Both are SteelSeries wireless headsets with a USB-C dongle, Bluetooth and a mic that slides into the earcup, listed for PC, Mac, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. The Nova 5 weighs 265 g and flips between the dongle and Bluetooth with one button; the Nova 7 Gen 2 has a ChatMix control on the headset, plays your phone over Bluetooth while the game stays on the dongle, and comes with a 3.5 mm cable for a controller.
| SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless | SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gen 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Choose it for | a light headset and one-button switching | ChatMix on the headset and a cable for the controller |
| Maker price | No maker price | No maker price |
| Connection | Wireless, through its USB adapter | Wireless, through its USB adapter |
| Mute on the mic | Mic mute button on the headset, with a mute light | Mute control on the headset |
| Hear yourself | Not listed by the maker | Sidetone, set in SteelSeries' Companion App on a phone, with no PC |
Choice A
It weighs 265 g, and its QuickSwitch button flips between the dongle and Bluetooth. Its phone app holds 100+ game audio presets, as the Nova 7 Gen 2's does. ChatMix works only on Windows, through SteelSeries GG.
Choice B
Volume, mute and ChatMix sit on the headset, and SteelSeries rates the battery at 50+ hours. Bluetooth carries your phone's music and calls while game chat stays on the dongle, and the 3.5 mm cable in the box plugs into a controller with a headset jack.
From the makers
4 of 10 setup details differ.
| Setup detail | SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 Wireless | SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gen 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone connection | Retractable boom microphone | Retractable boom microphone |
| Connectors (differs) | 2.4 GHz USB-C dongle · Bluetooth 5.3 · USB-C to USB-A adapter cable | 2.4 GHz USB-C dongle · Bluetooth · USB-C to USB-A adapter · 3.5 mm cable (in the box) |
| Mute on the mic (differs) | Mic mute button on the headset, with a mute light | Mute control on the headset |
| Hear yourself (differs) | Not listed by the maker | Sidetone, set in SteelSeries' Companion App on a phone, with no PC |
| Works with (per the maker) | PC · Mac · PlayStation · Switch · Mobile · handhelds | PC · Mac · PlayStation · Switch · Mobile · handhelds |
| Included parts (differs) | Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Headset · USB-C Wireless Dongle · USB-C to USB-A Adapter Cable (5 ft / 1.5 m) · Charging Cable (5 ft / 1.5 m) · Product Information Guide | Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gen 2 headset · USB-C multi-platform dongle · USB-C to USB-A dongle adapter · USB-C to USB-A charging cable (1.5 m) · 5-pole to 4-pole 3.5 mm cable (1 m) |
| Also needs | Depends on how you connect and mount it | Depends on how you connect and mount it |
| Mount or thread | ||
| Dimensions | Not listed by the maker | Not listed by the maker |
| Software needed | Not listed by the maker | Not listed by the maker |
Both connect through a USB-C wireless dongle, with a USB-C to USB-A adapter in the box for an older port, and both add Bluetooth for a phone. SteelSeries lists both for PC, Mac, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, and neither for Switch 2. Both have a mic that slides into the earcup and a mic mute control on the headset.
Both mics slide out of the earcup when you talk and back in when you don't. SteelSeries says not to use the Nova 5's mic while it's slid in; the Nova 7 Gen 2's still picks up sound retracted, but it needs to be out and close to your mouth to sound its best. On the Nova 5, ChatMix (the balance between game sound and voice chat) works on Windows 10 and later through SteelSeries GG, not on a Mac or a PlayStation. The Nova 7 Gen 2 has a ChatMix control on the headset itself; on a PC it needs SteelSeries' Sonar.
Neither of these is the Xbox edition. SteelSeries sells the Arctis Nova 5X for Xbox, and separate Xbox versions of the Nova 7. Buy the X edition for an Xbox: the dongle in these boxes is made for PC and PlayStation.
The Nova 7 Gen 2 does come with a 3.5 mm cable, which SteelSeries says goes into a controller with a headset jack; the wireless turns off while it's plugged in. SteelSeries doesn't list Xbox for this edition, so test the mic in a party before you rely on it. The Nova 5's box has no such cable.
Plug the dongle into the PS5 (with the USB-C to USB-A cable if you need it), turn the headset on and slide the mic out, then choose the headset in Settings, Sound, Microphone.
Plug the dongle into the PC, pick the headset in Windows and in Discord, and set the game and chat balance with the ChatMix control.
Connections and controls come from these model-specific documents. Manufacturer claims about sound are not independent tests.