Great audio and all-day comfort combined with versatility and a very reasonable price make the Arctis GameBuds another best-in-class SteelSeries device

SteelSeries Releases Superb Gaming Earbuds - Meet The Arctis GameBuds

Great audio and all-day comfort combined with versatility and a very reasonable price make the Arctis GameBuds another best-in-class SteelSeries device

To come up with the ideal shape for its first gaming earbuds, SteelSeries scanned the ears of over 62,000 people. The aim was to create earbuds that are comfortable for all-day use while also offering a secure fit. GameBuds come with three different sets of silicone eartips. After placing the silicone tips in your ear canals, you lightly twist the earbud, which effectively locks it into place. As someone who often finds earbuds to be uncomfortable and prone to falling out, I'm thoroughly impressed with the design. They are lightweight, snug, and I've worn them all day for weeks now without any discomfort.

Audio and microphone performance are impressive, too. They sound similar, though not quite as good, as the pricier Arctis Nova 7, which is GameSpot's pick for the best wireless gaming headset. Simply because of the form factor and larger speakers, gaming headsets always provide a more immersive audio experience than comparably priced earbuds. But the GameBuds offer the usual SteelSeries audio features, including 360-degree spatial audio and the PS5's Tempest 3D audio tech. The built-in microphones work well, and I haven't had to speak any louder than usual while making calls on iPhone.

SteelSeries says you can get up to 10 hours on a full charge, and the included charging case increases the total playback time to up to 40 hours before the case needs to be charged, too. These numbers vary depending on your connection type and listening mode; with all headsets, active noise cancellation depletes your battery faster than transparency mode. I have been able to get roughly five hours of continuous playback with noise-cancellation mode active. The charging case supports Qi wireless charging and USB-C charging (cable included). The latter is quick-charge enabled and replenishes three hours of juice from 15 minutes of charging.

Earlier this year, SteelSeries released the Arctis Nova 5, a new mid-range wireless gaming headset for consoles and PC. It launched alongside an exclusive mobile companion app for customizing your audio experience. It's a handy app that features a bunch of game-specific audio presets created by SteelSeries. The GameBuds are the second SteelSeries product to support the app. Like most Bluetooth earbuds, the GameBuds have on-ear shortcuts as well. You can quickly switch between ANC and transparency modes, change devices by bouncing between Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connections, and pause playback. Instead of the usual touch sensors, the GameBuds have clickable buttons. If you're used to touch sensors, this change may take some getting used to--it took me a few weeks to fully adjust--but it's nice to not inadvertently toggle a setting from tapping for too long or not long enough.

The case can be charged via USB-C or on a wireless charging pad

The inclusion of both ANC and transparency modes is great for everyday use, especially since these can double as Bluetooth earbuds music and other audio outside of gaming. . The active noise cancellation works as well on the GameBuds as it does on the Arctis Nova Pro, which is SteelSeries' only other audio product with ANC and one of the better examples of noise cancellation in the gaming space. The Nova Pro retails for $350, so this is certainly a nice perk for the $160 GameBuds.

In general, gaming-focused gear doesn't offer the same caliber of ANC as premium, traditional headphones, such as Bose's QuietComfort Ultra headphones or earbuds. I have found one exception on this front: Sony's Inzone Buds for PC and PS5. The Inzone Buds utilize tech found in Sony's XM5 earbuds, so the ANC is next-level compared to other gaming gear. Unfortunately, Inzone Buds only support Bluetooth LE, which is only offered with some newer Android phones. You can only connect the Inzone Buds to iPhone via the USB-C dongle, which means you'll need an iPhone 15 or newer, or a Lightning-to-USB-C adapter for older models. At $200, the Inzone Buds are $40 more than GameBuds, and they don't work with as many platforms (no Xbox support).

New gaming headsets release seemingly every week, but there are very few wireless gaming earbuds for major manufacturers. The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds is the most versatile option yet in terms of platform support. As a reminder, the Xbox edition can be viewed as universal, while the pair of PlayStation models will work with all of your devices except for Xbox. You can use the GameBuds on Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, Meta Quest headsets, including the newly released Meta Quest 3S.

If you're interested in grabbing a pair of GameBuds, it's worth noting that Amazon is temporarily sold out of the universal model, but you can still place an order. Technically, the universal model is designed for Xbox, but you can use them for PS5, PS4, Switch, PC, Steam Deck, mobile, etc. Best Buy and SteelSeries also have the Xbox edition in stock. The PlayStation edition of the GameBuds is available in white or black and is compatible with all platforms exceptXbox. The PS5-matching white model is exclusive to PlayStation and is already sold out at Best Buy, but you can still snag a pair directly from SteelSeries.

If you prefer over-ear headphones, Amazon has some nice deals on wireless gaming headsets in the SteelSeries Arctis Nova line.