SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X Wireless review - "Incredible charging time and a lovely colour, all for an affordable price"

• The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X Wireless offers fuss-free features for an affordable price
• Earcups are super comfy, but the band may be a hit or a miss
• The rapid charging is simply mindblowing

I've always been a bigger fan of over-ear headphones than earbuds. One - because I'm clumsy and will most likely lose the portable yet easily misplaceable buds, and two - because I'm just not too used to sticking something into my ear for long periods of time. 

SteelSeries offers a comfortable solution in the form of the Arctis Nova 3X, which, even with all its not-so-budget features, still boasts a modest price tag and a lovely design to boot. I honestly would've given this a 10/10 for the colour alone, but I just couldn't bring myself to because of a little gripe that may or may not just be me. More on that later.

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Table of contents:

• SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X Wireless design

• Connectivity and performance

• What's the verdict?

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SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X Wireless design

The packaging is as no-frills as you would expect for its price range, but it has everything I need in a nutshell.

I've never been one to appreciate too many bits and bobs on my gadgets (due to the aforementioned clumsiness and high risk of misplaceability), so having just the detachable mic, the dongle and its USB-A adapter, a USB-C to USB-C cable, and the headset itself are more than enough (and actually preferable) for me. 

The earcups have the most comfortable foams my ears have ever had the pleasure of grazing against, with no leather bits that might chip off over time (just like the ones I'm currently using, which are now in dire need of replacement). 

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There's a plastic feel to it all, which I can understand given its lightweight specs coming in at only 260g. Despite that, though, it doesn't feel cheap to me - in fact, I appreciate the lightness, especially since I get headaches way too easily, and with this clamped over my head, I didn't feel the strain at all. That said, the elastic band underneath the hard plastic support band is still not my ideal pick, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

My review unit came in lovely Lavender, which is just absolutely adorable and total eye candy. I kept ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the colour, having way too much fun taking photos of it before I even got to try it.

It's superficial; I know - but I've always been attracted to how a thingamajig looks first before I check what's chugging along underneath, and honestly, this would've been perfect if it weren't for the odd fit.

Connectivity And Performance

While connectivity is a breeze with its low-latency dongle - now with a more streamlined size that doesn't block other ports - putting it on was a bit of a struggle. I couldn't, for the life of me, find the perfect adjustment to fit the headset over my head snugly without it falling off at the slightest movement.

The elastic band can be adjusted with three notches, and the earcups themselves can be retracted to help you find the right fit - the problem was I couldn't find the right setting for me, which is a shame given how comfy the earcups are.

Eventually, I settled with just having it on and opting not to move my neck around too much, which is still comfortable - I just have to make sure I don't bend my neck too far back or bow my head down low (which I only ever do while stretching achy neck joints).

After that, it was simply a matter of launching a game on my phone and getting whisked away to another faraway fantasy land.

There's no ANC here, but I had no complaints with the audio quality, whether I was chilling across the vibrant fields of Mongil: Star Dive or snapping away at enchanted creatures in TOEM: A Photo Adventure.

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All this is thanks to the app's overwhelming number of presets, which I found to be ideal for mobile, given it's a simple matter of choosing your game and getting on with it. Watching videos on YouTube, listening to lo-fi beats on Spotify, and recording a podcast were non-issues either.

What actually stood out to me here was the superb battery life, and the even more impressive rapid charging. Using it for a full hour didn't even take a single per cent out of 100%, and charging it for 10 minutes juiced it up with 20% of power.

That's simply mindblowing to me, especially since I often forget to charge my devices until it's time to use them and it's too late.

This is excellent for when you're eager to get started on a multiplayer journey with your best buds, only to find that you're out of juice - imagine how easily you can just charge for five minutes, and all of a sudden, you're ready to go.

What's The Verdict?

I find it incredibly hard to believe that with all the features packed into it, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X only comes in at a reasonable $109.99. There are Black, White, and Aqua variants too, and it's just unbelievable performance at an affordable price.

My main gripe is, still, the band that I can't seem to find the perfect adjustment for - could it be that my head is simply too oddly shaped? Whatever the case, the comfort level for me does take a hit in that respect, because while the rest of the package is fantastic, I can't give it full marks just yet.

In the end, though, I'm still choosing the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3X as my new go-to headset to replace my old one because of its fuss-free features that give me everything I need and more. The buttons aren't complicated either, and honestly, with the way the Lavender option looks so darn cute, it's hard for me to opt for anything else.