Things I Don’t Hate: SteelSeries Arctis 5 Headset
I hate uncomfortable headsets. They squish my ears, cause headaches with constant pressure, and give me the ear sweats. So for about a year, I searched for the perfect headset. The perfect headset puts little to no pressure on my head and ears, is breathable, and fits my smaller-than-average noggin. It has to stay comfortable for 5+ hours of wear.
After researching and trying on too many headsets, I found my match.
The SteelSeries Arctis 5 Headset hits all of the marks.
Breathable:
The mesh fabric on the ear cushions has great airflow and won’t irritate the sensitive skin around the ears.
Low pressure:
The Arctis 5 uses an elastic band, similar to those on ski goggles, that rests on the top of your head instead of hard plastic. This, combined with the light weight and comfortable ear cushions, allows there to be little to no pressure applied to the ears or top of the head. It’s great!
Perfect fit:
This headset fit me right out of the box. The size is adjusted through the head band, and I appreciate it more for not having the annoying slide feature that a lot of headsets utilize for sizing. The size range is fairly large. My partner, who has a fairly large skull and a thick head of hair, also finds it to be very comfortable for long periods of time; though I imagine there would be a bit more pressure if you have a large head.
And the best part: it remains comfortable! I’ve worn it for long gaming sessions with no headaches or discomfort. The sound quality is great, although I am no sound snob, and the ChatMix dial has proven very useful for balancing game and chat audio to my preference. The price was also decent when compared to the previous headsets I had tried on: $100 new, but an older refurbished option was available for $65. I chose the refurbished option and it showed up in like-new condition (that might not always be the case).
Downsides:
Honestly, probably none for me. Here’s what I am guessing you might not like:
- I don’t really use the SteelSeries Engine program, so I can’t speak to that. It might be terrible, or it might be great.
- You might not like RGB lights on your headset. If so, you can at least program these to the color you hate the least.
- You might know more about sound quality than I do and decide that this headset sounds disgusting.
