Customer Ratings & Reviews

Best earbuds for gaming noise canceling is so good. I give it a 10

The Steel Series Arctis Gamebuds are some of the best earbuds I have and the only ones designed for gaming on the PlayStation, PC’s and Nintendo Switch. First of all these earbuds are very comfortable. They fit perfect in my ears like they were made with a mold of my ears. I like that you can easily switch between Bluetooth and 2.4ghz mode in the app but it seems like it would be possible for them to do it seamlessly. I think some of my gaming headphones do that. However, I am still happy they have the dual mode regardless. When it comes to sound quality in games listening to music or even phone calls they are really good. The have pretty good low end bass for earbuds but they will break up a little if you feed to much bass with thy volume way up. They have three modes anc, transparent mode and everything off. The transparent mode sounds like you are talking to someone as usual with maybe a little less volume but it works pretty good. I don't feel like the mic applies the sound very much when compared to other earbuds I have but the sound is very clean. I do notice a pretty significant difference between anc and non anc though. I really enjoy these earbuds for all of the use cases they serve. They are very nice to have for times when you do not feel like wearing over the ear headphones. The definitely rank on the higher end of all of the other earbuds I have for sound quality and they are the most comfortable earbuds I have just amazing in that regard. It actually makes me want to wear them all of the time and they enable me to use them in long gaming sessions without issue. They have equalizer settings for a very large library of games as well which is really cool and something I have not seen before. It's also nice that the case has a spot for the USB-C 2.4ghz dongel for easy transport without worrying about losing it. I really enjoy using the Steel Series Arctis Gamebuds and get a little excited every time I an about to use them. They are really nice and I am glad I got them.

Bought these a day or two ago, two pair of them. Haven’t even gone through a whole charge yet. My set literally only plays bass and not even the bass with the song or show, random loud bass out of the left earbud, and my wife’s just crackle and disconnect on and off. I’ve tried other phones and consoles but it’s all the same, I’m so disappointed because my other steel series stuff is wonderful.

The Arctis GameBuds from SteelSeries are a fantastic set of wireless earbuds. Aimed at gamers in particular, they nonetheless represent all around excellence for just about any use. Even casual gamers should strongly consider these, given the features and performance. The headphones are loaded with features: 2.4Ghz wireless support for low latency, Bluetooth, active noise canceling with a transparency feature, loads of audio presets and the ability to create more, IP55 water resistance, and wireless charging. All great–but do they sound good? Yes, they do. Setup can be done via the Arctis companion app on a mobile device, or you can download the SteelSeries GG PC app. The latter has the ability to create presets via Sonar, and is the only way to update the firmware unfortunately. The app does give plenty of other options though–179 total presets, with music and movie presets along with an enormous list of presets for popular games. ANC and transparency settings can be toggled here along with mic levels. The app will also show whether the earbuds are connected via Bluetooth or wireless. Thankfully the app still communicates with the earbuds over Bluetooth while in wireless mode, so you can adjust settings in the app regardless. The initial setup with my Galaxy S23 Ultra was rocky (but that’s par for the course with this phone and doesn’t reflect upon these), but after a few tries they finally synced up and worked fine. One thing to note: when using the earbuds with a Bluetooth device, the volume control is integrated. If you adjust the volume via your mobile device, it’ll control the volume. But when you are using the 2.4Ghz wireless dongle with the device, there are two independent volume levels: the device and the earbuds themselves. So you’ll want to adjust both your device volume (console, PC) and your earbuds (a tap and hold–right for increase, left for decrease). In use, I found these comfortable to wear for extended periods, which isn’t always true for earbuds for me. There are multiple tips to adjust for ear size, and I found the default ones to be perfect for me.The fit is snug and they don’t feel like they’ll fall out, and the seal is tight enough for a good ANC experience. These definitely aren’t the best with noise canceling I’ve ever heard, but they do a very good job. Overall audio performance was really good–I was surprised by how much I enjoyed listening to them. For music playback testing I used Spotify over Bluetooth and found that I really like the Music:Punchy preset for most popular music. Everything from Andre Rieu to AC/DC sounded excellent and lively. For gaming, you use the included Type-C wireless dongle. You tap the earbuds three times to quickly alternate between wireless and Bluetooth and the switch is very fast. For devices that don’t have a Type-C port, a Type-C to Type-A adapter was helpfully included. For both the PS5 and my gaming PC they were instantly recognized. In reading some of the documentation, I saw that some audio enhancement settings on a device might interfere with the earbuds’ own settings, so I made sure to disable those. I tested games that were included among the 179 included presets: Horizon Forbidden West on PS5 and Forza Horizon 5 on PC. I thought for wireless earbuds they sounded excellent and offered great clarity. Are you going to mistake it for a dedicated 7.1 channel audio system? No, but I came away impressed, particularly in Forza Horizon 5. Mic quality in testing worked well and should be good for most people. My final judgment? These are great earbuds, period, and for gamers who want a more compact audio solution than a large headset, these are a slam dunk. They sound fantastic, have just about every feature you’d want, and offer the versatility of low latency wireless or Bluetooth connectivity along with excellent ergonomics. I’d actually say that even if you had zero interest in gaming that these are worth looking at, just because they sound good. Highly recommended

Who would’ve thought such tiny earbuds could deliver such incredible performance? The Arctis Steelseries Gamebuds, the tiny almighty. These are my first pair of Artics gaming peripherals and now I experienced what the hype is all about. These earbuds not only look sleek with their black-and-white trim and SteelSeries logo, but they’re also built for comfort and durability. Features like 360 spatial audio and active noise cancelation (ANC) take the audio experience to the next level. With 10 hours of battery life and an additional 30 hours from the wireless charging case, they’re designed for extended use. Charging is easy, with support for both USB-C and wireless charging. Setting them up couldn’t be easier, just pair them via Bluetooth on your device, or plug in the included wireless receiver for automatic connection. SteelSeries also offers an accompanying app available for PC, Android, and iOS. The app allows for extensive customization, from adjusting audio settings. While the mobile app is straightforward, the PC version offers advanced customization options for users who want more control like tweaking spatial audio positioning. When it comes to sound quality, these earbuds excel. The audio is well balanced, delivering impressive bass for their size. Using the Sonar setting on my PC, I found the sound quality to rival that of traditional over-ear headphones. The microphone also exceeded my expectations, providing clear communication during online gaming sessions and even phone calls. What really surprised me was the earbuds’ ability to seamlessly switch connections while gaming on my PC. I received a phone call, and the earbuds automatically switched over to my phone. When done it switches back to the game. It’s a convenient feature, even if it temporarily interrupts game audio. These GameBuds aren’t just for gaming, they’re versatile enough for music and phone calls, too. They’re incredibly lightweight and comfortable, sitting snugly without creating a “clogged” feeling. I didn’t need to swap out the default ear tips, which fit perfectly. The noise-canceling feature effectively blocks out external sounds, and the transparency mode lets you carry on conversations without removing the earbuds. The only drawback I found was the design of the wireless receiver dongle. While it conveniently fits into the case with the earbuds, its shape can be impractical. When plugged in, it tends to block adjacent ports unless you use a corner USB-C port. Fortunately, SteelSeries includes a USB-C to USB-A adapter, which offers some flexibility. However, a straight dongle design would have been more practical. I included a picture in my review to show how the dongle was blocking my HDMI port. While I do have a USB-C port in the corner, the design of my Alienware makes it impractical to use that spot. Flipping the dongle to place it there would have blocked another USB port. Fortunately, I use a docking station, so it’s not a major issue, but it’s worth noting. Overall, the Arctis SteelSeries GameBuds are outstanding. They offer excellent build quality, sleek aesthetics, and fantastic sound performance. Packed with features like spatial audio, ANC, and impressive battery life, they’re a great choice not just for gamers but for anyone looking for versatile, high-quality earbuds. In the box, you’ll find the earbuds, a charging case, a USB-C wireless receiver, a USB-C to USB-A adapter, a USB-C charging cable, spare ear tips, and a regulatory information manual.

When it comes to design, I really like these buds. They fit my overall PS5 accessories well. The case does not feel cheap and houses the buds and the 2.4GHz adapter securely. It is also quite portable. The buds are unexpectedly comfortable and light. I usually can’t wear in-ear buds for more than a couple of hours, but I was able to keep them on for much longer while testing. They stayed on while running as well. They are rated IP55 so a bit of sweat, rain, and dust won’t be an issue. The earbuds feature tactile buttons instead of touch pads which I prefer, especially in the winter. The buttons are responsive and light enough to avoid jamming them deep in the ear when pressing. I hooked them up to all possible platforms, from PS5, PC, PC handheld, Switch, tablet, and mobile with no problems. I used both Bluetooth and the RF adapter. The dual-connect feature is not the best experience, as I have to triple-tap on the buds when answering a call or switching audio. There is no synchronous audio. The microphone is just OK. On 2.4GHz, it is passable. I was heard clearly but people said I sounded tinny and far away. It was better on Bluetooth, but not by much. There are options for customizing the mics through the GG app, but not by much. While I’d rather use a dedicated mic, these will be fine in a pinch. The sound quality is decent at default settings. The bass is punchy, the midrange comes through nicely, and the treble is a bit on the sibilant side, but not harsh. I noticed that sound volume changed dramatically depending on the device or console, as well as connection mode. The sound signature also depends on the device’s own sound options, such as Dolby, Sonic, or PS5 360 sound. They are not audiophile-grade for sure, but enjoyable enough for music listening. The gaming experience, especially on a PS5, was rather pleasant. At the beginning the buds weren’t loud enough, but after tinkling with the software, it got much better. The sound is exciting with all genres, but best for adventure games. FPS games require a wider soundstage and imaging which unfortunately these buds do not provide. The noise cancellation is quite good. It will not block all noise such as keystrokes and loud ambient noise but helps with isolation. The ambient mode provides awareness without sounding too artificial. The GG app provides two completely separate experiences depending on the device. On PC, the app provides ample options and customization, including plenty of audio presents and a full EQ. You can also choose mic options and button controls. These can be assigned to profiles and mode (BT or RF) and they are remembered by the buds. Overall, it’s intuitive and very useful. The mobile companion app, on the other hand, is one of the most frustrating experiences I’ve had with an app. The buds were recognized 1 out of 10 times, and glitched severely when navigating. The headset must be put on BT mode, even if it’s already synced for the buds to be recognized. It’s very inconvenient to switch to BT when in a game to change the setting. I will not be using the mobile app and simply do all changes through the PC. There were a couple of annoying sound glitches here and there, such as volume suddenly going to 100% when changing from console to PC, and sync issues with the left-right channels. I am hoping that Steelseries quickly provides fixes and updates to improve the experience. In the end, considering the premium price, I still consider these gaming buds a good value. They provide so many features, versatility, and convenience that significantly outweigh the shortcomings and glitches (which can be fixed with updates). I definitely recommend checking them out and see for yourself.

My "Call of Duty" game has been stepped up so much because of these earbuds.( I still suck pretty bad, but not nearly as much.) I can hear the enemy coming up from behind me of even above my on the next floor. It's almost like cheating. It's not cheating, but I'm really feeling like I have a better edge on my opponents. So, let me tell you how I really feel. Lol! Out of the box, you get a fully charged pair of bluetooth earbuds( At least I did.), a small type C to type C cable & there's an adapter for it underneath that box for updates(we'll talk about that in a bit.) The buds come in a wirelessly chargeable case that also houses the dongle you'll be able to use for connecting to your PS5, Nintendo Switch, or VR headset. You cannn also use it on your PC(if your PC doesn't have bluetooth capabilities ). But as I am fortunate enough to not need it, it stays snugged in the case whi;e I game or talk on my phone. Yes. These do connect to your smartphones and tthey sound great. You've got 4 sets of ear gummies to make sure that you have the best fit for sound and Noise canceling comfort. They are dust and water resistant and have a 10 hour charge and 3 more full charges in the case. This means that I could go for two hours of cardio and still go home a endure another 8 hours of gaming. This is a serious no brainer. There is an app that ypu should definitely install for firmware updates and preset options. ( I had a problem with the update, but the tech team at Steelseries helped me out in spades. I was up and running in no time. These are just awesome. Get'em.

I’ve been using the steel series Arctis true wireless buds for about a week now and while I mostly enjoy using them, they fall a little short when it comes to some things. I love the design of these, the case is clean, charges via usb c or wireless with a qi charger. Super convenient, especially if you already own a wireless charging pad or usb c cables. I love the white / clean aesthetic of these buds and charging case. It’s a nice change from the usual copy and paste design of many headphones out there. The box includes a usb c dongle, an adapter for usb A, a cable to charge the buds and two extra pairs of rubber tips if you’d like to change the size. I opted to use the large tips as I feel they sit more comfortably in my ears and create a better seal. Sound quality is pretty good, I was expecting a little more bass out of these since they have noise cancellation. But I suppose the size of these drivers have limitations. You can download an app to customize the EQ and try a plethora of presets. As far as sound quality goes, I would say these have nice mids, treble. The bass isn’t very pronounced but you can hear it in explosions and gun fire. Although i dug through the menu of my ps5, I couldn’t get these to get very loud. Even at about 85/90% volume over PS5, the volume isn’t very loud. At least, not compared to other headphones at the same volume level. Not sure if it’s a driver limitation or a hearing protection feature built into these earbuds. Either way, they are loud enough for most games. My biggest and only complaint with these earbuds is that my friends said they could not hear me too well in game chat with these. They all said I sounded low and muffled. Sooo, I haven’t used them to chat with my friends online much since then. I just use them while playing singer player games or by myself. I like that they are compatible with my ps5 and Nintendo switch. You can even pair them over Bluetooth, but I use the included dongle for a better connection for gaming. Battery life is excellent, and I love the case these come in. All in all, I really like these earbuds. I typically wear these kind of earbuds when listening to music and watching media on my phone and laptop. So it’s a welcome change in design for gaming headphones. I just wish the microphones were better on these. And because of that.. it’s hard to recommend these to anyone who wants to use these to game and chat online. While they sound pretty good, they are not great for voice chatting. Perhaps with a firmware update somehow they can mitigate the issue. Would I recommend these? Yes and no.. If you mostly game by yourself or online but without chat.. these are good. Especially if you prefer buds over a headset. If you want a headset to chat with friends in game, I would say avoid these. You’ll feel like your screaming while talking and your friends will complaining about not being able to hear you still.

Travel a lot for work and needed a new headset for Warzone and hearing footsteps. Comparing to Astro A40TR Pros, Astro A50s and Steel Series Arctis Nova Pros. Best to Worst 1. Steel Series Gamebuds 2. Steel Series Arctis Nova Pro 3. Astro A40 TR Pro 4. Astro A50 Pros: With custom EQ that I use, these by far have the best footstep hearing capability. Comfortable in ears. Music and video playback is better than my Sony wf-1000xm4. Playback time and compactness. Cons: The volume is lacking. In order to hear footsteps, I had to remove the Audio Limiter and max out volume on pc and earbuds. With the largest ear silicones on, they are still not snug feeling and would fall out if you tried to use them for say, running. If you are concerned about noise cancelling, these are garbage compared to my sony earbuds but they sound better and fit in ear better. Custom EQs: You can use your companion app or the steel series gg. At this time I still cannot save a custom eq to the earbuds/software is dumb. If you are using the steel series sonar on your pc, then you are good to go. Per friends in Discord, they mic quality is poor byt they can still hear me fine. Primary Use: PC and Phone Would I recommened? If you are looking for quality sound and hearing footsteps, 100%.

The SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds are comfortable and provide excellent sound quality. They are ideal for both music listening and gaming, remaining comfortable even after several hours of use. The gamebuds come with different ear pieces that will fit into a bigger or smaller ear depending on what you need. The buttons on the buds require a firmer press than similar products, which is a benefit since it minimizes the chances of accidentally pressing them when leaning against a chair or having hair come in contact with them. You can adjust the equalizer settings through a mobile app, but the only available options are preset configurations for different games. For more precise equalizer tuning, you’ll need to use the computer app. The buds come with a microphone, which is not optimal for gaming with friends, as the mic is too quiet even at maximum volume; however, it works well for phone calls. The case is quite bulky, making it less convenient to carry in your pocket. I personally prefer to store them in my gym bag when I work out. The bulkiness is due to the included 2.4 USB-C dongle, which connects to your console and ensures accurate game sound without delay. When worn, the buds fit securely in your ears, so you won't have to worry about them falling out. Overall, the Arctis Gamebuds provide a great user experience. The main drawbacks are the limitation of the custom equalizer settings being only accessible through the computer app, and the button mappings on the buds can be somewhat difficult to remember.

These earbuds are pretty cool. They not only serve a purpose for gaming but also serve a purpose for general use on my phone. I use these to play BO6 on my PS5 through 2.4 mode with the include USB C receiver and listen to music or watch something on my phone through Bluetooth mode which is toggled with 3 presses of either bud. That capability for me divides these into gaming/general use category for headphones. Gaming: They aren't the best for gaming but if I didn't have my main headphones with me while traveling and wanted to game on a gaming laptop, they would be good enough. Let me explain. I mainly noticed that this pair of headphones wouldn't get loud enough for me. There is a setting on the app that makes you choose if you're in the EU or not because of some laws they have limiting the volume output on your earbuds or headphones. You can also toggle this in the app through the volume limiter. I personally could not hear a difference when this was toggled and when it wasn't except at the highest volume. When compared to my main headset, 100 while gaming on these Arctics is like 75 on my Razer Blackshark which was actually nice for a bit but still didn't have nearly the same impact. What is nice about these earbuds is you're able to choose your sound profile from a large set of games. I didn't see BO6 on there so I'm hoping these improve when there is a preset available. I will say though that you can create your own preset and customize it but you're not able to do this through the app itself. You have to download Steelseries GG separately on your computer and then import it onto the app. With a customized preset, I was able to game more comfortably knowing I was getting just the right audio output I wanted. General Use: Just like for gaming, these won't be the best for watching movies or listening to music but they are good enough in my opinion to carry around with me as a travel option backup. They won't take away my main set I use for music and movies while traveling but they're a good back up. The noise cancellation is good but sound does bleed in a little. I could faintly hear the clicks on my keyboard while writing this and listening to music with ANC on. I do like the transparency mode which is a more common feature these days allowing you to hear your surroundings so they're great for a work environment. Overall, I really like these earbuds. They'll be in my bag as that second option for general use and stay in my bag for when I game on laptop. However, I don't see myself using these for my daily gaming use set up at home. I did get ear fatigue after about an 1 hour and resorted back to my headset. The microphone for chat is decent but nearly not the same as from a headset with an extending mic so I muted myself after about 30 minutes since it was also catching some music that my wife was playing at the desk right next to me. I am now using these more often at work to use the transparency mode and I will say it makes work more enjoyable.

When it comes to multiplayer video games, I consider gaming headsets a must. My preference has always been a full size around-the-ear headset with a dedicated microphone, but I decided to try my hands at the SteelSeries Arctis Gamebuds for PC and other platforms such as the PS5, PS4 and the Switch. They look great in white and pair nicely to my PS5. They connect either via Bluetooth or the included 2.4GHz wireless dongle. My big disappointment has been the impossibility to establish a reliable Bluetooth connection with either of my two phones through the app. The one time I was successful in establishing a Bluetooth connection, the app said to update the Gamebuds but it was an exercise in frustration that failed at every turn. For my PS5 and my gaming laptop, I connected with the provided 2.4GHz dongle. The connection was great and reliable with no noticeable lags. Playing Call of Duty on my PS5 was enjoyable. The sound was clear and well balanced. The microphone performed well according to my friends playing with me, but not as clear as it’s been with my dedicated gaming headsets. Because of their small size and lightweight, the Arctis Gamebuds can be worn comfortably for long periods of time and the battery lasts for hours. The controls for volume, microphone or sound modes are easy to master by tapping either the left or right earbud in different combinations and they are very responsive. The noise cancellation mode is great for those small earbuds, but not as effective as my dedicated headsets. To conclude, the Arctis Gamebuds look great on paper for they’re multi platform compatibility, good sound and long battery. However, in my case, they came up short with the Bluetooth connectivity issues that I was not able to resolve. Overall, they’re a good concept but not yet ready to supplant the traditional dedicated gaming headsets in my opinion.

So far, I've been beyond impressed. That battery life has been decent. The weight is light enough to help keep them seated. The sound is great once you get it setup. That is the tricky part of their whole setup. It does take time to get things dialed in to your liking. I've found that the sound has a great range. The bass is adequate without being overbearing. The only issue I had was it was turning off after awhile in bluetooth mode. I found that it was simply a setting in the app, and I turned it off. Overall, I can't recommend these enough.

As someone who preordered these, I can say they check about every box for me aside from two minor issues. The first issue that really can't be fixed is the mic on the headphones themselves. Then again it's really a non-issue because I can't really expect much more out of such a small package. Especially when it lives up to the 10 hours it claims to give on a single charge. The second issue is one that has persisted across two different sets of buds (I exchanged the first pair I received because of this issue) which is that in "Transparency" mode if all is quiet or I have the volume low on either the 2.4 connection or a bluetooth connection, you get a very low volume bit high pitched sort of distortion/interference that started in the first pair in the right bud. Now I have the same issue with the second set of buds that I recieved as replacements where the left bud does the same thing. Other than that I can say these buds are amazing when paired with the Steel Series Alias Mic and Sonar software on PC. Ive thoroughly tested their battery life and have never has to switch back to my over ear wireless headset during a gaming session and sometimes those vary between 5-8 hours. Overall 4/5 because of previously listed issues but compared to my Arctis Pro Wireless headphones, theyre a wonderful replacement if you want to move away from an over ear set up.

Love these earbuds. At first I didn’t think these were capable enough to replace my AirPods for music but once I hooked it up the the GG engine on my laptop and made a custom eq setting, it changed my mind and they’re now my daily carry. The fact that it’s versatile to be able to use them for my PS5 and my phone when I’m traveling is amazing. The sound is great, and it’s bassy if you change the EQ around, the black version is very stealth which is what I was looking for. One of the best parts is the battery life as well, it lasts so long. Could possibly also be due to the fact that I don’t use the ANC feature, but either way I’m very impressed by these. Mic is also clear when using them for phone calls, haven’t tried gaming mic since I don’t play multiplayer.

I’ve been looking for a great pair of gaming buds that offered Bluetooth and a 2.4 dongle and I always preferred Steelseries in the gaming headset department, but they never made a pair of buds until now. I didn’t really like the offerings from Inzone, Razer and others so this was on my radar when they released. The sound quality, connectivity, fit and sonar eq software for pc make this my top choice. The volume can be a little low for some but the master volume can be tweaked in the sonar software to push these a bit further. Whether it be for music, movies, and games for essentially all gaming platforms and mobile devices I think people will find these as their top choice for gaming buds.

I have had these for a week now. They work bery well for most gaming. Good fit, over 100 pre nade eqs. Missing one for Black Ops 6 though. That truly needs to be addressed. Overall another great Arctis ptoduct.

I love these, the sound quality is great for gaming. I’ve started using these more than my Arctis Nova Pros. And I mainly bought these for my PCVR and Quest 3. And they work in both ways. Stand alone is great too just need to increase the volume.

These things are so much better than I anticipated. The fit is incredibly comfortable, the sound is on par with with my airpods and the anc is surprisingly great. Connecting to bluetooth took 2 seconds and the steel series app has a ton of useful features. Plus connecting to a gaming console or pc with the adapter which fits inside the case is simple. I absolutely love these things and could easily recommend them to anyway. They could have charged $200 and I would have said thats more than fair. They are that good.

These ear buds are my first experience with gaming earbuds, and it's been a really great experience so far. I've been using these for over a month for gaming on my PS5, my Switch and for listening to music. I even use these to listen to music and take calls under my helmet on my motorcycle. That experience has made me very impressed with the sound quality and the microphone. I did find out that it's very important to download the app for these ear buds. Without it, the sounds was ok, but with it the quality is so good. I've tried a bunch of the game-specific presets and that's been really fun to hear the difference. I've used the dongle on my PS5, Switch and on my PC and the sound while gaming is just as good as the headset I had been using. The bluetooth for connection has also been very solid for me when listening to music or taking calls on my phone. This has been a great purchase for me!