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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a lightweight, wired, plug-and-forget PC or PlayStation headset with a certified boom mic and easy-to-clean ear cushions, choose ASUS TUF Gaming H1; if you need wireless freedom across PS5, PC, Switch and mobile with long battery life, app-based game presets and a USB-C dongle, choose SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P.
• ASUS TUF Gaming H1 — biggest strength: A genuinely light wired design (297 g) with a metal suspension headband, TeamSpeak-certified unidirectional mic and removable, cleanable ear cushions. Simple, sturdy, no charging.
• ASUS TUF Gaming H1 — biggest trade-off: It is USB-A wired only, so you are tethered to your desk or console, and there is no active noise cancellation or wireless mode.
• SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P — biggest strength: Untethered multi-platform audio over 2.4GHz or Bluetooth 5.3, up to 40 hours per charge, fast charging, and 200+ game presets via the Arctis Companion app.
• SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P — biggest trade-off: It is a wireless headset, which means charging habits, dongle management, and no wired USB-A fallback in the box.
• For the desk-bound competitive PC gamer who wants zero charging friction → ASUS TUF Gaming H1.
• For the multi-device player who moves between PS5, PC, Switch, handheld and phone → SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P.
The TUF Gaming H1 Gen II is built around one idea: keep it light and keep it simple. At 297 grams with a metal suspension headband, it is designed so the weight spreads across your head rather than pressing down on it — the kind of thing you notice three hours into a session, not three minutes in. It's an over-the-head, on-ear design in black with faux leather, metal and plastic construction, and it connects over a straight USB-A cable.
Audio comes from dynamic ASUS Essence drivers with a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz frequency range and 32 ohm impedance, paired with virtual 7.1 surround sound. In practice, that means positional cues in shooters and a wider sense of space in single-player games, driven by software rather than a physical multi-driver array. The microphone is unidirectional and TeamSpeak-certified — a spec that speaks to voice clarity for in-game chat and voice comms rather than studio recording.
The feature I find most practical is the ear cushions. They are removable, and ASUS states they resist alcohol and hypochlorous acid, which matters if you clean your gear regularly or share a setup. Push-button controls handle the essentials, and there's a white TUF Gaming lighting accent on the cups. It's for PC, PS5 and PS4 players who want one cable, no charging, and a headset they can wipe down.
Buy it if: you play at a desk or on a console, you hate managing battery levels, and you want a light on-ear headset with a certified boom mic you can clean.
Skip it if: you game on a phone, tablet or handheld, you want Bluetooth, or you want to move around the room while listening.
The Arctis Nova 3P is the opposite philosophy: cut the cable, then make the software do the heavy lifting. It talks to your devices two ways — 2.4GHz wireless through a multi-platform USB-C dongle, or Bluetooth 5.3 — and you can quick-switch between them, so game audio on 2.4GHz and a phone call or music on Bluetooth don't have to fight each other.
The headline comfort number is 260 grams, lighter than the ASUS, with a stretchy headband, multiple adjustment points and a dual-hinge design SteelSeries frames as durability insurance. It's an over-ear fit in the Aqua colorway, 36 ohm impedance, dynamic drivers, and a frequency response up to 22,000 Hz.
Where it separates itself is battery and tuning. SteelSeries quotes up to 40 hours per charge, and fast charging gets you roughly 9 hours of playback from a 15-minute top-up. The Arctis Companion mobile app offers 200+ game presets, including dedicated profiles for titles like Call of Duty and Fortnite, designed to sharpen sounds like footsteps, reloads and heals in real time. The drivers are custom neodymium magnetic units tuned for clear highs, pinpoint mids and deep bass. Controls cover mute, pairing, power and volume, and active noise cancellation is listed as a feature.
Buy it if: you split your time across PS5, PS4, PC, Switch, mobile or handhelds, want one headset for all of them, and value app-level per-game tuning.
Skip it if: you want a pure wired connection with no dongle, no app and no charging routine — or if you prefer a boom mic you can position at your mouth rather than the integrated approach this model takes.
• Best for long desk sessions without charging → ASUS TUF Gaming H1. Wired USB-A means it's always ready; no battery math.
• Best for multi-device households → SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P. 2.4GHz plus Bluetooth 5.3 covers PS5, PC, Switch, handhelds and phones with one dongle.
• Best for lightest feel on your head → SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P. 260 g versus 297 g, and it's over-ear rather than on-ear.
• Best for microphone clarity in voice chat → ASUS TUF Gaming H1. A unidirectional, TeamSpeak-certified mic is the more purpose-built comms setup here.
• Best for per-game audio tuning → SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P. The Companion app's preset library is the standout feature on this list.
• Best for hygiene and easy maintenance → ASUS TUF Gaming H1. Removable cushions rated resistant to alcohol and hypochlorous acid cleaning.
• Best for battery endurance → SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P. Up to 40 hours, with a 15-minute charge giving about 9 hours.
• Best for zero-setup simplicity → ASUS TUF Gaming H1. Plug in the USB-A cable and play; no pairing, no app, no firmware habits.
If I had to pick one for myself, I'd take the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P. The reason is flexibility: 2.4GHz and Bluetooth with a USB-C dongle means it follows me from PS5 to PC to phone, and the 40-hour battery plus fast charging removes most of the anxiety I have about wireless headsets dying mid-session. The app presets are a real, concrete advantage for competitive shooters.
That said, if your setup never leaves one desk and you want a headset you never think about — no charging, no pairing, a certified boom mic and washable pads — the ASUS TUF Gaming H1 is the more sensible, lower-maintenance buy. Both are legitimate picks; the deciding question is whether you value wireless reach or wired permanence.
Both work on PS5. The ASUS connects via USB-A, while the Arctis Nova 3P uses a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle or Bluetooth. If you want wireless on console, the Arctis is the one; if you want a permanent wired connection, the ASUS.
Yes, it's a gaming headset with a mic and on-board mute control, and it's tuned through the Arctis Companion app's game presets. The ASUS, by contrast, uses a unidirectional TeamSpeak-certified microphone aimed at clear in-game chat.
On paper the Arctis Nova 3P is lighter at 260 g with an over-ear fit and a stretchy headband. The ASUS is 297 g, on-ear, with a metal suspension headband that distributes weight. Over-ear usually means less pressure on the ears over time, but on-ear with a suspension band can feel lighter than the number suggests.
No. It's a wired USB-A headset, so there's no battery and no charging. The Arctis Nova 3P is the one with a battery — up to 40 hours per charge, with fast charging giving roughly 9 hours from a 15-minute top-up.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P, clearly. Bluetooth 5.3 lets it double as a everyday wireless headset for music and calls, while the ASUS is a USB-A wired gaming headset with no Bluetooth or mobile connection.
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