The SteelSeries Arctis Prime Makes Gaming Comfy and Affordable

The SteelSeries Arctis Pro is the holy grail of gaming headsets. It feels super comfy on your head, even when you’re neck-deep in alien blood during a raid in Destiny 2, and it renders audio with such clarity that it transforms any gaming experience by drawing you right into the action. Unfortunately, it costs $250. That’s why I was so stoked when I got my hands on the Arctis Prime. For just $100, it has the design chops of its more expensive cousin, plus audio drivers that compete with more luxurious headsets. 

The Prime arrived during the throes of an unprecedented and apocalyptic heat wave that struck the Pacific Northwest. Like everyone west of the Cascades, I live in a cabin in the woods with a closet full of flannels and jeans, and a larder full of triple IPAs and craft coffee. We are not a people prepared for triple-digit weather. Sweating, I put the headset on my coffee table and regarded it as if it were a snake, coiled, venomous, and poised to strike me dead. The idea of putting anything on my head when it was so hot outside felt like certain death. 

But I did it. For the sake of testing, I sacrificed myself. Turns out it wasn’t that bad, and that wasn’t the first surprise the Arctis Prime had in store.

I’m a stickler for ear cups, the little padded part on headphones and headsets. If the texture is weird, it ruins the vibe. If they’re too warm, I’m out. If they get soggy and sweaty, mega pass. My favorites are the ones on Apple's AirPods Max. You know, that $550 sculpture of aluminum and mesh. They’re breathable but plush, squishy but sound-isolating. The Arctis Prime’s ear cups are very different but surprisingly similar.