Without a USB connection, the Arctis Nova 1 doesn’t have full access to the SteelSeries Engine software. SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 review: Features (The vocals and treble instruments did sound pretty good, to be fair.) If you’re not too picky about how your music sounds the Arctis Nova 1 might work as an everyday music headset, but it’s definitely a gaming peripheral first and foremost.

Handel, the bass parts were almost inaudible. While listening to music from Flogging Molly, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Rolling Stones and G.F. Some of the Nova 1’s aural drawbacks probably stem from the fact that there’s almost no bass. The overall experience was more workmanlike than rich, however. The directional sound in Doom Eternal worked especially well, alerting me to where enemies might be, even when I couldn’t see them. I had to fiddle with both the console volume and the headset volume for a while before I found the right balance, and even then, the soundscape was far too insistent on treble and voices.įor whatever reason, the headset did much better on PC, where it provided a balanced (if not exactly nuanced) soundscape for games such as Doom Eternal and Final Fantasy XIV. The sound effects were often too prominent, while the music was too subdued. When testing Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Pentiment and Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, I noticed that the headset didn’t do a great job of balancing volume among music, sound effects and voicework. Generally speaking, PC performance was stronger than on consoles - which is ironic, considering that a 3.5 mm headset with a relatively short cord is better-suited to console controllers than to PCs. I tested the device on a variety of consoles, including the PC, PS5, Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch. As such, the Arctis Nova 1 sounds good, but not great. However, the Nova 3 benefits from a USB connection, which can take full advantage of the SteelSeries Engine software to produce better sound quality on PC.

Since the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 has the same drivers as the Arctis Nova 3, the overall audio quality is similar. SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 review: Performance It’s possible that the device could loosen up over time - but hopefully not too much, since the elastic headband is an important part of the whole fitting process. I was able to wear the headset for hours on end, and never felt like I had to take them off. The Arctis Nova 1 is also somewhat tighter than I expected, although it never got into “painful” territory.

Steelseries arctis 1 review