Astro A50 X Wireless Gaming Headset + Base Station vs SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
Get the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless. Unless you play on a PlayStation, an Xbox and a PC at the same desk — then the Astro A50 X.
Astro A50 X Wireless Gaming Headset + Base Station
For people who play on PlayStation, Xbox and PC at once: a base station that switches between all three at the press of a button, with excellent sound. Pricey and fiddly to set up.
SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
A premium headset with noise cancelling, a desk base station with its own controls, and two swappable batteries so it never needs to stop and charge.
We earn a commission from these links.
Both use a desk base station. The Nova Pro has noise cancelling and two swappable batteries, so it never stops to charge; the A50 X's base takes HDMI from three systems and switches between them with a button, but setup is fiddly and its mic handles background noise poorly.
- —You have a PlayStation, an Xbox and a PC in one place.
- —You want the headset always charged on its stand.
- —You want balanced, detailed sound.
- —You game in a noisy home.
- —You never want to stop to charge.
- —You want controls on your desk.
What verified owners report
Only reviews from checked buyers count, and every 1–3 star review is read by us. How we do this
Owners love the sound, how clearly they hear footsteps in games and the clear mic, and many call it a big step up from older A50s. The complaints are crackling, dropouts or faults, fiddly cabling to the base station, and small design niggles.
- ✓Great sound
- ✓A big step up from older A50s
- ✓Clear mic
- −Crackling, dropouts or a faulty unit
Owners love the sound, the comfort and the swappable batteries. The main complaint is discomfort, mostly from the noise-cancelling mic inside each ear cup pressing on the ear, followed by the price.
- ✓Great sound
- ✓Comfortable
- ✓Swappable batteries, so it never needs charging
- −Uncomfortable: a bump in the ear cup presses on the ear, or the pads get hot
- −Not worth the price
Key differences
Pros and cons
- +Switches between PS5, Xbox and PC
- +Excellent, balanced sound
- +Charges on its base station
- −Setup with HDMI cables through the base station is fiddly.
- −Bluetooth works only through the base station.
- −Can't be used with a cable, and blocks almost no outside noise.
- −The mic doesn't filter background noise well.
- +Excellent, warm sound
- +Two swappable batteries
- +Noise cancelling and a desk control base
- −A small noise-cancelling mic inside each ear cup presses on some people's ears.
- −The leatherette pads can make ears hot.
- −Setting it up and getting the most from it on consoles is fiddly.
- Is the Astro A50 X worth it?
- Is the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless worth it?
- SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 vs Logitech G Pro X 2
- SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2 vs HyperX Cloud III S Wireless
- SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless vs SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Gen 2
- SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless vs Razer BlackShark V3 Pro
- Best gaming headsets
How we reached this verdict
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: RTINGS, Tom's Hardware, PC Gamer, manufacturer specifications.
Owner reports for the Astro A50 X: 44 verified buyer ratings at Currys and Best Buy (Canada), read October 2026.
Owner reports for the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless: 384 verified buyer ratings at Currys, read October 2026.