This new SteelSeries gaming headset costs $600, aims for audiophile heights

Gaming headset pricing just took a big step up. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite is the company's new flagship wireless gaming headset aimed at true audiophile buyers, and it has a price to match its lofty ambitions. Hitting stores now, this new headset is priced at $599.99, making it nearly double the price of most existing high-end gaming headsets.

For that hefty price, though, you're getting some serious capabilities. Like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless - our current top premium choice on our best gaming headset guide - it features low latency, multi-source wireless connections, and a swappable battery system that means you never need to resort to plugging in your headset. However, the new SteelSeries Elite headset ups its driver quality, overall build quality, and includes support for Hi-Res audio.

The latter gets you access to 24-bit / 96 kHz audio, which is normally the sort of fidelity reserved for dedicated headphone amps and sound cards, rather than wireless gaming headsets. This exacting signal is then fed to new 40mm carbon fiber drivers that SteelSeries claims "reveal[s] ultimate detail, separation, and immersive soundscapes," thanks to their 10Hz to 40kHz frequency range.

The company also boasts that the Nova Elite has the best active noise canceling (ANC) of any gaming headset, blocking out external noise as effectively as the very best high-end headphones - think the Apple AirPods Pro and Sony WH-1000XM6.

This is also the company's first headset to offer the ability to mix and listen to up to four inputs at the same time, and it can connect via its GameHub to your PC, PlayStation, and Xbox (all via USB connections), as well as to other mobile devices via Bluetooth.

A pull-out boom microphone provides 32kHz/16-bit audio, while other in-built mics ensure you can keep talking and getting ANC while the boom mic is retracted back inside the headset.

As for that boosted build quality, the Nova Elite has a metal frame, metal control wheel, and fancy plush memory foam earcups. I got hands-on with the new headset a few weeks ago, and it absolutely delivers on its promise of looking and feeling like a more premium version of the Nova Pro Wireless.

Meanwhile, PC and mobile apps offer easy access to tailor the Nova Elite to your needs, and they include proper parametric EQs so you can truly customize the sound to your preference. Meanwhile, over 250 presets are built in, letting you immediately dial in a recommended sound for hundreds of games.

As impressive as all this sounds, there's no denying that this is a jaw-droppingly expensive headset that's going to have to absolutely blow us away with its sound quality if it's going to get a strong recommendation over the already fantastic Nova Pro Wireless. We'll be getting our hands on one for a proper review soon to find out if it really does top that high bar.

In the meantime, if you're looking for another super-capable wireless gaming headset, why not check out our Logitech Astro A 50 X review, or for a more portable yet excellent SteelSeries option, have a read of our SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds review? Oh, and as for what gaming laptops are cheaper than this headset, there's this HP gaming laptop deal for a start.

Alternatively, if you'd like to vent your amazement at the price of this new SteelSeries headset, you can do so over on our community Discord server, where you can chat with us and fellow readers.