I look down at SteelSeries’ $160 Arctis GameBuds case, and feel my face contort into a freaking ball. I’m not confused by the GameBuds, a simple and—mostly—effective design for capturing good quality game audio on the go. I wonder why more companies don’t do something as obvious as SteelSeries. As it is, they put a big dongle inside the buds case. If you’re looking for the best way to get personal, wireless Steam Deck or handheld audio, these are your best options.
Bluetooth earbuds are ubiquitous and near-ubiquitous, but—inexplicably—the low-end design of the buds hasn’t caught on with gamers. Specifically, gaming gear brands have never jumped into the space with as much enthusiasm as headphones. This past year, the most notable effort was Sony’s PlayStation Pulse Earbuds, a companion to the Pulse Elite headset. While they did support the 3D audio features of the PlayStation 5, they were contained by a long strip of the case, not what I would call portable.
SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds
Arctis GameBuds have long battery life and solid sound, and make gaming on the go as good as possible.
Benefits
- The Dongle design fits inside the case and does not cover other buttons
- Solid sound with a wealth of EQ options
- Comfortable fit
Evil
- The Buds may occasionally close when twisted in your ear
- Not all games sound different with their EQ profile
Other wireless bud options such as Razer’s Hammerhead Hyperspeed and Turtle Beach is cheap The Scout Air does not have a 2.4 GHz connection. What I really want in these gaming earbuds is 2.4 Ghz connectivity and Bluetooth in a pocket that I can take everywhere. SteelSeries puts both the buds and the dongle in the same position. The only other similar design comes from Sony with the $200 InZone buds and a slightly louder dongle.
The following GameBuds are from the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Headset. Those over-ear headphones were fine for their price, but the low-end dongle was poorly designed, and would clog up your console or other PC USB-C ports. The GameBuds USB-C dongle has been removed, which means you can connect two to the front ports of the PlayStation 5 Slim. It also means it won’t stick to the side of your Steam Deck like a stick, which is prone to breaking or bending if knocked the wrong way.
When you consider all of that, you still get great sound with solid ANC, solid battery life, and a fit and feel that makes me willing to swap out my regular tunes for music on my commute. My only real issue was their tendency to disconnect if the buds ever get stuck inside your ear.
SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds Review: Build Quality and Comfort
I have the usual earbud comfort issues. I usually have to try multiple sizes of silicon ear buds, and even then, they tend to fall out of my ear. The design on the GameBuds is a sweet spot for me, at least most of the time. I may have to adjust one or the other when I’m walking around, but it’s soft and—for the most part—comfortable.
You will not forget that they are in your ears, but there is no feeling of tightness. The plastic is meant to stay centered in your ear, so the automatic closure will activate when you remove your buds. I had occasional issues when I moved where they would ring in my ears and cause them to go off when I didn’t want them to, albeit for a short while. You can turn this setting off in the app, but that’s a pain if you’re used to similar features on your AirPods or other high-end earbuds. The problem is that you only move around, so it shouldn’t be a problem if you’re playing an idle game.
The GamBuds also use physical buttons to control them instead of the powerful ones on other expensive buds like Pixel Buds Pro 2. The right side controls your music or game, while the left side lets you choose from transparent or ANC modes. If you triple tap the buds, you can switch between 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth later. If you want more control over your buds, you’ll need to use the Arctis app. Once connected, play low by using high ANC settings or adjust microphone sidetones. You cannot use the app at the same time your buds are connected via Bluetooth to another device, although you can if they are set to 2.4 GHz mode.
SteelSeries says you should get 40 hours of battery life with the GameBuds case or more than 10 hours per bud. In my experience, using it for games and music throughout the week is fine. I didn’t charge them for a full week and a half, I use them every day, and I still had enough power to use them when I wrote this review.
Another key feature of the app is the large selection of EQ presets. SteelSeries says all 179s are built for specific games. I couldn’t find a major, recent title that wasn’t there, but even with the Flat EQ preset, I wasn’t comfortable with either game. Depending on the game, it can be difficult to see the difference, however, in certain titles, the EQ difference can be significant.
SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds Review: Sound Quality
You don’t get obscenely loud earbuds with the Arctis Gamebuds, but they do a solid job of sound when gaming on both console and PC. I’ve used them across PC, Steam Deck, and PC and never found a situation where the GameBuds weren’t acceptable, or wouldn’t be as strong as an in-ear headset.
I’m satisfied with the bass levels in the gamebuds, especially for something priced at $160. The treble was also good, but the sound quality can depend on the game. I was very happy with the sound in a game like this Cyberpunkbut I found it was fine when I played Mortal Kombat 1with or without separate EQ profiles for each game. Then, when you play Star Wars Jedi: Survivor with 3D sound on the PS5, EQ profiles can mean the difference between good sound and great directional sound, where the kick of a lightsaber felt like it was pinching near my ear.
On the Steam Deck, I used the GameBuds to play Metaphor: Refantazio on the couch while my roommate finished Persona 5. There is currently no EQ profile for that game, though I enjoyed it for listening to the game’s soundtrack anyway. The ANC is doing a good job of oppressing everyone with high or low voices. I’ve worn them as my everyday earbuds, and the ANC is good enough to block out all sounds except a passing subway train. It was good enough to drown a bongo busker on a moving train, which is strong enough in my book.
SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds review: Verdict
For convenience, I think these buds are perfect for a handheld game like Steam Deck. I had problems connecting my Bluetooth earbuds to my Steam Deck and similar problems with Windows 11 laptops like the Asus ROG Ally X and the Lenovo Legion Go.
These are the kind of buds that you can take anywhere and get great sound even when you need to connect it to your PC, PS5, or Switch. There is a separate pair for Xbox that is also compatible with PC, but unless you are an Xbox fanatic I would suggest you opt for a more open sound device. There are many other quality buds out there, some of which are slightly cheaper than the GameBuds. But for pure portability, the SteelSeries is my current choice for gaming on the go.
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