Sony and PlayStation both announced their first in-ear gaming buds within weeks of each other, which is a little bit confusing given their both aimed at PS5 gamers primarily, and both technically come from the same company.
Whilst we’ve only used the Sony INZONE Buds so far, we now have enough info about the Pulse Explore buds to tell you which is better depending on the circumstance you’ll be using them for.
The Sony INZONE Buds release in Australia on December 1st whilst the PlayStation Pulse Explore buds release in Australia on December 6th.
The Sony INZONE Buds are currently $100 off at $250 if you pre-order before they release on December 1st whilst the PlayStation Pulse Explore buds will be $329 when they release.
If you’re picking up a PlayStation Portal when it launches on February 2nd, and want to use headphones, there’s really not going to be a lot of options for you and you can pretty much forget the rest of this article.
If has a 3.5mm headphone jack, but it doesn’t support Bluetooth, so if you’re wanting to use headphones, the PlayStation Pulse Explore earbuds as well as the upcoming PlayStation Pulse Elite are the only two wireless audio accessories that it will support utilising PlayStation Link technology.
Both earbuds have some pretty unique features about them, with both having advantages over the other.
The Sony INZONE Buds have a battery life of 12 hours or 24 hours using the case whilst connecting to the USB-C dongle and a staggering 24 hours and 48 hours using the case whilst using Bluetooth Low Energy. This is a big jump over the 5 hours (15 with the case) that the Pulse Explore earbuds offer.
Another big advantage is active noise cancelling in the INZONE Buds which granted, isn’t the biggest deal in the world given that earbuds do a great job of cancelling out noise, but the noise cancelling is fantastic, as is transparency mode to let sound in and being able to utilise sidetone to enhance your voice whilst you speak so you don’t shout.
If you’re somebody that values customisation, another big win for the INZONE Buds is the fact they sync up to the INZONE Hub, which lets you customise everything from what each button does, to every minor EQ setting. You can customise every little thing and whilst it is restricted to a PC app, at least it’s available.
The PlayStation Pulse Explore has some unique advantages of its own. Firstly, it utilises new PlayStation Link technology so that it can work with the PlayStation Portal as well as PS5 consoles with low latency, but it also has regular Bluetooth technology.
The INZONE Buds have Bluetooth LE which is great for battery life, but they cannot connect with any iPhones, most Android phones or computers, instead being able to only connect with high-end Android phones. The Pulse Explore buds can also connect simultaneously to your PS5 and a Bluetooth device so that you can listen to music, take a cal or watch TikToks from your phone whilst you game.
PlayStation has made a big deal out of the fact that the Pulse Explore earbuds have planar magnetic drivers and whilst I’ve only used the INZONE Buds at this stage, I do think the drivers in the Pulse Explore buds should go a long way to making the audio quality fantastic.
I can’t see either being the best in the market for music, but as far as gaming and movies go, both should be more than serviceable, but I’d expect the Pulse Explore to have the edge here.
Both of the microphones have noise reduction technology, so they both should do an okay job here, but given they’re both buds, there’s only so far they can go in providing good audio quality.
Realistically, they’re both really great options which much better PS5 compatibility than any other buds on the market. If you’re getting a Portal or just want PlayStation branded earbuds, then the Pulse Explore are probably for you, but if you want noise cancelling and a longer battery life, then the cheaper INZONE Buds might tickle your fantasy.
The Sony INZONE Buds release in Australia on December 1st whilst the PlayStation Pulse Explore buds release in Australia on December 6th.
The Sony INZONE Buds are currently $100 off at $250 if you pre-order before they release on December 1st whilst the PlayStation Pulse Explore buds will be $329 when they release.