Home Tech SteelSeries just changed the game with Arctis GameBuds

SteelSeries just changed the game with Arctis GameBuds

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Steel Series Arctis Game Buds Case a white oval-shaped case with a small USB port on the back

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.

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