The gaming headset market is one rife with gimmicks. Intense surround sound (which admittedly isn’t all that gimmicky anymore), vibrating earpads, customizable LED lights, or an included DAC with separate modes for different devices—if you want it, someone’s got it, for a price. It’s rare that something avoids all that in favor of just delivering rock-solid audio, especially at an affordable price. With the arrival of the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless, it’s no longer just the HyperX Cloud Alpha in that category.
Editor’s note: this review was updated on May 3, 2021, to address PlayStation 5 compatibility.
Who is the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless for?
- Nintendo Switch Gamers waiting desperately for a decent wireless audio solution, or just looking for a good wireless headset that works with most devices.
- At-home workers who want something wireless that sounds good and lasts a long time.
- People looking for wireless headphones that work with USB-C phones and don’t rely on Bluetooth.
What is the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless like?
A lot of the best gaming experiences on the Switch don’t need a mic, so it’s nice you can just remove it.
The Arctis 1 Wireless is, in a word: impressive. This is the wireless gaming headset to use a USB-C dongle. It’s built from the same framework as the SteelSeries headsets like the Arctis 7 and Arctis Pro, with solid sound and a decent mic. It’s also only $100.
This update to the previous Arctis 1 is aimed at Nintendo Switch owners, who previously had no good option for wireless audio. Before this headset’s debut, any USB-based headset worked only when the console was docked, and 3.5mm headphones were only ideal when undocked in most setups because stretching a cord across your living is just terrible. With the Arctis 1 Wireless, it’s easy to swap between docked and undocked play; just take the small dongle out of the adapter and slap it on the bottom of the Switch and this bad boy’s ready to go.
A single strip of stainless steel runs through the headband of the Arctis 1 Wireless, which makes it feel sturdy.
The SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless is primarily a plastic headset, forgoing an aluminum suspension frame of more premium headsets in the line. It features a plastic band with a comfortable leatherette cushion. The headphones sport the airweave fabric headphone pads typical of SteelSeries products, which are soft and keep things from heating up.
Overall, this is a very comfortable headset—the band clamps down pretty tight, which makes it feel very secure, and creates a great seal too—but the headphones aren’t very deep. My ears usually made contact with the fabric covering the speakers. Something like that might get a little uncomfortable during long gameplay sessions for people with especially large ears. I never had an issue, but when you’re using something for hours on end, even minor quibbles can turn into serious discomfort.
Unfortunately, the headset can’t be used via the microUSB charging port. In fact, it doesn’t work at all while charging.
The headset also sports on-ear controls, with a volume dial and mic mute switch on the left headphone. Its 3.5mm mic is detachable, which is nice if you decide to take them out and about connected to a phone or mobile device that sports a USB-C port—something that also works well, though it adds bulk.
The SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless comes with everything you need to connect to just about any device. Alongside the USB-C RF dongle, there’s a USB-A adapter cord, 3.5mm cord, and microUSB charging cord. Apart from that, there’s also the detachable boom mic.
Is the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless good for gaming?
If the isolation were a little better, this would be a fantastic cafe gaming option.
My time gaming with the Arctis 1 was a real treat. The USB-C dongle and USB-A adapter made gaming on the Switch convenient, but they also open up other options. The Arctis 1 works just as well on the Playstation 4 and PC as the Switch (the Xbox One still doesn’t support USB audio headsets that work on other platforms).
Hopping from Untitled Goose Game on Switch, to The Outer Worlds on the Playstation 4, to games like Overwatch and League of Legends on PC, I never had any issues. This gaming headset handled the low-key jazzy soundtrack of Untitled Goose Game just as well as the gunfire-and-explosion-heavy profile of Overwatch. This is a stereo headset, so surround sound isn’t an option, though Overwatch’s game-level surround sound setting worked well. Surround sound isn’t necessary in most games, so this really isn’t an issue.
The wireless RF dongle ensures lag free audio.
Typical of every SteelSeries gaming headset, the Arctis 1 Wireless is also compatible with the company’s Engine audio software. However, since surround sound isn’t an option, and there isn’t any decorative LED lighting, there’s little you can do in the app that you can already control using the headset’s hardware control, other than checking the battery life (which is otherwise a little difficult to gauge).
Chatting over Discord was similarly great. The Arctis 1’s mic is probably its weakest part, but the headset is Discord certified, much like every other SteelSeries headset. It’s not at all clear what a Discord certification really means, but clarity in voice calls was never an issue, and the program recognized the headset notably faster than most gaming headsets I’ve used.
Can you use the SteelSeries Arctis 1 with the Sony PlayStation 5?
Yes, the Arctis 1 is compatible with the PlayStation 5 and doesn’t require any kind of firmware update, since all you have to do is connect the headset to the console controller via 3.5mm cable. You can enjoy the PS5’s integrated 3D audio, too.
