These Are Cross-Platform Gaming Headphones I Could Wear All Day

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X are, hands-down, the most comfortable headphones I’ve ever worn. That alone is reason enough for me to like them—but, fortunately, the other aspects are largely just as good.

Price and Availability

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X headphones are available in four colors: black, white, lavender, and aqua. The $110 price is the same for all four. You can buy the headphones directly from SteelSeries or find them at Amazon or Best Buy.

Headphones Designed for Playing Games

SteelSeries headphones are created with gamers in mind, though I appreciate the subtle design of my black review unit, which can absolutely fly under the radar. The logo’s a bit playful, and there is a wavy design along the headband, but that’s all that separates this from any other black headset.

As a gaming headset, the microphone is not built directly into the unit. Instead, it’s an added piece that comes included but must be plugged into the headset’s 3.5mm jack. It also picks up any background noise, so don’t expect to be taking voice calls while walking up the road. This hyper-sensitive microphone sits next to the USB port used for charging. It’s fine for voice chat during games, but it wouldn’t be my go-to for anything else.

Continuing along, you find the power button, which can also be used to toggle between the two connectivity modes: Bluetooth and 2.4GHz. As someone who works on a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and games on a Nintendo Switch 2, I spent the entirety of my time in Bluetooth mode. That said, the X in Nova 3X denotes Xbox, but there’s little in the way that sets this model apart as an Xbox-specific headset. The 2.4GHz option glows green, and there are over 100 presets for Xbox games in the mobile app, but that’s about it.

The volume rocker is a pleasantly tactile wheel that you spin to adjust sound. It’s easy to find if you need to turn down the volume in a hurry, such as when your significant other is shouting your name from down the hall wondering when you’re going to call it a night, or when you’re trying to sneak a quick play session in, but you think you might hear one of your kids about to throw the other.

Indoor Microphone Sample

Outdoor Microphone Sample

Comfortable Enough for the Longest Sessions

I like earbuds as much as the next guy, but they can be fiddly. Sometimes they fall out. I often need to adjust them, accidentally activating gesture controls in the process. When they do stay in place, my ears grow tired after a while. None of this is ideal during a game, when moving my hands or simply being distracted can result in defeat.

Headphones aren’t always a silver bullet. I’ve tried on pairs that did not fit comfortably on my head no matter how I adjusted the band. I fully accept that my head may be the problem here, but the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X caters to my cranium perfectly well. This is due to a stretchy band that rests against the top of my head rather than the headband itself.

This doesn’t distinguish the Nova 3X from other headphones from SteelSeries, but it does set SteelSeries apart for those of you wondering if you’re ready to make a leap from your typical JBL, JLab, or budget Sony headphones from Best Buy. It’s also a design distinct from the comparably priced Razer BlackShark V3 gaming headset.

That comfort is aided by how little these headphones weigh. At 260g, it’s easy to wear them throughout a workday, for when these headphones need to do double-duty for professional use. This is also 10g lighter than the aforementioned Razer headset.

Battery life hasn’t been an issue for me, as it rarely is on Bluetooth devices offering over 30 hours of battery life. SteelSeries claims up to 40 hours per charge. That’s significantly less than the 70 hours Razer’s headset promises, but if I’m being honest, I’m not going to ding the Arctis Nova 3X for that. I’m admittedly not the sweatiest gamer, but I also wear these for hours while I’m writing, and the low battery indicator is infrequent enough that I can hardly remember what it sounds like. This is especially the case when just 15 minutes of charging is enough to make it through another entire workday.

So How About Those 200 Presets?

Support for over 200 games sounds like a lot, until you realize just how many games there are in the world. Understandably, the provided presets skew toward popular AAA titles and cross-platform multiplayer games. I hardly play either type of game.

Most of my collection consists of indie titles, and few of those make the list (none of mine were included). As a recent Switch 2 gamer, I was pleased to see a couple of titles on my chosen platform. Mario Kart World made an appearance. Far more surprisingly, so did Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess.

You can browse the supported games and change your chosen preset within the Arctis companion app. Is it worth the effort? Not for me. I can’t tell you I hear much of a difference, and I think the default “Flat” preset sounds great as it is. Dive into the list if you want, but I suspect most gamers will be fine with the out-of-the-box experience.

Easily Switch Between Platforms

The headset supports both Bluetooth and a 2.4 GHz connection. You can easily switch between the two with just a tap of the power button. The light around the button goes blue when in Bluetooth mode and green when in 2.4Ghz mode.

An included adapter lets you use 2.4GHz mode with your platform of choice. Without the adapter, the receiver plugs into a USB-C port. With the adapter, it can plug into a traditional USB-A.

2.4GHz allows for a connection with less latency, but it’s also a fast way to switch between multiple devices without having to dive into Bluetooth settings. You can connect to your phone via Bluetooth and your console via 2.4GHz, then switch between them with a single button press.

Should You Buy the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X?

At over $100, these headphones are pricey enough to be an investment, even though they sit toward the lower end of the SteelSeries lineup. These deliver on sound quality, but that almost feels secondary. They’re just so comfortable, and the tactile controls are a delight. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X is just an immensely practical pair of headphones to own, regardless of whether you game or not.