SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3

I think the Steelseries Arctis Nova 3 is a fine wired gaming headset. The headset is not heavy and the microphone is top quality. Connecting the headset to a console is a bit complicated and the ear cups are also a bit on the small side.

Light and sturdy headset When I took the Nova 3 out of the package and looked at it, I immediately noticed the weight. This gaming headset is incredibly light, without compromising on sturdiness. The headband of the Arctis Nova 3 is made of hard and thick plastic. The Nova 3 also feels very solid when adjusting the headset. The ear cups are made of fabric and are fine, but the ear cups are a bit on the small side. After a few hours of gaming I noticed it started to pinch around my ears. I do have fairly large ears, but the ear cups are really a lot smaller than normal.

Cumbersome connection When I wanted to connect the Nova 3 I came across 2 cables. A USB-A to female USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-C cable. I had to connect that first cable to my PlayStation 5 and then the second cable to the first cable. With previous wired gaming headsets I could connect the headset directly to my controller. Unfortunately, that is not possible with the Nova 3, but I easily connected this headset to my Nintendo Switch and phone. If you game a lot on the go, this is really a perfect headset. But linking to a console is quite cumbersome and really a disadvantage. Especially if your PlayStation or Xbox is far from your couch.

Beautiful sound on every level Once I had connected the headset I could start gaming. The sound that comes from the speakers of the Nova 3 is quite nice. The headset has Virtual Surround Sound and you notice that right away in games like The Last of Us Part 1. I heard exactly when an enemy was walking above me and I could also place other enemies well in the world. The sound from the microphone is also great, I can be heard very well with this headset. It sounded like a podcast and like I was sitting right next to someone.

I have had this headset for a while and after a while the left side worked sometimes. So not always, very annoying while listening to something. I eventually returned it. But this is already the 2nd time that something is wrong with my artic nova 3. Very annoying! (This is with normal use)

My favorite thing about this headset is that it gives you multiple options to connect it to your devices: USB-C, USB-A, and 3.5mm plug. USB generally offers better audio quality, but it's nice to know you have options. Though I should note if you want to use the headphone jack, you'll might need an Y-splitter cable if your PC has separate jacks for phone and mic.

Cables are not soldered to the headset, so if they ever get damaged, you just replace them, and not the whole thing. It also uses no faux leather on the ear cups, so you don't have to worry about them falling apart after a while, like it happened to my previous headset.

The retractable microphone is a nice touch, didn't think I would like it so much. Same for the LED used to indicate when the mic is turned off. The one thing I didn't enjoy much was the GG software, which requires you to create an account, and isn't so user friendly. You can skip it if you want, but it has nice features (EQ presets, spatial audio), and you'll need it if you're annoyed by the mic feedback being on by default