Sony Pulse 3D Wireless Gaming Headset Review
Between the three big console manufacturers, Sony is the only one with a long legacy of making audio gear. In the PS3 era, they started to apply that expertise to gaming products, launching their official PlayStation headsets which blend gaming features with dependable audio performance.
The lineup hit its stride on the PS4, with the Platinum, Gold, and Silver headsets representing three different price tiers named after different levels of in-game trophies earnable across PlayStation titles.
For the new PS5 generation, Sony has cleared the slate, simplifying their wireless headset lineup down to one product with an old trademark they haven’t touched in almost a decade. The Pulse 3D headset is Sony’s new official gaming and chatting option for PS5 gamers, and it’s also a mostly-great replacement for their classic PS4 headset lineup.
NOTE: I bought this headset at retail with my own money. I don’t use affiliate links in any of my stories, so you can click through to product pages without giving me a kickback. For my full review policy click here.
OVERVIEW
The Pulse 3D wireless headset (official site here) sells for $99. It’s designed as an aesthetic match for the PS5, but it also works wirelessly on PS4, PC, Mac, and a docked Nintendo Switch thanks to its generic USB dongle. Alongside that dongle, the simple packaging also contains a non-proprietary 4 foot 3.5mm analog audio cable, and a USB-C charge cable.
On a PS5, you can optionally use Sony’s new Tempest 3D audio with the headset, and when used on PS4 Sony’s older 7.1 virtual surround sound will always be enabled. This is the same surround mode from the older Gold headset models, not the 3D version found on the Platinum headset. If you use the headset on a Switch or PC, you can listen in stereo. You can also enable third party 3D software on PC at your own discretion.
Despite the word “Pulse” in the name, this doesn’t feature the rumbling haptic bass tech from the PS3-era Pulse headset…
