Disclosure: I’d like to thank SteelSeries for sending me the Arctis Gamebuds for this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and SteelSeries had no say or input for the contents of this review.

The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds bring gaming-focused wireless earbuds to the $159.99 USD price point. The Arctis GameBuds offers Bluetooth 5.3 for everyday listening and 2.4GHz wireless when every millisecond counts in competitive gaming. Add in a 10-hour battery life and IP55 water resistance, and these earbuds start looking like a versatile audio companion rather than just another TWS option. On top of that, they also offer active noise cancellation and EQ profile support.

I’ll be looking at the PlayStation version in white, but they are also available in black. As well, there is an Xbox version, which comes only in black. The main difference between the PlayStation and Xbox versions is that the Xbox version can be used with any device and platform, including Sony’s consoles. The PlayStation version can be used with any device and platform except Xbox consoles, so knowing your use case will help you decide which version to get. This review will be a longer one since there’s so much to talk about, so let’s get to it.

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• SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds
• Charging case
• 2.4GHz USB-C dongle
• USB-C to USB-A adapter
• USB-C to USB-C cable
• S, M, L eartips
• Manual

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The Arctis GameBuds have a rounded triangular shape to the faceplate, and that faceplate doubles as a physical button with excellent tactile feedback. They’re made of plastic but feel smooth and solidly built. Each GameBud weighs a mere 5.3g, making extended gaming sessions possible as you will tend to forget you have them in at times (as someone who is more used to using over-ear headphones for gaming, this is a welcome change).

They seal securely in the ear, and while the nozzle does go a little deeper than most earbuds, I didn’t have any comfort issues. In fact, these are the most comfortable earbuds I’ve used in a long time. They create a solid seal without putting any pressure on your ear, all while staying perfectly secure, even with the most jarring head movements.

The included eartips are just alright. I found them to be a little on the flimsy side, but overall they got the job done and added nicely to the solid passive noise isolation of the GameBuds.

The charging case takes a different path from typical TWS case designs. Instead of the usual pill shape, SteelSeries opted for an oblong flip-top box that houses both earbuds and even the USB-C wireless dongle, a thoughtful touch in my opinion. Charging the case proves convenient with both USB-C and Qi wireless options.

The IP55 rating means these earbuds shrug off dust, dirt, and water exposure without issue. This protection extends their use beyond just gaming. Light workouts or unexpected rain while walking outside won’t pose problems. This is important as it adds extra durability for daily use, making the GameBuds practical for both gaming sessions and active lifestyles.

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ANC and Transparency

The inclusion of active noise cancellation (ANC) on the Arctis GameBuds is a bigger deal than I actually anticipated. This is funny, as I had the exact same impression when reviewing the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless last year. The ANC quality is quite respectable. It’s not approaching the level at which the AirPods Pro and Sony WF-1000XM5 operate, but honestly, it does a good enough job that I think the GameBuds would be a compromised product without it. Higher-pitched sounds like sirens and horns tend to come through, but to a lesser impact than without ANC enabled.

Think of it like this. You’re playing ultra-competitive games like PUBG, Call of Duty Warzone, and CS2. Subtle audio cues are extremely important in these games, especially as matches get more intense. You typically want to zone in and block all unnecessary noise out, and the ANC on the GameBuds does just that. PC fan noise. Keyboard, mouse, and controller button clicks. Fans and air conditioners. Ambient noise from outside the room, maybe even from the busy street outside your apartment. All of this gets, for the most part, blocked out so that you can focus on hearing enemy players’ footsteps and gunfire, giving you an edge.

I recently started playing PUBG again after a long break, and I had forgotten how crucial listening for enemy player movement is, especially as you get to under 10 players remaining. Every sound gives your position away, and it’s much easier to hear these things when you don’t have to filter out all the other noise in your environment.

With ANC off you get good passive isolation, but you can easily tell the difference once you enable ANC, you’ll never want to play games without ANC again.

The Transparency mode works well and I would typically use it when walking my dog outside and listening to the GameBuds. I was never caught off guard by hearing traffic or emergency vehicles, and the music was still clear and enjoyable to listen to.

Connectivity

With the Arctis GameBuds, you have two connection options: 2.4 GHz wireless and Bluetooth. You can easily switch between them by pressing the right earbud button three times. Switching is quick and fairly seamless. You can also use the Arctis companion app for this as well.

The 2.4 GHz wireless connection is enabled through a USB-C dongle, supporting up to 16-bit/48kHz audio. SteelSeries kindly includes a USB-C to USB-A adapter with the GameBuds in case your device doesn’t have a USB-C port available. What’s great about this option is that you can plug the dongle into basically any USB-C or USB-A device and it will act as a wireless DAC. I found myself using it quite a bit with my iPad Pro and Galaxy Fold 5 just for listening to music and watching videos. The low latency of the 2.4 GHz connection is perfect for this kind of use with the GameBuds.

Bluetooth works and performs well with the GameBuds. Pairing is easy, just press and hold the button on one of the earbuds for 5 seconds and they enter pairing mode, just like any other TWS earbuds do. Unfortunately, though the only supported codec is SBC. That’s not to say that it sounds terrible, but there is definitely a sound quality difference between Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz as a result of this, with Bluetooth audio sounding more compressed and less dynamic. Higher bitrate codecs certainly would have helped here, even if it was just aptX and aptX HD, but it’s also not a deal breaker either. For just listening to music the Bluetooth connection is adequate. For high-quality, low-latency audio, you’ll want to use the 2.4 GHz wireless connection.

Battery Life

Real-world battery life varies based on how you game. Running 2.4GHz without ANC at 75% volume nets you 8 solid hours. With ANC on I was getting almost 7 hours. The charging case adds three full charges, pushing total gaming time in the range of 30-40 hours. I would call this impressive, as it beats out competitors like the Sony PlayStation Pulse Explore’s 5-hour runtime.

SteelSeries GG and Sonar

Just like other wireless products from SteelSeries, such as the Nova Pro Wireless headphones, the real advantage of their products is the integration with their SteelSeries GG software. The Engine tab is where you are able to see all the details about the GameBuds, as well as where you will update the firmware when one is available. Keep in mind that the EQ presets here are different from that of Sonar, so if you are using any EQ in Sonar you will need to set the EQ to flat in this section. Speaking of EQ, any profiles applied here for the 10-band PEQ, for both 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth, are saved to the GameBuds. This is very convenient since you can apply an EQ once and then move the GameBuds to different devices and have the EQ profile present.

Sonar is where the magic happens. The software takes some getting used to, but once you understand the workflow it is incredibly powerful. Sonar creates different audio channels/devices, and you can route different applications to use the different virtual audio devices depending on your use case. For example, the Chat audio device is a stereo 24-bit/48kHz virtual audio device ideal for listening to music, watching videos, and participating in video calls. The Game audio device is an 8-channel 24-bit/96kHz audio device that supports 8-channel virtual surround sound. This is ideal for most games, and on top of that, you have options to enable and modify the spatial audio processing using technology tuned specifically by SteelSeries.

You can apply different EQ profiles for each virtual audio device, and there’s also a ton of other options to customize within each device. Like I said earlier, it takes some getting used to, but once you get over the learning curve it can be a very powerful audio tool.

Want a more in-depth guide on setting up and using SteelSeries GG and Sonar? Let me know down in the comments.

Mobile Companion App

The SteelSeries Arctis companion app is a very handy way to change settings and EQ profiles without having to open SteelSeries GG. It works like this. You have your GameBuds connected to your PC or console via the 2.4Ghz dongle, and simultaneously, connected to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth. In this way, you can change settings on the fly, such as switching between 2.4GHz and Bluetooth, changing EQ profiles, customizing the ANC and Transparency options, and customizing the button mapping. It’s very handy and convenient, though I do wish you would be able to create EQ profiles from the app, not just switch to different ones.

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The Arctis GameBuds surprised me during extensive audio testing across music genres and games. The tiny 6mm drivers pack more punch than their size suggests, delivering unexpectedly full and spacious audio.

The default tuning shows its gaming DNA right away with a noticeable sub-bass roll-off, though bass frequencies still maintain a good presence. The GameBuds lean towards a more V-shaped sound, though the upper midrange is sort of scooped, so clarity and detail can suffer a bit here with a thicker sound.

Gaming Performance

Using the GameBuds across different types of games, I can honestly say I prefer using them over my Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headphones, at least most of the time. That is high praise since I think the Nova Pro Wireless is one of the better gaming headphones on the market.

What do I mean by most of the time then? For competitive games such as Call of Duty, PUBG, and Counter-Strike 2, I found the GameBuds to give me very accurate positional audio with excellent levels of detail. This is true for both stereo audio, and 8 channel surround. Maybe it’s due to the driver being physically closer to my ear compared to over-ear headphones, but I found myself straining less to hear small details that would give me an edge in the game. This also creates a more intimate soundstage that really benefits these types of games.

The GameBuds sound and perform very well with other types of games too. Games such as the recently released Civilization VII, and RPGs like Skyrim and Cyberpunk 2077 all sound good and exactly as they should. Skyrim and Cyberpunk 2077 do show the limitation of the earbud design though with reduced soundstage, which is where something like the Arctis Nova Pro wireless comes out ahead. Distant sounds truly sound distant with the Nova Pro Wireless, whereas with the GameBuds they sound closer and more intimate. This can manipulated slightly with the Spatial options in Sonar though.

Using the GameBuds with my PlayStation 5, the setup is plug and play and the sound quality was just as good as when I was using it with my PC. The GameBuds support Sony’s Tempest 3D audio as well, and it does a really good job simulating spatial audio effects. With how comfortable the GameBuds are to wear, I was able to sit on my couch and play Persona 5 for hours without issue.

Overall, I think the Arctis GameBuds are truly excellent gaming earbuds, and can actually replace over-ear headphones for gaming. They sound that good.

Music Performance

Music, to my surprise, sounds great with the GameBuds. Why to my surprise? Well, typically when you are tuning something to a gaming-oriented audience you take certain liberties with the sound profile. SteelSeries managed to tune the GameBuds for gaming but without sacrificing too much for music performance.

I found the GameBuds handle most music genres well, with decent vocal clarity for male and female singers. The upper midrange can sound a little bloated with more layered or complicated tracks, but overall it sounds good enough to listen to if you are listening for enjoyment and not analytical purposes. The lack of sub-bass can make certain tracks, like Angel from Massive Attack, sound less dynamic. The loss of intensity here is noticeable, but again, doesn’t prevent one from enjoying music.

The 2.4GHz connection provides superior audio quality and was my preferred method to use. Listening to music through Bluetooth also sounds good enough, and the ability to EQ the GameBuds can help restore the sub-bass if so desired.

Microphone Performance

The microphone quality of the Arctis GameBuds is good. Using the 2.4GHz connection I found my voice was clear, but there were times when it seemed to struggle to maintain clarity. To counter this, I started using the Clearcast AI Noise Cancellation feature in Sonar and it did help bring out a little more clarity in my voice when talking with teammates. This feature is only available in Sonar though, so it won’t help when using Bluetooth, or when using the GameBuds with a game console.

Interestingly I found my voice clarity to be slightly better with Bluetooth, but it also could be my smartphone helping in this regard with its own voice and audio processing. Regardless of connection type, ambient noise rejection was good enough and did not affect my voice quality. Even keyboard and mouse clicks didn’t seem to get picked up.

Overall though, the microphone quality is sufficient and expected for the earbud design.

If you’re a gamer looking for wireless earbuds that can replace your over-ear gaming headphones or something that can be used to compliment them, the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are an extremely solid option. They do so many things right: they sound good, are built well, integrate with SteelSeries GG and Sonar, and the ANC performance is good enough. On top of that, they have been extremely reliable with no connectivity or audio issues. For $159 USD you get a lot of value, and the bonus here is that the earbuds are good enough to use for music and movies. They won’t replace your IEMs, studio headphones, or high-end TWS earbuds, but they aren’t intended to.

I do wish they had better Bluetooth codec support, such as AAC and aptX, maybe even LDAC, though this will probably drive up the price due to licensing costs. I also wish EQ profiles could be created and modified using the Arctis companion app. And lastly, the microphone quality could be better with voice clarity. Overall though these are minor issues.

The Arctis GameBuds deliver great value if you’re seeking wireless gaming audio without sacrificing features. They handle both competitive and casual gaming with ease while being practical enough for daily use, which includes ANC and an IP55 rating. Just don’t expect them to replace your audiophile gear for critical listening.

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