We called the SteelSeries Arena 9 surround sound speakers 'massively pricey' but they're a much better deal with 28% off in this Amazon sale

SteelSeries Arena 9 speaker on blue background — (Image credit: SteelSeries)

In my experience, a good set of PC speakers is the cherry on top of a gaming machine, helping drive home the immersion of the best gaming sessions. Though its price was one of the main detractors of the SteelSeries Arena 9, it seems like a much better deal at just under $395 at Amazon right now.

What makes this set of speakers stand out from the pack is the 5.1 surround sound, thanks to a center unit, two main front speakers, and two rear satellites. This means, while paired up to a game, you can feel the audio around you—and it does a fantastic job of it.

As we pointed out in our SteelSeries Arena 9 review, "The level of detail on offer definitely ups the immersion in any game with serious positional audio atmospherics. Horror aficionados will really feel the benefit too, as there's nothing quite like jumping at a creeping zombie that you heard scratching the floorboards behind you."

This 5.1 setting does lack somewhat when it comes to music, unfortunately. There's a setting to convert music for more immersive sound and it's not quite as effective as you might believe. However, this, and the price, are the main downsides and that second part has been counteracted by this pretty great reduction. If you really want to feel each shot around you in your favorite shooters, this is well worth looking into.

James is a more recent PC gaming convert, often admiring graphics cards, cases, and motherboards from afar. It was not until 2019, after just finishing a degree in law and media, that they decided to throw out the last few years of education, build their PC, and start writing about gaming instead. In that time, he has covered the latest doodads, contraptions, and gismos, and loved every second of it. Hey, it’s better than writing case briefs.