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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 wired, all-platform headset with a detachable mic and a steel-reinforced frame you can fold flat and carry anywhere, choose SteelSeries Arctis 1; if you need a wireless headset with a 2.4GHz dongle, Bluetooth 5.4, and a 50-hour battery for long sessions, choose Black Emblem X1.
• SteelSeries Arctis 1, biggest strength: a 3.5mm wired connection that works with PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and mobile, plus a detachable ClearCast microphone and a steel-reinforced headband that folds flat. At 181g it stays light on your head.
• SteelSeries Arctis 1, biggest trade-off: it is wired, so you are tethered by a 3m cable, and there is no battery or wireless freedom at all.
• Black Emblem X1, biggest strength: dual wireless — a 2.4GHz USB dongle for low-latency gaming plus Bluetooth 5.4 for mobile — backed by a 50-hour battery and a light 165g build.
• Black Emblem X1, biggest trade-off: no 3.5mm jack, and it is not compatible with Xbox. Bluetooth mode also does not work with PS4 or PS5, so those consoles need the dongle.
• Pick the Arctis 1 if you want one wired headset that covers every console and doubles as on-the-go headphones.
• Pick the Black Emblem X1 if you want wireless freedom, long battery life, and you game mainly on PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, or mobile.
The Arctis 1 is the headset you buy when you refuse to think about charging. It runs on a 3.5mm jack, so there is no dongle, no pairing menu, and no battery meter to babysit. Plug it into a controller, a laptop, a Switch, or a phone and it just works. SteelSeries built it around a 20–20000 Hz frequency range and 32 ohm impedance, with a dynamic driver tuned to the "Arctis" sound signature — balanced rather than bass-heavy, which is exactly what you want when you are trying to place footsteps or a distant reload.
The standout feature is the ClearCast microphone. It is a bidirectional design, detachable, and known for its noise cancellation and voice clarity. That detachability matters more than people expect: pull the mic off and the Arctis 1 becomes a low-profile pair of over-ear headphones you can wear on a commute or at a desk without looking like you are mid-raid. The fold-flat earcups reinforce that. AirWeave fabric cushions are chosen to keep your ears cool rather than seal them in heat, and the steel-reinforced headband adjusts to fit while staying durable.
At 181g, it is light enough for long sessions, and the 3m cable gives you real slack if you sit back from a monitor or TV. The controls are on the headset itself, so volume and mute are a hand movement away.
Black Emblem X1: Who It's For
The Black Emblem X1 is built for the player who wants to move around the room and forget about charging. It gives you two wireless paths: a 2.4GHz USB dongle that is plug-and-play on PC, Switch, Mac, and laptop, and Bluetooth 5.4 for mobile, iPad, and tablets. The dongle is the gaming route — latency is rated at 20ms or less, which is the difference between audio that tracks the action and audio that trails it. Bluetooth is the everyday route, and the range is rated at 10 meters.
The audio side runs 40mm custom drivers with 7.1 surround processing, tuned to highlight footsteps, reloads, and ambient cues. That is an FPS-first tuning, and it is the kind of thing that matters in competitive shooters and open-world games alike. Battery life is the headline: a 50-hour average life with a 40-hour charge time, which means a week of evening sessions between charges and no panic mid-raid.
Comfort is clearly a priority too. It weighs 165g — lighter than the Arctis 1 — with breathable memory-foam cushions and an adjustable headband, aimed at people who sit through 12-hour sessions. It is also the only one of the two with a real warranty listed, at three years.
Now the trade-offs, and they are important. There is no 3.5mm jack on this headset at all, and it is not compatible with Xbox. Bluetooth mode does not work with PS4 or PS5 either — for those consoles you must use the 2.4GHz dongle. Controls are push-button, and there is no active noise control, just the passive isolation of the cushions.
Who should buy it: PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, and mobile players who want wireless freedom, long battery life, and low-latency gaming audio. Who should skip it: Xbox owners, anyone who wants a wired fallback option, and anyone who needs a headset that works across literally every platform.
• Best for console coverage → SteelSeries Arctis 1. It is listed for PC, PS4, Xbox, Switch and Lite, and mobile. The Black Emblem X1 does not support Xbox at all.
• Best for wireless freedom → Black Emblem X1. 2.4GHz dongle plus Bluetooth 5.4 versus a fixed 3.5mm cable.
• Best for battery life → Black Emblem X1. A 50-hour average life is the entire point of this headset. The Arctis 1 has no battery to worry about because it is wired.
• Best for low-latency competitive play → Black Emblem X1. The 20ms-or-less 2.4GHz rating is designed for sync with on-screen action.
• Best for microphone clarity and versatility → SteelSeries Arctis 1. The ClearCast bidirectional mic is detachable, so the headset doubles as normal headphones.
• Best for lightest weight → Black Emblem X1 at 165g, though the Arctis 1 at 181g is close and adds a steel-reinforced headband.
• Best for PS5 and PS4 wireless → Black Emblem X1, but only via the dongle. Bluetooth will not connect to those consoles.
• Best for plug-in-and-forget simplicity → SteelSeries Arctis 1. No pairing, no charging, no dongle to lose.
For most people torn between these two, I would buy the Black Emblem X1 — if their platform is PC, PS5, PS4, Switch, or mobile. The combination of 2.4GHz low-latency wireless, Bluetooth 5.4, a 50-hour battery, and a 165g frame is simply more headset for the way most people actually play, and the three-year warranty is reassuring.
But I would pick the SteelSeries Arctis 1 without hesitation if you own an Xbox, if you want a wired headset that never needs charging, or if you value a detachable mic and a headset you can wear away from the desk. It is the more versatile, more portable, less fussy option — and for a lot of buyers that is the whole ballgame. Check the current price on Amazon before you decide, since that is the one variable that can tip a close call.
FAQ
No. The Black Emblem X1 is not compatible with Xbox. If Xbox is your main platform, the SteelSeries Arctis 1 is the one to choose, since it is listed for Xbox along with PC, PlayStation, Switch, and mobile.
The SteelSeries Arctis 1 has the more feature-complete mic setup: a detachable ClearCast bidirectional microphone designed for voice clarity and background noise cancellation. The Black Emblem X1 has a removable mic too, but SteelSeries' mic design is the more established one on paper.
The Black Emblem X1 is rated for a 50-hour average battery life with a 40-hour charge time. The SteelSeries Arctis 1 is wired with no battery at all, so it never needs charging — a genuine advantage if you dislike managing battery levels.
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