SteelSeries
has
created
new
earbuds
that
are
designed
to
pair
with
Xbox,
PlayStation,
Nintendo
Switch
consoles,
or
even
PCs
and
mobile
phones.
The
$159.99
Arctis
GameBuds
include
active
noise
cancellation
(ANC),
Qi
wireless
charging,
and
the
ability
to
instantly
swap
between
mobile
Bluetooth
usage
and
console
or
PC
gaming.
I’ve
been
trying
them
out
for
the
past
few
days,
and
so
far,
I’m
impressed,
but
I’ll
need
more
time
for
a
full
review.
The
Arctis
GameBuds
look
very
similar
to
most
earbuds
on
the
market,
complete
with
a
variety
of
silicone
tips
to
fit
different
ear
shapes.
SteelSeries
is
using
a
four-microphone
ANC
system
to
block
out
sounds
while
you’re
gaming,
and
there’s
a
transparency
mode
if
you
want
to
hear
the
environment
around
you.
The
Arctis
GameBuds
fit
into
a
wireless
charging
case.Image:
SteelSeries
The
GameBuds
connect
to
an
Xbox
or
PlayStation
through
a
tiny
USB-C
dongle
that
provides
2.4GHz
wireless
connectivity.
You
can
triple-tap
a
button
on
the
earbuds
to
swap
between
Bluetooth
5.3
for
mobile
devices
and
the
2.4GHz
wireless
signal
for
consoles
and
PCs.
It’s
surprisingly
quick
at
swapping
the
audio
over,
but
it
doesn’t
support
simultaneous
audio
over
Bluetooth
and
2.4GHz
like
Sony’s
Pulse
Explore
earbuds
do.
I’ve
been
immediately
impressed
with
the
EQ
settings
in
the
mobile
companion
app.
It
includes
more
than
100
audio
presets
for
popular
games
like
Call
of
Duty,
Destiny
2,
EA
Sports
FC
24,
Fortnite,
and
Valorant.
These
largely
mirror
the
same
EQ
presets
that
can
be
found
in
SteelSeries’
GG
desktop
PC
app
with
Sonar,
and
the
results
are
impressive
in
games
like
Valorant,
where
you
need
to
hear
every
footstep
possible.
You
can
also
toggle
ANC
and
transparency
modes
in
the
mobile
app
or
adjust
the
level
of
how
much
noise
is
being
canceled
out
or
allowed
in.
Both
the
mobile
and
desktop
SteelSeries
apps
will
allow
you
to
control
these
settings
and
show
the
battery
life
levels
for
each
earbud
and
the
charging
case.
The
GameBuds
come
with
a
useful
mobile
app.Image:
SteelSeries
The
ANC
does
a
good
job
of
filtering
out
sounds
around
you
if
you’re
playing
music
or
a
loud
game,
but
you’ll
still
hear
some
ambient
sounds
if
you
have
the
volume
low
or
your
game
doesn’t
have
a
ton
of
audio.
SteelSeries
promises
that
the
charging
case
delivers
40
hours
of
battery
life,
with
10
hours
for
each
use
and
three
extra
charges
thanks
to
the
case.
I’ve
found
that
the
battery
drains
at
around
10
percent
an
hour
using
the
2.4GHz
connection,
so
the
battery
life
looks
like
it
will
be
solid.
The
case
also
offers
wireless
Qi
charging
(not
Qi2)
and
a
USB-C
connection
at
the
rear
that
will
provide
around
three
hours
of
play
with
15
minutes
of
fast
charging.
While
the
GameBuds
work
across
consoles
and
PC,
there
are
separate
models
for
both
Xbox
and
PlayStation.
If
you
purchase
the
PlayStation
model,
it
will
only
work
on
Sony’s
consoles,
PC,
and
mobile,
but
the
Xbox
version
works
across
all
platforms.
The
Xbox
variant
includes
an
additional
chip
to
adhere
to
Microsoft’s
security
policies
and
a
slider
button
to
switch
to
Xbox
compatibility.
The
white
model
is
exclusive
to
PlayStation,
and
there
is
a
black
variant
for
both
Xbox
and
PlayStation.
There
is
a
black
version
of
the
GameBuds
for
Xbox
players.Image:
SteelSeries
SteelSeries
is
entering
an
increasingly
crowded
earbud
market
for
gaming,
going
up
against
Sony,
Razer,
and
Logitech.
The
$159
price
of
the
Arctis
GameBuds
is
less
than
the
$199
Sony
asks
for
the
PlayStation
Pulse
Explore,
and
the
GameBuds
even
include
the
ANC
support
that
Sony
surprisingly
omitted.
Sony
offers
ANC
on
its
$199
InZone
Buds
with
impressive
12-hour
battery
life,
but
those
still
lack
the
wireless
charging
case
that
SteelSeries
provides.
While
the
$149
Razer
Hammerhead
HyperSpeed
buds
include
ANC,
they
only
deliver
three
hours
per
charge.
Logitech’s
$179
G
Fits
have
better
battery
life
at
seven
hours
but
lack
ANC.
SteelSeries
has
clearly
found
a
gap
in
the
market
where
it
can
offer
low-latency
earbuds
with
Bluetooth
connectivity,
a
mobile
app,
ANC,
and
a
wireless
charging
case,
all
for
$159.
The
Arctis
GameBuds
are
available
to
preorder
today
in
black
and
white
versions,
priced
at
$159.99
(€169.99).
The
GameBuds
will
be
released
worldwide
on
October
29th.
(Originally posted by Tom Warren)
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