SteelSeries has developed new earbuds designed to connect to Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch consoles, or even PCs and mobile phones. The $159.99 Arctis GameBuds feature active noise cancellation (ANC), wireless Qi 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 am impressed so far, but I need more time to write 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. SteelSeries uses a four-microphone ANC system to block out noise while you play, and there's a transparency mode if you want to hear the environment around you.
The GameBuds connect to an Xbox or PlayStation via a tiny USB-C dongle that enables a 2.4GHz wireless connection. You can triple-tap a button on the earbuds to switch between Bluetooth 5.3 for mobile and the 2.4GHz wireless signal for consoles and PC. Switching the audio signal is surprisingly quick, but it doesn't support simultaneous audio over Bluetooth and 2.4GHz like Sony's Pulse Explore earbuds.
I was immediately impressed with the EQ settings in the companion mobile app. It includes more than 100 audio presets for popular games like Call of Duty, Fate 2, EA Sports FC 24, FortniteAnd Brave. These largely mirror the same EQ presets found in SteelSeries' GG desktop PC app with Sonar, and the results are impressive in games like Brave, where you have to hear every possible step.
You can also toggle ANC and Transparency modes or adjust the level at which noise is cancelled or allowed in on the mobile app. Both the SteelSeries mobile and desktop apps let you control these settings and view battery life for each earbud and charging case.
When playing music or playing a loud game, the ANC does a good job of filtering out the noise around you, but if you set the volume low or your game doesn't have a lot of audio, you'll still hear some ambient noise.
SteelSeries promises that the charging case offers 40 hours of battery life, with 10 hours per use and three additional charges thanks to the case. I found that the battery drains about 10 percent per hour on the 2.4GHz connection, so battery life seems solid. The case also offers Qi wireless charging (not Qi2) and a USB-C port on the back that offers about three hours of playtime on a 15-minute quick charge.
While the GameBuds work on consoles and PCs, there are separate models for Xbox and PlayStation. If you buy the PlayStation model, it will only work on Sony's consoles, PCs, and mobile, but the Xbox version will work on all platforms. The Xbox variant includes an additional chip to comply with Microsoft's security guidelines and a slider to switch to Xbox compatibility. The white model is exclusive to PlayStation, and there is a black variant for both Xbox and PlayStation.
SteelSeries is entering an increasingly crowded gaming earbud market, competing with Sony, Razer and Logitech. The $159 price tag for the Arctis GameBuds is lower than the $199 Sony charges for the PlayStation Pulse Explore, and the GameBuds even offer the ANC support that Sony surprisingly left out. Sony offers ANC on its $199 InZone Buds with impressive 12-hour battery life, but these still lack the wireless charging case that SteelSeries offers.
The $149 Razer Hammerhead HyperSpeed headphones do have ANC but only deliver three hours per charge. Logitech's $179 G Fits have better battery life at seven hours but don't have ANC. SteelSeries has clearly found a gap in the market where it can offer low-latency earbuds with Bluetooth connectivity, a mobile app, ANC and a wireless charging case for $159.
The Arctis GameBuds are available for pre-order today in black and white and are priced at $159.99 (€169.99). The GameBuds will launch worldwide on October 29.