And yet, at $99 the PlayStation Gold Wireless Stereo Headset manages to preserve a commendable level of quality for each. The design is simple and not particularly attractive, but the bright burst of blue on the inside of the headband and PlayStation accents distinguish it from the deluge of other gaming headsets on the market.
But again, considering the low-cost and with reasonable care, it’s a manageable concession.During use — especially long-term gaming sessions — the around the ear design makes it comfortable to wear and the earcup padding breathes well. The one upside is that the USB adapter enables wireless audio support for PC and Macs as well, and it’s pretty much plug and play.But the big question is obviously: how does it sound?For the most part, it sounds OK. As is common with many cheaper headphones, the PlayStation Gold Wireless Stereo Headset lacks full bodied low-end and mid-range response. It lacks some of the precise channel separation of Dolby’s software, but of course, that would add extra cost.One of its most touted features, however, are the planned game-specific profiles created by developers.
Sony Introduces New Gold Wireless Headset For PS4 and PS VR
Detailed on both the US and EU PlayStation blogs, the headset “maintains the great features you loved about the Wireless Stereo Headset 2.0” but has a new design that sees it looking significantly less bulky, while the over-ear cushions have been “refined” for more comfort over longer gaming sessions.
PlayStation Platinum Wireless Headset review
That said, while we love the pack-in PS4 mono headset that serves as a gateway into the world to voice chat and audio playback, for most gamers it just doesn’t cut it. Audio from games, movies and music comes through crystal clear – which was almost a given considering the Platinum’s $159/£129/AU$259 price tag – but we were shocked just how well it worked compared to the third-party peripherals we were used to using. The oversized earcups and double band bridge give it a sort of monstrous quality, like they were designed for a giant’s head rather than regular people. Footsteps and gunfire imparted a general sense of directionality, but they didn’t have the same precision on Sony’s PlayStation Platinum as we’ve heard on other headsets. Playing through Drake’s latest adventure with the Platinum headphones on gave the cinematic video experience a matching aural one similar what you’d find at a movie theater. Obviously it wasn’t as immersive as using a traditional 7.1 speaker setup, but the Platinum Headset did help us realize the level of detail the development team at Naughty Dog put into the game.
Should you need to mute the headset at any time, or raise or lower the volume, you can find a row of skinny buttons along the outside rim of the left cup. Sony doesn’t quote a target number for the headset’s battery life, but if we had to do an estimate based on the time we’ve used it, it’s probably around the 12- to 14-hour mark.
Obviously one of the the headset’s major selling points is its ability to go wireless but, should you decide to run it into a mobile device or your PlayStation VR, Sony includes a standard 3.5mm-to-3.5mm audio cable inside every box.
There’s plenty nice to say about Sony’s Platinum Wireless Headphones: They have exceptional – and balanced – audio performance and the mic sounds “above average” according to the people we spoke to. There’s also 3D Audio support that creates 100 virtual speakers, though honestly the headset doesn’t have the same panache in this area that you’d find on the competition’s pair of cans.
The Best Gaming Headsets
The Cloud Alpha sounds great, with a spacious soundstage and clear distinction across bass, mids, and highs so you can hear light footsteps, dialogue, and rumbling explosions. It’s light and comfortable for a wide range of head sizes, it has an airier soundstage than the HyperX Cloud Alpha, and it sounds more accurate (if less bassy, which some people who play games tend to prefer) than our other picks. The microphone muffles voices slightly, but they remain clear enough for you to converse with other players, and the ATH-PDG1 is compatible with PC, consoles, and any tablet or smartphone with a headphone jack. The Cloud Flight S also offers mic monitoring, has chat balance (on PC only), and supports Qi charging and surround sound, features our other picks don’t have.
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