Sony today has revealed two new PlayStation audio products for gamers, the Pulse Elite headset and the Pulse Explore earbuds. While the Pulse Elite headset is a brand-new reveal, the Pulse Explore earbuds were officially revealed earlier this year during Sony’s PlayStation Showcase. At the time though, they didn’t have a name. Sony merely revealed them alongside its Project Q handheld, which is now officially called PlayStation Portal.
Both new headsets will use a new wireless technology called PlayStation Link for pairing with the PlayStation Portal handheld. They also support Bluetooth, so you can connect them to anything that supports Bluetooth audio. Both devices also come with a PlayStation Link USB adapter for connecting to things like PC. According to Sony, PlayStation Link is designed to deliver low-latency lossless audio for better gaming immersion. Each of the two devices will use planar magnetic drivers. Which Sony says should give them an “audiophile-level listening experience normally found in premium headphones for professional sound engineers.”
These will also be the first PlayStation audio devices to use these custom designed drivers.
Both PlayStation Pulse Elite and Explore support multi-device use
(Image Credit: Sony)
Right now, there aren’t too many gaming audio devices that will support multi-device connection and simultaneous use. For example, a headset like the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro can connect to your PS5 through a USB-C to USB-A cable for low-latency lossless audio, but it can also connect to your mobile device via Bluetooth with both sources of audio mixing together simultaneously. There are lots of other gaming headsets out there that will connect and pair to multiple devices at once. But when it comes to what you hear, you can pick one device or the other and have to flip back and forth between them.
Sony is doing something similar to SteelSeries here with the Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore. And it’s all thanks to the company’s PlayStation Link technology. You can connect either device to the PS5 using the PlayStation Link USB adapter. Then connect the same device to your phone using Bluetooth. If a call comes in, the audio from the call will mix with the audio from whatever game you’re playing. So you can continue to enjoy the game audio while having a chat. In theory, this should work for things like Discord too.
Since both devices are wireless, each one is only going to last so long before needing a charge. Sony doesn’t talk about battery life for either product yet. But it does note that each device comes with a nifty way to stay charged up. The Pulse Explore come with their own charging case since they’re a pair of true wireless earbuds. And the Pulse Elite headset comes with a charging hanger that you can attach to the wall. Acting as both a storage location and a convenient way to charge it up.
Both audio devices launch later this year
Just like with the PlayStation Portal, Sony doesn’t offer up specific launch dates for either of these devices. Just that they launch later this year. That being said, they will probably launch at the same time as the handheld. As for pricing, the Pulse Elite headset will be $149.99, and the Pulse Explore will be $199.99.