SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds Review

I’ve reviewed a few headsets this year, but it’s been a while since I had the chance to try gaming earbuds. SteelSeries has recently made their first attempt at creating gaming earbuds, and without beating around the bush, they’ve done an excellent job on their first try.

If you look at the checklist of features, these earbuds seem to do it all. They offer both Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz connections via a dongle, full active noise cancelling, presets for both music and gaming, and an impressive battery life of 10 hours. With the case they come in, which can also be wireless charged as well you can get about 40 hours out of a single charge. It only takes about 15 minutes to recharge a few hours worth of listening time too. So unless your gaming sessions are mammoth, you’ll have no trouble getting through the day. We tested the PlayStation version of the earbuds, but they also work perfectly with the Switch using the dongle. All versions of the GameBuds cost the same, and are compatible with the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox Series consoles, but are marketed as either PlayStation or Xbox compatible. Don’t stress, they’ll work on pretty much anything.

Key Points
– Great audio and sturdy build quality
– Up to 40 hours of battery using the case
– ANC (active noise cancelation) and Spatial Audio
– Dongle stores in the case and has Qi wireless charging

In a smart design move, the case not only charges the earbuds but also stores the dongle. Every earbud or headset I’ve received recently has come with a dongle and nowhere to store it, so it’s a miracle I haven’t lost any of them.

So, how do they fit? Every ear is different, but for me, they fit quite nicely. They aren’t big and bulky like some other gaming earbuds I’ve used in the past. The rubber tips work fine for me, but I have seen others complain about the fit andyou might need to find third-party tips if you’re not find any joy with the included ones. For me though, they never feel like they’re going to fall out, and it’s easy to locate the buttons for controlling all the functions. That said, it takes a while to learn how to use all the controls, as they almost have their own language of taps and holds to change settings. Additionally, if you want to use just one earbud—maybe because you have a 4-month-old baby you’re listening out for while reviewing headphones—you’ll only have access to about half of the features with a single earbud. I only wish toothat you could connect to multiple Bluetooth devices here, it would be so useful as I did find it tricky to things to pair to multiple things and decide which one it was going to use. Apple’s system spoils me I guess. 

The audio quality of the earbuds is quite good. While I don’t have a range of other gaming earbuds to compare them to, I do own Apple’s AirPods Pro. Although these earbuds don’t match the clarity of the AirPods Pro for music, even after adjusting the presets for gaming, they provided a satisfactory listening experience. I tested them with Tetris Forever and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and was pleasantly surprised by the clarity. On the PlayStation side of things, and with a more “core” game that truly requires a headset, my old reliable Apex Legends was enhanced by the good sound separation, allowing me to accurately identify where shots were coming from, and a quality microphone for team chat. I had no complaints from teammates, and if they did have issues in that game, they would definitely let me know. However, the overall volume of these earbuds isn’t as high as I would like, but this only seems to be an issue on the PlayStation side.

The standout feature, of course, is the ANC (active noise cancelling), which does a decent job of reducing background noise and low rumbles so you can focus on what’s in front of you. It isn’t as strong as my AirPods Pro, but, like those, there is a transparency mode that allows you to have a conversation without needing to take out the earbuds. When you do remove the earbuds, playback automatically pauses; on my phone, this meant that the content I was watching would stop—something many other earbuds don’t do. It wasn’t perfect, as playback continued a couple of times, but the initial pause feature was consistently there.

The Arctis GameBuds are fully featured, ticking all the boxes for what you would want in gaming earbuds at this price range. While they don’t quite match the audio quality of Apple’s AirPods Pro, they aren’t far behind. ANC in gaming earbuds is rare, so it’s great to see it included here. The app that lets you tailor the earbuds to specific games is genuinely useful. It might take a while to learn the button functions, but once you do, you’re set. The charging case, which can extend battery life up to 40 hours and provides a place to store the dongle, stands out among its peers.

The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are a strong contender in an increasingly competitive field, they’re my go-to for gaming right now. 

The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are available now, the PlayStation version is available in both black and white, the Xbox version is available black but not quite out yet. They’re available from JB Hi-Fi, MWave, Scorptec, and have a recommended retail price of $359.95.