The PS5 launched with a super popular Pulse 3D Headset and the Pulse Elite came soon after, but PlayStation is launching a refreshed headset line starting with the Pulse headset that comes in at $159.95 (same price as the original) and it’s a massive winner.
The new Pulse headset comes in black and white variations (with only the headband differing), and the headphones now fold flat which is great for storage and taking on the go. There’s physical buttons to control volume, turn it on and off, connect to PlayStation Link and pair with Bluetooth, but they’re missing game/chat audio controls and a 3.5mm jack which are reserved for the Pulse Edge.
The headset is super comfortable to wear with them being lighter than the original Pulse 3D headset and just feeling a lot lighter at the top of the head. I wear glasses, and they felt great for longer play sessions. It’ll be interesting to see how they wear over time when it comes to flaking, but at this price point I’m not hugely concerned.
The new Pulse headset uses a new USB-C PlayStation Link dongle to connect to the PS5 or can connect to the PlayStation Portal without a dongle, and they also have Bluetooth support too and can simultaneously connect to your phone or any other device at the same time as your PlayStation which is great for calls coming through, or quickly watching a video between matches. It’s a great feature to have at a headset of this price point and one that I can’t live without. PlayStation Link has had some disconnection issues, but I haven’t had a single drop out with the new dongle.
The battery life of the headset is about 30 hours which is almost 3 times that of the original headset and a huge improvement which isn’t a massive surprise given others at this price point, and just like other PlayStation headsets you’ll get battery life reported through the PS5 UI.
Unlike the original Pulse 3D headset, the new Pulse headset uses Planar Magnetic drivers which makes for great bass and super crisp clarity so you can hear footsteps or shots and the direction of 3D audio comes through a lot clearer too. For me, it’s still quite soft for volume compared to other headsets, but there’s a good amount of customisation that can be done through the PS5 UI too.
There’s a new AI noise rejection microphone which is pretty decent given it’s hidden within the microphone, with the upcoming Pulse Edge having a removable boom microphone. If you’re a hugely competitive gamer, there’s probably better options out there if voice clarity is important to you.
At $160, you’ll struggle to find a better sounding headset with this many features, and if you’re primarily a PS5 gamer it’s a no brainer with this being a huge improvement over the original Pulse 3D headset.