Steelseries Arctis Prime Gaming Headset
With the Steelseries Arctis Prime gaming headset, the company offers an interesting proposition: for $100, it provides the same drivers and acoustic tuning as its more expensive $249 Arctis Pro, but without the GameDAC. So if you don't If you don't need a gaming DAC to power your audio, apparently you can get a lot more expensive headphones for a lot less.
I've never tried the Arctis Pro before, so I can't immediately compare how Steelseries delivered on that promise. But with over a month of use, the Arctis Prime really impressed. With its sound detailed and open, great comfort, and a decent mic, it's easily my favorite gaming headset under $100.
Design and features
The Arctis Prime is something of a fusion between the Arctis 3 and the Arctis Pro when it comes to design. It's clad in black metal and plastic, with two large Steelseries logos on each ear cup. Like most headsets Arctis, the Prime isn't overtly flashy and is largely unassuming, with no garish colors or bold lines. $100.
If you want to spice up the look of the Prime, you can replace the removable magnetic speaker plates with the many cosmetic plates available in the Steelseries store. A pair usually costs around $29.99 and you can find them in different designs and colors , including limited editions for games like PUBG, Rainbow Six Siege, etc.
The Prime features the same "ski goggle" fabric headband suspension that has become hugely popular with the Steelseries brand. The stretchy fabric adjusts automatically so you don't have to worry about "finding" the good fit for your head because it does this automatically.You can tighten or loosen the strap on the fabric to make the helmet sit higher or lower on your head, and it's an effortless process.I really wish more Many manufacturers adopt such a self-adjusting headband because not only are they convenient to use, but the superior weight distribution across the head simply adds to the overall comfort of the helmet.
And speaking of comfort, the Prime is a joy to wear for hours on end and is easily one of the most comfortable headphones I've had the pleasure of wrapping around my noggin. , the clamping force might feel a little harsh, but the large, plush leather cushions elevate that problem almost immediately and allow the headset to sit comfortably on your head. I wore the Prime for several four to five hour sessions and I didn't feel the need to take them off or adjust them in any way. They just melt on your head and kind of make you forget you're even wearing them. For a helmet weighing nearly 350g , that's quite a feat.
Ergonomically, the rotating rods allow you to lay them flat, so you can hang them around your neck instead of pulling them out completely. They pinch your throat due to the tighter clamping force, so it's not quite comfortable to have around your neck for a long time.The Prime also has the classic Steelseries retractable microphone design that slides in and out, and features a flexible metal boom so you can place it exactly where you want it.
In terms of I/O, you get a large mic on/off button, a textured volume wheel with start and end, a micro-USB port to plug in the audio cable, and a jack 3.5mm headphone sharing if desired. to share your audio with another headset (I suppose this is useful during an esports tournament but honestly I've never seen anyone do this). The micro-USB cable ends in a 3 port, 5mm so you can plug the headset into virtually any device that supports it.
Performance
The Steelseries Arctis Prime uses the same high-resolution 40mm drivers as the Arctis Pro, which means they're capable of outputting audio up to 40,000Hz, which is a rarity in this price class. For gaming, that doesn't mean much because games have yet to catch up on that front, but if you have high-res encoded music files, the Prime should be able to drive them just fine.
Primarily the headset is designed for online gaming and this is evident in the way the drivers have been tuned. The focus here is on audio separation, clarity and an extended high frequency range to let noise through footsteps and gunshots.
One of the most striking features of the Prime is the soundstage. It's surprisingly large and open-scale, and easily compares to open-back headphones like the Sennheiser HD598, which are extremely impressive. A wide soundstage helps with audio separation and directionality in video games, so whether it's approaching enemy footsteps in Warzone, or an ultimate power-up in Overwatch, you should be able to discern the direction and distance of them quite easily. single-player games like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and Returnal, an open soundstage adds to the immersion factor, bringing smaller sounds and audio cues to life and giving you a sense of space and scale.
What you lose with such a high frequency focused driver setting is the bass. There just isn't enough low bass extension to provide the "boom" of an explosion, for example, so the audio might sound a bit lacking and "rough" in some areas. By doing an A/B test with the $300 HyperX Cloud Orbit S, which is capable of delivering stunning bass thanks to its planar magnetic drivers, the difference is quite noticeable. That's not to say the Prime doesn't have bass, it does, but it kind of rides without much presence. That's much less of an issue, but if you're planning on using the headphones for listening to music, some bass-focused genres can sound a little off.
The overall sound signature, however, is fantastic. With a wide soundscape, punchy mids, and detailed highs, the Prime proves to be a great source for enjoying all kinds of entertainment. Action movies in particular are a a pleasure to watch, as the headset's natural stereo mix is able to weave in an impressive surround sound impression without thinning the sound or overwhelming the sound clarity.The drivers lend themselves well to any virtual surround sound solution, such as the 3D audio on the PS5, but it doesn't necessarily demand it thanks to its already massive soundstage and impressive directionality.
Finally, the Prime headset features the standard ClearCast microphone found on most Steelseries headsets. It's not the clearest sound you can get from a gaming headset, but it's capable of producing a decent sound that should be enough for gaming online with friends or watching a Zoom video call. It's also able to filter out most ambient sounds like computer fans, but some of the higher-pitched noises like a mechanical keyboard will fit through.
The verdict
The Steelseries Arctis Prime impresses on almost every front. From its wide, open soundstage and detailed sound to its excellent comfort and ergonomics, the headset is one of the best on the market. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that if you're looking for something to help you with your online FPS games, the Arctis Prime is easily the top pick, if you don't mind paying $100 for what's a basic headset.