Expert assessment
Positives
- The sound is warm, powerful, and rich.
- It is lightweight and portable
- Retractable microphones are fun
Negatives
- Only supports wired connection
- Allows you to let in lots of ambient noise
- The headset is too small to fit larger heads.
Our judgment
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 is a high-quality gaming headset that has great sound and a stylish design. The Nova 3 supports wired connection only, but the many options for cables allow you to connect almost any device.
If it were Arctis Nova Pro WirelessThe Nova 3 is the high-performance sports car in SteelSeries’ line of headphones. It packs a lot of excitement, but without the fancy extras that the Nova Pro Wireless offers.
Although it is mostly made of plastic and sports wired connectivity, it still shares many of the best characteristics of its premium brethren such as fully rotating ear cups, and an extended inner headband floating above your head. The audio section also records all the right notes, providing excellent sound, regardless of the media you are listening to. The RGB lighting flashes at all times of the day and night, making it dazzling.
Note: This review is part our ongoing review Best gaming headphones. You can learn more about the competition, what you should look for in a gaming headset, and buy recommendations.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3: Design
The Arctis Nova 3 beats the Nova Pro Wireless when it comes to convenience. The Nova 3’s adjustable headband is very comfortable and doesn’t feel like it’s under any clip pressure. I also love the Nova 3’s AirWeave Earcups. It’s covered with a light mesh fabric that is cooler than the Nova Pro. However, it can sometimes feel like coarse leather on hot days.
SteelSeries did a great job making Nova 3 lightweight and portable. It weighs in at 8.9 ounces (253g), making it lighter than the Nova Pro Wireless (which adds metallic earcups and other features) which weighs in at 2.9 ounces. In fact, we found the Asus ROG Strix Go Moonlight White lighter in our reviews. Its low weight allows you to wear it all day without feeling it.
Programmable RGB lights can illuminate up to 16.8 millions colors on SteelSeries Arctis Nova3 earcups.
Steel Series
Some weight is traded for small volumes, but that’s okay. My review unit measured 8 inches from top-to-bottom, and the cups measured only 4 inches at its longest. This is a problem if your ears or head are large. Otherwise the device must fit perfectly.
The Nova 3’s design is sure to impress gamers. The outer ear muffs are made of a soft, scratch-resistant material, which prevents scrapes. The outer housings are surrounded by dazzling RGB lighting rings. The SteelSeries GG software program allows you to program it with up 16 million colors and a variety of lighting effects.
Although budget headphones don’t have these features, the Nova 3 is unique in that it has some small design elements that distinguish it from the rest. ClearCast Gen 2’s fully retractable noise-cancelling microphone, and its detachable wires are just a few of the features that stand out. The former slips easily into the earpiece, so you never have to worry about losing your mic, while the latter prevents you from having to buy a new set if your cords break—so SteelSeries is credited with going the extra mile.
The SteelSeries Arctis 3 noise-canceling microphone retracts completely to your left earcup.
Dominic Bailey / IDJ
Although the Nova 3 offers only a wired connection for connectivity, you can still enjoy multi-platform access using the three useful wires in the box. These include a USB C to USB C Cable, a 3.5mm Analog Cable and a USB C to USB A Adapter Cable that extends connectivity to Xbox One or Xbox X/S.
Other than those devices, you can connect to just about everything else — including your PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, or Android smartphone. You will be restricted to approximately 4 to 5 ft depending on which wire you are using, so you should be ready to take your headset off if there is a need to walk around.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3, Sound Performance
SteelSeries praised the Nova 3 audio system which includes custom 40mm drivers as a significant improvement over previous generations. We didn’t have any prior generations to test this claim, but we believe it to be true based on how great the Nova sound. 3 in games, music, and movies.
The Nova 3 also functions as a controller. There is a volume knob, microphone mute button, and a simple switch to activate or disable RGB lighting.
I was able to play a variety of Steam games and the headset’s strengths were the upper bass, mid-tones, and warm sound profile. This really makes games like Kingdom Come: DeliveranceThen there is the elden ringThis part of the spectrum tends to support sounds.
Unfortunately, the Nova 3 allows almost any ambient sound to be brought into your space, with no active noise cancellation or the slightest passive barrier.
This flicker is partially offset with a sensitive two-way microphone, which enthusiastically transmits my voice to Discord conversations. The noise cancelling, which uses an AI algorithm for blocking out ambient noise, was also very effective. I received only minor annoyances when the volume was increased to maximum.
SteelSeries GG’s Sonar app gives you great control over your microphone settings.
Dominic Bailey / IDJ
The Nova 3’s ability to adjust my audio settings to an unbelievable level was one of its greatest advantages. The Nova 3 runs the SteelSeries GG on PC app, which is, if it’s not the best, at least comparable to the best of its class. I was happy to find that I could apply up four audio presets to the Nova 3 and alter the colors and RGB lighting effects.
Sonar is where any player should go to customize their voice. Sonar lets you adjust your spatial audio. But Sonar is not limited to your games. It can also be used to modify volume and EQ for all audio sources, including chat.
The EQ mod is great for gaming, because it can be done on a parametric graph. This tool is very versatile. Parametric EQ allows you to change the frequency of any sound that you know.
Sonar’s Dota 2 preset highlights the sounds of the game that fall within the bass, mids and highs.
Dominic Bailey / IDJ
Sonar also has ready-made presets available for popular games such as Dota 2And the Call of Duty: War ZoneAnd the Global Offensive – Counter-StrikeYou don’t have to spend your time creating your own.
These presets also seem to be well-designed for their titles. Just to be certain, I did try. Dota 2 Compare the preset to the default. This preset is more focused on thunder bangs than the plain default. It includes bass boost, upper mids and high notes as well as extraction of mids.
This added a whole new dimension and excitement to what was otherwise a fairly ordinary game. Dota 2The Nova 3 is my favorite gaming headset.
Should you purchase a SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3 feels extremely light and warm on your head. It can also be used in music, movies, and games. The Nova 3 produces a powerful, warm sound that you won’t tire of. However, it is not very good at blocking out ambient noise. The Nova 3’s sleek, plastic cases and bright RGB lighting are sure to impress.
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