SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite wireless headset review

If you've read a lot of my gear reviews on GamingTrend, you'll know that I'm a big fan of SteelSeries. They make their devices of the highest quality, and more times than none I've said as much in my time using them. Given their headsets are my daily drivers in more than one way, it makes sense that their newest – and quite costly – headset would make its way to my desk. Can anything priced at a gaudy $599 be possibly worthy of that tag?

Opening the opulent box, there is quite a lot here. Inside is the Arctis Nova Elite wireless headset, the GameHub with a second battery, three five-foot USB-C cables, a 3.5mm audio cable, a microphone pop filter, and a carrying bag for the headset. The carrying bag is a lush leather one, and while it has that high-end quality, I'd have preferred a more durable case included given the expense.

As soon as you take the Nova Elite out of the box, it oozes luxury. Even with SteelSeries' other premium headsets featuring a certain level of class, the Nova Elite exists in a league of its own. This is a first-rate, best-your-money-can-buy gaming and lifestyle headset. From the leather-covered headband and earcups, to the all-metal frame, to even the contour and color of the plastic, this feels like a $600 headset. Heck, even the metal and textured volume wheel exudes the lavish quality. If you wear the Nova Elite out and about, it'll have you on the early 2000's level of Beats – they just look slick.

Even with all of these enhancements, the weight doesn't exponentially increase, still coming in under a pound (380g). Combined with my favorite feature on a headset – the SteelSeries ski-band – it makes for a comfortable wear and fit every time you don it. Very few companies manage SteelSeries excellence in comfort, and it's part of why I use them everywhere: gaming, work, travel, and more.

The GameHub is another returning piece of the SteelSeries pie here, flush with functionality. Being able to see the info on your headset, make quick adjustments to features like gain, ANC, inputs, and more makes it a valuable part of the experience. It's more than just settings as well, physical attributes like multiple USB ports for cross-platform use, line in and out, and a battery dock deliver an all-around purpose for this device. One of my favorite extras has been while playing Counter-Strike 2; the display will show your stats and the current round counts. Yes, the headset itself is the star, but the GameHub is an unsung hero in this package.

It also brings versatility to the Nova Elite. Mentioned above is the multiple USB-C ports, and there are three of these. It's more than just one additional port compared to the Arctis Nova Pro, however, as this system allows for seamless multi-source mixing. No other headset you can buy offers four audio sources to mix with zero audio degradation, all at the press of the volume wheel. It's simply another area SteelSeries is pushing headset tech forward. Alongside this is full-featured Bluetooth 5.3 to bring us to four sources and round out the devices you can use. You can truly utilize anything with your Nova Elite, continuing the phenomenal versatility in this headset.

You'll also be able to use it near infinitely. I've always loved the dual-battery system for the Nova Pro, and SteelSeries thought that was the best choice for the Elite. Being able to fully charge a battery as you use your headset is fantastic. Each one offers about thirty hours of charge, which is an upgrade off of the Nova Pro, and as that one is my daily driver, I've felt it. Since you can swap batteries in seconds, you're never out of the game. Even if you forget to charge somehow, recent advancements in SteelSeries battery tech now allows for four hours of charge in only fifteen minutes.

Although this extra functionality costs you a bit more battery, SteelSeries' Active Noise Cancellation is worth every bit of it. It was already incredibly effective on the Nova Pro, and it's even better on the Nova Elite, reducing up to 89% of background noise. Numbers only mean so much, but I can affirm this must be true. If I'm playing or listening to something on the headset, I can barely hear anything around me with the Nova Elite on, even in my basement workspace with my HVAC and washer and dryer close by. Now that you can fully control the ANC via the mobile Sonar app, it even comes into play outside of your desk, making travel much more quiet.

Speaking of Sonar, let's address my excitement and disappointment surrounding its implementation with the Nova Elite. Through the 2.4GHz connection, Sonar is simply outstanding. Being able to use more than 300 EQ profiles with your PC or console and more just raises the audial bar. Sonar is a cheat code, and it's spoiled me to the point I almost won't play a game without it (and with my arsenal of SteelSeries headsets, I rarely have to).

Bluetooth is another conversation. The chipset in the Nova Elite differs from others, sacrificing the capability to load in EQ profiles in favor of other enhancements. While it's not a deal breaker, I am sad to not be able to access the full suite Sonar offers, instead stuck with four very basic options and anything I custom load through a ten-band EQ. While this isn't the worst trade-off I've experienced, losing the Bluetooth options hurts the handheld side (like Nintendo Switch/2/Quest 3), as well as the music EQ tunings I appreciate.

SteelSeries' carbon fiber drivers with brass surround rings do their best to make you forget about any shortcomings in the Sonar Bluetooth department, and to devastating effect. I've never met a SteelSeries driver that wasn't tuned to perfection, and the premium quality of these provide the finest sound you'd expect out of a $600 headset. As per usual, detail is king; I rarely have to crank the volume to hear what I'm listening to. It's almost like savoring a good meal when using the Nova Elite – I don't feel the need to wolf it down and instead prefer to simply enjoy the flavor.

If that wasn't enough for you, the Nova Elite offers a first in gaming: Hi-Res Wireless Audio. This ultra-fidelity 96kHz/24bit sound has been tested and certified by the Japan Audio Society to meet the highest standards for wireless audio, a true feather-in-the-cap for this headset. I appreciate the commitment to opulence; SteelSeries is making sure you get what you pay for. While this capability is reserved to PC – and systems supporting that level of audio – the crisp sound available is tremendous, especially when gaming.

Imagine being able to hear exact footsteps on where your opponent is coming from in Counter-Strike 2. What if you could literally pinpoint a player simply on an errantly-fired bullet in Call of Duty? You get that with the spatial audio in the Nova Elite. Yes, the Nova Pro can deliver similarly, but the extra 96kHz/24bit fidelity added in the Elite means what you're hearing is even cleaner and clearer. This also makes games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Kingdom Come: Deliverance II even more immersive, dropping you into the world through the audial experience. With the move into higher quality offerings from music services like Spotify and Amazon Music as well, you can actually receive the enhancements you're paying for as well.

An area I didn't expect to be blown away: the microphones. This headset actually has two, the usual ClearCast retractable boom mic, and a new smart-switching on-ear beamforming microphone. The ClearCast is their latest gen, with a 32KHz/16Bit bandwith that nearly rivals my Elgato Wave:3. I'm nothing but impressed with how good it sounds, a huge upgrade for this model. The on-ear mic isn't on the same level, but it's surprisingly decent and is a great bonus for those wearing the Nova Elite out and don't want to pull the mic out. Not everyone wants to look like a gamer while at the airport, so it's a nice touch.

Although I'd certainly argue the price is mostly justified by the feature set, $599.99 is a steep price. The Nova Pro will give you a lot of what this headset can, but every possible improvement exists in the Nova Elite. The market for this headset is going to be mainly technophiles and audio enthusiasts, with an occasional gamer with a chunk of cash who wants a headset that can literally do everything for every device. It's not for everyone, but the luxurious nature of the Nova Elite does rise to the cost.