SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni brings the ClearCast Pro mic

SteelSeries has launched the Arctis Nova Pro Omni, a $399.99 wireless headset built to work across PCs, consoles, handheld gaming devices and phones. It arrived as part of the company's 25th anniversary and is available in Midnight Blue, White and Graphite.

ClearCast Pro microphone

The headset introduces the ClearCast Pro, an omnidirectional microphone that SteelSeries describes as an upgrade over the mics on its other Arctis models. It uses a newer chipset that, according to the company, offers twice the bandwidth of other gaming headsets. AI algorithms running on the headset are claimed to remove 96% of background noise without any extra software on the computer.

The microphone also benefits from the headset's audio mixing. It can be live in game chat and in Discord at the same time, and a Smart Switch feature hands it over to a smartphone when a call comes in. After the call ends, the mic returns to the active game chat automatically.

Connections and sound

SteelSeries calls its multi-device feature Omniplay. The base station accepts up to three devices over wired USB-C, and the headset can link to five devices in total across 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth, mixing their audio together. The example given is a Discord call on a PC, game sound from an Xbox and video from a phone, all heard at once. Wireless audio runs at 96kHz/24-bit and carries Hi-Res Wireless certification from the Japan Audio Society.

• Custom 40mm neodymium drivers with a 10Hz to 40kHz range
• 360 Spatial Audio tuning
• Active noise cancellation rated to block 88% of outside noise
• Arctis mobile app with more than 200 game-specific audio profiles
• SteelSeries Sonar support on PC

The Arctis app on a phone lets players switch presets in real time without leaving a game or call. The launch report presents the headset as SteelSeries' answer to the shift of players from desktops and consoles towards the Steam Deck, ROG Ally X, Nintendo Switch and smartphones.