- The SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds boast a plethora of mobile gaming presets
- Comfy fit, tactile buttons, and wireless charging to boot
- Can be pretty pricey if you’re on a budget
While it’s still ideal for me to mute my phone when I’m out playing in public, sometimes, having the music on in atmospheric narrative adventures or intense firefights is a must – the only problem is that my ears often feel sore after just a short while of having any kind of earphones on. Will the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds finally be the answer to my sore ears’ prayers?
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SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds Design
SteelSeries is no stranger to all things gaming, which is probably why the Arctis GameBuds are named as they are – after all, why would a gamer need earbuds when you can have “gamebuds” instead?
Okay, so you might think that it’s just a fancy term for basically the same thing, but my experience with these wireless earbuds really does justify SteelSeries’ decision to craft their personal moniker. Even at first glance, once you open up the case, there’s a lovely “GLHF” engraving on the back of the cover, which really brings me back to the good ol’ days when I used to stay up way too late Zergling Rush-ing random strangers over the internet in StarCraft.
While those days are long gone now, it’s a nice little nod to the friendly competitive spirit that RTS always brings, and seeing it etched onto the case actually brought a smile to my face.
Of course, the earbuds themselves are the stars of the show here, with each one comfortably crafted to fit nice and snug into my ear. In case the default one doesn’t work for you, there are S/M/L silicone ear tips you can choose from, neatly tucked away in the space-efficient box along with the USB-C charging cable and the USB-C to USB-A adapter.
Unlike other earbuds, the dongle slots in nicely into the case as well, so it’s easy to bring it along wherever portable gaming calls you to be. The case, however, does have a very plastic feel to it, very much unlike the metallic and heftier feel of the EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid gaming earbuds. It’s sleek and lightweight though, so I suppose that’s the trade-off for the less premium material.
Gaming Experience And Performance
As for the gamebuds themselves, what I absolutely love about them is that the controls are actual buttons – oh my goodness. I can’t tell you how much I loathe touch controls on earbuds – I simply can’t tap them the right way, and I always end up doing one thing when I mean to do another thing. I blame it on my poor tap-memorisation skills, or maybe I just can’t differentiate a light tap from a long tap.
But whatever the case, the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are a lifesaver in that department – the surface of the earbuds themselves are tappable buttons in all their tactile goodness.
I also love how the instructions are written onto the packaging itself – no more scouring through multiple pages of instruction manuals just to pair my devices with each other. Adjust the volume, cycle through the ANC modes, and mute yourself with simple tactile taps – you can even quickly switch between Bluetooth and dongle modes in three simple taps.
There’s an AquaBarrier IP55 dust and splash protection too, so I don’t have to worry about my clammy and sweaty fingers ruining a perfectly good pair of earbuds.
An extra plus here is the Qi Wireless Charging feature – this means I can just pop the whole case onto a wireless charger and be done with it, with no fumbling around for charging cables needed.
What’s The Verdict?
I’m not an esports player myself, but I can imagine how crucial low latency can be for competitive matches, along with the 30-hour battery life of the charging case. The gamebuds themselves boast ten hours of battery life, which means portability is truly the name of the game here.
The real game-changers, of course, are the 100+ audio presets built into the Arctis mobile app. Now, a lot of these peripherals often boast portability without really focusing on actual mobile gaming – which is contradictory, if you think about it, because isn’t the point of having earbuds to connect with your mobile phone? – so it was a pleasant surprise for me to find plenty of mobile offerings in the audio presets, from PUBG Mobile to League of Legends: Wild Rift.
Zenless Zone Zero, in particular, made me feel like I’m actually inside the Hollows battling the monstrous Corrupted, or strolling through Sixth Street with chill lofi beats in the background.
Overall, the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are a fantastic addition to mobile gaming kits, albeit at a heftier $169.99 price tag. The brand itself is also a bit of a badge of honour if you’re into that kind of thing, and although the Wear Sense tech (which pauses audio when you remove one earbud) is a tad too sensitive for me, you can at least toggle it on or off in the app should you so wish.
