SteelSeries has launched new earbuds designed to pair with Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch consoles, and even PCs and phones. The $159.99 Arctis GameBuds include active noise cancellation (ANC), Qi wireless charging, and the ability to instantly switch between mobile Bluetooth use and console or PC gaming.
I’ve been trying them out for the past few days and so far I’m impressed, but I need more time for a full review.
The Arctis GameBuds look very similar to most earbuds on the market and come with a variety of silicone tips to fit different ear shapes. The SteelSeries uses a four-microphone ANC system to block out sounds while you’re gaming, and there’s a transparency mode if you want to hear your surroundings.
GameBuds connect to an Xbox or PlayStation via a micro USB-C adapter that provides 2.4GHz wireless connectivity. You can triple-press the button on the earbuds to switch between Bluetooth 5.3 for mobile devices and 2.4GHz wireless signals for game consoles and PCs. Its audio switching is surprisingly fast, but it doesn’t support simultaneous audio over Bluetooth and 2.4GHz, like Sony’s Pulse Explore earbuds.
I was immediately impressed by the equalizer settings in the mobile companion app. It includes over 100 audio presets for popular games such as call of Duty, Destiny 2, EA Sports FC 24, fort nightand Valuation. These largely mirror the same EQ presets found in SteelSeries’ GG desktop PC app with Sonar, and work impressively well in games like this valuation, Where you need to hear every footstep possible.
You can also toggle ANC and transparency modes in the mobile app, or adjust the level of noise that’s suppressed or allowed in. .
If you’re playing music or playing a game loudly, the ANC does a good job of filtering out surrounding sounds, but if your volume is low or the game doesn’t have a lot of audio, you’ll still hear some ambient sounds.
SteelSeries promises that the charging box can provide 40 hours of battery life, 10 hours of use at a time, and can be charged an additional 3 times through the charging box. I found that the battery drained about 10% per hour using a 2.4GHz connection, so battery life seems to be pretty solid. The case also offers Qi wireless charging (not Qi2) and rear USB-C connectivity, which provides about 3 hours of playtime and 15 minutes of fast charging.
While GameBuds are available across consoles and PC, there are separate models for Xbox and PlayStation. If you buy the PlayStation model, it will only run on Sony’s consoles, PCs and mobile devices, but the Xbox version will work on all platforms. The Xbox variant includes an add-on chip to comply with Microsoft’s security policies and a slider button to switch to Xbox compatibility. The white model is exclusive to PlayStation, while the black model is available on both Xbox and PlayStation.
SteelSeries is entering the increasingly crowded gaming earbud market, competing with Sony, Razer and Logitech. The $159 price of the Arctis GameBuds is less than the $199 price of Sony’s PlayStation Pulse Explore, and the GameBuds even include ANC support, which Sony surprisingly omitted. Sony offers ANC on its $199 InZone Buds and has an impressive 12 hours of battery life, but they still lack the wireless charging case that the SteelSeries offers.
Although the $149 Razer Hammerhead HyperSpeed headphones include ANC, they only last three hours per charge. Logitech’s $179 G Fit has longer battery life, at up to seven hours, but lacks active noise cancellation. SteelSeries has clearly found a gap in the market, offering low-latency headphones with Bluetooth connectivity, a mobile app, ANC, and a wireless charging case, all for $159.
Arctis GameBuds are available for pre-order now, in black and white, for $159.99 (€169.99). GameBuds will be released globally on October 29th.
