SteelSeries’ new gaming headset ‘Arctis Nova 5’ is now availablefor purchase with a dedicated companion app that provides more than 100game-specific audio presets for Xbox and PlayStation 5 titles.

The Arctis Nova 5 headset is priced at $129.99 – which isjust slightly pricier than the Arctic Nova 4 wireless headset that was launchedlast year at $119.99. in exchange for the price increase, you will be able tochange audio presets in real time without having to exit a gaming session, and enjoycross-platform support for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, PC, Meta Quest, as wellas phones or tablets that support the headset’s USB-C dongle. Most of the headset’sdesign remains unchanged as compared to the previous Arctis models.

To access the audio presets, you will need to connect yourmobile device to the headset via Bluetooth, and despite that you will still beable to receive calls during a gaming session. The headset’s ‘Quick SwitchWireless’ feature allows for switching of audio output between 2.4GHz andBluetooth 5.3 by tapping a button placed on one of its earcups. This willenable you to take a call via Bluetooth while your in-game audio maintains apassive 2.4GHz connection.

As for the performance of the Arctis Nova 5, the headset canprovide six hours of play after a 15-minute charge and last up to 60 hours percharge, thanks to its USB-C fast charging. The device is powered byneodymium magnetic drivers – a common integration in modern headsets, and a newhigh-bandwidth microphone chipset that accounts for 32kHz / 16-bit audio resultingin  maintained enhanced in-gamecommunications. 

When not in use, the headset’s microphone flawlessly withdrawsinto the device, blending into the earcup. Additionally, the Arctis Nova 5 offersthe AI noise cancellation feature that is also part of the Nova 4 headset, helpingin further reducing background noise in loud environments.