Introduction

SteelSeries made quite a bit of noise with their Arctis Nova gaming headset lineup. We reviewed the top-of-the-line (Arctis Nova Pro Wireless), still probably the best gaming headset on the market, as well as its excellent USB-powered high-end sibling, the Arctis Nova Pro (read it here). In this review, we’ll examine the Arctis Nova 3, another USB gaming headset in the Arctis Nova lineup, albeit a significantly less expensive one. The Arctis Nova 3 carries a price tag of $80/€110, exactly one-third of what you have to pay for the Arctis Nova Pro. The more reasonable pricing makes it attractive to a much wider audience, so if you’re in the market for a USB gaming headset, this one could potentially be on your shortlist.

From my past experience with the Arctis gaming headset lineup, SteelSeries develops these less expensive products by slightly cutting down on build quality and features while keeping the comfort, as well as sound and microphone performance, on a similar level. If that proves to be the case with the Arctis Nova 3, it’s good news for PC and console gamers alike. The Arctis Nova 3 offers USB-C connectivity but also includes a USB Type-A extension cable, making it easily pairable with computers (PC, Mac), PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices. You can also connect it to your Xbox by using the supplied USB-C to 3.5-mm analog cable, although in that case, you won’t be able to use the integrated RGB lighting system, as USB-C connectivity is needed to power the RGB LEDs. After examining the specification sheet, I’m inclined to think that SteelSeries is using the same 40-mm dynamic speaker drivers, which are being utilized in the significantly more expensive Arctis Nova Pro and Nova Pro Wireless. The retractable ClearCast Gen 2 bidirectional microphone is also the same.

Specifications

• Drivers: 40-mm dynamic (neodymium magnet)
• Impedance: 36 Ω
• Sensitivity: 93 dB
• Frequency Response (specified by the manufacturer): 20–22,000 Hz
• DAC: 24-bit/96 kHz
• Design: Closed-back, over-ear
• Microphone: ClearCast Gen 2 (bidirectional, retractable)
• Connectivity: USB-C, USB Type-A, 3.5-mm
• Supplied cables: USB-C to USB-C (1.2 m), USB-C to USB Type-A extension cable (1.5 m), USB-C to 3.5-mm analog cable (1.2 m)
• Platform support: PC/Mac, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, mobile
• Weight: 253 g