SteelSeries Arctis Nova 4 headset test

For years, SteelSeries has been one of the dominant players in the gaming market, who try to serve their customers with the widest possible range of products. We also have mice and keyboards, mousepads and game controllers, sound systems and headsets. In addition, in almost every product category, the members of the given family range in a very wide range, from the entry level to the almost luxury category. This is also the case with headsets: wired and wireless devices from the cheapest to the most expensive. Here comes the Arctis Nova 4 family, which, like the others, is available in a plain, a 4P and a 4X version, and can be placed somewhere in the middle of the palette.

There is basically a small but important difference between the three variants of the wireless headset. The Nova 4P is blue and the Nova 4X is green on the inside of the headband, while the plain Nova 4 is black and gray. From this you can already guess that P stands for PlayStation and X stands for the Xbox family of consoles, but it is important to note that while the former two are backwards compatible (so 4 and 4P can be used on PC, PlayStation and other platforms), while only 4X is allowed for Xbox.

As for the appearance of the headset, it is particularly demanding. Although it may seem a little small at first glance, it actually fits the head perfectly. The plastic headband is flexible enough to press the device on the person’s head just enough to keep it stable, but not uncomfortable. The two speakers are covered with fabric sponges that pleasantly surround the ear and effectively block out most of the noise from the outside world. The SteelSeries logo is on the outside of both speakers, and the right and left sides are marked on the inside of the speaker. On the right earcup, we find the on/off button and a tiny LED that indicates the operation. On the right side, next to the microphone, we find the volume control and a microphone mute button. With the help of MI, the microphone, which also has a noise-filtering function, can be pulled out of the headset, so it is not in the way at all when not in use.

The Nova 4 connects to the source wirelessly, using the included USB-C dongle. The gadget, which at first seems a little clumsy and too big, was actually chosen by the manufacturer (not only now, but in the case of several other Arctis Nova wireless headsets) because the 2.4 GHz connection enables faster data transfer compared to Bluetooth. This is perhaps less important when listening to music, but it is certainly one of the most important factors when watching movies or especially playing games. Because there is nothing more annoying than when the sound is delayed compared to the picture, and this can often happen with Bluetooth. And in games, this delay can result in the complete destruction of immersion. Thanks to the USB-C connector, the headset can also be used with a smartphone without any problems, but those who may not have such a connector on their PC do not have to worry either. There is also a USB-C to USB-A conversion cable in the box, so no one will have a problem with this either.

Speaking of boxes. The Arctis Nova 4 comes in particularly sophisticated packaging. In addition to the headset, the box contains the dongle and two cables. One is of course for charging, and the other is the already mentioned converter. In addition to these and the usual user manual, the manufacturer has also included a pack of youthful stickers, which can be used to spice up the otherwise restrained, elegant appearance of the headset a little.

According to the manufacturer’s claim, it offers up to 36 hours of operating time when fully charged, and it is also useful that 6 hours of operating time can be achieved with just a quarter of an hour of charging, which means that even a medium-long trip can be solved in this way, if necessary.

Another important element of the package is the Sonar software, which can be downloaded completely free of charge for Windows 10/11 and is integrated into the SteelSeries GG program, which provides very thorough setting options. Among other things, we get a ten-band equalizer, separately for the speaking voice and separately for the microphone. In addition, we can get game-specific help for this, by showing, for example, “sound of footsteps” or “bomb” designations instead of low/mid/high subtitles. And some pre-made EQ profiles were compiled with the help of e-athletes. But spatial sound can also be turned on in the software, which creates the right 360-degree mix for the headphones from the surround sound track.

Thanks to all of this and the elements of the Nova acoustic system (including hi-fi speakers), the Arctis Nova 4 provides excellent sound for gaming, watching movies, and listening to music. With the virtual imitation of 5.1/7.1 systems, we really hear the events around us in 360 degrees.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 4 family seems to be a particularly good choice if someone is looking for a mid-shelf headset. Whether traveling with a smartphone or playing on a PC or console, it can be used particularly well. The manufacturer offers all this at a price of around HUF 45,000, the first of its products to offer a wireless headset in this price category.