The dongle is the Arctis Gamebuds’ other party piece. It enables a 2.4GHz connection to a PS5, Xbox and other compatible consoles, Windows and Apple devices. Xbox users will need the Xbox version of these earbuds. The dongle matters as Bluetooth headphones cannot connect directly to the PS5 and Xbox. Connecting via Bluetooth requires a workaround, like pairing your headphones with your TV.
However, Bluetooth connections are sometimes prone to latency – a slight but noticeable lag between the on-screen action and sound. If you’re watching a movie, this means you could see the character’s lips move but only hear what they’re saying a fraction of a second later. It’s mildly annoying in a short clip but makes movies unwatchable.
In a first-person shooter, this could mean that you only hear your enemies a fraction of a second after they’ve moved or fired. The result? You’ll probably end up eating a lot of virtual humble pie.
The 2.4GHz connection minimises latency. It offers a more stable connection than Bluetooth and has greater bandwidth, so users potentially enjoy better audio quality. The earbuds lack multipoint connectivity, so it can’t connect simultaneously via Bluetooth to at least two devices, like your laptop and smartphone.
AUDIO QUALITY
I tested the earbuds for a month on several devices – Android phone, iPad, Windows laptop, TV and PS5. My binge-watching and Gran Turismo sessions were latency-free in 2.4GHz and Bluetooth mode.
Across all devices and at a neutral preset, the earbuds produced balanced sound that captured plenty of detail. Vocals, dialogue and treble were clear. Percussion in Hozier’s Too Sweet was detailed and it brought out the nuances of the string section in The Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby beautifully.
Bass notes were controlled and punchy, but I would have preferred a bit more low-end grunt. Although this can be tweaked in the app, I left it at its default neutral balance as I wanted to hear how it sounded across different applications.
On devices that supported both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connections, I found the 2.4GHz connection to be significantly louder, though sound quality was good on both connections.
The earbuds worked fine on phone calls and meetings. I didn’t have any issues hearing other participants and vice versa, although strong wind noise was sometimes noticeable.
