Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite review: Big sound, not-so-big price

Audio is a big part of gaming, and I believe it can make or break a game. If you’re an avid gamer like me, you want to make the most of your console or PC, and you need one of the best gaming headsets for a truly immersive experience. If you want a headset to match your PlayStation 5 or a PlayStation Portal, look no further than the Pulse Elite headset.

Draped in the classic PlayStation black and white colors, the Pulse Elite is a fantastic headset that’s comfortable to wear for long sessions, and it runs for 30 hours on a single charge — just what you need if you’re holed up trying to platinum Dragon’s Dogma 2 and the like. Utilizing PlayStation’s 3D surround sound technology, the headset transports you right into the game, and customizable audio profiles let you personalize the sound. But it has a few shortcomings worth considering before spending $149 on it.

For all the deets, read my full Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite review.

Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite review: Specs

Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A very comfortable wireless gaming headset
• Who is it for? For owners of a PS5, PlayStation Portal, and even macOS and PC users
• How much does it cost? The Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite is available for $149 / £129
• What do we like? The premium build quality, detailed 3D surround sound, customizable audio profiles, long battery life, and dual-point connectivity
• What don’t we like? In-game dialogues sound echoey, the mic is just okay, and the earcups’ quality is subpar

Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite review: The ups

From its build quality to its in-game performance, the Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite checks a lot of boxes that are important to casual and serious gamers.

Lovely build quality

With its classic black and white aesthetic, the Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite headset will fit right in if you own a PS5 or other consoles from that family. The curved headband contributes to its striking design. When I first held the headset in my hands, I thought it was massive and it looked a little bulky when worn — yet after getting to know the Elite better, it’s anything but. Weighing 12.2 ounces, it’s slightly heavier than the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 (9.3 ounces, $129), but I felt very comfortable wearing it. Having worn it for seven consecutive hours in testing, I can confirm that I never felt like it was weighing me down — it’s perfect for long gaming sessions.

The Pulse Elite headset is built with high-quality hard plastic, so it never feels or looks cheap. You can rest assured that your $149 / £129 are well spent. The swooping lines on either side of the earcups house the volume, power and Bluetooth/Link buttons. Unlike the PlayStation Pulse Explore earbuds’ ($199) confusing controls placement, I’m relieved that the Pulse Elite’s buttons are easy to reach and press.

With a charging port located on the underside of the headband, the Pulse Elite comes with a wall-mountable charging hanger, so if you don’t have a lot of space, this can be really useful. I now wish every headset had this.

Tempest 3D Audio rocks

If you’re looking for a premium headset to make your games more immersive, then the Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite headset is sure to impress you. I put the headset through its paces by playing Ghost of Tsushima, Baldur’s Gate 3, EA Sports FC 24, and Alan Wake 2 on my PS5.

The Pulse Elite headset uses planar magnetic drivers and Tempest 3D Audio to deliver an immersive experience — the latter basically uses a re-engineered AMD graphics chip to process audio from hundreds of in-game sound sources. It’s like spatial audio but better. You can quickly set it up on your PS5 from System Settings. Sony says the Pulse Elite features this for supported games but I couldn’t find a complete list anywhere.

Once I was up and running, I really noticed the difference, especially while playing the open-world Ghost of Tsushima. This game is stupidly beautiful and ambient nature sounds play a big role. I could clearly hear Jin Sakai walking on the crunchy grass, and with a waterfall behind me, the headset did a fantastic job of delivering audio from front and behind. Sounds fading feels more natural too, as I noticed this while sprinting away from a waterfall.

You’ll also notice the spatial audio with spoken dialogues, as the direction of the audio changes according to the direction your character is facing. For example, in the last third of Baldur’s Gate 3, you’re surrounded by NPCs in a busy city, and the Pulse Elite does an excellent job of moving sound across the earcups as you walk. Battles sound really immersive too, as I was able to hear every slice of my sword.

Customizable audio profiles

On top of Tempest 3D Audio, the Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite allows you to further personalize the sound thanks to the PS5’s built-in audio profiles. These can be accessed while playing a game too — just hold down the PS button and navigate to the Sound icon. Think of this as customizing the EQ on a speaker or a pair of regular earbuds. You can adjust the bass, lows, mid, highs and the treble, and you can even listen to a preview before finalizing.

On top of Tempest 3D Audio, the Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite allows you to further personalize the sound thanks to the PS5’s built-in audio profiles. These can be accessed while playing a game too — just hold down the PS button and navigate to the Sound icon. Think of this as customizing the EQ on a speaker or a pair of regular earbuds. You can adjust the bass, lows, mid, highs and the treble, and you can even listen to a preview before finalizing.

Alan Wake 2 was a great test. Considering this horror game relies on sound design to instill terror and suspense, boy was I scared with the Pulse Elite headset on. I customized the EQ, lowering the bass to hear the antagonistic Shadows’ footsteps and scuttering better. There are also a few EQ presets to choose from, such as standard, bass boost and shooter, if you can’t be bothered with tinkering the levels.

While the customizable audio profiles are wonderful, they aren’t as detailed as the ones offered by the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5, which has a companion app that lets you choose from 100+ game-tailored presets.

Long battery life

The Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite headset has a respectable battery life too, as Sony claims a single charge will last you 30 hours — and it’s true. In my testing, the headset died after 30 hours. It also has a handy quick charge feature which means you can charge the headset for 10 minutes and squeeze more than two hours out of it.

Compared to similarly priced models, the Pulse Elite performs really well. For example, the Logitech G Pro X Wireless ($130) can run for 20 hours, while the Sony InZone H5 ($149) clocks in at 28 hours. Even the very pricy Sony InZone H9 ($300) lasts just two hours longer than the Pulse Elite. That said, the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 one-ups the Pulse Elite with its 60-hour battery life.

Dual-point connectivity

The Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite headset uses the company’s Link technology, which means the headset automatically connects to the PS5 or the PS Portal, as long as you have the included dongle plugged in. It also utilizes Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone, so you can connect your console and your phone at the same time.

What’s even better is that you can continue using your phone to watch YouTube, for example, while the headset plays audio from your console. This was one of my favorite features when I reviewed the Pulse Explore earbuds. Both audio sources are balanced well too and they never interfere with each other.

Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite review: The downs

While it’s a winner in most areas, the Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite falls short somewhat when it comes to its mic, earcups’ quality, and the way dialogues sound.

Echoey dialogues

While I’ve praised the Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite headset for its impressive audio quality, I’m a little disappointed by how dialogues sound. In Ghost of Tsushima and Baldur’s Gate 3, to me, spoken dialogues sounded like they were echoing. They didn’t feel true-to-life and slightly ruined my immersion. This was also the case in EA Sports FC 24, where the commentators’ voices sounded tinny.

On the other hand, I’ve been using the similarly priced SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 for months now and I’ve never encountered an issue like this.

Mic is just okay

The Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite headset has a retractable microphone which can be tucked away when not in use — nifty. But I wish it sounded better on the other end. I played a couple of online games with my brother and he reported that my voice sounded muffled. I then recorded myself to hear it and he was right. It isn’t terrible or a massive deal breaker, but for $149, I expected better. Compared to its predecessor, the PlayStation Pulse 3D ($99), there isn’t much improvement in this area.

If you want a headset with a better mic, try the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 or the Logitech G Pro X Wireless instead. And if you have an additional $50 to spare, we were very impressed with the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 9’s ($199) mic too.

Earcup quality is subpar

I’m happy with the overall build quality of the Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite headset but I’m concerned about how long the earcups would last. They’re made of leatherette and are very soft, to the point that I feel they could tear if rubbed against a sharp object — or a sharp fingernail even. You can’t replace them either which means if they get damaged, you’ll have to replace the headset.

This is why I prefer the replaceable memory foam cushions on the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 and even the cheaper Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Gen 3 ($99), as any damage to the earcups is easily fixable.

Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite review: Verdict

Offering a compelling audio experience tailored for the PS5 and the PS Portal, the Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite headset is an excellent choice for players seeking an immersive soundscape. Utilizing PlayStation’s signature Tempest 3D Audio, the headset delivers spatial audio in support games, and if you’re playing on the PS5, you can customize the audio profile to suit your needs. It’s also very comfortable for long sessions, and the 30-hour battery life is the cherry on top of the cake.

This doesn’t mean the Pulse Elite is perfect. People who play online games might be disappointed with the mic, and in-game dialogues sound a little echoey as seen in our testing. Also, the earcups are made of very soft leather which could potentially be damaged by a sharp fingernail.

Overall, the Pulse Elite fits well into the PlayStation family and will surely find its place in your gaming ecosystem — Tempest 3D Audio will surely take you by storm.