SteelSeries Arctis Prime Review

The Prime is a new line up of products from SteelSeries designed for competitive gaming and is engineered for performance. The Prime line of products builds on SteelSeries’ 20 years of innovation and pedigree as the original esports brand. The Prime lineup features a new Prime Wireless headset and a trio of gaming mice: the Prime, Prime+ and Prime Wireless.

This is our review of the Arctis Prime headset which uses the same high-fidelity drivers from the Arctis Pro for maximum clarity and detail.

Highlights:

• Advanced high fidelity audio drivers with the same premium hardware and tuning from the Arctis Pro
• Built for extreme durability and lightweight performance with aluminum alloy and steel
• Noise isolating leather-like ear cushions for both long-lasting comfort and noise isolation
• Discord-certified ClearCast microphone
• Detachable 3.5mm cable compatible with all gaming platforms including PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch

Specifications

Packaging

The Arctis Prime comes in a SteelSeries branded cardboard packaging, in a mix of grey and orange colors. On the front is a photo of the headset along with features and compatibility, while on the sides and back are the detailed specifications of the product. The packaging includes:

• Arctis Prime Headset
• 4-Pole 3.5mm adapter
• Dual 3.5mm Extension Cable
• Microphone Pop Filter
• Product Information Guide

Design & Build

The Arctis Prime features the signature ski-goggle headband. The headband can be easily adjusted to different head sizes and offers a comfortable fit.

The headband is made of lightweight aluminum, which gives the headset a premium feel. The rest of the headset is made of high-quality matte plastic which blends in well with the overall design and feel. The ear cups are made of padded soft leather-like cushions which are very comfortable and offers good noise cancellation.

The Discord-certified ClearCast microphone is located on the left side of the headset and is retractable. The ClearCast microphone is the same as the original Arctis 7 headset, with bi-directional audio that helps filter out unwanted noise.

Also, on the left earcup you have the volume knob and microphone mute buttons, Headphone Share Jack, USB to 3.5mm audio jack. The microphone button pops out when its muted so you can easily tell what state it is in. There are no controls on the right ear cup is the power button.

The Arctis Prime uses a detachable 4-pole 3.5mm cable for connecting to PCs that use a single headset jack and a dual 3.5mm extension cable for PCs that use separate jacks for headphone and microphone audio. It can connect directly to a PlayStation controller, Xbox controller, or Nintendo switch via the 3.5mm cable.

Performance & Audio Quality

A highlight of the Arctis Prime is their compatibility with devices such PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch and Android devices. Simply plug using the 3.5mm cable regardless of whether it is a smartphone, console or PC and use it immediately without the need to install any software.

The Arctis Prime comes with advanced high fidelity audio drivers, premium hardware and tuning as the Arctis Pro. In terms of audio quality, two high-quality neodymium 40 mm drivers are responsible for the audio conversion, which according to SteelSeries, covers a frequency range from 10–10,000 Hz.

The Arctis Prime performed very well in terms of audio quality – music, voices and combat sounds and is insulated well enough for external noise-cancellation. Music and and in-game sounds are more immersive. Voices are crisp and loud enough and we were able distinguish sounds coming in from different distances with perfect accuracy. However, if you are looking for a headset that has a deep bass, the Arctis Prime is not the right fit.

The retractable ClearCast microphone is okay as it sounds a bit damp sometimes. It has a frequency response from 100–10,000 Hz, is discord-certified and comes with active noise cancellation to filter out ambient noises.

One of the downsides to the Arctis Prime is that they are not compatible with SteelSeries Engine software. However, they can be customized in-game or through Windows Audio settings. But by default, the audio quality, clarity and balance are excellent.

Verdict

The SteelSeries Arctis Prime is perfect for anyone looking for an inexpensive and feature-packed headset. It features a minimalist design, lightweight durable metal construction, great sound quality, noise-canceling Discord-certified mic, detachable 3.5mm cable, and on-headset volume and mute controls.

In terms of comfort, the ski-goggle headband design takes a lot of the weight off your head, making the headset feel light. The Airweave fabric ear cushions also offer a very comfortable fit even for a long period of use. At this price point, SteelSeries Arctis Prime is an easy recommendation.

However, the microphone could be better since the lack of software support limits any sort of customization.