How To Connect SteelSeries Headset To PC: Wired & Wireless

SteelSeries headsets are popular among gamers due to their high-quality audio and comfortable design. However, connecting a SteelSeries headset to a PC can sometimes be tricky, especially for those unfamiliar with the process. These headsets can be connected to your PC in a number of ways, depending on the type of headset and the accessories that come with it. Therefore, learning about how to connect SteelSeries headset to PC can make things easier for you. 

Key Takeaways

• SteelSeries headsets, while easy to set up, come in a variety of types depending on their price point, making the setup process slightly more complicated.
• SteelSeries headsets can be connected to the PC through a wired connection or wirelessly. They can also come with an intermediate device that serves as a hub between the PC and the headset.
• While the wireless pairing process is generally seamless, in some cases, additional software may be needed to complete pairing successfully.

How To Connect SteelSeries Headset To PC Through A Wire

Going wired is the only option for the lower-end SteelSeries headsets that are non-wireless. The SteelSeries Arctis 1, for example, comes with a non-detachable 3.5mm headphone jack. Simply connect the headset’s audio jack to the receiving end of your PC to start listening.

Also Read: How To Use Headset Mic On PC With One/Two Jacks?

Via 3.5mm Headphone Jack

For most PCs, there will be one or multiple 3.5mm audio jacks on the PC case’s front (or top) panel or on the backside. If the ports are colorless, they may carry a marking of some kind, such as a small headset symbol or a small microphone symbol.

1. Connect your headset to receive audio to the port labeled for the headset.
2. Some older styles of headphones may have two 3.5mm headphone jacks attached to them.
3. In that case, one of those will go into the headset jack on the PC and receive audio, while the other will connect to the jack-labeled microphone and be used to output audio from the headset’s microphone into the PC.

In a lot of cases, however, the ports will be colored. The colors are usually consistent across most devices, so the following advice will apply to most users.

1. If the headset only has one 3.5mm jack, stick it into the green-colored port. This is the Line Out port which carries audio out from the PC into the headset.
2. If the headset has two jacks, stick the audio jack into the green port and the microphone jack into the pink-colored port. This is the Mic In port, which transfers signals from the microphone into the PC.
3. In some cases, you may need to insert the microphone jack into the blue-colored port, which is the Line In port and is used to connect external audio equipment like amplifiers, microphones, and certain musical instruments.

Certain SteelSeries headphones, like the Arctis Nova 1P, come with a detachable 3.5mm headphone cable. This cable will be packaged separately alongside your headset. Simply attach one of the ends of the cable to the 3.5mm port on the headset and the other end to your PC, as instructed above.

Via USB Cable

The higher-end wired SteelSeries headsets like the Arctis Nova 3 do not use a 3.5mm jack but instead attach to the PC via USB.

As such, the headsets will come packaged with a separate USB cable that needs to be plugged into both the headset and the PC. There can be a few variations of this cable.

1. The end of the cable that is meant to be plugged into the headset may be micro-USB or USB-C.
2. The other end of the cable, which is meant to be plugged into the PC, maybe USB-C or the larger, commonly seen USB connector known as the Type A USB connector.
3. Connect this end to any of the PC’s appropriate USB ports, whether the larger Type A or smaller Type C ports.

If, for some reason, you wish to plug a headset with a 3.5mm audio jack into the USB port or a USB-connected headset into the PC’s 3.5mm audio port, then you buy dongles from most online retailers or electronics shops that help to serve this purpose. These dongles work well enough for the most part, but they may cause issues with sound or microphone quality, so only use them if truly necessary.

Also Check: How To Use Two Headphones On PC?

How To Connect SteelSeries Headset To PC Wirelessly 

SteelSeries headsets can be connected to your PC wirelessly in a couple of ways.

Via Wireless Dongle

Wireless SteelSeries headsets provide the best wireless audio quality when connected to any device, whether a PC, console, or smartphone, through the SteelSeries wireless USB-C transmitter dongle.

The headphone communicates with the dongle via a lossless 2.4 GHz signal, providing a higher quality experience than Bluetooth. The dongle transmits data to and from the PC and the headphones.

1. Simply plug in the wireless dongle that comes with your SteelSeries headset and attach it to a USB-C port on the PC.
2. Make sure your headset is turned on. If it isn’t, do so by pressing and holding the power button for 3 seconds.
3. The headset and the dongle are paired before packaging, so they will automatically pair with the wireless dongle. If, for some reason, the two do not pair automatically; they may need to be re-paired.

The re-pairing process may differ somewhat for different SteelSeries headsets, so you may need to consult the manual for the most appropriate instructions.

1. In most cases, however, re-pairing can be done by pressing and holding the transmitter pairing button on the side of the transmitter for a few seconds until the LED blinks rapidly.
2. Then take the headset, which should be off, and press and hold its power button for 6 seconds.
3. Once pairing is complete, go to sound settings on windows and set the headset as default in both the “Playback” and “Recording” options.

   

4. You may also need to select Arctis Chat Audio as the default audio device in whichever application you use.

Via Bluetooth

Follow these steps to connect your SteelSeries headset to your PC through Bluetooth.

1. Make sure your headset is turned on. If it isn’t, do so by pressing and holding the power button for 3 seconds.
2. Once it is on, press and hold the Bluetooth button for 6 seconds. The headset LED will rapidly blink.
3. Go to Bluetooth settings on your PC, scan for available devices, and select your SteelSeries headset.

   

Pairing A Replacement Wireless Dongle

If you receive a replacement dongle for your SteelSeries headset, you may need to re-pair it with your headset in order for it to function. First, try the method for re-pairing in the above “Connecting via Wireless Dongle” section. If that does not work, try the following approach.

1. Go to the SteelSeries website and click on the “Software” button at the top of the website.
2. In the new subsection, click on the “GG” button. This will lead you to a separate page from where you can download the latest version of the SteelSeries GG software.
3. Download and install the software and then open it.

   

4. Connect both your SteelSeries headset and wireless dongle to your PC.
5. In the GG app, click on “Engine” in the left sidebar. A list of SteelSeries will appear.
6. Find your SteelSeries headset in the list and go to the right-hand corner of that device box, where an orange gear icon will appear.
7. Click on the icon, and click on the “Pair Device” option in the menu that appears below.
8. A new box will appear with a “Start Pairing” option. Click on it if it is not already selected.

   

9. The pairing process will begin. It may take a few minutes to finish. Once pairing is complete, you can exit the software and start using the headset.

Also Read: How Do USB Hubs Work?

Connecting SteelSeries Headset Via Transmitter

Many of the higher-end SteelSeries headsets come with devices that you can plug your headset into, and that device can then connect to your PC. For example, the Arctic Pro series comes with a GameDAC, the Arctis Nova Pro comes with an Infinity Power System, and the Arctis Pro Wireless comes with a Transmitter Base Station.

Depending on the device, you can connect your headset to them with a wired connection or wirelessly and then connect the device to your PC with a wired connection, either through a 3.5mm audio jack, optical cable, or USB port.

Connecting these devices with wires is a simple process. Simply insert the wire leaving the headset into a port on the device and then plug the device into the PC via another port.

To connect to these devices wirelessly, the process on the headset end is the same as previously mentioned. On the end of the receiver, the process varies per device, but in general, each device has a mode for a wireless pairing that can be selected via the buttons or knobs on the hardware.

For detailed instructions and troubleshooting, consult the manual of the particular audio device.

Final Thoughts

This marks the end of our guide on how to connect SteelSeries headset to PC. Remember to check your audio settings and troubleshoot any issues that may arise, such as incorrect audio playback or microphone input.