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Arctis Nova 5 vs BlackShark V3 Pro: Phone Audio and Microphone Storage

Choose Arctis Nova 5 when switching between game and phone audio is enough and you want a microphone that retracts into the headset. Choose the PC BlackShark V3 Pro to hear both wireless sources together or remove its boom for listening. Razer’s simultaneous mode still prioritizes the Bluetooth microphone route for an incoming mobile call.

Published by Pickoryx · Published 2026-10-05

Source checked 2026-10-05 17:55 UTC

Products compared

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The buying question

Do you want to switch between game and phone audio or hear both together, and how should the microphone be put away?

Nova 5 switches between its wireless sources and keeps a retractable microphone attached. BlackShark V3 Pro can play both sources together and has a detachable boom.

Quick verdict

When the recommendation changes
  • Needing game and phone audio at once makes the Razer simultaneous mode relevant.
  • If you prefer focusing on one source, Nova 5’s switch can cover that routine.
  • If microphone storage matters more than routing, compare retracting an attached boom with removing and storing a separate one.
  • Do not assume simultaneous listening also sends your microphone to two chats at once.

The differences that matter

Wireless Source Switching Or Mixing

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 (Black)

QuickSwitch selects either 2.4 GHz or Bluetooth audio. Only one connection is active at a time; the other stays on standby.[2, 3]

Razer BlackShark V3 Pro (PC, Black)

Simultaneous mode lets you hear 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth together. With both connected, double-tap SmartSwitch to select that mode; the indicator is white. An incoming mobile call gives the microphone priority to Bluetooth.[5]

What this changes: Choose Nova 5 when switching away from the game to your phone is acceptable. Choose BlackShark V3 Pro when hearing game audio and phone audio together is essential. Receiving both streams does not promise that your voice will transmit to two chats at once.[2, 3, 5]

The better fit depends on your priorities

Noise Controls And Microphone Storage

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 (Black)

The microphone retracts into the headset. SteelSeries instructs you to extend it fully before speaking and not to use it while retracted.[1, 3]

Razer BlackShark V3 Pro (PC, Black)

The boom microphone is detachable, so you can remove it when using the headset for listening.[4, 5]

What this changes: Nova 5 suits someone who wants the microphone stored on the headset between calls. Razer suits someone who prefers to remove the boom entirely, with a separate part to keep track of after removal. This is a handling choice, not a microphone-quality ranking.[1, 3, 4, 5]

The better fit depends on your priorities

Best for your routine

Listening to game audio and a Bluetooth phone at the same time

Best fit: Razer BlackShark V3 Pro (PC, Black)

Based on listed features, not comparative testing.

Razer provides a documented simultaneous listening mode. Enter that mode after connecting both sources, and account for Bluetooth microphone priority during mobile calls.

View Razer BlackShark V3 Pro (PC, Black) on AmazonPaid link

Alternating between game and phone, with the microphone stored on the headset

Best fit: SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 (Black)

Based on listed features, not comparative testing.

Nova 5 combines single-source switching with a retractable boom. Fully extend the microphone before voice use; the stored position is for putting it away.

View SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 (Black) on AmazonPaid link

Value and trade-offs

One or both observed offers have eligibility conditions, so no unrestricted price difference is shown.

If BlackShark V3 Pro costs more, simultaneous game-and-phone listening is a concrete reason to consider the difference. If you only alternate sources and prefer an attached retractable mic, Nova 5 may already fit your routine. Neither price nor a feature name proves better sound, clearer speech or longer real-world runtime.

There is not enough verified price history here to recommend buying now or waiting.

Community discussions

Questions and individual experiences add context, not controlled-test results, failure rates, or owner consensus.

A Nova 5 question about two devices and automatic switching

The poster asks whether two connected devices can switch automatically to whichever is playing. One reply suggests the source button. Ownership and the exact variant are not verified; the official QuickSwitch documentation supplies the answer used here.

Reddit discussion · Applies to SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 (Black) · Source checked 2026-10-05 17:53 UTC

Limitations

  • Pickoryx has not tested these headsets. This comparison does not establish a latency, positional-audio, microphone-clarity, noise-reduction or battery-runtime winner.
  • The selected models are the standard Nova 5 and PC BlackShark V3 Pro. Do not transfer features or platform support from Nova 5X/5P or Razer Xbox, PlayStation and special editions.
  • An incoming mobile call changes Razer’s microphone priority. Confirm your exact setup if transmitting voice to two applications simultaneously is essential.

Questions shoppers ask

Will Nova 5 return to my game after a phone call?

Its guide says a call answered while you are in 2.4 GHz mode returns you to 2.4 GHz when the Bluetooth call ends. That condition matters: it is not a promise to return to the game after every Bluetooth listening session.

How do I enable Razer’s simultaneous listening mode?

Connect both the wireless dongle source and Bluetooth device, then double-tap SmartSwitch to select simultaneous mode. Razer identifies that mode with a white light. Hearing both sources still does not mean the microphone is sent to two chats at once.

Is Nova 5’s Sonar noise cancellation the same function as Razer’s ANC?

No. The Nova 5 page describes PC software noise reduction for voice communications. Razer’s headphone ANC controls the surrounding sound you hear, with ANC On, Ambient and Off modes. Do not read the Sonar label as proof of an equivalent headphone ANC feature.

Methodology and sources

Compared wireless source routing, microphone storage and the scope of documented noise controls for the standard Black Nova 5 and Black PC BlackShark V3 Pro. Recommendations concern features and operating steps, not measured performance.

AI assisted with source comparison and drafting.

View 5 sources
  1. 1.Arctis Nova 5 WirelessSteelSeries · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-05 17:50 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Quick-Switch Wireless; ClearCast AI Noise Cancellation; Retractable Mic: The standard Nova 5 page describes switching between wireless sources, a retractable microphone, and Sonar AI noise reduction for voice communications on PC. That software description is not evidence of headphone ANC.
  2. 2.How does Quick Switch on Nova 5 work?SteelSeries Support · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-05 17:50 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Main answer: one active connection, the other on standby: Only one of 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth can be active at a time; the other remains on standby. This establishes switching rather than simultaneous listening.
  3. 3.Arctis Nova 5 Wireless Product Information GuideSteelSeries · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-05 17:53 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Printed pages 10–12, PDF pages 6–7: calls, QuickSwitch and microphone: The guide gives the QuickSwitch call controls and returns to 2.4 GHz after a Bluetooth call only when that call was answered from 2.4 GHz mode. Fully extend the retractable mic before use; do not use it while retracted.
  4. 4.Razer BlackShark V3 Pro, Black PC RZ04-05400100-R3U1Razer US · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-05 17:53 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Selected Platform PC and Color Black; key features: The exact US storefront selection is PC and Black. It identifies a detachable microphone and Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation; Xbox, PlayStation and special editions are separate selections.
  5. 5.Razer BlackShark V3 Pro Wireless ANC Esports HeadsetRazer US · Official specifications · Source checked 2026-10-05 17:55 UTC
    Evidence used on this page
    • Detachable Mic; four connection modes; FAQ: simultaneous audio, mobile calls and ANC button: The PC product page documents simultaneous 2.4 GHz/Bluetooth listening, SmartSwitch mode selection, Bluetooth microphone priority for incoming mobile calls, a detachable boom and ANC/ambient/off modes. No two-chat transmission or measured noise-reduction claim follows.

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