PlayStation has been in use over the last two eld . The stigma has n’t just been busy pump out award - winning games during the PS5 era ; it ’s been ramp up an Apple - like technical school ecosystem right under our olfactory organ . That reality became fully clear last twelvemonth when Sony launched itsPlayStation Portalhandheld . The accessory came with one odd taking into custody : it did n’t support Bluetooth . To use a wireless headset , participant would need to buy some specific earbuds or headsets that tolerate Sony ’s new PlayStation Link tech . It was a impudent , but frustrative move that give PlayStation possessor incentive to keep buying first - party Sony accessory .
Just a few months removed from the Portal launch , we ’re interpret the next step in Sony ’s merchandise playbook with the Pulse Elite . Sony ’s previous headset is n’t just custom - made for PS5 and its3D audio feature of speech ; it ’s one of the only wireless headsets you’re able to use with PlayStation Portal decent now . That makes it a twist that you almost have to buy .
The good news is that thePulse Eliteis a fairly good investment if you ’re fully bought into the PS5 ecosystem . It ’s a long - lasting headset capable of capturing frosty sound across the console ’s program library . But its loose primed and high price tag will leave you wishing that you had the pick to entertain another option .
Design and comfort
The Pulse Elite is designed to match the PS5 , so opinions on its aesthetics may vary . It follows a familiar black - and - blanched theme and features the same bold geometry that makes the PS5 so distinct ( and hard to lay in an amusement center ) . The most noticeable design quirkiness is that it has two white arms on either side that jut out a bit past the earcups . It seem a number awkward at first , but they have yet to get in my means .
It ’s certainly a visual statement , but one with some function . The Pulse Elite ’s microphone is stealthily housed in the left limb . It can be quickly bare from the tip by push the charge card forward , revealing a flexible mic arm obliterate within . It ’s a with child design detail that let players keep their mike hidden when it ’s not in use without accept to keep track of a detachable add - on .
My favored plan innovation here , though , is the Pulse Elite ’s unique charging system . There ’s a traditional charging port underneath the correct weapon system ( I can use the same corduroy I use to charge myDualSense controllers ) , but you ’ll notice an odd picayune latch point under the headband . The Pulse Elite issue forth with a plastic hook that slots into that stain . It can be fuck into a well and connected to a cord , produce a wall mount that charges the headset while it ’s hang by the headband . It ’s a hard-nosed , dual - function design that makes the $ 150 headset palpate a bit more insurance premium .
It ’s more well-to-do than the competitively rigid Pulse 3D.
As for comfort , I ’ve felt no strain using the Pulse Elite during multi - minute gaming sessions . That ’s partially thanks to the fact that it sport a 2nd , soft headband underneath the main one . It ’s an arch of black credit card that stretches and squelch to match multiple head sizes and shapes . That , fuse with pillow - soft earcups , make it more comfortable than the competitively rigidPulse 3D.
There ’s one catch to that , though . The Pulse Elite is strangely escaped - fitting on my head . It ’s neat that it ’s not squeezing the life out of me , but Sony went a slight too far here . It begin to slide down my head anytime I lift my Kuki to take a drink . Perhaps that wo n’t be a problem for people with bigger psyche , but they ’re far too wiggly for my own , with no tangible selection to adjust the denseness that I can find . It ’s not a mass circuit breaker , but it does stand for I have to stay evenhandedly still when using it .
Sound quality
The Pulse Elite really stands out where it counts : audio tone . Naturally , Sony has tuned the headset to get the most out of the PS5 ’s 3D audio . That ’s noticeable . When I ’m playingHelldivers 2 , I can pinpoint just where my teammates ’ gunfire is coming from . That ’s just what you want from a PS5 headset , and the Pulse Elite delivers .
The headset produces elaborate speech sound across mountain range . Helldivers 2would service as a perfect test case as it ’s full of kinky and elaborated sounds . When I ’m jumping into a pod to queue up for a couple , I can hear every crash as I lock away into the metallic gadget . Gunshots are sharp and impactful , with a bit of bass under the shaft to underscore the flare-up . test inFoamstarsandFinal Fantasy VII Rebirth ’s demogave me like result , as I was capable to get those most out of the former ’s jazzy soundtrack and the latter ’s feverish fights .
What ’s inauspicious is how distorted sound gets at gamey loudness . When crank them all the way up , I quickly got some rough sounds in theRebirthdemo ’s fights . Additional trial run at high-pitched volumes grow similar outcome . When touch base to Spotify and smash some Noname , I got a raft of crunchy distortion on the low end . That mostly come about at max volume and would resolve when moving down a tick or two , but that still places an unfortunate terminal point on my volume options .
As for the microphone , the audio timbre is satisfactory even if it sounds like a received gaming headset mic rather than a $ 150 one . What I will clap there is the Pulse Elite ’s “ AI - raise ” noise rejection . When I ’m not talking , the mic goes dead silent . I ran some recording tests where I speak while euphony played very close to the mic in the background . Anytime I stopped blab , no music bled through . And when I did speak , the euphony was very timid underneath my interpreter . That ’s great , as it means you wo n’t need to turn your telly down if you ’re using chat through something like Discord on your phone .
Battery life
During the PS5 generation , I ’ve arrive to assume that I necessitate to accuse most Sony products after one session . The battery life on the DualSense , DualSense Edge , and PlayStation Portal all leave a bit to be desire . Even the Pulse three-D only pose up to around 13 hours on a charge . So far , the Pulse Elite totally charge that trend .
Sony claim that the Pulse Elite ’s shelling can last up to 30 minute . While it ’s hard to gauge how consistent that image is , I can bear witness that the assault and battery lasts much longer than those in other Sony headsets I ’ve used . In my first go - round with it , I wear down it for a three - time of day gaming academic term , break up it up for a handful of one- to two - hour academic session over the course of a hebdomad , and tooled around with testing it on both microcomputer and mobile . After all that time , I still had three bombardment tick . That ’s a marvelous change of footstep for PlayStation accessories .
Charging is a cinch too , as Sony bluster that a 10 - minute charge will final players two hours of battery life . That fact , merge with its modern mounting hook charging solution , makes the Pulse Elite much easy to use than the Pulse 3D. I never have to worry about whether or not the shelling will run out on me . Even when it does , it does n’t take long to get back up to speeding so I can finish up a gaming seance .
Connectivity and customization
Where the Pulse Elite starts to get a bit eldritch is in its connectivity . The headset is Bluetooth - enable , which makes it promiscuous to connect to a phone or other devices , but its big lineament is its PlayStation Link integration . That ’s Sony ’s new audio tech that boast “ lossless and lightning - fast ultra - blue rotational latency ” — though its more tangible design is getting PlayStation players to buy Sony earbuds and headset to keep all its machine in one coherent ecosystem .
There ’s some sound and bad side core of that decision . On the positive side , the Pulse Elite can simultaneously connect to two gadget via Bluetooth and PlayStation Link . I was capable to connect to my speech sound to employ Discord while staying accost into my PS5 to playFoamstars . That ’s a large bit of flexibleness that PlayStation Link ( compatible with a USB dongle ) provides .
The spoilt news is that you kind of have to buy a Pulse Elite if you want to use a wireless headset on PlayStation Portal . That machine does n’t support Bluetooth or exit elbow room for a dongle , so you ’re stick either buying this pricy headset or Sony ’s new ( and even pricier)Pulse Exploreearbuds . The Pulse Elite is at least a solid headset , so it ’s not the worst fate , but one design flaw torpedoes its service program .
By pressing the PlayStation Link push button three times while connected to PS5 , you may open a handy quick menu on your TV . This allows players to cursorily mess with EQ , either create their own or using some presets . It ’s a ready to hand feature , but one that does n’t carry over to Portal . If you connect your Pulse Elite to the Portal , your PS5 wo n’t recognize it the same way it would if it were straightaway attached . That mean that you ca n’t reach the EQ menu , see stamp battery life , or get an on - screen loudness indicator when using onboard controls . To get that , you ’d require to connect your Pulse Elite to the PS5 and then power on the Portal .
I hope Sony can iron out out quirk like that as it experiments with young ware lines using PlayStation Link .
While that ’s ultimately a niche use case , it ’s a bit frustrating considering the pressure ecosystem Sony is creating here . If I have to buy specific headsets to get wireless audio frequency on machine like the Portal , I do n’t suppose it ’s unfair to expect consistency . I imagine that ’s a specific problem with the Portal since it ’s a distant play equipment , but I hope Sony can press out queerness like that as it experiment with new product line of descent using PlayStation Link . If not , the whole experiment will get thwarting fast .
It ’s not like you have a lot of options , though . If you require a solid premium headset that well connects to every PlayStation twist you own , the Pulse Elite is the best out there … by default . I ’m grateful that Sony at least made sure it was an selection deserving owning , with great strait and innovative pattern , but I ’m not convinced that it ’s worth fall back Bluetooth entirely to keep all my PlayStation accessories in concord .
