SteelSeries Arctis Companion vs Couchside
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SteelSeries Arctis Companion
Enhance your audio experience with over 200 tailored presets and controls for compatible SteelSeries Arctis headsets and earbuds. Optimize game sounds, music, and communication for an immersive experience.
- 200+ game-enhancing presets
- Customizable dual EQ
- Dual audio pairing (2.4GHz & Bluetooth)
- Communication controls
- Active Noise Canceling (Elite/GameBuds)
- Transparency Noise Control (Elite/GameBuds)
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SteelSeries Headsets Compatibility: Arctis Nova Elite, Arctis Nova Pro Omni, Arctis Gamebuds™, Arctis Nova 7, Arctis Nova 5, Arctis Nova 3. Get an epic audio advantage with +200 tailored presets and audio controls for your headset and earbuds that just work. Kick back, tune in, and buff your compatible SteelSeries Arctis headsets, or GameBuds™ for your next console crusade. For All Compatible Headset Features: 1. Effortless Setup: Connect via the dongle for instant, zero-latency console audio through a 2.4 GHz connection. 2. Dual Audio Pairing: Switch from a 2.4GHz connection to seamlessly pair your phone via Bluetooth so you can enjoy music or chat while you’re playing instead. 3. Customizable Dual EQ: Independently adjust the dual equalizer for both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connections to optimize all of your audio. 4. 200+ Game-Enhancing Presets: Use one-touch presets to amplify in-game sound cues and create an immersive experience in popular games such as Fortnite, CoD: Modern Warfare III, Apex Legends, and more. 5. Immersive Music Presets: Enjoy finely tuned EQ profiles for every genre—including Afrobeats, Rock, Jazz, Hip-Hop, K-Pop, Reggae, Lo-fi Chill, Metal, Synthwave, and Trap—so your headset sounds amazing whether you’re gaming or just vibing. 6. Communication Controls: Optimize your chat clarity by adjusting mic sidetone and volume on the fly during gameplay. Arctis Nova Elite, Arctis Nova Pro Omni, and Arctis GameBuds™ Exclusive Features: 1. Active Noise Canceling: Turn on noise canceling to hush your clickity clacks and whirring fans. Deliver crystal clear callouts in every clutch moment. 2. Transparency Noise Control: Go into transparency mode to hear when the pizza arrives, and your friend is right next to you. Always maintain ultimate control over your gaming audio. Arctis Nova Elite and Arctis Nova Pro Omni Exclusive Features: Dual Microphone Modes – Switch between the Boom Mic for crystal-clear game callouts or streaming, and the On-ear Mic for everyday chats and calls. Microphone EQ Presets – Instantly shape your voice with profiles like Balanced, Broadcast low pitch, or Crisp, tailored to fit your style.
Couchside
Transform your iPhone into a remote console, game launcher, and controller for your Linux gaming PC. Monitor system health, fix issues without a keyboard, and launch games directly from your couch.
- Live system monitoring dashboard
- One-tap runbook actions for troubleshooting
- Browse system logs remotely
- Launch Steam games and custom applications
- Virtual Xbox 360 game controller
- Trackpad and swipe control modes
- Easy QR code pairing
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Couchside turns your iPhone into a dashboard, remote, game launcher and controller for your living-room Linux gaming PC: SteamOS, Bazzite, a docked Steam Deck, or another supported systemd Linux box. WHAT TO PLAY NEXT Find your next game with suggestions from your box’s game history. See what is running, choose another suggestion, and launch after confirming. The Play tab keeps recent content ready as you move between tabs. Optional demo mode lets you explore sample games away from your box. YOUR STEAM COMPANION Connect Steam on your box for profile and library stats, playtime trends, achievement progress, wishlist discounts and price-drop alerts. Add an optional IsThereAnyDeal integration for historical-low price comparisons. These opt-in features contact Steam and IsThereAnyDeal. Background wishlist notifications are best-effort and need your phone to reach the box. LIVE CONSOLE Check CPU temperature, load, memory, storage, uptime and service health. Supported handhelds also show battery and power information. See what is playing and manage multiple boxes from unified cards with live vitals and connection controls. When the TV is black, inspect the box from your phone. FIX IT FROM THE COUCH Read recent service logs, restart the display session, switch between Desktop and Game Mode, or reboot and shut down with confirmation. Available actions depend on your box’s capabilities and permissions. GAMES, STREAMING AND CONTROLS Browse installed games with cover art, search and filters. Launch a game on the TV or start Steam Remote Play from another PC. Use a virtual gamepad, swipe navigation, trackpad with two-finger gestures, or keyboard input. Landscape controls give you more room when you need it. TV AND LIGHTING Control power, volume and input on supported TVs, including compatible LG and Google TV models. Compatible HDMI-CEC hardware lets the box control the TV. On supported lighting hardware, adjust strip effects, reactive meters and artwork-inspired Game Aura presets. Create custom sequences with frame-by-frame timing and true on/off strobe effects. EASY PAIRING A welcome guide introduces Couchside and optional integrations. Install the free Couchside service on your box, then scan its QR code or enter its pairing PIN. Refined animations can be turned off in Preferences and respect Reduce Motion. Your phone and box must be on the same local network. WAKE FROM THE COUCH Wake supported Ethernet-connected boxes with progress and reconnection confirmation. On iPhone, waking may require another awake Couchside box on the same network to relay the request. Hardware, firmware and network settings must support Wake-on-LAN. PRIVATE LOCAL CONTROL Remote-control traffic stays on your local network, with no cloud relay or Couchside account. Pairing supports an encrypted, pinned connection. Optional online features, store purchases and update checks contact their respective services. No analytics. The Linux service is open source and the app is source-available. TRY FREE FOR 7 DAYS, PAY ONCE Download free and try the full app for 7 days. A one-time purchase unlocks continued use; there is no subscription. Existing unlocks carry forward. REQUIREMENTS • A supported Linux gaming box on your home network • The free Couchside service installed on that box • Your iPhone and box on the same LAN • Optional integrations and hardware for Steam account features, TV control and lighting
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Couchside at 100% against SteelSeries Arctis Companion's 28%. Couchside also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). SteelSeries Arctis Companion's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (6.8K vs 10). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Couchside sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SteelSeries Arctis Companion asks for nothing beyond the download.
Couchside holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SteelSeries Arctis Companion has 6.8K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of SteelSeries Arctis Companion's written reviews are positive against 100% of Couchside's.
SteelSeries Arctis Companion ships an update fortnightly, Couchside every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SteelSeries Arctis Companion | Couchside |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (6.8K ratings) | 5.0 (10 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 28.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 6.8K — better | 10 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 60 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | GN Audio AS | Taylor Emery |
Customer experience
SteelSeries Arctis Companion
Couchside
Bugs and requests
SteelSeries Arctis Companion
Reported bugs
4 issues- App not detecting headset
- Headset muting when app is opened
- Game presets not updated
- Connectivity issues with Xbox
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for Arctis Nova 7
- Add support for Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
- Allow custom EQ creation
- Enable firmware updates from the app
- Add support for more headset models
Couchside
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SteelSeries Arctis Companion
No in-app purchases
Couchside
- Couchside Forever Unlock$7.99
Questions
Is SteelSeries Arctis Companion free?
Is Couchside free?
Which has better reviews, SteelSeries Arctis Companion or Couchside?
Do SteelSeries Arctis Companion or Couchside have ads?
Which is updated more often, SteelSeries Arctis Companion or Couchside?
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