SteelSeries Arctis 3 Bluetooth Headset Review

The Arctis 3 Bluetooth headset gives you the easy freedom of choosing between wired, wireless, or both. I’m not one to actually care about driver details, balance of bass, or whether or not its audiophile rating is high. What I do care about is its utility, how well it performs, and if the form factor of the headset is a turn on or off. As a heads up, this was purchased for personal use through the SteelSeries website along with other accessories (shown below) which included in this review.

From go, the Arctis 3 is relatively light and can be used for prolonged sessions. The actual ear cups just hold it in place, the ski band being the main method to keep it sat comfortably on your head. Just don’t expect to go running or head bop too energetically with them though, as I've had trouble where leaning too far forward or back can cause them to slide off. Although if you’re playing a scary/horror game, the bluetooth function means you don’t have to be tethered. And if you are wired into your system, the splitter cable provided is a nice hearty length that it shouldn’t be a problem unless your audio jack is far away already.

Going back to the cups, they’re relatively easy to remove, although I did have to do some searching on how to do so. The process does require a bit more force than I expected, but that just shows how secure they are. On the earcups you will find the bluetooth on/off switch on the right, and on the left is the audio dimmer, microphone on/off switch, socket for the Micro USB charging port, proprietary audio connector for the supplied 3.5mm headset cable, and the retractable microphone.

Cables from left to right: micro USB, headset splitter, and proprietary 3.5mm connector.

The proprietary connector does take some time to learn to pop in and out, if you’re not going to take it off your head to connect. The angle it’s inserted in is slightly off kilter to where it’s actually inserted. A criticism of the headset is the fact it uses a micro USB to charge, and the lack of a quick charge like system or use of a Type-C port does raise a few eyebrows. Given its reasonable price, I’ll let it pass but it’s worth mentioning. The velcro that holds the strap is solid and well made, but it’s relatively finicky and when adjusting it’s kinda hard to make it balanced.

The headset’s battery is very capable of lasting an entire week without charging with bluetooth connection. When the headset is plugged in with a bluetooth connection audio is treated as equal for both inputs. However, the microphone will use bluetooth as a priority. So you will have to set your output audio to bluetooth and not stereo. If your mic isn’t muted, it’s very likely your OS or program isn’t using the headset. As for the microphone, it’s good and is about the same as any standard headset microphone. If you do use it on voice channels, the compression isn’t terrible going between wired and wireless. A problem I’ve been having recently is that my wired connection on desktop is worse that using bluetooth or when wire connected to my PlayStation 4.

The packaging is basic, but at least it's easy to open and doesn't require waiting for it to slide out.

The extra accessories that were bought as part of the bundle are nice, the fabric carry bag being the best part. It only just fits though, so it’s not the best if you’re in a hurry packing. Personally, I’d have preferred a hard case but it is a simple solution to protect it from scratching or bumps. The leather cups are nice and plush, but aren’t as comforting as the fabric ones or as easy to clean. They do act as great substitutes though if you stick the fabric ones into the wash. If you have any comments or questions, fire them below and I'll be happy to answer them.