# SteelSeries Arctis Companion vs Couchside

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 (6.9K vs 10). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

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 6.9K 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 10, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SteelSeries Arctis Companion | Couchside |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steelseries-arctis-companion/id6502297763/reviews) | **[5.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/couchside-remote/id6786884115/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 28.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 24 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GN Audio AS](https://appshunter.io/developer/410001694) | [Taylor Emery](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896613747) |

## What reviewers say

### SteelSeries Arctis Companion

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/steelseries-arctis-companion/id6502297763)

Enhance your audio experience with over 200 tailored presets and controls for compatible SteelSeries Arctis headsets and earbuds. Optimize game sound, music, and communication with features like dual EQ, active noise canceling, and transparency mode.

**Highlights:** 200+ game and music presets, Dual EQ for 2.4GHz and Bluetooth, Active Noise Canceling, Transparency Noise Control, Communication controls, Dual microphone modes

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Great for console gaming
- 🚀 Seamless pairing
- 👍 Useful presets

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer headsets
- 🐛 App not working as expected
- 🔋 Battery life concerns
- 🐛 Microphone issues

**Reported bugs**

- App not detecting headset
- Headset muting when app is opened
- Game presets not updated
- Connectivity issues with Xbox

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/couchside-remote/id6786884115)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Couchside Forever Unlock | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SteelSeries Arctis Companion free?

SteelSeries Arctis Companion is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Couchside free?

Couchside is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SteelSeries Arctis Companion or Couchside?

Couchside is rated higher. SteelSeries Arctis Companion averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while Couchside averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.

### Do SteelSeries Arctis Companion or Couchside have ads?

Neither SteelSeries Arctis Companion nor Couchside shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SteelSeries Arctis Companion or Couchside?

SteelSeries Arctis Companion ships an update fortnightly, and Couchside every 2 days. Most recently, SteelSeries Arctis Companion was updated on November 10, 2026 and Couchside on November 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*