Arctis GameBuds for PlayStation/PC/Switch/Mobile — 2.4GHz + Bluetooth 5.3 Earbuds — Active Noise Cancelling — Mobile App Sound Presets — Water Resistant IP55 — 40H Battery with Qi Charging Case

I picked up these earbuds because I was looking for a portable wireless gaming headset solution that would retain the full quality audio quality while being in a voice chat or Discord call. These earbuds totally hit that mark. I normally use bluetooth headphones that while sounding good when playing something solo, if I get into a call or play a game where the mic is active, the sound quality of any bluetooth headphones goes way down to being almost un-usable. With these earbuds, you can play a game and hear your buddies without a compromise to sound quality! From my experience, they are decently comfortable. I'm not a fan of in-ear, earbuds like these. I can generally wear them for about 2-3 hours before I need a break. I prefer the comfort of Airpods Pro/Bose QC Ultra/AirpodsGen3s much better to these. Even with the smallest tips, I get some fatigue in my ear canals. With that being said, the ANC is pretty low. It might be adding a little bit of cancelation, but you're likely to get the same cancelation because these block your ear canals. Nothing close to Bose or Apple's ANC. The transparency mode is decent. My main annoyance with transparency on these is they have a constant hiss. Seems like you are outside with a constant low breeze in your ears. You can kind of place things in the room, but its no where near Apples transparency mode. I would give it a functional rating. You can carry on a conversation without having to pull out a bud. With Apple's AirPod Pros however, I feel that there is no loss of hearing. Those feel like you don't have anything blocking your ears. Good to have, but not up to par with premium bluetooth headphone offerings if you were hoping to replace those. Now for call quality. The mics are definitely really good for sitting at your desk. People usually say that I sound better than my built-in laptop mic. But not better than my Yeti mic. These aren't super good when you are moving around. Once you start moving around they seem to block out your voice or make you sound far away as you move your head. That being said, because you are using a dongle, these offere a really low latency signal, with minimal quality loss. This I would say are the biggest strength of these earbuds. Now for the subject of audio quality. When playing games, the audio quality is pretty good. I was able to place enemy movement around me when playing Hell Divers 2. I also did enjoy the cinematic feel of Final Fantasy 16. The audio quality for music I would say is decent. Its definitely not as good as my Bose QC Ultras. One song I used for direct comparison, was Persona 5's Beneath The Mask (Rain Edition). With the Bose headphone, I was able to pick up the strumming of the guitar, and place each instrument as it game into the song in the room. Each strum I felt I was able to make out the picking of each chord from the guitar. With the Steelseries buds, it seems that as more instruments came into the song, I lost quality of any instrument that was already playing in the track. The little details became harder to discern and the overall sound while not bad, became more muddied out. If you don't listen to music nearly that closely, you probably will find these great with Punchy preset. But for me it was definitely a big hit to quality in comparison to my current daily driver headphones. For me these were purchased to serve one purpose. To have a set of gaming headphones that kept higher quality game sound while being on a call. I am very happy with the functionality that these bring for that. I suspect that if you don't have any headphone you use on the daily, you can probably pick these up and be happy. They are definitely a really versatile set of earbuds that specialize in Gaming. TL:DR If you already have some Sony/Apple/Bose headphone you use regularly, these are not going to be a great replacement for those. The strength is solely a gaming headset. If you don't have those type of headphones, or are looking for only gaming headphones, you won't be disappointed with this set.

I wanted to love these. My first pair sounded absolutely horrible, with ZERO response under around 1000hz. I returned those as defective and got brand new replacements. But after testing across three devices (PC via dongle, Mac via dongle, and iPhone via Bluetooth), the experience is identical: The sound has an extreme high-pass characteristic — everything below ~1 kHz feels gutted. • Voices sound thin, papery, and hollow. • Explosions and ambient game audio have no body whatsoever. • Music is unlistenable — worse than a cheap 1980s landline telephone. • Even after adjusting EQ, switching presets, disabling features, and testing before and after updating firmware, nothing fixes it. • The Bluetooth mode reproduces the exact same issues, which confirms this is not a dongle, driver, or PC problem. These aren’t “not audiophile.” These sound outright broken - LITERALLY broken. I own and regularly use other SteelSeries products, including the Nova Pro line, and they’re excellent. But whatever tuning choice was made for these earbuds renders them nearly unusable for anyone who wants anything beyond directional footstep cues. What makes this more frustrating: I wanted these for competitive gaming. I wanted the low latency wireless mode. I wanted the convenience. But the audio quality is so heavily stripped of low and mid frequencies that basic dialogue in games or videos sounds like it’s coming out of a clock radio submerged in a cereal bowl. Or if this is a manufacturing problem, both pairs, new and sealed in box, that I tried, suffered from the same thing. So this defect is across an entire manufacturing batch. In either case, these are a HARD PASS.

Solid Gaming Earbuds With Some Trade-Offs I’ve spent some time with the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds, and they deliver on their promise of being a true gaming-first pair of earbuds. The big win here is the 2.4GHz dongle connection, which makes a huge difference compared to standard Bluetooth. Audio is lag-free, voices in Discord are clear, and games like Call of Duty or Helldivers 2 feel responsive without the usual wireless delay. QuickSwitch between 2.4GHz and Bluetooth is seamless, so swapping from console to mobile is easy. Sound Quality: For gaming, the directional audio is strong enough to pick out footsteps and environmental cues. For music, they’re fine but not outstanding; details tend to blur together, especially compared to higher-end Bose or Sony buds. If you’re a casual listener, they’ll be more than good enough; audiophiles may want something else. Comfort & Fit: Lightweight and secure, but not the most comfortable for marathon sessions. After 2-3 hours, I find myself needing a break. They’re bulkier than AirPods or Sony buds, so if you want a super-low profile, keep that in mind. Noise Cancelling & Transparency: ANC works, but it isn’t anywhere near Bose or Apple levels. It’s enough to dull background noise (like an AC unit), but don’t expect silence. Transparency mode is functional but comes with a faint hiss, good enough for a quick conversation without removing the buds, but not natural-sounding. Battery & Features: Battery life is excellent, easily lasting through long sessions with the charging case pushing up to 40 hours. Wireless Qi charging is a nice premium touch. The SteelSeries GG app offers plenty of EQ presets for different games, which is a fun extra. Mic quality is decent at a desk, better than built-in laptop mics, but not on the level of a dedicated microphone. Build Quality: The earbuds themselves feel solid, but the case is plasticky and not very premium. Bottom Line: If you’re mainly buying for gaming performance, these are an excellent pick: zero lag, easy setup, versatile across platforms, and strong battery life. Just don’t expect them to fully replace high-end music earbuds or noise-cancelling headphones. Great gaming earbuds with unique features, but not perfect for audiophiles or ANC fans.

These earbuds are comfortable and have good sound overall. (I don't use the SteelSeries software so they could quite likely be even better.) They can connect via bluetooth or the included dongle and switching between the modes is easy. I am able to have them connected to my PC via the dongle and my phone via bluetooth at the same time. While I am not able to use both devices simultanesouly (could be a me problem) if I receive a phone call while gaming it does play ring sound in the earbuds and I am able to switch / answer quickly. So it does have at least some sort of simultaneous connection to both. I do notice that if I am connected to my phone via bluetooth and I walk too far from my pc it will play the "disconnect" sound when it loses connection to the dongle which can be a bit confusing. I did have one of the earbuds fail. The left bud had sound but was much quieter than the right using both connection menthods and various devices. I tried updating the software, firmware and completely factory resetting them to no avail. I reached out the SteeleSeries and they replaced them for me. The process was quick and easy. They even had me provide pictures of the defective ones destroyed, which they do to ensure people aren't selling bad product privately which I appreciate. I have owned several SteelSeries over ear headphones as well and have been greatly impressed. The GameBuds were another great addition.

These are honestly hard to review. They are GREAT 85% of the time. I have experienced brief moment of warped audio and unexpected noises, but, while annoying, they don't tend to be super disruptive when they happen. I also sometimes have difficulty getting them to consistently charge when placed in the case, but make sure the indicator light flashes before you close the case and you should be fine - once they start charging, they don't stop, but getting them to start charging in the first place can be a bit tricky. Battery life is great for wireless earbuds, although I have had headsets that lasted much longer; they were bulky over-ear headsets though. Mic quality is not the best, but much better than expected for a built in mic so far away from the mouth. You may want to invest in a stand-alone mic if you do any kind of content creation or streaming, but the built in one is definitely sufficient for calls or in-game communication. While I don't think the price is great, I think they are currently worth it seeing as low-latency wireless earbuds with good sound quality are normally at least twice as expensive. An over-ear headset will likely give you more bang for your buck, but just something to consider.

These SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds have been a fantastic addition to my gaming setup! The quick-switch 2.4GHz + Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity makes it super easy to jump between Xbox, PC, PS5, Switch, and mobile without any hassle, I just switch modes and continue playing. The pairing process was quick and seamless every time. The active noise cancelling is surprisingly effective for earbuds and really helps when I’m trying to focus in noisy environments. The sound quality is clear and balanced with good depth for both games and music. I also appreciate the mobile app support because it lets me fine-tune EQ settings and customize controls to my liking. The battery life is excellent, I’m getting close to the advertised 40 hours with the Qi wireless charging case, which is super convenient. The case itself feels sturdy and life on the go is much easier because I can top up the battery without cords if I need to. I also love that they’re water resistant (IP55) perfect for workouts or rainy days, and they’ve held up great so far. Comfort is also top-notch; they stay in well during longer gaming sessions and the fit feels secure without being tight. Overall, these are high-quality gaming earbuds that combine excellent connectivity, great sound, long battery life, and convenience. Highly recommend for anyone who games across multiple platforms or just wants a reliable all-around set of earbuds.

First the good they're comfortable. The app works really well for preset EQs for most games.I have the xbox version and if you ever charge them and the case at the same time, the next time you use them they wont play any sound until you reset the dongle. They routinely wont both connect. The sounds is ok but its not really accurate if your used to a good headset. That guy shooting you from the right might just be almost all the way behind you. The mic mute is delayed a second or so so everyone gets to hear you sneeze. And finally theyre suppose to have such great battery life but mine routinely die during play. So if you never have more than maybe an hr to play they might last. Overall theyre ok in a pinch but not worth the money to me and ill be buying another headset

If You're Looking For High-Performance Wireless Earbuds That Seamlessly Blend Elite Gaming Functionality With Everyday Convenience, Look No Further Than The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds. Whether You're Gaming On Your PlayStation, PC, Nintendo Switch, Or Mobile Phone, These Buds Deliver Exceptional Audio With Zero Lag And Premium Comfort. After Daily Use Across Platforms, Here's My Full Review: --- Pros Lag-Free QuickSwitch Technology – Easily Toggle Between 2.4GHz Wireless And Bluetooth 5.3 In A Split Second. Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) – Truly Impressive For Earbuds—Blocks Out Background Distractions While Gaming Or Commuting. Massive Battery Life – Up To 40 Hours Of Total Use With The Charging Case (Qi Wireless Charging Compatible). Over 100+ Game Audio Presets – Optimized Sound Profiles That Bring Games Like Call Of Duty, Fortnite, Or Elden Ring To Life. Compact & Durable Carry Case – Portable And Sturdy, Great For On-The-Go. Low-Latency Audio – A Huge Plus For Competitive Gaming Sessions. --- Cons No On-Ear Volume Control – Volume Must Be Adjusted Via Your Device. Not Ideal For Intense Workouts – While Secure, These Aren’t Sports-Specific Earbuds. Premium Price – Worth Every Dollar, But Not The Cheapest Option If You're Only Using Them For Casual Listening. --- Useful Features Quick-Switch Dongle – Plug-And-Play USB-C Dongle Included, Allowing Near-Instant Connection To Gaming Consoles Or PC. Bluetooth 5.3 Support – Offers Wider Range, Faster Pairing, And Improved Battery Efficiency. Customizable EQ Settings Via Companion App Qi Wireless Charging Case – Drop It On Any Wireless Charger—No Cables Needed. Integrated Microphones – Crystal-Clear Voice Chat, Great For Discord Or Multiplayer Lobbies. Compact Form Factor – Sleek White Aesthetic, Fits Securely In The Ear For Long Sessions. --- Why These Should Be Your Everyday Earbuds These Aren’t Just “Gaming Earbuds”—They’re Your All-Day, Every-Scenario Solution: At Home: Game Lag-Free, Stream Movies, Or Take Zoom Calls. At Work: ANC Helps You Focus, And The Mic Handles Calls Cleanly. On The Go: QuickSwitch From Bluetooth To Console Means No Pairing Headaches. In Transit: Lightweight With Long Battery Life—You Can Use Them All Day Without Running For A Charger. Bottom Line: These Are The Only Earbuds I Need, And The Only Ones I Recommend. --- Final Verdict: 9.6/10 — Highly Recommended The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds Are Built For Gamers, But Designed For Life. They’ve Earned A Permanent Spot In My Gear Bag, And If You’re Someone Who Loves Gaming, Music, Or Just Great Tech, They Deserve To Be In Yours Too. Buy Them Once. Use Them Everywhere. Game Like A Pro, Live Like A Boss.