SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless review - Modern versatility - Android

There are a lot of gimmicky gaming headsets these days. You can find headsets with intense surround sound (which admittedly isn’t all that gimmicky anymore), vibrating earpads, customizable LED lights, or an included DAC with separate modes for different devices. Basically, it all boils down to this: if you want a specific feature, something’s got it, and it probably costs too much. A gaming headset that eschews extra features in favor of just nailing the basics is pretty rare. With the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless, the HyperX Cloud Alpha finally has some company in the simple-but-great category.

Who is the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless for?

• Nintendo Switch gamers looking for a decent wireless audio solution, or gamers looking for any good wireless headset that works with most devices.
• At-home workers who want something wireless that sounds good and lasts a long time.
• People looking for wireless headphones that work with USB-C smartphones and don’t rely on Bluetooth.

What is the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless like?

A lot of the best gaming experiences on the Switch don’t need a mic, so it’s nice you can just remove it.

The Arctis 1 Wireless is impressive. It’s the first wireless gaming headset to support USB-C, built on the same framework as great SteelSeries gaming headsets the Arctis 7 and Arctis Pro, with solid sound and a decent mic. It’s also only $100.

The headset has been updated to fit the needs of Nintendo Switch owners, for whom good wireless options were few and far between. Previously, USB headsets only worked when the console was docked; you had to use a 3.5mm solution if you wanted to go mobile. The Arctis 1 Wireless makes it easy to play in both configurations. Just take the small dongle out of the adapter, slap it on the bottom of the Switch, and this bad boy’s ready to go.

All things considered, this is a pretty low profile dongle.

The SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless is primarily a plastic headset, with the airweave fabric headphone pads typical of SteelSeries products. Think of them as a little firmer than fabric like velour, but without the heat buildup of leather. Overall, this is a very comfortable headset; it sits securely, and creates a great seal too. The ear cups aren’t very deep and might get a little uncomfortable during long gameplay sessions, particularly for people with especially large ears. Remember, when you’re using something for hours on end, even minor quibbles can turn into serious discomfort.

Unfortunately, the headset can’t be used via the micro USB charging port. In fact, it doesn’t work at all while charging.

The headset also sports on-ear controls and a detachable 3.5mm mic, which is nice if you decide to connect it to a phone or mobile device with a USB-C port — something that also works well, though it adds bulk.

Gaming with the SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless

If the isolation were a little better, this would be a fantastic cafe gaming option.

My time gaming with the Arctis 1 was a real treat. The USB-C dongle and USB-A adapter made gaming on the Switch convenient, but it also meant gaming on the Playstation 4 and PC worked just as well (the Xbox One doesn’t support it, unfortunately).

The gaming headset handled the low-key jazzy soundtrack of Untitled Goose Game just as well as the gunfire-and-explosion-heavy profile of Overwatch. Surround sound wasn’t an option, though the PC version of Overwatch’s game-level surround sound worked just fine. Surround sound isn’t necessary in most games, so this really isn’t an issue.

Typical of every SteelSeries gaming headset, the Arctis 1 Wireless is also compatible with the company’s Engine audio software, but all you can do with it is monitor battery life, which is kind of hard to gauge otherwise. In our testing, the battery lasted 25 hours and 22 minutes on a single charge, but you may get a little more than that — our test runs at a higher volume than many people listen to.