SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds for Xbox/PC/PS5/Switch/Mobile — Quick-Switch 2.4GHz+Bluetooth 5.3 — Active Noise Cancelling — Mobile App — Water Resistant IP55 — 40H Battery with Qi Charging Case - Black

Very good quality and sound. Connected easily with both my Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. I have used these with my phone as well. The battery life is great; I have used them for 8+ hours of gameplay before needing to put them in the charging case. The only thing I wish were different is with my PlayStation buds, I can listen to the gameplay along with being on a phone call. With these, I have to switch it to Bluetooth from the 2.4 for a phone call. So I have to choose between a call and hearing the game; other than that, they work great. They fit my ears well, and the noise cancellation is great. They are also very comfortable.

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.

The ear buds are pretty comfortable and sound good. The ANC is decent but the multiple virtual devices that get created in your pc confuses things at times. The different EQ profiles are cool and you can tell the difference. The volume is pretty low when you enable the decibel protection. Overall I’m not sure they are worth the price. I use them for VR gaming and sometimes I can’t tell the difference between the q3 built in speakers and these. Using these for teams calls isn’t the best. My Jabra headset sounds way better.

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.

I've had these SteelSeries earbuds for about two months now, and overall they're okay. Unfortunately, most of the concerns mentioned in previous reviews are still present. The case design is mediocre at best. The earbuds frequently have charging issues, often requiring me to remove and reinsert them multiple times and wipe off the charging pins before they finally start charging. They will also randomly cut out and play a loud burst of noise for about a second before returning to normal. Another frustration is that the earbuds won't even turn on if a firmware update is available—you have to update them before you can use them. Connection issues are also common. Sometimes it can take up to an hour to get them working properly again, which is incredibly frustrating when you just want to use them. On the positive side, the wireless charging is fantastic. The battery life is also excellent. I work at my computer all day and use these earbuds for most of that time, yet I never really worry about them running out of battery. If I step away for five minutes, they'll often charge back up to around 70%, which is impressive. I primarily use them for PC gaming, and this is where they shine. The sound quality is great, and they do an excellent job with directional audio and distance cues in games where sound awareness is important. The customization options in the app are also very good. They're comfortable to wear for long periods, and the buttons are responsive and work consistently. Overall, these earbuds have some excellent features, particularly for gaming, battery life, and wireless charging. However, the charging reliability, connection problems, random audio glitches, and mandatory updates before use make them difficult to fully recommend.

This is for potential buyers, as I'm sure this company doesn't need my review, but these headphones are incredible. I did a bit of research looking for some 3D audio gaming buds while using my Legion Go, and I'm beyond thrilled I got these. Not sure where to begin. So many great features between the ANC and transparency modes, these can cancel out some real noise. I work in a noisy environment and had no problem hearing everything going on in Call of Duty. Usually footsteps would be muffled and drowned out by the noise but the ANC is next level. The quick tap features allow for switching between ANC/ Transparency modes or Bluetooth and the 2.4hz connector flawlessly. I can go from gaming and waiting in a lobby to watching something on my phone to pass time without a hitch. The battery is also insane. I played for a solid hour with ANC on and the battery only got to 88%! I'm tempted to use these for my console gaming, they're that good. I haven't even scratched the surface of the app features. I would highly recommend these for gaming and everything in general. The charging case is very minimal and ease to pocket. Absolutely worth the price of admission.

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. Or so I thought...... (edit to add an update 6/16/26 18 months after my original purchase I have had two defective pairs. The original purchase failed roughly 11 months after purchase and SteelSeries replaced them under the warranty as I stated above. Less than 6 months later the replacement pair was also defective. The material covering the hole in the piece that the ear tip connects to came off completely on the left earbud. The right earbud consistently will not start charging / stay charging when in the case and dies constantly. Charging / battery life over all with the replacement set was inferior compared to the original pair. I contacted SteelSeries again but sadly they said they won't replace them. Despite the fact that this is a different pair, which they provided to me only 6 months ago, they only go by the date on the original purchase for warranty replacement. I absolutely loved these earbuds and relied heavily on them for work and personal use, but I cannot bring myself to spend another $200 on a third pair when I can't have any confidence they won't fail too.

2.4ghz dongle for gaming & other lower latency purposes on my laptop setup, bluetooth for everyday use with my phone or ipad. i’ve been thinking of getting soundcore’s vr p10’s until i found out about this online. one of the best in the market so far for my niche needs. sounds way better than what i have now, which are my koss ksc75’s. i know the comparison between the two are too distinct and thus incomparable (as the ksc75’s lack in bass) but i also like that i don’t have to worry about my wires being in the way of my arms anymore while on my keyboard & mouse. i also like its potential, cus u could customize the eq’s through the company’s software on pc or through their app on ios (im sure android has it too, 100%) and i doubt the majority of the <3 star reviews haven’t known about this. 10hrs battery uptime and 30hrs in case (as it claims). i doubt i’d be on my laptop for that long for the battery to fully deplete. and i’d be wanting to take a breather from earbuds after (as i always do with heavy headphones & earbud use), so less the worry of instantly connecting my earbuds to my iphone or anything like that (i’d be letting it charge afterwards)

Suenan bastante bien, el ANR filtra el ventilador de mi laptop que es el principal motivo de haberlos comprado (pero no es el mejor)… Eso y que no quería unos de diadema! El case se siente barato pero la manera en cómo se acomodan se siente muy bien! Se cargan de manera inalámbrica y por usb C. Las instrucciones de emparejarlos no es muy clara por el tema de la opción de bluetooth y dongle pero logré emparejarlos…. La actualización del firmware es solo por computadora (digo a mi no me molesta xq los uso solo para jugar con la laptop. Las puntas de silicon no me encantaron (acabo de comprar unas de memory foam que espero le queden ya que al momento de quitármelos, la punta del auricular derecho se voltea completamente y se sienten muy delgados… Les compré una funda para proteger el case de rayaduras o caídas y mejoró bastante el feeling.

Yaklaşık 3 haftadır yoğun şekilde kullanıyorum ve artık rahatlıkla söyleyebilirim ki mükemmel bir ürün. Almadan önceki en büyük soru işaretlerim batarya süresi ve oyun performansı üzerineydi ama ikisinde de beklentimin üzerine çıktı. PC başında kesintisiz 10 saat oyun oynama şansım oldu ve bu yetmezmiş gibi 10 saatin ardından yalnızca 15 dakika kutusunda şarj ettikten sonra 70 dakika daha kullanabildim ve hala şarjı vardı. Ayrıca R6 ve Valorant gibi ses kasmanın önemli olduğu FPS oyunlarında da uzun uzun denedim, gerçekten kulaküstü kulaklıklardan farksız. Bunda en önemli etken Steelseries'in kendi yazılımı ki onu da mükemmel yapmışlar. Kolay bir arayüzü var ve gerçekten seçtiğiniz oyuna göre en iyi ayarı yapıyor. Ayrıca 2.4 ghz alıcısıyla inanılmaz bir mesafede kesintisiz çalışıyor, 2 oda uzaktan bile bağlantısı aynen devam ediyor. ANC özelliğini hiç kullanmıyorum; çünkü kulaklık tasarımı sebebiyle kendiliğinden üst düzey bir gürültü engelleme sağlıyor, toplu taşımada kullanırken bile ıssız bir odada dinliyormuşusunuz hissiyatı veriyor. Mikrofonunun oyun için çok zayıf olduğunu zaten herkes söylemiş ama telefonla arama yapmak için gayet yeterli, gürültülü ortamlarda dahi karşıya sesinizi net iletiyor. Sonuç olarak standart oyuncu kulaklıklarından bıkanlar için mükemmel bir ürün, kulaküstünden farksız gerçek bir oyuncu kulaklığı.

Tenía curiosidad por probar unos auriculares in-ear que realmente fueran buenos para jugar, y los SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds X no me han decepcionado. Si buscas algo cómodo, compacto y que además suene genial, aquí tienes una apuesta segura. Lo primero que me sorprendió fue lo bien que se ajustan. Llevan almohadillas de silicona súper cómodas que vienen en 3 tamaños y no molestan ni después de horas jugando. Además, tienen certificación IP55, así que si los usas para algo más que jugar, como salir a correr o viajar, tampoco te preocupes. El audio es lo mejor. Tienen 360° Spatial Audio, así que puedes identificar perfectamente de dónde vienen los sonidos, ya sea en un shooter o en un RPG lleno de detalles. Además, desde la app puedes ajustar el sonido a tu gusto con más de 100 presets diferentes. Tiene doble conectividad: - 2,4 GHz: Ideal para jugar en consola o PC con el dongle USB-C. - Bluetooth 5.3: Perfecto para escuchar música o atender llamadas en el móvil. Cambiar entre dispositivos es súper fácil con un triple toque, algo que valoro mucho porque a veces paso de la consola al móvil en un momento. ¿Y la batería? Hasta 10 horas por carga y 40 horas más con el estuche, que además soporta carga inalámbrica. Unos minutos de carga rápida ya tienes varias horas de uso. Un par de "peros": La cancelación de ruido funciona bien en general, pero no es tan potente como esperaba en ambientes muy ruidosos. Y el estuche de carga... bueno, mejor trátalo con cuidado porque parece algo frágil. En definitiva, son son ideales si quieres algo compacto y funcional para jugar en Xbox o cualquier plataforma. No solo tienen un diseño cómodo, sino que su calidad de audio y conectividad versátil los hacen destacar entre tantos otros. Desde ya, mis in-ear favoritos para jugar.

Bought these primarily as a gaming headset but they've ended up being my most-used piece of kit at the gym too. The active noise cancellation is genuinely impressive — once they're in, the outside world simply ceases to exist. No ambient gym noise, no unsolicited conversation, just whatever's in your ears. Exactly what you want at 7am. The fit is secure as well, which matters more than people give it credit for when you're moving around. They stay put. On the gaming side, the 100+ game-specific audio presets via the companion app are the real standout feature. It sounds gimmicky until you try it, and then it just makes sense — footsteps, environmental cues and spatial audio all noticeably sharper. The 2.4GHz wireless connection is rock solid with no perceptible lag. Battery life is solid for daily use, and the Qi wireless charging case means you're rarely scrambling for a cable. Not a cheap purchase, but they do two jobs — gym and gaming — better than most dedicated options do one. Well worth it.

I was really impressed with these earbuds; they work well overall. *Audio Quality*: The Bluetooth audio quality is great, and I didn’t experience any issues. I watched streams and YouTube videos, including some gaming content, and the audio was impressive—especially with Dolby Atmos. I read an article that claimed SBC could actually outperform AAC in terms of lower latency and better battery life, so I think these buds are better & suited for Android users. *Wireless 2.4 GHz Audio*: At first, the 2.4 GHz wireless connection felt a bit strange, but with Dolby Atmos enabled, the difference was immediately noticeable. I was impressed by how well the earbuds handled ambient sounds, allowing me to hear all the intricate details in the game. I also tried SteelSeries’ 3D audio on my laptop, and it was amazing. I tried to disable Dolby atmos, and enabled the Equalizer on steelseries app. You will notice difference. *Volume Concerns*: Initially, I was worried about the low volume, especially for some games that require higher audio levels. Unfortunately, the 2.4 GHz wireless connection has lower volume than the Bluetooth connection. To fix this, I switched to the “Movie sound mode setting" in Dolby Atmos. You can also customize Dolby Atmos by enabling the “Volume Leveler” and “Surround Virtualizer,” which makes a significant difference. (Note: If you’re using SteelSeries’ app for choosing specific sound equalizer, I recommend leaving the "Dolby Atmos Equalizer" untouched ( for a custom sound ) and just enable "Volume Leveler" for better experience. Also turn off the audio limiter on steelseries application for more volume.) *Noise Cancellation (ANC)*: The ANC isn’t perfect, but it does a good job of reducing background noise in most environments. *Transparency Mode*: The transparency mode is excellent, allowing you to stay aware of your surroundings when needed. Note : there's a little noisy buzzing sound when the transparency mode enabled, I switched off every sound mode to get rid of the issue. *Microphone*: I don’t have much to say about the microphone, but it does the job well enough for calls or in-game communication. *Comfort*: The earbuds are comfortable, but after long gaming sessions, you might start to feel them in your ears. *Battery Life*: The battery can handle about 8-9 hours of gaming without all features enabled. With Bluetooth, I think it lasts closer to 9 hours. I haven’t noticed any major issues because I always take breaks, so the battery life has been more than sufficient for me. One thing that bothered me slightly is that sometimes one of the earbuds shows a slight difference in battery life (around 2-3%) compared to the other, which is a little annoying. *Conclusion*: These earbuds are great for daily use and perfect for those who mainly play single-player campaigns (though they’re still good for multiplayer). I chose these earbuds because I’m not a fan of bulky headsets, and I wanted something I could use anytime, anywhere. Big thanks to SteelSeries for delivering on this.