SteelSeries Arctis ANC GameBuds For Multi-Platform Gaming Are Now Up For Preorder
Remember those SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds that I wrote about a few weeks ago? They're part of a small but growing catalog of earbuds designed specifically for gamers, and they're now available to preorder. Just be sure that you select the right model for your game system, as only the Xbox variant will work with Xbox Series X|S game consoles.
I'm a big fan of gaming earbuds, and it started with my evaluation of Razer's Hammerhead Pro Hyperspeed earbuds last year. Why is that? It's about consolidation, and I much prefer having a single set of earbuds that I can use to game on my PC and consoles, as well as take out with me to listen to music on walks and adventures. The alternative is to have a dedicated headset for gaming and separate earbuds like Apple's AirPods for listening to music. Or find a wireless headset for both, but if you're like me, you really prefer the earbud form factor when out and about.
Unfortunately, there aren't a ton of earbud options for gamers. Only a spattering exist, including the aforementioned Razer earbuds, as well as ASUS ROG's recently launched Cetra True Wireless and a few other options. Fortunately, the Arctis GameBuds have joined the fray, and they come in both black and white color options for the PS5 model, and just black for the Xbox variant.
To quickly recap, the Arctis GameBuds features active noise cancellation (ANC) with a transparency mode for the opposite effect, 360-degree spatial audio, neodymium magnetic drivers, up to 10 hours of claimed run time per charge (up to 40 hours if factoring in the included Qi charging case), and over 100 game audio presents tuned for the specific game you're playing.
Here's where you can purchase the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds...
- SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds for Xbox: $159.99 at Amazon
- SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds for PS5 (white): $159.99 at Best Buy
- SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds for PS5 (black): $159.99 at Best Buy
Oddly enough, we're not seeing the PS5 variant at Amazon. The Xbox model should work with both consoles (as well as the Switch, mobile devices, and so forth), but what separates it from the other two is that it comes with a USB-A cable to enable using the 2.4GHz wireless receiver on Xbox systems.
The earbuds release on October 29, 2024. As for pricing, it's in line with the competition. For example, you can snag the ASUS ROG Cetra True Wireless earbuds for $169.99 at Amazon (on same from $199.99) and the Razer Hammerhead Pro HyperSpeed earbuds for $159.99 at Amazon (also on sale from $199.99).
