When the Arctis Nova Pro Wireless launched back in 2022, it quickly became one of the best premium gaming headsets you could buy.
Between the swappable batteries, sleek base station, active noise cancellation and multi-platform support, it set a new benchmark for gaming audio.
I’ve sworn by the Nova Pro Wireless for years. Using it across my PlayStation 5 and PC with ease, even though my edition was licensed for the Xbox Series X|S.
A few years later, SteelSeries has returned with the Arctis Nova Pro Omni — but is this a genuine upgrade or more of a refinement?
The Nova Pro Wireless has been my benchmark for years, so I wasn’t looking for SteelSeries to completely reinvent it… but after using the Omni for the past month, I think they’ve done something smarter.
Same look, better feel
If you’ve seen the Nova Pro Wireless, you’ll already know what to expect.
Sitting beside my black Nova Pro Wireless, the navy finish on the Omni is honestly the biggest visual difference. The shape, the suspended headband and the wireless base station all remain largely unchanged.
I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
The Nova Pro Wireless still looks like a premium headset, and SteelSeries has wisely resisted the temptation to redesign something that didn’t really need changing.
The biggest difference isn’t what you see — it’s what you feel.
The ear cushions on the Omni are a little looser than the original Nova Pro Wireless. There’s less pressure around your head, which felt a little different at first, but after a few long gaming sessions I came to appreciate it.
The headset still feels secure, but it doesn’t grip quite as tightly as the original.
I wear glasses all the time, and that’s something plenty of gaming headsets still struggle with. Too much pressure around the ears can become uncomfortable after a couple of hours, but I never had that issue with the Omni. Even after long sessions, it remained comfortable enough that I forgot I was wearing it.
They’re small changes, but they’re the sort of things you notice when you use a headset every day.
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Familiar, but better
The Nova Pro Wireless already sounded fantastic, so I’m glad SteelSeries hasn’t completely changed the sound profile.
The Omni sounds familiar, but everything feels just a little more refined. Bass has a bit more punch, dialogue comes through a little cleaner and smaller details are easier to pick out without anything feeling overdone.
Positional audio is still excellent too. Whether I was tracking footsteps in Fortnite, delving into a spy thriller like 007 First Light, or sailing the high seas in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, the Omni delivered exactly what I’d expect from SteelSeries’ flagship headset.
Would I notice the difference if someone swapped the two headsets on my desk for five minutes? Probably not.
Would I notice after spending a month with the Omni and then switching back to my Nova Pro Wireless? Absolutely.
The older headset suddenly sounded just a little flatter than I remembered.
That’s probably the best way I can describe the Omni as a whole. Nothing has changed dramatically, but almost everything has been improved.
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The features I still love
One thing I was hoping SteelSeries wouldn’t change was the hot-swappable battery system.
Thankfully, it hasn’t.
It’s still one of my favourite features on any gaming headset. Keeping a spare battery charging in the base station means I’ve never had to plug the headset in halfway through a gaming session. When one battery runs flat, I swap it over in a few seconds and keep playing.
The wireless base station is just as useful as ever too. I regularly bounce between PC and PlayStation, and not having to dig through software to adjust settings has become something I rely on more than I probably realised.
Sometimes the best feature is the one you don’t have to think about.
A better microphone
The microphone has also seen a worthwhile improvement.
Friends noted that my voice sounded clearer on Discord before I even mentioned I was using a different headset. Background noise is handled better too, making it easier to chat without every keyboard tap or Doritos crunch ending up in chat.
It’s still a gaming headset microphone, but it’s one of the better ones I’ve used.
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Should Nova Pro Wireless users upgrade?
If you’ve already got a Nova Pro Wireless, this is probably the question you care about most.
For me, the answer isn’t as simple as yes or no.
If your current headset is still working perfectly, I don’t think you need to rush out and replace it.
The Omni isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel.
Instead, SteelSeries has taken an already excellent headset and improved the little things. It’s more comfortable, the sound has been refined, the microphone is better and the overall experience feels just that bit nicer.
None of those changes are huge on their own.
The other thing worth considering is the price. The Omni is clearly a premium product. At this price point, the Omni is competing with some of the best gaming headsets on the market, so it’s not going to be a casual upgrade.
After spending the past month with the Omni, I naturally stopped reaching for my Nova Pro Wireless (goodbye, ol’ faithful). Sure, my old headset is a little worn, but I didn’t swap because it suddenly felt outdated. I think the timing was just perfect.
For existing Nova Pro Wireless owners, this is a luxury upgrade rather than a necessary one. But for anyone buying a premium wireless headset today, the Omni makes a strong case as one of the best options available.
The Arctis Nova Pro Omni doesn’t reinvent SteelSeries’ flagship headset, but it improves almost everything that made the original great.
You can pick up the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni for $879 from JB Hi-Fi or just $799 on SteelSeries’ website.
SteelSeries provided products to Quest Daily for the purpose of this review.
