SteelSeries Arctis 1 headset costs $50 and packs high-end internals

SteelSeries Arctis 1
SteelSeries Arctis 1 (Image credit: Steelseries)

SteelSeries has a range of Arctis headsets that cover numerous price points for gamers to choose from, but there's never been a truly budget-friendly offering until now. The new Arctis 1 fills this gap by taking similar internals as those found in more pricey Arctis models and keeping only the most important elements.

You'll find the same speaker drivers and ClearCast microphone in the Arctis 1 that's present in the Arctis 9X, but this set of cups only sets you back $50. SteelSeries even includes the same awesome design, so it looks like an Arctis headset with the only major visual difference being the lack of a ski-band. Because of this, the headset takes a hit in terms of comfort, but it's still just as comfortable as similarly priced headsets. The detachable microphone and low-profile design also mean you can double it up as headphones for enjoying all your favorite tunes while out and about. The same sound drivers result in some killer performance for the price.

If you don't fancy spending too much on a headset, the Arctis 1 should be an ideal purchase, packing all the essentials for great audio performance.

Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.