Review: SteelSeries Arctis Prime headset

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SteelSeries is a brand that has been known for years for providing top-of-the-line gaming accessories. I’ve personally been using the Arctis 7 wireless headset for years and the company’s Rival 5 mouse has become my everyday mouse across any game I’m playing.

The company has now launched its Prime series of accessories and I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the new Arctis Prime headset to give the new series a try.

The Arctis Prime is part of the new Prime line of SteelSeries gaming accessories aimed at competitive players. The headset is plug-and-play with powerful on-board drivers that offer stellar sound performance across multiple gaming platforms.

The Arctis Prime retails for $99.99 and has a detachable 3.5 mm connection, making it able to be used across any platform. After just over a week of wearing the Arctis Prime, the headset feels very familiar, which is a good thing considering the name that SteelSeries has made for itself in gaming peripherals. So let’s jump right into the new Arctis Prime headset.

Comfort

A gaming headset’s priority is obviously offering great sound quality. But something almost equally important as having great sound is a headset’s comfortability. There’s nothing worse than having a headset that gives you a headache after a long gaming session. That has never been a worry with any SteelSeries headset I’ve tried previously, and it’s certainly not an issue with the Arctis Prime.

The Arctis Prime continues with SteelSeries famous lightweight aluminum frame. Coupled with the adjustable, snow goggle-like elastic band, the Arctis Prime almost literally floats on top of your head.

Out of the box, the headset was a little tight on me (mostly due to my abnormally large head). A small adjustment in the headset’s elastic band was all it took to completely alleviate that problem.

This iteration of the Arctis headset opts for leatherette earcups. That differs from the soft cloth found on my Arctis 7 headset. I personally prefer the cloth earcups, as they tend to keep my head a bit cooler during long sessions. However, I didn’t find the leatherette earcups to be nearly as hot as I thought they would, and I could tell a difference in how much better the Arctis Prime is at noise cancellation.

Overall, the Arctis Prime continues SteelSeries’ record of great comfort in a headset. I never once felt any fatigue, even after spending eight hours Saturday night mindlessly flying around in No Man’s Sky.

Performance

Sound is one of the most important aspects of almost any video gaming experience. Whether it’s immersing yourself in a world and its ambient sounds or getting that edge in a competitive shooter, sound plays a huge role in how we experience any game. The Arctis Pro does a great job of delivering that sound quality that we’re all looking for in a headset.

The sound from the Arctis Pro is as good as ever. The sound is super clear, making deciphering sounds very easy. In just a few games of Apex Legends, I noticed how easy it was to tell the difference between close footsteps and distant gunshots, which isn’t usually an easy task for an old man like myself.

I also love the inclusion of the onboard volume control. It makes finding that perfect volume level so much easier, especially considering game developers still haven’t figured out how to release a game that starts off at a moderate sound level.

The Arctis Prime has the familiar SteelSeries retractable microphone. The mic is flexible and minimal, which lets you find that perfect placement to keep the mic out of your peripheral vision. I did have a very minor issue with the mic on the Arctis Prime.

While in Discord calls with Josiah, he complained that I was cutting in and out a bit. After a little adjustment, I moved the mic much closer to my mouth than it usually is with the Arctis 7. It seemed to be much better after that.

The Arctis Prime continues SteelSeries’ reputation of offering top tier sound quality. In games from all different genres, the Arctis Prime shines, with clarity and magnificence.

Should you buy the Arctis Prime headset?

The Arctis Prime is a phenomenal gaming headset that offers a great deal of quality in a multi-platform headset. SteelSeries set out to give gamers yet another great gaming peripheral and they have succeeded.

The comfortability that the Arctis Prime brings, coupled with the high fidelity sound makes the Arctis Prime well worth the $99.99 price tag. If you are in the market for a gaming headset, you’d be hard-pressed to find something better for the price than the Arctis Prime.

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Editors’ Recommendations:

• Review: Nuraphone headset and gaming microphone attachment
• Review: Eggtronic Ultra-Fast power bank
• Review: EPOS H3 – a super comfortable plug-and-play gaming headset
• Review: Audeze LCD-3 planar headphones

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more. A sample unit was provided for the purpose of this review.