Sony’s PS5 wireless earbuds want to be your best gaming buds, but I’m not so sure
‘New wireless tech by SIE’ is all well and good, but I need specifics
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PlayStation is launching its inaugural pair of gaming-specific wireless earbuds – and to giveSonyits due, they’re beautifully matchy-matchy with your PS5. The rounded driver housings are black while the white wraparound top plate is white and angular, with a swoosh-type flourish. But is that enough?
DuringSony’s PlayStation Showcaseon May 24, Sony unveiled its first ever set of Bluetooth-enabled ‘buds that can be used with thePlayStation 5, your PC, and of course with the PS5’s new elongated Project Q handheld controller – which has been making post-show waves thanks to itsDualSense-but-stretched-out-with-a-screen design. The “next-generation audio immersion” earbuds can also, says Sony, simultaneously connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth.
So what are the specs for PlayStation’s new gaming ‘buds? Bluetooth 5.3 orBluetooth 5.2 with LE Audio? A 32-hour battery for particularly epic sessions? Voice-isolating mics? Multi-point pairing in case your phone rings? An auto-off sensor so the action pauses when you remove them? Thatcouldmake them some of thebest gaming earbudsof 2023 – but we simply don’t have that information yet.
Take a sneak peek at new accessories revealed at today’s Showcase — the Project Q device for playing games installed on your PS5 and streamed over WiFi, plus our first official wireless earbuds offering lossless audio on PS5 and PC.More details to come in the months ahead. pic.twitter.com/0nzemSWSCVMay 24, 2023
What Sonyhassaid is that the earbuds will feature “new wireless technology developed by SIE” that will arrive later this year, and furthermore that this tech will make them capable of delivering lossless audio with low latency. And that is big news, because as many of us know only too well, the trade-off for low latency in your earbuds’ gaming mode is top-tier audio quality, range, plus that rock-solid connection we love. Certain ‘regular’ earbuds, such as theSamsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, have a dedicated gaming profile, but there’s always a (slight, but perceptible) compromise in sound.
Sony didn’t reveal much else about the incoming earbuds – in fact the company was positively tight-lipped about them – but did add that additional details will come “in the months ahead.”
Analysis: winsome looks and promises aren’t convincing, until you remember that this is Sony
So, it’s another pretty set of earbuds in a matching white envelope-type case. And that light-up feature on the inside of the case is a lovely touch considering that many of us, including many of the TechRadar team, prefer gaming in low-level lighting. But is it enough to get us excited? No. Or at least not until you remember that this is Sony.
The tech giant has form in the headphones arena and then some. Take theSony WF-1000XM4andSony WF-C700Nearbuds andWH-1000XM5over-ears, for starters; all stone-cold winners for sound, comfort and features.
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Those first two products are some of thebest earbudsin existence (in fact, the newest Sony WF-C700N made it into mytop three earbuds picks for 2023) and the slightly olderSony WH-1000XM4(upon which the XM5s are based) remain one of our top recommendations in thebest over-ear headphonescategory.
Are these PlayStation earbuds about to become one of thebest PS5 accessorieswe’ve ever tried – and can they better Sony’s ownPS5 Pulse 3Dwireless headset to become the must-have audio accessory for your PS5? It’s hard to say right now, but watch this space.
Becky became Audio Editor at TechRadar in 2024, but joined the team in 2022 as Senior Staff Writer, focusing on all things hi-fi. Before this, she spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing and reviewing everything from wallet-friendly wireless earbuds to huge high-end sound systems. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, Becky freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 22-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance starts with a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo and The Stage. When not writing, she can still be found throwing shapes in a dance studio, these days with varying degrees of success.
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