SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds Review: Rock-Solid Gaming Earbuds
Key things
- The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds offer rock-solid wireless connectivity with the included USB-C dongle.
- The headphones feature crystal clear sound with noise cancellation.
- Other positives include tactile buttons and customizable app preferences.
While many of us have moved to wireless listening to music and podcasts on headphones, one activity has remained firmly in the over-ear headset category: gaming. Action games require a solid, lag-free connection, two things a Bluetooth kit can’t guarantee. SteelSeries may finally have a solution with its new Arctis GameBuds, which offer 2.4GHz wireless audio on the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series console.
SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds
A stylish pair of headphones that show true wireless is possible for console gaming. The headset comes with a 2.4GHz dongle to connect to your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series, ensuring a solid connection while gaming. The accompanying app offers a variety of presets and customizations for the headphones, and the included carrying case gives you up to 40 hours of charge.
- Fixed wireless connection thanks to USB-C dongle
- Crystal clear sound with active noise cancellation and passthrough
- Physical buttons on each bud offer clear, tactile feedback
- The 10-hour battery life is less than non-gaming true wireless headphones
- Without a smartphone app, controls are limited
- The design of the headphones does not always stay in the ear
Price and availability
The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are available from October 29, 2024 and can be purchased from the SteelSeries website, Amazon and Best Buy. The PlayStation 5 model is available in white or black, while the Xbox series model only comes in black. All versions retail for $159.99.
Beautiful design for a pair of headphones
The GameBuds come in two models, with their color depending on the console you’re buying them for: there’s a gunmetal black edition for Xbox, while the PlayStation model comes in matte black or white to match your system. Otherwise, there is no physical difference between the two editions.
Both models come with two earphones, a charging case and a 2.4GHz dongle to connect to your system.
Each earbud has a small, rounded, triangular shape with a funnel shape on the side for insertion into the ear. It’s a fairly standard shape for headphones, and like many stylish wireless headphones, it’s prone to falling out of your ear if you’re moving around a lot. These are not meant for running. But for their intended use, sitting at home and playing on a console, the shape is not a disadvantage and they are comfortable.
If you wanted to use them as standard Bluetooth headphones, they connected to my phone just fine, provided a pretty stable connection, and sounded great. Other people who tried them, like my brother, thought the same thing.
One thing I like about these over other true wireless headphones I’ve tried is that the case has a USB-C port for charging, which is still surprisingly rare for gaming accessories. The case also charges wirelessly if you don’t want to bother plugging it in, which is super convenient. Many products still lack modern features, so it’s nice that SteelSeries fully embraces them.
The GameBuds are rated for 10 hours on their own and 40 hours when put back in the case regularly. These numbers seem to hold true in the real world, though their primary use for consoles makes them unlikely to be taken out of the house.
The different controls are a big plus
The real reason to use GameBuds, of course, is for console gaming, so you’ll want to download the Arctis app (available for iPhone and Android). It’s an existing app, so longtime SteelSeries fans may be familiar with its features. The setup process for the GameBuds is simple when it works; the app searches for nearby devices and you just follow the on-screen instructions.
Unfortunately, the first time I tried the GameBuds, the app couldn’t find them, no matter how long I waited. I was at a friend’s house, so we also tried to get through to his phone to no avail. However, I was able to connect a few days later without any problems, so this was probably a pre-release quirk of the app and shouldn’t affect normal users.
This allowed my friend and I to use the GameBuds without the app, and while it still worked with his PlayStation 5, the controls were noticeably less full and the volume seemed low. Adjusting the volume on the PlayStation end didn’t seem to help much either. There was definitely a feeling that something was missing.
However, when the app connects, things look a lot clearer. The app has a lot of fine-tuned controls, including game-specific preferences such as Apex Legends, Baldur’s Gate 3and Palworld. You can also remap the buttons on the earcups themselves, which gamers who are used to controlling everything else about their gaming experience should appreciate. You can customize your gamepads, mice and keyboards, so why not your headphones?
My use of the word “button” above was not metaphorical. Instead of the soft surface you find on many headphones, the GameBuds have physical buttons that you can click. Preferences include single-clicking on the right side to pause and double-clicking to skip; the left side uses a single click to cycle the noise control and a double click to go back. It’s nice to have tactile feedback on them. It also means that I’m unlikely to accidentally activate the controls when I have to physically adjust my earbuds or hair band.
Using the Arctis GameBuds is mostly simple
Getting started with GameBuds should be as easy as plugging the dongle into the front of your console. The system recognized that the device was plugged in, but jumping into the PlayStation or Xbox settings was easy enough when it wasn’t. When testing on my friend’s device, we found it helped to double-check the settings anyway, especially when we couldn’t connect the app or didn’t want to pull out the phone.
The sound is extremely crisp and clear, and the 2.4GHz ensured there was no lag between the action on the screen and what I heard from the GameBuds. I tried it with Spider-Man 2and it definitely sounded like his web shooters were going off right next to my head as I watched the two Spideys (Peter and Miles) swing from building to building on screen.
I even split the buds with my friend. While this lost stereo listening, the ability to customize the controls in the app meant we could customize the same button functions for each side, so we could have both volume and play/pause controls while wearing just one earcup. It’s not necessarily what SteelSeries had in mind when they designed the GameBuds, but for those who want to play with other people but can’t have booming speakers in their apartment, this might be a good idea.
Should You Buy SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds?
I’ve long been a fan of SteelSeries Arctis headsets, and the Arctis GameBuds are another solid entry for the brand. Like their over-ear brothers, they offer a clean, stylish design and crisp sound. It would still be a solid buy even if they were meant for mobile gaming. But they are designed with consoles in mind and pretty much knock it out of the park on the first try.
The dongle is well designed and creates a rock solid connection. Battery life is a little on the low side compared to other true wireless sets like the AirPods, but you’re unlikely to be far from a charger with them. The app could probably have even more settings (it would be nice to set it to mono for the shared use I described earlier), but that can be added later in an app update.
As it is, the GameBuds have a lot to offer right out of the box, and it’s nice to finally have a viable alternative to bulky over-ear gaming headphones.
SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds
A stylish pair of headphones that show true wireless is possible for console gaming. The headset comes with a 2.4GHz dongle to connect to a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series system, ensuring a solid connection while gaming. The accompanying app offers a variety of presets and customizations for the headphones, and the included carrying case gives you up to 40 hours of charge.