SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite Review: The $600 Gaming Headphones That Might Be Worth It

SteelSeries is positioning its new Arctis Nova Elite headphones as a premium high-res option for gamers, but in reality, these might be a premium option for all users. These headphones come packed with features that make them one of the best choices no matter where you are—whether you’re deep in a gaming session or commuting through a noisy city.

The Price Tag That Makes You Blink

Let’s address the elephant in the room immediately. The Arctis Nova Elite headphones, available in Sage Gold or Black variants, retail for a staggering $599. That’s right—$150 more expensive than the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra, two of the most respected premium headphones on the market. Even more shocking, this price surpasses dedicated gaming options like the Astro A50 X by a solid $200.

So what exactly justifies this massive price tag? It’s not just one feature—it’s a combination of intentional design choices where SteelSeries refused to cut corners, resulting in something genuinely special, albeit at a premium price point.

Built Like a Tank, Comfortable Like a Cloud

Both colorways look exceptional, though I’ve grown particularly fond of the Sage Gold variant that my review unit came in. These headphones are absolutely solid—unlike the Astro A50 X or other gaming headphones I’ve used over the years. They’re built with substantial heft at 380g, but the soft headband does plenty to keep that weight from feeling burdensome.

Despite being on the heavier side, my experience tells me these never felt cumbersome. In fact, this is one of the most comfortable pairs of gaming headphones I’ve ever worn. The band is adjustable with two official size settings for small and larger heads, with the option to loosen it further if needed. They’re plenty comfortable, even if a little tight, mostly thanks to the cushion material SteelSeries uses—very soft vegan leather that has held up exceptionally well over the couple of months I’ve been testing them.

The Game-Changing Battery System

One of the first “tricks” up the Arctis Nova Elite’s sleeve is its revolutionary battery system. On the outside of each earcup sits a magnetic cover. The right side hides a USB-C port for easy charging—though I have never needed to use it. Not once.

That’s because the other earcup houses a replaceable battery, and SteelSeries includes not one but two batteries with each pair of headphones. This might be one of the best design choices the company could have made, not only for longevity and product repairability but for everyday use. When you’re in the middle of a longer gaming session and see your battery level low on the audio hub, you can pop in the other battery and let the hub charge it before it’s too late.

As soon as you’re ready to switch them out, it takes literal seconds to pop the cover off the left ear and switch batteries. The headphones automatically boot back up and connect without missing a beat. This eliminates battery anxiety entirely—a problem that plagues even the most expensive wireless headphones.

The Mic That Adapts to Your Life

Beyond the battery innovation, SteelSeries designed the microphone with remarkable versatility. It uncoils and operates as a gaming mic when you need it to, but if you choose to use your headphones on commutes or away from your console or PC, the mic will still operate if it’s in its housed position. In that state, it essentially operates like any other non-gaming headphone mic.

There are easy volume controls right under it, and a physical mute/unmute button that can’t be appreciated enough. Not only do you know when the mic is muted by feeling the two-state button, but the mic also glows red for secondary reassurance.

Sound Quality That Justifies the Price

Beyond build quality, headphones get expensive when you pack audiophile-centric qualities into each ear. The Arctis Nova Elite headphones are rated for wireless high-res using the 2.4GHz gaming dock and over Bluetooth’s LC3 and LC3+ codecs. Audiophiles are naturally skeptical of wireless high-res audio, and I generally am too. To be fair, these transmit up to 96KHz/24-bit audio.

As far as quality goes, these headphones do a very good job of recreating sound. Everything sounds natural in its place, from detailed mids and highs to deep low frequencies that don’t overpower the remaining curve. They can feel a little sterile at times with no tuning using Bluetooth, but the mobile Android and iOS app allows for fine-tuning.

That’s what makes them good for any listening, in my opinion. Where most gaming headphones cater to thick mids and lows, these have the flexibility to offer a sound profile for both gaming and casual listening. Will they be the go-to headphone for audiophiles? Probably not, but they become a versatile option beyond one use case.

The Software That Needs Work

I used these predominantly on PC and Android, trying all the bell and whistle features, but had some woes using SteelSeries’ GG program. There’s a tool called “Sonar” that lets you tune every program’s volume so that it operates flawlessly on your computer. Pressing in the volume wheel also allows for chat mix control, balancing game audio and voice audio so everything is clear. That’s the ideal situation.

However, I found it didn’t play too well with certain programs, and it was more of a headache than an aid for managing volume between apps, whether input or output. It also tends to mess with Windows volume control, creating multiple virtual devices that clog up the menu if you use it to manage outputs.

In the end, I chose one neutral sound curve for the headphones and left it at that. Program volume can be managed the old-fashioned way in Windows’ sound output menu, and mic levels can be adjusted on the fly in Discord or whatever app is needed. The only thing I miss out on is the chat mix feature, but again, that can be solved with a few extra seconds of work.

The Verdict: Are They Worth $600?

No matter how many features the Arctis Nova Elites from SteelSeries come with, the $600 price tag still looms heavily. Do they make compromises in audio or build quality for the price? No, not really. Do they sound worthy of the price tag? Admittedly, yes.

I think the biggest hurdle is believing that headphones marketed for gaming can get as high as $600 when the consoles they’re built to work with hover around the same price. That being said, these work very well as daily headphones and gaming headphones. They might cater to gaming, but the subset of features needed to function as high-end commuter headphones is baked in.

It’s hard to recommend headphones at this price point, but if you’re willing to spend the cash for something that can’t really be faulted for any one thing, they are the option.

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