Steelseries Versus Turtle Beach Gaming Headsets

Many brands create gaming headsets, but two of the most popular are Steelseries and Turtle Beach. Both these companies are dedicated to making accessories for gamers, including mice, keyboards, controllers, and headphones. Steelseries and Turtle Beach make decent gaming headphones, but there are some differences between the two. Keep reading for a breakdown of Steelseries vs. Turtle Beach headphones.

The most important factor when looking at gaming headsets is their sound quality. Turtle Beach headphones have decent sound, especially in some more expensive models. However, Steelseries does have a slightly better sound reproduction that is perfect for gaming.

Steelseries and Turtle Beach have good microphones. Steelseries offers gamers great noise handling for crisp microphone performance. Turtle Beach also has decent microphones. Though the short boom design gives their sound a slightly lower quality than Steelseries, they still perform great in multi-player gaming settings.

Turtle Beach has a wider range of options at various price points. You can get a Turtle Beach headset for as low as $39.95, and most of their products don’t exceed $200. So Turtle Beach is a great budget option for gamers who want a decent headset without spending hundreds of dollars.

Steelseries is a bit more expensive, with their most affordable headset being $49.95, and their most expensive is $349.99. However, the Steelseries gaming headset feels a bit more high-end with a more durable and sleek design. The one major downside to Steelseries products is that they may not fit all gamers. Their headband style can’t be adjusted to fit larger sizes and may not comfortably fit everyone. Even more, you may lose some audio quality and have inconsistent sound performance if your headsets don’t fit properly.

Most gaming headsets are designed to be compatible with only one gaming console. So not all headsets are compatible with both Xbox and Playstation. Turtle Beach and Steelseries make headphones that can work with multiple consoles, including Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo Switch, PC, and more. The Steelseries Arctis 7X+ costs $169.99 and supports all major consoles. So does the $249.99 Arctis Nova Pro with Multi-System Connect, which allows you to connect to multiple consoles. From Turtle Beach, the Stealth 700 Gen 2 for $199.95 is licensed by Microsoft for Xbox but compatible across platforms.

Gaming headsets from both brands give gamers a pretty extensive battery life. For example, the Arctis 7X from Steelseries has a 30-hour battery life. Turtle Beach’s Stealth Gen 2 offers over 40 hours of battery life, so Turtle Beach has a better battery life for a better price. However, the Steelseries Arctis Nova Pro has an “Infinity Power System,” which contains two batteries, each with about 20 hours of battery life. You can charge one while using the other, then quickly switch them out for continuous gameplay.

An attractive feature of any gaming headset is its ability to double as standard headphones. Steelseries products have great audio quality and provide crisp sounds when used to listen to music and podcasts. Turtle Beach, however, beats Steelseries in their mobile compatibility.

Most wired Turtle Beach products have a standard ⅛” jack. It fits in the headphone jack on most mobile devices, and wireless models are Bluetooth compatible. Some models even have detachable mics, like the Elite Atlas Pro PC, so they are more convenient to use as daily headphones. The Turtle Beach Audio Hub also has a mobile app where you can change EQ levels that is compatible with Bluetooth-equipped models.

When comparing Steelseries vs. Turtle Beach, Steelseries is the clear winner regarding audio and mic quality and durability. However, Steelseries may literally not be the best fit for every gamer. Turtle Beach is a better option for gamers who are on a budget, want to be able to use their headphones for mobile use, or can’t get Steelseries gaming headsets to fit properly. Both brands have products with extensive battery life and cross-platform compatible options.

Whether you buy a Steelseries or Turtle Beach headset, protecting them is crucial to extending their lifespan. Upsie has the best headphones warranty for gaming headsets, regular headphones, and earbuds. Pick between a 2- and 3-year plan, to cover your headphones from accidental or mechanical damage. And with the help of Upsie’s fantastic customer service team, you can easily file a claim and get your headphones fixed quickly so you can get back to gaming. You can learn more about how Upsie warranty plans work here.

Experience worry-free gaming with an Upsie headphones warranty plan.