On the heels of the Arctis Nova Pro–our pick for the best premium gaming headset for consoles and PC–SteelSeries has unveiled a trio of new additions to the Arctis Nova line: Nova 1, 3, and 7. These headsets are essentially replacing the original Arctis line, which included a few of the best headsets across multiple price points. The new Nova headsets adopt the form factor of the Nova Pro but come in at far more affordable price points.

The Arctis 7 series was our favorite overall headset across all platforms, but the Nova 7 tops it when it comes to both performance. Meanwhile, the Arctis Nova 3 is a solid mid-range wired headset with cool RGB lighting and stellar audio at its $100 price point. And for those shopping on a budget, the Nova 1 is the most comfortable gaming headset I’ve tried in its price range (just $60).

The Nova 7 is roughly half the price of the Nova Pro at $180. Despite the drastic price difference, the Nova 7 manages to retain nearly every premium build feature that made the Nova Pro so great. It has the steel-reinforced, adjustable headband, sleek design, retractable mic, and wonderful ergonomics. The only difference is that it uses fabric for the earcups rather than leatherette. Admittedly, the earcups were one of the Nova Pro’s best features, but even with this change, the Nova 7 is comfortable for lengthy gaming sessions. I wore it all day for multiple days in a row didn’t feel any strain on my head or ears. If you’ve used a SteelSeries headset in the past, the fabric here feels about the same. The memory foam, however, has a plushier quality to it, which makes it even more comfortable than the Arctis 7P and 7X.

It also retains the versatility of the Nova Pro. While it doesn’t have the base station to swap between platforms automatically, it is one of the rare headsets that works on both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. If you have both platforms, you’ll want to opt for the Nova 7X, the Xbox-specific version that also works with PS5 and PC. The 7P works on PlayStation and PC, and the standard 7 is designed specifically for PC. So, yes, the 7X makes the most sense even if you don’t have an Xbox right now. You simply plug the USB-C dongle into your console or PC and you’re good to go.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 1, 3, and 7

The Nova 7 also supports Bluetooth. This is a welcome feature considering the Nova 7 doubles as a great headset for listening to music on your phone or while working on your laptop. The Nova Pro came with two battery packs, one of which was charged by the base station while playing so you never ran out of juice. That’s missing here, but the Nova 7 has a quick charge feature that gives you six hours of battery life from a mere 15-minute charge. Overall, you can expect up to 38 hours of battery life on a full charge.

From an audio perspective, the Nova 7 isn’t far behind the Nova Pro. With rich, clear acoustics, deep lows, and pinpoint audio that can help you identify the location of specific sounds, the Nova 7 noticeably improves on the original Arctis 7. It utilizes the same “ClearCast Gen 2” retractable mic as the Nova Pro, which offers incredibly clear chat that mitigates background noise. Considering the Arctis 7 still retails for around the same price, it’s a no-brainer to go with the Nova 7 from now on.

The Nova 3 and 1 are wired headsets, so that might be a dealbreaker for some users. However, they still offer solid audio performance and good ergonomics. They both have plastic headbands rather than steel, so durability could be a concern over time. The form factor is quite similar to the Nova 7, but they are slightly bulkier. Overall, both headsets are still the sleekest SteelSeries has designed in this price range, and they remain comfortable for hours of nonstop wearing. Unsurprisingly, the Nova 7 feels far more premium than these budget-minded headsets. Still, performance is impressive. They have the same style of retractable mics as the Nova 7, and I didn’t really notice a difference in clarity. Since they are wired, both headsets are universal and work with practically every platform and device.

Interestingly, the Nova 3 connects via USB-C rather than a 3.5mm jack like the Nova 1. This is because the Nova 3 has a unique feature not found in any of SteelSeries’ other headsets: RGB lighting. Rings around the SteelSeries logo on the sides of the earcups illuminates with up to 16.8 million color combinations. Although it’s a cool touch, you won’t get to enjoy the RGB lighting effects since the headset will usually be on your head.

The new Nova headsets make use of SteelSeries’ wonderful Sonar Audio Software Suite when you’re gaming on PC. The Sonar app lets you tinker with just about every aspect of your audio experience. Along with adjusting the overall audio mix, you can create individual profiles for particular games. These profiles can isolate and amplify specific sounds like footsteps, doors opening and closing, weapons, and more. The Sonar tech really does help to pinpoint sounds to help give you an edge, but it can also improve your overall experience by shutting out background noise from teammates’ homes.

The Nova Pro remains SteelSeries’ best overall headset, but $350 for a gaming headset is a huge ask. With the Arctis Nova 7 (and specifically the 7X), SteelSeries has brought most of the best features over from the Nova Pro while putting it in a more “normal” price range. The Nova 7X offers players one premium headset that works with all of their consoles, PC, and even mobile devices via Bluetooth. For budget shoppers, I’d recommend the Nova 1 over the Nova 3, simply because they are very similar in terms of feel and performance and you save $40. The new Nova headsets are available now at SteelSeries and should be popping up at major retailers shortly.

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Saints Row has made its return, giving players a new sandbox to cause chaos in. This time that sandbox is Santo Ileso, a southwestern town set out in the desert. While there is plenty to discover while traversing the streets of Santo Ileso, if you want to get around town quickly you will need to find and unlock fast travel points. These points can be unlocked by finding specific monuments or landmarks to take a photo of. Once you unlock your base of operations at the Church, it unlocks a fast travel point there. Here are all the landmarks we have found so far.

In-between killing opposing gangs, you can unlock new fast travel spots by finding monuments.

Bear Lake – Marina West

The Bear Lake fast travel point is located in Marina West, which is in the northern section of the map. In the northern part of Marina West there is a small lake, which is visible on the map. Head to that lake and take a picture of the bear statue that has a small rabbit in front of it.

Panther Rock – West Providencia

Panther Rock is a massive mountain shaped like a panther. Located in West Providencia, which is in the central part of the eastern half of the city. The mountain is located right off the main highway and is hard to miss in the daytime.

El Dorado Sign – El Dorado

The El Dorado sign is located in El Dorado, the casino district of Santo Ileso. El Dorado is located in the southern part of the city, on the eastern side of the water. The El Dorado sign is located on the main strip, hanging over the road.

Lone Wolf – Badlands South

The Lone Wolf Motel statue is located in the Badlands South, which is in the southeastern part of the map. The motel is located off a small section of water at the intersection of two roads, sitting on top of a small rock.

Cactus Bill – Lakeshore South

The Cactus Bill statue is located in the Lakeshore South area, which is in the northeastern part of the city. There is a park area indicated by a circle and some overlapping roads in the area. You will need to get off the main road and into the park for this fast travel point to appear on the map.

Twin Coyote – Rojas Desert North

The Twin Coyote fast travel point is located in the Rojas Desert North region. The Twin Coyote is loathed on the eastern edge of the map, but can easily be found by heading to the Twin Coyote Arcade clothing store, which is automatically marked on your map from the start of the game. The Twin Coyote statue is smaller than some of the other landmarks, but the Five Nights at Freddy’s looking statues are easy to spot.

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Madden NFL 23 Ultimate Team is back and it’s a promising step up from its “packs-only” glory days with new additions like the Field Pass. There are still sets and re-rolls to do, but Field Passes are a new reward track system that borrows the best bits of battle passes and team-based featured programs (i.e. NBA 2K, MLB The Show) to add even more incentives to XP grinds. They’re free, of course, and each one can be leveled by playing Madden NFL 23 and completing in-game objectives to unlock exclusive players, coaches, uniforms, playbooks, strategy items, and even new program packs.

Every Field Pass comes with different objectives and XP progression, with any earned rewards being awarded at their level, and there’s three different types to progress through. Season Field Passes reset with every new MUT season and add specific missions as new theme programs are introduced; Competitive Field Passes focus on competitive modes such as H2H Seasons and MUT Champions, and they reset bi-weekly as rewards include Champs Entry Tokens. Program Field Passes add objectives with each new program (i.e. Headliners) and will feature changes throughout the 2022 NFL season to focus on new challenges that are based on new and ongoing promotions.

The catch? There isn’t one. Field Passes are optional and complement each other with shared XP and specific missions that can be tracked and completed to level the current season’s Field Pass. There are a lot of MUT freebies up for grabs so below is a quick look at Ultimate Team’s Season 1 rewards.

Season 1 Field Pass Rewards

89 OVR Field Pass Stephon Gilmore (CB)

The Kick-Off Season of Madden Ultimate Team features over 60 different tiers of rewards, including 140,000 coins, Elite Packs, Pro Gameday Packs, Madden Legacy Playbooks, and theme team add-ons like the Miami Dolphins 1984 Classic Away Uniform. There are also five exclusive player items: 83 OVR Miles Sanders (HB), 85 OVR Zach Cunningham (MLB), 87 OVR CeeDee Lamb (WR), 89 OVR Stephon Gilmore (CB), and 91 OVR Dave Casper (TE), and whether you’re strictly using pack pulls or not, all of the above and more can be earned before Season 1 ends at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET on Friday, October 14th.

Competitive Field Pass Rewards

Madden NFL 23’s Competitive Field Pass

Practice? The first Competitive Field Pass is for Head 2 Head goons as the 27 levels of rewards offer up 220,000 coins, Redzone Packs, Touchdown Packs, and an 86 OVR Rookie Premiere Fantasy Pack (1 of 10). There are also three (3) MUT Champions Entry Tokens and a free 88 OVR Trevor Lawrence (QB) that unlocks at Level 22 (200 CP). Objectives stick to earning wins in Solo Battles, H2H Seasons, and MUT Champions, and the first Comp Pass expires at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET on Monday, August 29th.

Headliners Field Pass Rewards

86 OVR Headliners Derrick Brown (DT)

The first Program Field Pass for Madden 23 is the Headliners Program, which features 18 tiers of new rewards, including freebies like 175,000 Season XP, two 86 OVR Headliners Hero Fantasy Packs, and an 86 OVR Headliners Derrick Brown (DT). Objectives include stat-based missions, racking up Ws in both House Rules and Solo Battles/H2H, and earning up to 200 stars in new Headliners Challenges in Ultimate Team. The debut Program Pass is scheduled to end at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET on October 14th.

For more on Madden 23, don’t miss our complete guide to rosters and ratings for all 32 teams, our Madden 23 tips if you’re just starting out, and our lost of all the game’s X-Factors and Superstars.

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After a 2021 event that saw the highest streaming numbers in its history, Geoff Keighley will present the 2022 Game Awards on December 8 live from Los Angeles.

The ninth annual Game Awards will be broadcast live on over 40 streaming services around the world, including YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok. This year will also mark the return of public ticket sales to the ceremony, pending health and safety guidelines from both the CDC and the city of Los Angeles.

The Game Awards 2021 stage.

A brand-new award has also been confirmed for the 2022 ceremony: Best Adaptation, which will recognize movies, TV shows, podcasts, and other forms of media that adapt a video game IP. Examples of what might be honored in this category include Paramount’s Halo TV series and the Sonic The Hedgehog 2 theatrical release, both of which featured at last year’s Game Awards.

“The Best Adaptation Award is a way for the gaming industry and its fans to tip its hat to creative work that authentically adapts and often adds lore and context to our favorite gaming franchises,” Geoff Keighley, creator and executive producer of The Game Awards, said in the official release. “With so many game-inspired projects across entertainment, the time is right to honor excellence in adapting video game worlds to other mediums.”

The 2021 Game Awards was streamed over 85 million times and featured over 40 world premiere announcements, including the reveals of Monolith’s Wonder Woman, Alan Wake 2, and the first-ever gameplay for Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga. Meanwhile, Geoff Keighley’s next event–Gamescom Opening Night Live–will broadcast live tomorrow at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET.

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