Wireless Performance

The SteelSeries Arctis 3 Bluetooth offers wireless Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity, along with the standard 3.5-mm wired connection. The specified Bluetooth range is 10 meters (30 feet). In practical terms, you'll be able to reliably use the headset as long as you stay in the same room as the sound source, regardless of its size. Moving to adjacent rooms while keeping the Bluetooth connection alive will depend on many factors, such as wall composition and thickness. As long as you're within the specified range, there are no connection stability issues to report.

The only supported Bluetooth codec is SBC; SteelSeries decided to skip aptX or LDAC support. If we keep in mind that the primary purpose of the Bluetooth connection on the Arctis 3 Bluetooth is voice communication, this is a reasonable decision. In terms of wireless lag, there are no noticeable audio synchronization issues when watching YouTube or Netflix videos. Some slight lag can be felt when playing mobile games, though it is not high enough to be bothersome in single-player titles. That having been said, it is high enough to throw you off your game in multiplayer and rhythm titles, where perfect timing is everything. With that in mind, I wouldn't recommend the Arctis 3 Bluetooth to hardcore mobile multiplayer gamers.

Pairing the Arctis 3 Bluetooth to more than a single Bluetooth source at once isn't possible.

Battery Life

The specified battery life of the SteelSeries Arctis 3 Bluetooth is up to 28 hours of active listening. In practice, I was regularly hitting a bit over 40 hours of playtime before having to recharge it, which is absolutely impressive.

Charging the battery takes almost 4 hours, primarily because there's no support for any fast charging technology. The charging is done through the built-in Micro-USB port on the left ear cup. You're free to continue using the headset while it's being charged. You can of course still use it in wired mode even if the battery is completely drained.