this new territory of luxury gaming audio and you value its unique feature set, the Nova Elite is an exceptional product that is unlikely to disappoint.
(Source: The Verge)
