If you want a retractable mic and cooling-gel cushions, choose Razer Kraken Gaming Headset; if you need adjustable fit and a mic designed to reduce background noise, choose SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1. For Zoom calls, both offer a wired 3.5 mm connection and an onboard mute control, but neither is a wireless headset.
Razer Kraken Gaming Headset vs SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 at a Glance
• Razer Kraken’s biggest strength: Cooling-gel-infused ear cushions and a retractable mic; its trade-off is that fit adjustment is less detailed in the listed design features.
• SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1’s biggest strength: Height-adjusting, rotating earcups and a stretchy band, plus a bidirectional mic; its trade-off is that it lacks the Kraken’s cooling-gel cushion design.
• Both headsets: Wired, over-ear models with a 3.5 mm jack, retractable microphones, and onboard volume and mute controls.
• Sound features: Kraken offers software-enabled 7.1 surround sound on Windows 10 64-bit; Nova 1 supports 360-degree spatial audio and compatible platform audio features.
• Choose the Kraken for cooling-gel cushions, an aluminum frame, and a built-in analog volume wheel. Choose the Nova 1 for more fit adjustment, a lighter listed weight, and its bidirectional mic.
The Kraken is a wired, over-ear gaming headset with custom-tuned 50 mm drivers, a flexible bauxite aluminum frame, and a retractable microphone. Its cooling-gel-infused cushions are intended to help limit heat and pressure buildup during longer sessions. That combination makes it a sensible choice for someone who wants a straightforward headset for gaming and voice calls, without dealing with a wireless connection or battery.
The mic is cardioid and designed to reduce background and ambient noise. You can pull it out when you need to speak and tuck it away when you do not. A volume wheel and mic-mute switch sit on the inline controller, so basic adjustments do not depend on software. For Zoom calls, that easy-to-reach mute switch is useful, though the provided features do not establish how either mic will sound in a particular room or with a particular computer.
How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Choose the Kraken if its cushion design, aluminum frame, and analog volume wheel match your priorities. Skip it if you want the more extensively adjustable fit described for the Nova 1, or if you specifically need the mic’s bidirectional noise-reduction design. The Kraken’s software-enabled 7.1 surround sound is available only on Windows 10 64-bit, so that feature should not be treated as a universal mode across every connected device.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1: Who It's For
The Nova 1 is also a wired, over-ear headset with a 3.5 mm jack, but its strongest practical distinction is adjustability. Its ComfortMAX design includes height-adjusting, rotating earcups and a stretchy band. AirWeave memory cushions complete the fit-focused setup. The listed weight is 8.32 ounces, compared with 11.36 ounces for the Kraken, which may matter if you prefer a lighter headset on paper.
Its bidirectional ClearCast Gen 2 mic is designed to reduce background noise by up to 25 dB, and it retracts into the earcup when not needed. The headset also has onboard volume and mute controls. For Zoom calls, the mic design and accessible mute function make it a strong fit for someone who wants a gaming headset that can also handle routine voice conversations. The noise-reduction figure describes the feature; it is not a promise that every sound in every room will disappear.
Choose the Nova 1 if you value fit adjustment, a retractable bidirectional mic, and compatibility with a range of devices that have a 3.5 mm jack. Its audio features include 360-degree spatial audio, compatibility with Tempest 3D Audio on PS5 and Microsoft Spatial Sound, and software sound customization through a parametric EQ. Skip it if cooling-gel cushions or the Kraken’s aluminum-frame construction are what you specifically want.
• Best for a more adjustable fit → SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1. Its height-adjusting, rotating earcups and stretchy band offer more explicit fit adjustments.
• Best for cooling-gel cushions → Razer Kraken Gaming Headset. Its oval cushions are infused with cooling gel and are designed to help reduce heat and pressure buildup.
• Best for a mic with a stated background-noise reduction figure → SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1. Its bidirectional mic is specified to reduce background noise by up to 25 dB.
• Best for a built-in analog volume wheel → Razer Kraken Gaming Headset. Its inline controller includes a volume wheel and mic-mute switch.
• Best for a lighter listed weight → SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1. Its listed weight is 8.32 ounces; the Kraken is listed at 11.36 ounces.
• Best for Windows 10 64-bit software-enabled 7.1 surround sound → Razer Kraken Gaming Headset. That software feature is limited to that operating system.
• Best for Tempest 3D Audio on PS5 and Microsoft Spatial Sound compatibility → SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1. These are named compatibility features for the Nova 1.
• Best for a wired setup across several platforms → Tie. Both use a 3.5 mm jack and list compatibility with multiple gaming systems and mobile devices.
Neither model is wireless in the practical sense implied by its main connection: both are wired headsets with a 3.5 mm jack. The product information also mentions Bluetooth under wireless technology, but it does not provide enough detail to make wireless operation a deciding feature here. If you want a wireless headset, these two are not the comparison I would use to make that choice.
The buyer intent behind searches like “best touch control wireless headphones for zoom calls” points toward a different category: these headsets are wired and use physical onboard controls, not touch controls. Likewise, neither is an open-ear earbud, so someone searching for the “best open ear earbuds for zoom calls” is looking for a different wearing style. And while either headset could suit a child who needs a wired gaming headset for calls, the listed age information does not establish a child-specific fit. A search for “kids headphones for zoom calls” should include fit and supervision needs beyond the features available here.
I’d choose the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1 for Zoom calls and mixed gaming use. In my opinion, its adjustable earcups, lower listed weight, and bidirectional mic with a stated background-noise reduction figure make it the more versatile fit for that combination. I’d choose the Kraken instead if cooling-gel cushions and its inline volume wheel matter more to me.
Both have a wired 3.5 mm connection, a retractable mic, and an onboard mute control. The Nova 1’s mic is specified as bidirectional with background-noise reduction of up to 25 dB; the Kraken’s cardioid mic is designed to reduce ambient noise.
Both are described as wired headsets with a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Although the product information lists Bluetooth under wireless technology, it does not explain a Bluetooth operating mode, so I would not choose either on the assumption of wireless use.
The Nova 1’s microphone is described as reducing background noise by up to 25 dB. That is a mic feature, not evidence that the headset cancels noise for the listener. The Kraken also has a noise-isolating mic and sound-isolating design, but the supplied information gives no comparable reduction figure.
Not if open-ear earbuds or touch controls are essential. Both are over-ear wired gaming headsets with physical onboard controls. For a buyer who also wants gaming audio and a retractable mic, either may fit; the Nova 1 has the more adjustable fit, while the Kraken has cooling-gel cushions.
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