I’ve run through an alarming number of gaming headsets over the years from almost every brand you can think of — including Razer, Turtle Beach, HyperX, Logitech, and Corsair — but none impressed me more than SteelSeries’. Its latest high-end set is the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless, and while not cheap, you can get a refurbished model at Woot until the end of June with a 90-day warranty for $179.99 ($170 off the MSRP).
SteelSeries headsets are widely lauded for their comfort, well-balanced audio, great mic quality, and sleek design. You can get most of these benefits from the brand’s more affordable options since they typically use similar drivers and microphones, but the Nova Pro Wireless is ideal for multiplatform gamers. Its dual USB base allows you to connect it to both your PC and PlayStation 5 (another version specifically supports Xbox, but there’s no equivalent sale right now), and it features Bluetooth support for the Nintendo Switch and various mobile devices. You can even use a USB source and Bluetooth simultaneously.
The base station has a monochromatic OLED display that makes it easy to see which mode you’re in, manage volume levels and chat mix, and fiddle with the EQ, all of which you can control from the headset if you don’t feel like getting up to use the knob. That’s also where you’ll charge the spare battery it comes with, which I personally think is the secondary killer feature. You can pop the removable battery out and swap in a fresh one from the base — no tethering required.
