SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite connects to three game consoles for $500
Promises audiophile-grade game audio
🎧 SteelSeries introduces a new top-tier flagship wireless gaming headset, the Arctis Nova Elite
🔊 Promises audiophile-grade game audio and connect up to three game consoles for $600
🎮 OmniPlay lets you play game audio from two different sources simultaneously
🍀 Connect up to four sources at the same time with two USB-C connections, Bluetooth, and Aux simultaneously
🚫 Improved noise-cancelling blocks out up to 42% of ambient noise
🎙️ Boom mic features new AI noise rejection to block out 97% of background noise
🤖 New beam forming mics on the earcup also feature AI noise rejection
SteelSeries’s latest Arctis Nova Elite wireless gaming headset promises to deliver audiophile-grade gaming audio for up to three separate game consoles. The only catch is it’ll cost you $600.
For $150 more than a Nintendo Switch 2, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is the first Hi-Res wireless certified gaming headset. Internally, the headset features a new pair of 40mm Carbon Fiber Speaker Drivers, held in place by brass rings. The combination of the lightweight driver material and the rigid brass frame allows this headset to reproduce frequencies in the 10Hz to 40kHz range.
Furthermore, the headset wirelessly transmits audio over a higher-bandwidth 24-bit/96 kHz transmission. SteelSeries told me it has effectively found a way to replicate the Hi-Res audio quality that could only be enjoyed from its wired SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro headset to a wireless headset like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless.
Three-way connection
The Arctis Nova Elite is a step up from SteelSeries’ past gaming headset in that you can now connect up to and swap audio between three systems.
There are three USB-C inputs on the back, allowing you to switch between the PS5 Pro, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, and/or a PC at the same time. SteelSeries’ previous Arctis Nova Pro included two USB-C ports and has since been usurped by other headsets with three swappable connections, like the Astro A50 Gen 5 Lightspeed.
SteelSeries is also introducing a new OmniPlay that lets you hear audio from two gaming platforms simultaneously. This might come in handy if you’re playing Balatrio or another turn-based game on console while Marvel Rivals or something more intensive on PC.
If you want to get even spicier, you can connect this headset to four simultaneous audio sources, including a PC, console, Bluetooth device, and Aux input. It sounds like lunacy, but this would allow you to get audio from a streaming PC while playing a console game, hear notifications from your phone simultaneously, and listen to music from an Aux source.
High-end specs all-around
SteelSeries has also upgraded the noise-cancelling to block out up to 42% of ambient noise. The microphone’s AI Noise Rejection has been similarly enhanced to block out up to 97% of background noise. The Arctis Nova Elite also features a new beamforming microphone – also with AI noise rejection – built into the earcup, allowing you to talk in GameChat or on a call even with the boom mic retracted.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite comes with a transmitter hub with an OLED display, like the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. This hub also has a slot for charging a second battery, which can recover four hours of battery life with just 15 minutes of charging.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is available for purchase now for $599 at SteelSeries and other e-tailers.
Kevin Lee is The Shortcut’s Creative Director. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam.