The first thing you’ll notice about these headphones is their mature appearance; the design is tastefully understated. They’re mostly made of matte-black plastic with some gloss-black highlights. A ski goggle-style strap rests on top of your head, softly supporting the weight of the headset. When combined with the sumptuous earpiece construction. You’ll appreciate it if you’re planning a long gaming session. Unlike most over-ear headsets, they don’t get too hot on your ears. When not in use, the microphone retracts and hides inside the left hand can. The microphone arm can be adjusted to achieve the ideal position, but a slightly longer arm would have been preferable. The headset has a volume control as well as a microphone mute button. To get the “virtual 7.1 surround” and noise-cancelling software for the microphone, you must first create an account and enter a product key. It’s inconvenient, especially if you don’t want to give away personal information just to use a headset you paid for. SteelSeries, on the other hand, benefits by obtaining my email address, which it immediately celebrated by sending me emails. The Arctis 3’s sound is surprisingly rich. There’s plenty of bass without being overpowering, as some Corsair gaming headsets can be. The range is obvious across the entire spectrum. In first-person shooter games, you’ll be able to hear every footstep and shell casing hitting the floor while still hearing the booms and explosions. Not much will escape either. They are, however, not as isolating as other headsets. You’ll be aware if other people in the room are watching TV. On the PC, the microphone picks up sounds clearly and is bi-directional. SteelSeries claims that it will eliminate background noise, allowing only your voice to be transmitted. This is clever, but keep in mind that it will not work on the Xbox or PlayStation 4.
