The PlayStation Pulse Elite is Sony’s latest official PS5 headset, and it offers numerous enhancements over the first model, which was released over three years ago. We’re giving you all the details we know about the forthcoming headgear as pre-orders go live.
In this post, I am going to cover all the known details and specs about Sony Pulse Elite Wireless Headsets and lastly, whether you should buy them or not. So head up reading. You will enjoy reading this.
Sony Pulse Elite Wireless Headset Release Date & Price
The PlayStation Pulse Elite, which will retail at $149.99 / £129.99, was unveiled by Sony in August 2023 with an official teaser trailer and accompanying PlayStation Blog post.
Regarding the debut or release date, the Pulse Elite headset will launch in most locations on February 21, 2024, but you may pre-order it now. That represents a small wait between the original announcement and the commencement of the pre-order.
We would venture that Pulse Elite pre-orders will soon heat up, possibly to the point of stock shortages. Consider this a modest PSA or warning. This is precisely what happened to the PlayStation Portal, and on December 6, the day the earphones ship, this is exactly what is occurring to the Pulse Explore earbuds.
People may choose to use the Pulse Elite headset instead of the earbuds because they are now so difficult to find. This could have an impact on the headset’s availability and stock at stores.
To be clear, we haven’t witnessed this yet, but it is possible. Our analysis is based solely on the Elite’s companion products thus far.
Sony Pulse Elite Wireless Headset Audio Quality
Where it matters most, audio quality is where the Pulse Elite truly shines. Sony has, of course, adjusted the headset to maximize the PS5’s 3D audio. That is apparent. I can tell precisely where my friends’ gunfire is coming from when I’m playing Helldivers 2. The Pulse Elite meets your expectations for a PS5 headset exactly.
All ranges of detailed sound are produced by the headset. Because Helldivers 2 has so many distinct and detailed noises, it would be an ideal test case. As I latch into the metallic device, I can hear every clang while I’m leaping into a pod to wait for a match.
The sound of gunfire is crisp and powerful, with a hint of bass added to highlight the explosion. My results from testing the demos of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Foamstars were comparable in that I was able to make the most of the action-packed battles in the latter game and the jazzy soundtrack in the former.
The sad thing about loud music is that it becomes distorted. I soon heard some loud sounds during the fight scenes in the Rebirth demo when I turned them up. High-volume tests were conducted again with comparable outcomes. Upon opening Spotify and turning up Noname, I noticed a significant amount of grainy distortion in the lower frequencies. That generally occurred at maximum volume and would go away when I lowered the volume a few notches, but it still puts an unfavorable limit on my volume choices.
Regarding the microphone, the audio quality is passable, albeit sounding more like a $150 headset microphone than a typical gaming headset. There, the Pulse Elite’s “AI-enhanced” noise suppression is something I will praise. The microphone is completely silent when I’m not speaking.
I conducted some recording tests in which I talked with background music playing extremely near to the microphone. No music came on when I stopped talking. Furthermore, the music was incredibly quiet while I spoke. That’s fantastic since it means that if you use Discord or other phone-based chat apps, you won’t have to turn down your TV.
Sony Pulse Elite Wireless Headset Connectivity
The networking of the Pulse Elite is when things start to get a little strange. The headset’s primary feature is its PlayStation Link integration, but it also has Bluetooth capability, which makes pairing with a phone or other devices simple.
This is Sony’s latest audio technology, which it claims to be “lossless and lightning-fast ultra-low latency.” However, its real goal is to get PlayStation users to purchase Sony headphones and earbuds so that all of its products are part of a single, cohesive ecosystem.
That choice has some positive and negative ramifications. The Pulse Elite has the advantage of being able to connect to two devices at once with PlayStation Link and Bluetooth. I managed to use Discord on my phone while remaining plugged into my PS5 to play Foamstars. PlayStation Link offers a tremendous deal of flexibility when used with a USB dongle.
The bad news is that using a wireless headset on PlayStation Portal essentially requires purchasing a Pulse Elite. Because it doesn’t support Bluetooth or have space for a dongle, your only options are to purchase this expensive headset or Sony’s recently released, much more expensive Pulse Explore earphones. It’s not the worst fate, as the Pulse Elite is still a good headset, but its usefulness is severely limited by a design defect.
Customization
By pressing the PlayStation Link button three times while connected to PS5, you can open a handy quick menu on your TV. This lets users experiment with EQ rapidly, allowing them to use presets or create their own. It’s a handy feature, but one that doesn’t carry over to Portal.
Your PS5 won’t detect your Pulse Elite in the same way as it would if it were directly linked if you connect it to the Portal. That means that you can’t access the EQ menu, see battery life, or get an on-screen volume indicator when using onboard controls. To get that, you’d need to connect your Pulse Elite to the PS5 and then power on the Portal.
Even though it’s ultimately a specialized use case, Sony’s mandated environment makes it a little annoying. To get wireless audio on devices like the Portal, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect consistency if I have to purchase specialized headsets.
Since the Portal is a remote play device, I imagine it’s a particular issue with it. However, I hope Sony can work out kinks like that when it tests out new product lines with PlayStation Link. If not, the experiment will quickly become frustrating as a whole.
Wrapping Up
While there are some notable additions, the teaser trailer emphasizes that the Pulse Elite and the current Pulse 3D share a lot of DNA. The brief video clip appears to show a nearly identical physical design with the addition of a retractable boom arm that may be concealed inside the cup.
Many of the SteelSeries Arctis gaming headsets use this feature in place of the detachable 3.5mm microphone that Razer and other companies have shown off with their Razer Kaira Pro Hyperspeed for PS5. With these words, we came to the end of this article: Sony Pulse Elite Wireless Headset Specs and Review.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
What is the release date of the Sony Pulse Elite Wireless Headset?
The expected release date of the Sony Pulse Elite Wireless Headset is February 21, 2024.
What is the Price of the Sony Pulse Elite Wireless Headset?
The expected Price of the Sony Pulse Elite Wireless Headset is $149.
How long does the Battery of the Sony Pulse Elite Wireless Headset last?
Sony claims that the Sony Pulse Elite Wireless Headset lasts up to 30 hours.
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