Transparency mode, on the other hand, really impressed me. In this mode, the GameBuds picked up subtle ambient sounds and transmitted them to my ears so effectively that I forgot I was wearing headphones. On one occasion, I didn’t realize I was still wearing them until my voice sounded muffled. I could hear everyone else I was talking to perfectly.
ANC drains the battery faster, as does using Bluetooth. SteelSeries claims the GameBuds will last up to 10 hours on a single charge, and the charging case will extend that runtime up to 40 hours. In my testing, the earbuds lasted a little over 10 hours with mixed ANC use, but I rarely needed to wear them for more than 10 hours at a time. Between the charging case completing them and placing the case on a wireless charger overnight, I never received so much as a “low battery” warning.
Built for gaming
The 2.4GHz dongle isn’t the only thing that makes the Arctis GameBuds ideal for gaming. SteelSeries has put a good amount of development behind its Arctis appwith nearly 200 game-specific profiles designed to highlight the sounds you’d like to hear in each game.
I tested this in my usual competitive game, supervision 2. With this profile, the lowest tones were somewhat muted. Meanwhile, higher-pitched sounds, like a Tracer’s footsteps, for example, stood out much more than on my usual headphones. I won’t say the GameBuds gave me superpowers, but the subtle footsteps of a wing behind me now sounded like lightning striking next to me.
Photography: Eric Ravenscraft
Sometimes it was almost too much. I found myself playing at a lower volume than I usually use, just so the harsh sounds wouldn’t be as piercing. Still, games like supervision 2 Rely heavily on sound cues to know what’s going on around you, and noticing a Reaper sneaking up behind you a second early can be the difference between life and death.
It’s hard to say how useful each of the nearly 200 profiles would be. And it goes without saying, but a slightly more optimized audio experience won’t magically make you better at any game you play. That said, I appreciate the option exists. It feels and sounds better when care has been taken to tailor my audio experience to a specific game.
Before trying out the Arctis GameBuds, I wasn’t convinced that “gaming” headphones had to exist. Now? I am more convinced. The 2.4GHz dongle, audio profiles, and impressive Transparency mode helped make my gaming sessions easier and more comfortable than they would normally be with a full-size headset.