#PULSE 3D WIRELESS HEADSET PS5 REVIEW BLUETOOTH#

It’s a balanced look between classic and space age without straying too far in either direction. It's sleek, too, with an adjustable top strap that perfectly cradles your head. When it comes to headsets for the new PlayStation, third-party is the way to go.While the original Sony Wireless Headphones matched the bulky, jet-black PS3, the new Pulse 3D Headset matches the aesthetic of the PS5 perfectly with a two-tone black-and-white color scheme. On the other hand, it's uncomfortable to wear for those long periods of time, and you don't even need it to get the best audio the PS5 has to offer. Its battery is also more than sufficient for long gaming marathons. On the one hand, it has fantastic audio for its price, it pairs well with the PS5, and the 3D audio system is genuinely immersive. This Sony headset is filled with stark contrasts.

You'll get an immensely more enjoyable experience with a headset like SteelSeries' Arctis 1, which costs the same. The Pulse 3D headset sounds fantastic and works well with the Tempest 3D audio system, but 3D soundscapes aren't an exclusive experience. And yet, I could be saying this of any gaming headset. I'd be hesitant to say 3D audio is completely revolutionary, but for playthrough of a game I've already loved for a while, it added an extra layer of immersion I wasn't expecting. In one instance, hearing the sound of a BT, and more importantly, figuring out where that sound was coming from, helped me avoid walking directly into one. Their groans and dull howls felt claustrophobic but distinctly tied to their location. I was even more aware of the BTs-spooky, mostly invisible enemies you have to dodge in the game while staying as quiet as you can. I could feel the rushing, crashing waterfalls in the distance and orient myself around them. Little moments like this kept popping up. But I wouldn’t commit to watching Zack Snyder's four-hour-long Justice League with 'em. For short gaming sessions, video calls, or watching some TV, they're doable. I found it hard to keep the Pulse 3D on for too long before the headphones became uncomfortable. Rather than resting snugly around my ears, they feel more like plastic cups with a tiny amount of cushioning pressed against the side of my head. The earpads feel thin and stiff, like the kind of cheap, deflated “memory foam” pillow you’d buy at Walmart. These problems can be overlooked after all, the Pulse 3D costs just $100.

#PULSE 3D WIRELESS HEADSET PS5 REVIEW BLUETOOTH#

It's also unfortunate that there's no Bluetooth support, limiting the headset largely to your living room (unless you're still rocking a phone with a headphone jack). It’s not a headset-breaking issue, but it’s an annoyance you'll have to deal with every single day. This is especially a problem with the power switch, which is far removed from the rest of the buttons and feels uncomfortable to push back and forth. The headset doesn't do the best job of isolating your voice from background noise, so if you're often playing in a loud environment, you'll want to look elsewhere. It's too bad there's no boom mic on the Pulse 3D (the elongated microphone that typically sticks out of the headset). It's a convenient way to tweak the audio to your liking and get back to those same settings later if you decide to change it. When paired with the PS5, there are three equalizer presets to choose from-standard, bass boost, and shooter-and three slots where you can make your own adjustments. That means Sony's hardware needs to stand on its own merits.įor such an inexpensive headset, the Pulse booms with thunderous bass and delivers crisp, detailed sound where it counts. Almost any wired or wireless headset will do. Despite the subtle implication in the name, you actually don't need Sony's first-party headset to get the benefits of the Tempest system. That puts the Pulse 3D in an odd position. No surround sound is required, virtual or otherwise, to hear audio that feels like it's moving through three-dimensional space. There's a very complicated explanation for how it all works, but the good news is that it works on most stereo headsets. The trick is that this all happens in software. Tempest is a new system that lets game developers attach sounds to specific objects and enables those sounds to change based on their relative position, making the game world feel more immersive. The draw is Sony's Tempest 3D audio tech, which you'll only get when you hook the Pulse up to the PS5. However, on nearly every device you're getting a basic stereo audio experience. You also get a 3.5-mm headphone cable so you can plug it into anything with the audio jack. This wireless headset comes with a USB dongle you plug into a PC, Mac, or PlayStation, and it's what pairs the Pulse 3D with the system.

Pulse 3d wireless headset ps5 review