They say in life that only death and taxes are guaranteed, but you can add something else to that list of two items: the fact that Sony releases a new headset when it launches its next generation of consoles. It happened with the first Wireless Stereo Headset with the PlayStation 3, the Gold Wireless Stereo Headset on the PS4, and now the Pulse 3D Stereo Headset with the PlayStation 5.
Sony released the Pulse 3D headset alongside several other peripherals, with the company hoping consumers would purchase everything to complement their new console. While some of those accessories are kind of pointless – here’s looking at you media remote and DualSense charging system – the Pulse 3D headset is a fantastic bit of kit for the money.
Coming in at around £85-90, the Pulse 3D is relatively cheap for an official Sony headset. It is incredibly affordable when considering the headset’s exceptional sound quality. The detail-rich, stereo surround sound brings games to life, especially titles that make use of the 3D Tempest AudioTech. The fact you can plug it into almost any other device via the 3.5mm audio jack means you can use the Pulse 3D for PS5 gaming, watching Netflix on your tablet, or enjoying matchday and racing broadcasts from the various Vegas betting sites on your computer.
What Is Good About the Pulse 3D Headset?
There are positives and negatives to the Pulse 3D headset, like with any other technology. Let’s start with some of the positive points. We already mentioned the excellent sound quality that it delivers throughout the range via its 40mm drivers. Games that have audio made for the Pulse 3D’s technology sound incredible. Fire up Returnal, for example, and you can pinpoint enemies in all directions, including above or below you. Not many games support the 3D feature but those that do come with awe-inspiring sound.
The headset is comfortable to wear, even for extended periods. The cups are covered in a soft leatherette material that does not get too hot, while the headset tips the scales at 295 grams, which is about average for over-ear headphones. This Pulse 3D user wears glasses and can attest to the headset remaining comfortable for several hours of use, which is not always the case with over-ear sets.
Pulse 3D gives you many options via easily accessible buttons on the left earcup. Volume buttons, the ability to mute your inbuilt microphones, and even being able to prioritise chat over the in-game music are all there. The mic is not the best, but it does its job well enough not to warrant any complaints.
What About the Negatives of the Pulse 3D Headset?
Of course, not everything is perfect with Sony’s official PS5 headset. First up is the design. The Pulse 3D is not a bad looking gaming headset by any stretch of the imagination, but you probably would not wear it outside of gaming. Compare this to some of its rivals which you would happily wear outside the home. This may put off younger players from buying it.
Then there is the build quality, which is not the best. It feels sturdy, if a little rigid, and is mainly made from hard plastic. However, its build quality feels better than the Gold headset from the PS4 days. This reviewer went through two in a few years, courtesy of the headband snapping.
Lastly, the battery life isn’t the best, with approximately 12 hours of use when used wirelessly; it takes an age to recharge via the PS5, too. Perhaps Sony used a smaller capacity battery to keep the weight and costs down? Of course, you can plus the 3.5mm audio jack into your DualSense controller and still enjoy 3D sound, but it drains your controller faster, as you would expect.
Should You Buy The Pulse 3D Headset?
The Pulse 3D headset is a great headset considering it costs less than £100. Sound quality is excellent, again compared to the price, and it complements your PS5 if you have it in white, that is.
Those buying the Pulse 3D probably do not have plans to use it as an all-purpose headset outside of the home. While it is more than capable of doing this, it just does not look the part.
However, as a low-cost gaming headset that works seamlessly on the PlayStation 5, few headsets on the market can match it.
I picked up a pair of these on sale around September last year for about £60, and so far I’ve no complaints!
I have a weirdly wide head and so most headsets usually end up breaking at the arms after a short time, but the adjustment style on this headset means that this is a non issue, as well as being truly, very comfortable.
I find that there are a lot of games that don’t benefit from having the 3D audio enabled in the system settings, but this is more a complaint about developers than the headset itself. Regardless, it produces excellent sound no matter the game, and even had I paid the full RRP of £90 I wouldn’t have been disappointed.
The battery life doesn’t concern me as I never game for longer than a few hours at most, so I simply plug it in for an hour or so after I’m done with them and that’s that.
Don’t buy it. New earbuds & pulse coming out soon. Plus it’s not compatible with dualsense edge new feature of adjusting volume..