The left ear cup has a mic plug, a microUSB charging port, a 3.5mm jack (SteelSeries thankfully dumped the proprietary connector for this), a volume wheel, and a microphone mute switch (differing again from the button found on other Arctis headsets). But, faux leather has a tendency to get oily and degrade, which is a negative trade-off compared to the ski bands of other Arctis headsets. It has a padded, faux leather top that’s comfortable. I twisted and stretched it beyond reasonable limits for typical users, and it didn’t creak or pop at all. The headband does still use metal inside, and it’s plenty flexible. The mic is still a ClearCast version, but there are some differences I’ll mention when we get into specs. The slimmer ear cups may explain why SteelSeries has switched from a retractable microphone to a detachable one. I think SteelSeries took it to heart when myself and others complained about the discomfort of having the plastic speaker driver covers press on the rim of my ear, as there’s now enough depth toward the rear of the headphones to reduce this contact. The headsets clamping force is noticeable (once I didn’t have a firm enough hold as I went to put the headset on, and it smacked me in the face), but not excessive, so the foam padding is able to keep the fit feeling comfortable. Title=More%20Expert%20Tech%20Roundups&type=articles%2Cvideos&tags=tech-roundup&count=3&columnCount=6&theme=article The foam pads also spin freely on the ear cups, which makes it easy to get them misaligned.

The foam padding is thinner that what's used in the Arctis Pro Wireless, which commands a dramatically higher price. It also has slimmer ear cups and different style yolks. That’s just one of several big design changes. It has the signature oblong ear cups found on other Arctis headsets, and they still can swivel to rest flat, but the headset has completely ditched the ski band suspension system. Visually, the Arctis 1 Wireless headset is distinctly an Arctis headset, and yet it still sports a dramatic shift in appearance.

Steelseries headset arctis 1