CONCLUSION

   Even though countless gaming headsets have reached my hands over the years i was never really into them, probably because most of my rigs are in the lab and thus there's no risk of actually annoying someone while using them. Still aside realizing that many people do have such an issue (and that i may also have that issue one day) I’m always very curious as to what they can deliver so I never hold back when testing a gaming headset. For example, the ARCTIS NOVA PRO has been in the lab just under 2 months during which I played quite a bit of Battlefield 2042, World Of Warships, Forza Horizon 5 and Call Of Duty Modern Warfare II all of which worked flawlessly with it. As a matter of fact, Battlefield 2042 and Modern Warfare II both sounded a lot better with this headset than any other I’ve used (better than my speakers as well). Positioning audio is very accurate (sensitivity is very high too since you can hear even the wind going past you in some games) and as for audio quality both mids and highs are very detailed not just in games but movies as well. Bass levels could be better but this is something that’s not really new when it comes to 40mm drivers (still bass should be plenty, especially for gamers). The 2nd generation GameDAC is a clear upgrade compared to its predecessor, not just in terms of functionality but also audio clarity. As for the ClearCast Gen 2 bidirectional microphone SteelSeries has been making some of the best retractable ones in the market for over a decade now so this couldn’t be an exception to that rule.

   At the time of my review the ARCTIS NOVA PRO by SteelSeries retails for USD235.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 201.82Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is more or less what you’d expect from a gaming headset of this calibre (and on par with its predecessor). In conclusion if you’re not in need of a wireless model (if you are there’s also a wireless version available) the ARCTIS NOVA PRO delivers on everything even the most demanding gamers could ever ask and for that it deserves the Platinum Award.

PROS

- Very Good Build Quality
- HiRes Audio Quality (24bit/96kHz)
- Volume Levels
- OLED GameDAC Gen 2 (ESS Sabre 9218PQ40 Reference 32 Bit Audio DAC & Amp)
- Very Comfortable
- Positioning Audio Via Sonar 7.1
- Two USB C & Two 3.5mm Ports
- PC & PS4 / PS5 Compatibility
- SteelSeries GG Software

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Sonar Software Feature (PC Only)