SteelSeries Arctis 5 Gaming Headset Review

Before the pandemic, there was an increase in interest in gaming laptops. With the beginning of the great sitting at home, it flared up: gaming laptops, ready-made PCs, gaming chairs, gaming furniture, peripherals – everything interesting is quickly sold out, and it isn’t easy to find even costly things on sale. For example, try buying some fresh latest graphics card or some Logitech gaming accessories like Logitech M190 Minimalist Mouse. There is nothing. Everything has been redeemed! And when the deliveries are, it is not clear.

The interest in gaming headsets is probably not so great, but give time – people are slowly beginning to understand that it is impossible to play without a good sound, be it “Cyberpunk” or multiplayer. Therefore, we try to review new products and time-tested solutions – this is today’s guest.

SteelSeries is already well-known in the gaming headset market, and the company also produces mice, keyboards, and even gamepads. I previously discussed, Steelseries Arctis 1 Wireless Gaming Headphones Review. Today we will talk about SteelSeries Arctis 5. The thing is inexpensive but rather curious.

SteelSeries Arctis 5: What’s in the box?

The set is simple: a USB mixer, a special cable with UC-E6 connectors, an adapter for 3.5 mm, and the headset itself. The mixer is small and is needed to adjust the volume of chat and games, bringing one of the channels to the front. The cable is extended, medium soft, and thick. If it suddenly breaks, then you can’t buy one in any store, but you can buy it on the manufacturer’s website.

SteelSeries Arctis 5: Appearance and Design

The headset looks very neat: a strict, calm design and a thin strip of illumination on top of the cups shines very softly and does not hurt the eyes. Below are examples of backlight colors:

The Arctis 5 headphones are lightweight, fit comfortably on the head, and due to the rag ear pads, the ears do not sweat – well, they also do not press during long gaming sessions. Only adjusting the height is specific: there is a special rag tape with Velcro under the bow.

On the one hand, just due to its flexibility and uniform weight distribution, the headset is comfortable to wear. On the other hand, my cups slipped down quite a bit over time.

The headset’s design raises some concerns about reliability. It is still made of high-quality materials and does not backlash, which means it should last a long time under regular use.

SteelSeries Arctis 5: Buttons and Connectors

There are a microphone button and volume control on the back of the headset’s left earcup. The wheel is located just below the middle, so I often hit it when I took off and put on the headphones.

Of the connectors – UC-E6 for connecting to a mixer and 3.5 mm for additional headphones. I doubt that any of you will use this, but suddenly. The Arctis 5 microphone is classic for SteelSeries – comfortable, neat, retractable with an indication of the operation.

The chat participants will hear you well, but you should not count on more. The mixer wheel spins very freely, so check the mixer if the sound is suddenly tranquil.

SteelSeries Arctis 5: Software

SteelSeries Engine available in the proprietary software: equalizer, surround sound circuit selections, and stereo circuit. You can separately enhance bass or voice. There is also a compressor that evens out the volume and noise-canceling of the microphone. A rich selection of backlight adjustment is available and the ability to create multiple configurations for one device.

SteelSeries Arctis 5: My First Impression

To achieve a 7.1 sound, you have to dance a little with a tambourine and set everything correctly. The volume did not work for me for the first time, but I finally heard it after installing the software correctly.

The sound is good and clear, especially in games. In Call of Duty: Warzone, where there is an emphasis on sound orientation, SteelSeries Arctis 5 prove themselves worthy. It is easy to understand where they stomp or where they shoot from. There is also a feeling that the bass is slightly tweaked in the headset by default, which is why the stomp of enemies or your character in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla starts to hit your ears a little.

But this seems to be a sound problem in the game because everything sounds great in Cyberpunk 2077: the radio, street, and dialogue complement each other well, and nothing sticks out anywhere. But when listening to music, the bass seems to overload at loud or high frequencies, which causes slight wheezing.

Verdict: Should you buy SteelSeries Arctis 5?

SteelSeries Arctis 5 headset costs about $99.99. The main advantage of SteelSeries Arctis 5 is its neat design, lightness, and comfort in long-term wearing. Of the minuses – when listening to music, small but unpleasant overloads can occur.

Compared to the Sony PlayStation 4 Wireless Stereo Headset 2.0, which I have been using for a very long time when I need headphones for gaming, the SteelSeries Arctis 5 has a slightly deeper and larger sound. But the price of Arctis 5 is also higher. You can also read Xbox Series S Review and Xbox Series X Review – Is it Worth it?

In general, all that remains is to recommend this model for purchase – a quality item, especially if this is your first gaming headset with the most basic functions. As for me, Arctis 5 should be bought more for multiplayer lovers.