Versatility and a great mic help the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X Wireless stand out (2024)

About the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X Wireless

The Arctis Nova 5X Wireless is just one variant in a lineup for three headsets. The other two headsets in the group include the Arctis Nova 5 Wireless and Arctis Nova 5P.

While the 5X version is fairly similar to its siblings, it has a wider dongle that adds the necessary hardware to support Xbox consoles and includes a small switch for toggling between Xbox support and all other platforms. It also gets a chatmix dial that’s absent on the other versions.

Beyond these differences, the three headsets otherwise support the same platforms and come in at the same price.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X Wireless specs

• Cost: $130
• Style: Over-ear, closed-back
• Colors: Black
• Drivers: 40mm neodymium magnetic drivers
• Wireless connections: 2.4GHz wireless USB-C dongle, Bluetooth 5.3
• Wired connections: 3.5mm in, USB-C
• Device compatibility: PC, Mac, PS5/PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Meta Quest, Android, iOS
• Microphone: Retractable boom, ClearCast 2.X, bidirectional noise canceling
• Virtual surround sound: Sonar Virtual Surround Sound, Tempest 3D, Microsoft Spatial for Xbox
• Weight: 9.35 ounces (265 grams)

The Arctis Nova 5X Wireless falls toward the budget side of SteelSeries’ product stack, and that shows in the design. It uses simpler plastic yolks than the stylish, single-arm yolks found on many of the company's other Arctis headsets. The headband is a flat plastic, lacking the angular style of the more expensive models like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, though you still get the suspension strap.

The simpler designs still come together neatly and makes for a subtle, lightweight, portable headset that’s exceptionally comfortable. The ear cups could be deeper, but this is a small issue in an otherwise very pleasant fit.

Even heat is managed well by the AirWeave ear cushions SteelSeries has included for ages. That said, external sound is poorly mitigated by this material. The headphones offer extremely minimal passive noise isolation, so taking advantage of the Bluetooth connection on the go and enjoying content is a struggle. I could plainly hear the thrum of the surrounding cafe unless I dialed up the headset audio to uncomfortable levels.

The Arctis Nova 5X Wireless offers a combination of a dedicated 2.4GHz wireless connection over USB-C and Bluetooth. However, unlike prior SteelSeries headsets that offered both of these wireless connections simultaneously, the Arctis Nova 5X rather disappointingly only supports audio from one at a time—no combining Bluetooth music playback or Discord comms with gameplay audio from another system.

While offering both connections is an upgrade over the Arctis 1 Wireless, this is a surprising step back since SteelSeries effectively pioneered dual connectivity. It’s perhaps the headset’s first big fumble, too.

The SteelSeries Arctis 7X+ Wireless and Arctis Nova 7 Wireless are not only both available at only $20 more but both include dual-connections.

Instead of the simultaneous wireless, the Arctis Nova 5X Wireless uses what the company calls Quick-Switch Wireless. Switching from 2.4GHz wireless over to Bluetooth and back is easy, taking a single button press on the headset, but not seamless. That’s largely because the headphones have an assistant pop in to say which mode you’re switching to, adding a second or two in the process.

The Arctis Nova 5X Wireless has a great microphone, with notable quality over other wireless competitors. For the most part, wireless headset microphones—even those in high-end models—tend to fall short on audio quality compared to even cheap wired gaming headsets because most of the bandwidth is going towards the audio output.SteelSeries has doubled the bandwidth for the microphone here, and it shows. It’s very clear and lacks some of the tinniness that can crop up on poorer microphones. It is also fairly effective at reducing background noise thanks to ClearCast AI Noise Cancellation enabled through the SteelSeries GG software.

By default, the Flat EQ setting has a subdued sub-bass, but there’s room to bump that up. Even then, the audio isn’t quite even across the board. The low-end brunt is there, but the energy dips off whenever the bass lines reach up in frequency.

Oftentimes the biggest rival to a new SteelSeries product is a slightly older model.

While the mobile app offers quick ways to tweak the EQ, it doesn’t make it easy. You can select from game-specific EQ settings but there’s little explanation on what each is doing (is it boosting gunshots? Is it pumping up footsteps? Is it providing fat bass response?) and a lack of actual EQ curve data.

The SteelSeries GG app on Windows provides that curve data and lets you modify it to your liking. Another issue with making edits on the phone is that it can introduce signal issues. While I never noticed a drop in signal during normal use, as soon as I started changing EQ settings over Bluetooth, I ran into them frequently until I put my phone away.

Should you buy the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X Wireless?

Maybe, if the battery life and mic are especially important

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X Wireless is a decent headset. It has clear audio and an excellent microphone, giving it a strong foothold in the competitive and social gaming space. The fact that it can run for up to 50 hours (60 on Bluetooth) also makes up for some of its other shortcomings. It’s easy to wear for such a long time because it’s lightweight and cushioned well. The wide platform compatibility is also notable, especially since it doesn’t force users to choose between an Xbox or PlayStation specific variant.

It would have been great if SteelSeries had included the simultaneous wireless connections that the Arctis 7 and Arctis Nova 7 offered, especially since both of those headsets are old enough to receive discounts that put them dangerously close to the Arctis Nova 5X. Both might lack the battery life and microphone chops of the Arctis Nova 5X Wireless, but they’ll be close in audio quality and even a step up in build, at least for the Arctis Nova 7. It does manage to sweep the legs out from under the Corsair HS80 Max Wireless, but oftentimes I find the biggest rival to a new SteelSeries product is a slightly older SteelSeries product that hasn’t given up.

Still, there’s likely a wide enough audience for a multi-platform headset that works well and lasts long. The Arctis Nova 5X Wireless has plenty going for it in that regard and doesn’t ask too high a price for all it offers.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.