At first we would like to thank SteelSeries for offering the Arctis 1 All-Platform Wired Gaming Headset for testing and reviewing.

 

About SteelSeries:

"From day one, SteelSeries has been focused on making high performance gaming gear used by the most demanding, top professional gamers worldwide and peripherals that provide superior quality and a competitive edge to gamers of all skill levels. We believe, as most gamers do, in winning, not trying!

 

What originally began with two people who recognized the need for superior, high-quality/performance gaming gear that would give gamers a competitive edge, has grown into a global leader in gaming and entertainment gear sought after for their high performance capabilities.

 

Fast-forward to today, and we’ve come a long way since our first glass mousepad. We have global offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, providing an integrated portfolio of products designed specifically for gaming. Fueling our growth is you, the gamer!

 

While we are proud of our technology and product innovation, we are even more excited about how these products are developed to meet the needs of gamers. Many companies may claim to develop superior gaming products but few actually do. Instead, they spend countless hours with lab engineers trying to force fit a new technology with bells and whistles and mediocre functionality for the end-user.

 

At SteelSeries, we develop our products with a small internal team and a vast network of technology partners, channel partners, game publishers, and gaming communities around the globe. We aren’t afraid of being challenged and implementing new ideas. Our main goal is to always to listen to the collective feedback of our professional gaming community.

 

We won’t bore you with cheeky slogans, trying to underline our authenticity as gamers. We fully acknowledge that the best professional gamers in the world know more about what they want and what will make them better, than we do. We are proud to be working with our partners, but we can’t take credit for their invaluable input and feedback. Instead we tell it like it is: they help us. We want to know what works and what doesn’t. For this reason, SteelSeries creates innovative solutions that provide a competitive advantage for all gamers.

 

Critical to our company’s success is also our reinvestment in the gaming communities and the individuals who support them. As a result, our corporate philosophy is to take a substantial portion of our revenue and put it back into the gaming community to help spur industry growth. We support our community in numerous ways, ranging from co-hosting tournaments like Iron Lady and King of the Hill, and supporting gaming competitions of all sizes, to promoting the top and up-and-coming gaming teams/organizations.

 

Put simply, SteelSeries does not claim to invent or reinvent the gaming industry. Nor do we focus on one specific product, copy other companies or follow the crowd.

 

Instead we leave it to you, the gamer, our customer/partner/inspiration, to decide if we are deserving of such declarations and accolades. What we do promise, however, is to remain committed to you. We will continue to work with you and the gaming community to make the best products possible and give you that competitive edge. We will continue to do our best to support the growth of the professional gaming industry and give back to the gaming communities. By doing so, we don’t just talk a good game, we win!"

Product Features:

 

Game Everywhere

The Arctis 1 is an all-platform gaming headset that doubles as your on-the-go headphones. With a detachable microphone and sleek low-profile design, enjoy the award-winning performance of Arctis no matter where you are.

 

All-platform compatibility

Arctis 1 is a versatile headset and works with everything from PC to PS4 and Xbox. Take your headset on the go on Switch and mobile.

 

Signature Arctis Sound

With the same high-quality speaker drivers as the award-winning Arctis 7, the Arctis 1 features the signature Arctis soundscape, emphasizing subtle yet critical sounds to give you an audio advantage.

 

ClearCast Noise Canceling Microphone

The Discord-certified ClearCast microphone uses a bidirectional design, the same used by aircraft carrier deck crews. It provides superior noise cancelation so your voice sounds clear and natural. It’s also detachable for on the go.

 

On-Headset Controls

Quickly mute and unmute the microphone on the fly, and easily adjust your volume level directly on the headset.

 

Steel-Reinforced Headband

Built to last with a steel-reinforced headband that not only easily adjusts to fit all head sizes, but also remains lightweight and durable.

 

 

Product Specifications:

 

 

 

Lately we have seen quite a few “essential”, “lite” versions of peripherals from different manufacturers, which are designed with a smaller number of features, but still have an elevated build quality. As you have probably noticed, the Arctis series of headsets ended with the 3 model and some wondered when Arctis 1 will arrive. Well, SteelSeries has just launched this model for budget users that includes the same signature soundscape of Arctis 3, a detachable microphone and a Stereo jack, but also analog interface for compatibility with a large range of inputs.

 

The product is shipped inside a rather compact cardboard enclosure, with the usual SteelSeries color scheme:

 

 

 

The product connectivity options and technical specifications are available on the side:

 

 

 

The opposite side lists quite a bit of awards received from different publications:

 

 

 

The main product highlights are available on the back side:

 

 

 

After lifting the top cover, we will discover a QR code for scanning and discovering additional resources:

 

 

 

The Arctis 1 headset along with its bundle are further packed inside a black plastic mold:

 

 

 

The attached 4-pole 3.5mm cable is suited for consoles, PCs/laptops with 3.5mm combo ports but also smartphones; SteelSeries does also include a cable extender with dual 3.5mm jack plugs for connecting to a PC sound card:

 

 

 

Arctis 1 does no longer feature the automatically-adjustable headband, but uses the more classic manual extension mechanism; we can also spot an all-black color scheme:

 

 

 

The exterior design of the cups goes in-line with the rest of the Arctis line:

 

 

 

A subtle SteelSeries logo can be also spotted with ease:

 

 

 

Arctis 1 is using the same Airweave athletics-inspired fabric ear cushions as the other models, which are very comfortable, breathable and keep the ears cool and dry

 

 

 

For additional durability purposes, the headband is reinforced with steel:

 

 

 

On the inside of the headband, we can see markings of the audio channels:

 

 

 

The headband padding is thick enough for offering optimal comfort (the low weight of the headset also contributes to the comfort aspect):

 

 

 

The microphone jack does come with a custom shape, so it will fit in a single position:

 

 

 

On the left cup, we do also have a simple Mic mute switch (instead of a button on higher-specced models), along with a Volume wheel:

 

 

 

 

The removable, noise canceling bidirectional microphone does feature a flexible cable, and a frequency response between 100Hz and 10kHz:

 

 

 

 

 

The analog cable comes with a matte, rubberized texture, same as the extender:

 

 

 

Unlike other high-end headsets with analog interface, the jack plug is not gold plated:

 

 

 

After trying the Arctis 1 headset with different audio content, we have noticed a signature nearly identical to the Arctis 3 Bluetooth by using the same input which is the Creative Sound BlasterX AE-5 internal sound card. This aspect is quite neat, considering that Arctis 1 is only 59.99 Euros and features the same custom-tuned drivers as the higher-priced model. In order to reduce the price, SteelSeries has employed a more standard chassis design this time, with a plastic headband but reinforced with steel underneath for durability.

 

The microphone design is no longer retractable into the cup, but is fully removable, having a jack interface of its own.

 

The standard control buttons are available on the left cup for easy access, but the analog cable is not removable (an important aspect for portability purposes). As we have been accustomed with other microphones from the Arctis headset lines, the sound is loud and clear in Skype conferences, so no issues here when discussing with your colleague gamers either.

 

At this current moment, SteelSeries has all price segments covered with different models and we really wonder what they will come up next…

 

SteelSeries Arctis 1 All-Platform Wired Gaming Headset is Recommended for:

 

 

We would like to thank again to SteelSeries for making this review possible!