SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless vs Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3
Quick take: The Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3 costs $10 less; the Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3 lasts longer per charge (80 hrs).
Which one to buy
At $120 and $110, these are two mid-range wireless headsets owners weigh against each other. Both have a 2.4GHz dongle plus Bluetooth with a button to switch, both run their EQ from a phone app, and both are sold in platform variants that trip up buyers, so check the box against your console before you check out.
The Stealth 600 Gen 3 wins on battery and mic noise handling. Independent testing went past its 80-hour rating, and owners describe charging it twice a month. Its flip-to-mute mic uses AI noise reduction that strips out fans and keyboards, though its short boom sounds a little distant. Larger heads and glasses wearers get roomy memory-foam cups. The Nova 5 answers with comfort from its ski-band suspension, a 32kHz retractable mic owners rate highly, and 100+ game-specific presets in its phone app. Its known flaw is the small cup openings.
The Turtle Beach's quirks are mostly about setup. The on-cup controls are confusing, and owners report sitting in silence because the headset was in the wrong mode. It distorts near max volume, has no 3.5mm fallback, and can pair to the wrong dongle in a house with several Turtle Beach headsets. The Nova 5's main chore is picking an EQ preset to fix its bass-heavy default.
If you hate charging, buy the Turtle Beach. If you care more about suspension-band comfort and tuning by game, buy the SteelSeries.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless
If you want a ski-band suspension headband, a mic owners rate well, and 100+ per-game EQ presets from your phone, and your ears aren't large.
Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3
If you want 80-plus hours between charges, a mic that filters out room noise, and roomier cups for big ears or glasses. It's also $10 cheaper.
| Spec | SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless | Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$120 | ~$110 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Gaming Headsets | Gaming Headsets |
| Noise Cancelling | None | None |
| Battery (single charge) | 60 hrs | 80 hrs |
| Battery (with case) | — | — |
| Quick Charge | 15 min = 6 hr | — |
| Codecs | 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, USB-C | 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth |
| Bluetooth | 5.3 | 5.2 |
| Multipoint | No | No |
| Driver Size | 40 mm | 50 mm |
| Weight | 265 g | — |
| Water Resistance | — | — |
| Wireless Charging | No | No |
| Transparency Mode | No | No |
| Spatial Audio | Yes | Yes |
| App EQ | Yes | Yes |
Pros & cons
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless
- ✓60-hour battery outlasts the more expensive Nova 7
- ✓Companion phone app with 100+ game-specific EQ presets — rare for console users
- ✓Light 265g build with comfortable elastic headband
- ✓15 min = 6 hr USB-C fast charge
- ✓Quick-switch between 2.4GHz dongle and Bluetooth 5.3
- ✓Retractable mic is solid for party chat and Discord
- ✓Regularly discounted to $80-100
- ✗Base model is NOT Xbox compatible — the Nova 5X variant covers Xbox
- ✗Cannot run 2.4GHz and Bluetooth simultaneously like the Nova 7
- ✗Shallow ear cups — owners with larger ears report rubbing and weak seal
- ✗Passive noise isolation is mediocre and there is no ANC
- ✗Default tuning is safe rather than exciting without EQ
Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3
- ✓80-hour battery is best-in-class — charge every week or two
- ✓Xbox variant works on Xbox, PS5/PS4, PC, Switch, and Bluetooth devices
- ✓QuickSwitch button hops between 2.4GHz and Bluetooth instantly
- ✓Swarm II app has a real 10-band EQ on desktop and mobile
- ✓AI noise reduction on the mic silences keyboard and background noise
- ✓Deeper ear cups are friendlier to glasses wearers than the Gen 2
- ✓Flip-to-mute mic is a big step up from the previous generation
- ✗PlayStation variant has no Xbox support — easy to buy the wrong box
- ✗Mic voice quality is a bit compressed vs good boom mics
- ✗Firm clamping force out of the box
- ✗Plasticky build for the size
- ✗No simultaneous 2.4GHz + Bluetooth mixing — switch only
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless vs Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3: common questions
How much longer does the Stealth 600 Gen 3's battery really last?▾
A lot. Independent testing went past its 80-hour rating, and owners report two weeks of daily gaming per charge. The Nova 5's 60-hour rating works out to about 48 hours of heavy use, about 40 with Bluetooth connected too. That's still a weekly charge, so the difference is between weekly and twice a month.
Is the Nova 5 or the Stealth 600 Gen 3 better for glasses wearers?▾
Both have good reputations with glasses. The Nova 5's ski-band suspension takes pressure off your head, and Turtle Beach's memory-foam cushions are shaped to relieve glasses arms. If you also have larger ears, the Turtle Beach's roomier cups make it the safer pick.
Can I use the Nova 5 or the Stealth 600 Gen 3 with a phone while the dongle is in my console?▾
Yes, but one at a time. Both switch between the 2.4GHz dongle and Bluetooth with a button rather than mixing them. If you want both playing at once, you need something like the Nova 7 Gen 2.