SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X Wireless Gaming Headset Review UK 2026 - Tested & Rated

Gaming headsets make a lot of promises. Spatial audio, crystal-clear voice pickup, and comfort that holds up through a six-hour session are the holy trinity that every marketing team claims to have cracked. In practice, most headsets nail one of those three, fumble a second, and quietly ignore the third. After several weeks of testing the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X Wireless across competitive FPS sessions, long RPG evenings, and everything in between, I wanted to find out whether this upper mid-range wireless headset actually delivers on all three fronts, or whether it's just another well-marketed compromise.

The Arctis Nova 5X sits in a crowded bracket. Upper mid-range wireless headsets are where the real competition lives in 2026, and SteelSeries knows it. The Nova line has been SteelSeries' attempt to reclaim ground from Sony, Logitech, and Razer, and the 5X specifically targets Xbox and multi-platform players who want a single headset that works across their entire setup without a drawer full of dongles. That's an ambitious brief. Whether the hardware justifies the ambition is what this review is about.

I tested the Nova 5X across several weeks of daily use. That included ranked matches in competitive shooters where positional audio is genuinely critical, extended story game sessions where comfort becomes the deciding factor, and regular voice chat with teammates who gave me honest feedback on mic quality. I also ran it through my usual battery drain tests and spent time in SteelSeries' Sonar software to understand what the EQ and spatial audio tools actually do versus what they claim to do. Here's what I found.

Connectivity is where the 5X earns its name. It supports simultaneous 2.4GHz wireless via a USB-A dongle and Bluetooth 5.3, meaning you can have your PC or Xbox connected on the low-latency wireless link while your phone sits on Bluetooth in the background. The headset handles both streams at once, mixing them together, which is genuinely useful if you want Discord on PC and game audio from a console simultaneously. The USB-C charging port is a welcome choice over proprietary connectors, and the headset also works passively via a 3.5mm jack if the battery dies mid-session.

Build quality feels solid without being flashy. There's no RGB here, which I consider a feature rather than an omission. The headband uses SteelSeries' ski goggle-style suspension system, the earcups are wrapped in a fabric-and-foam combination, and the retractable microphone tucks away cleanly into the left earcup. The overall aesthetic is understated and professional. It doesn't scream "gaming headset" in a meeting, which some people will care about.

Sensitivity is another figure SteelSeries keeps close to their chest publicly, but in practical terms the Nova 5X gets loud enough at moderate volume levels on both wireless and wired connections. I never found myself pushing the volume slider to uncomfortable extremes to get a usable listening level, which is the real-world sensitivity test that matters. The frequency response curve, based on my listening tests across reference tracks and in-game audio, shows a mild V-shape with a lift in the sub-bass region and a presence peak somewhere in the upper midrange. It's not a flat, reference-style response, but it's not the exaggerated bass-cannon tuning you get from some competitors either.

The ClearCast Gen 2 microphone uses a bidirectional pickup pattern. Bidirectional microphones pick up sound from the front and rear of the capsule while rejecting sound from the sides, which SteelSeries uses to implement passive noise cancellation by placing the rear pickup facing away from the speaker's mouth to capture ambient noise and subtract it. This is a different approach to the simple cardioid capsules most gaming headsets use, and it does produce measurably better background noise rejection in practice. I'll cover the mic in detail in its own section.

For competitive gaming, this tuning is a reasonable compromise. The treble lift helps with positional audio cues in FPS games. Footsteps in particular come through with good clarity, and directional gunfire has enough high-frequency content to be easily located. The recessed mids don't hurt competitive play much because most critical audio cues in games like this sit in the bass and treble bands anyway. Where the mid-recession becomes more noticeable is in story games with heavy dialogue, where voices can occasionally feel slightly thin or pushed back in the mix.

For music listening, the V-shape is broadly enjoyable for genres that suit it. Electronic, hip-hop, and anything with prominent bass and clear highs sounds good. Acoustic music, jazz, and classical suffer a bit from the mid-recession because those genres rely heavily on the midrange for instrument body and vocal warmth. That said, this is a gaming headset, not a pair of audiophile cans, and the tuning makes sense for its primary use case. If you want a flatter response, the Sonar software EQ can pull the bass down and push the mids up, and I found a custom EQ profile that got the Nova 5X sounding considerably more balanced for music listening without sacrificing too much gaming performance.

Bass extension is good. The low end reaches down into sub-bass territory with genuine weight, and bass transients, the sharp impact of a gunshot or an explosion, are rendered with decent speed. There's no noticeable bloat or one-note quality to the bass, which is a common problem with cheaper headsets that try to sound impressive by just boosting the low end indiscriminately. The Nova 5X's bass is controlled enough that it doesn't muddy the midrange, even if the mids are already slightly recessed in the tuning.

Treble clarity is one of the Nova 5X's genuine strengths. High-frequency detail is rendered cleanly without the harshness or sibilance that plagues some headsets with aggressive treble boosts. In games, this translates to footsteps that are easy to hear and locate without being fatiguing over long sessions. In music, cymbals and hi-hats have good shimmer without becoming piercing. I ran several hours of competitive play across multiple evenings and never experienced the ear fatigue that I associate with poorly tuned treble. That's a meaningful data point for anyone planning long gaming sessions.

Voice clarity is good. My teammates consistently reported that I sounded clear and natural, without the tinny, telephone-quality character that plagues many gaming headset mics. The bidirectional capsule design does a real job of rejecting keyboard noise and ambient room sound. I tested this specifically by typing loudly during a voice chat session, and the mic handled it considerably better than a standard cardioid capsule would. Background noise from a nearby fan was also well-suppressed. It's not studio-quality noise rejection, but it's noticeably better than average for a gaming headset.

One limitation worth flagging: the microphone doesn't have a physical mute button on the boom itself. Muting is handled either by retracting the mic into the earcup (which does mute it automatically) or by pressing the mute button on the earcup. The retract-to-mute mechanism is clever and quick once you're used to it, but if you're coming from a headset with a flip-to-mute boom, the muscle memory adjustment takes a few days. The mic also benefits from the Sonar software's noise gate and EQ settings, which I'd recommend configuring before your first session. The default mic settings are fine, but a small amount of tweaking gets noticeably better results.

The AirWeave fabric earcups are a good choice for long sessions. Fabric breathes better than leatherette, which matters if you're gaming in a warm room or during summer months. The memory foam underneath the fabric provides enough cushioning that the earcups don't feel hard against the ears, and the oval shape accommodates a range of ear sizes without the cups pressing directly on the ears. I do wear glasses, and the Nova 5X was comfortable with them on. The earcup foam is soft enough that it doesn't create significant pressure points where the glasses arms pass through. Not every headset manages this, so it's worth calling out.

Build quality is solid. The plastic used for the earcup housings feels dense and well-finished, and the headband mechanism has no flex or creak. The retractable mic mechanism feels positive and secure. My one build quality note is that the earcup rotation is limited compared to some competitors, which means the headset doesn't fold flat for travel. It's not a deal-breaker for a home gaming headset, but if you're planning to carry it in a bag regularly, it's something to be aware of. The overall impression is of a headset built to last, not one that's going to start rattling after six months of daily use.

Bluetooth 5.3 runs simultaneously with the 2.4GHz connection, and the headset mixes both audio streams together. This means you can have your game audio coming in on 2.4GHz from your Xbox or PC while Discord or a phone call comes through on Bluetooth from your phone. The mixing is handled in hardware, and it works well. You can adjust the balance between the two sources using the Sonar software on PC. The Bluetooth connection is noticeably higher latency than 2.4GHz, which is expected and fine for music or voice calls but means you wouldn't want to use Bluetooth for game audio itself.

The USB-C charging port doubles as a wired audio connection on PC via the SteelSeries Sonar software, and there's also a 3.5mm jack for analogue wired connection to any device. The 3.5mm option is particularly useful for PS5, where the USB dongle works but some users prefer the direct connection for simplicity. Pairing the dongle to a new device is straightforward: hold the button on the dongle, hold the button on the headset, done. I had no issues with the pairing process across multiple devices during testing. The dongle is small enough that it doesn't block adjacent USB ports, which is a small but appreciated detail.

Charging via USB-C is quick. From a low battery warning to a full charge took around two hours in my testing, which is fast enough that an overnight charge before a gaming day is never going to leave you short. The headset also supports quick charge functionality: a short charge gives you several hours of use, which is useful if you've forgotten to charge and need to get into a session quickly. The battery indicator is shown in the Sonar software on PC, and there's an audio cue when the battery gets low. There's no LED battery indicator on the headset itself, which is a minor omission but not a significant one given the software readout.

One thing I'll note: the rated 40-hour Bluetooth figure is lower than the 2.4GHz figure, which is slightly counterintuitive since Bluetooth typically consumes less power than 2.4GHz. SteelSeries hasn't explained this publicly, but my suspicion is that the simultaneous dual-wireless operation when both connections are active draws more power overall, and the 40-hour figure reflects a Bluetooth-only scenario with the 2.4GHz radio also active in standby. In practice, if you're using both connections simultaneously, expect battery life somewhere between the two rated figures. Still very good for a wireless gaming headset.

The virtual surround implementation in Sonar is called Sonar Spatial Audio, and it's based on head-related transfer function processing. Unlike the generic "7.1 surround" marketing that most gaming headset software uses, Sonar's spatial audio actually attempts to simulate realistic sound positioning using HRTF convolution. The result is noticeably better than the typical software surround gimmick. Front-to-back imaging improves meaningfully with it enabled, and the overall soundstage feels wider without the unnatural phasiness that bad virtual surround processing introduces. I used it enabled for competitive play and found it genuinely useful for locating audio cues.

Mic monitoring, sometimes called sidetone, is adjustable in Sonar, which is a feature I use regularly. Hearing your own voice through the headset at a controlled level makes it easier to speak at a natural volume during long sessions. The noise gate for the microphone is also configurable, with threshold and release settings that let you dial in how aggressively background noise is suppressed. Firmware updates for the headset are handled through GG automatically. I received one firmware update during the testing period, which applied without any issues. The software is Windows-only, which is a limitation for Mac users, but the headset works fine without it on any platform.

PS5 compatibility is via the 3.5mm jack or the USB dongle, though the USB dongle on PS5 works for audio without the full Sonar feature set. The 3.5mm connection to the DualSense controller is the simplest approach for PS5 users and works without any setup. Nintendo Switch works the same way, either via the 3.5mm jack in handheld mode or via the USB dongle in docked mode. Mobile devices connect via Bluetooth, and the simultaneous dual-wireless means you can have your Switch on 2.4GHz and your phone on Bluetooth at the same time, which is a genuinely useful combination for handheld gaming with background music or podcast audio.

PC compatibility is the most fully featured scenario. Windows users get the full Sonar software experience with parametric EQ, spatial audio, mic processing, and firmware updates. The headset appears as a standard audio device in Windows and doesn't require any drivers beyond what Windows installs automatically. I tested it on Windows 11 without any compatibility issues. Linux users will find the headset works as a standard USB audio device without software support, which is fine for basic use. Mac users get the hardware without the software, which means no EQ or spatial audio customisation, but the headset functions normally for audio output and microphone input.

The Logitech G535 is a lighter, simpler wireless headset that competes on comfort and battery life. It's genuinely light, around 236 grams, which gives it a comfort advantage for users who are particularly sensitive to headset weight. But its audio quality is more modest than the Nova 5X, and its microphone is a fixed boom that doesn't retract. The G535 also lacks Bluetooth, making it a single-device wireless headset. For pure PC gaming, it's a reasonable alternative, but the Nova 5X's multi-platform flexibility and better audio performance justify the price difference for most buyers.

The Razer BlackShark V2 Pro is another competitor worth mentioning. It has strong audio performance and a good microphone, and Razer's THX Spatial Audio is one of the better virtual surround implementations available. But the BlackShark V2 Pro is typically priced higher than the Nova 5X, and its earcup comfort over very long sessions is slightly behind the Arctis suspension system in my experience. If you're a Razer ecosystem user, it's worth considering, but for most buyers the Nova 5X offers a better overall package at a more competitive price point.

The sound signature won't satisfy audiophiles looking for a flat reference response, and the Sonar software is Windows-only, which limits the customisation options for console-only players. The earcup rotation limitation means it's not ideal for travel. And if you're a PS5-primary player, the Sony INZONE H7 might serve you better given its tighter integration with the PlayStation ecosystem. But for Xbox and PC players, or anyone who moves between multiple platforms and wants a single headset that handles all of them without fuss, the Nova 5X is one of the strongest options in the upper mid-range bracket right now.

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X Wireless Gaming Headset represents solid value in a competitive market. The combination of 60-hour battery life, simultaneous dual-wireless, a genuinely good retractable microphone, and the Arctis suspension comfort system is a package that's hard to match at this price. I'd give it a 8.5 out of 10. It's not flawless, but it's the kind of headset you buy and stop thinking about, which is exactly what a good gaming peripheral should be. Check the current UK price below and see if it fits your budget.