PlayStation Pulse Elite review: excellence in PS5 audio, powered by planar drivers

PlayStation Pulse Elite: Two-minute review

The PlayStation Pulse Elite is the next official headset from Sony for the PS5, offering a more premium wireless audio companion for the current-gen console.

The new features and tech inside the Elite, its superb audio quality, depth, and detail, and its ease and speed of connectivity across the PS5 and PlayStation Portal connectivity mean it’s an easy recommendation to make and gives many of the best PS5 headsets a run for their money.  

Like its gaming earbud brethren, the PlayStation Pulse Explore earbuds, there are some hugely enticing selling points with the Pulse Elite headset. The first is the inclusion of planar magnetic drivers to provide stellar gaming audio, and the second is the PlayStation Link connectivity compatibility. Both are excellent features and make for a compelling gaming headset package for those looking to upgrade their audio game, make a jump up from 2020’s Pulse 3D headset, and certainly those that are enjoying the PlayStation Portal too.

The planar magnetic drivers provide some of the best audio I’ve experienced on PS5. All the way up the sound spectrum, from booming bass, to rich middles and pitch-perfect highs, and in all game genres and scenarios the audio absolutely sings. 

The Elite’s PlayStation Link connectivity is a feature that’ll be attractive to some - though it admittedly does remain somewhat niche right now. However, what it does mean is that the Elite is a perfect companion for the PlayStation Portal and will connect directly to it wirelessly via Sony’s new proprietary wireless connection, PlayStation Link; a huge bonus given there are only two devices that offer this (officially) - the other being the Pulse Explore buds.

It’s not all roses though as I personally find the design and build strangely shaped and of a bulbous form when it's on your head. Plus the set is a bit heavy compared to its direct competition. Even though you won’t see this bulbous shape when you’re wearing it, you’re reminded of it by anyone you live with, as well as the overall weight of the headset.

The mic isn’t a world-beater but it’s still wonderfully clear and crisp and has a very tidy retractable design that means it disappears into the headset when you don’t need it. The same plus point on design impacts the controls too, all of which are neatly and intuitively positioned for interaction.

Overall, if you’re looking for a PS5 headset upgrade or something to buy that’ll service your gaming on the console and on PlayStation Portal then the Pulse Elite is easy to recommend.

PlayStation Pulse Elite: Price and availability

• List price: $149.99 / £129.99 / AU$239.95
• Faces stiff competition at this price point
• Widely available in most regions

Launching in February of 2024, the price point of the PlayStation Pulse Elite is about right for what it offers - a premium official PS5 headset with more than its predecessor, the Pulse 3D. However, it does still face extremely stiff competition, particularly from third-party brands such as SteelSeries and Turtle Beach. 

Facing direct competition from the former’s Arctis Nova 5 (priced at the same point) and the Arctis Nova 7P (a little bit more expensive) means the Elite is in a crowded room. The Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX and slightly cheaper Stealth 600 Gen 2 MAX also provide direct matchups.

As I say, however, with the Elite offering a superior experience compared to the other official model, the Pulse 3D, the pricing feels about right - especially with those planar magnetic drivers, which are usually reserved for super-premium headsets like the Audeze Maxwell.

The Elite will also benefit hugely from any price cuts or sales - if it ever drops to the $100 / £100 mark - therefore almost the same level as a Pulse 3D - then the proposition becomes a no-brainer for PS5 owners.

PlayStation Pulse Elite: Specs

PlayStation Pulse Elite: Design and features

• Bulbous design won’t be for everyone
• Great connectivity to PlayStation Portal as well as PS5
• Neat retractable mic and button set

The Pulse Elite shares the same design aesthetic and language as the PS5 family of consoles and accessories. Sweeping white curves and contrasting black elements work together once again to make for a striking design that’s easy on the eye and very slick. It’s a solid and pleasing evolution of the Pulse 3D design and looks immediately like a worthy successor.

Overall the shape and design of the headset do mean it’s much bulkier in mass and weight than its predecessor. When wearing it on your head the Elite has a distinctly bulbous appearance which is not flattering, to say the least. While you may not see it yourself, it’s enough for me to make it noteworthy and bring it to attention. You’re also reminded of that design when examining its weight. Coming in at 12.2oz / 347g, it’s nearly two ounces (almost 60 grams) heavier than the Pulse 3D and weightier than the likes of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 too (9.5oz / 266g).

Completing the minor qualms I have with the design is a tiny note about the leatherette material on the cups. I noticed it slides around (against the harder plastic underneath) under your fingers when you hold the cups which is slightly disconcerting and detracts from the premium feel of a headset that costs comfortably north of $100 / £100 - though ultimately makes no impact on use or experience.

However, beyond these issues, the headset’s build is robust and can survive a bump, while it’s also flexible enough to find the right fit to wear for hours.

The buttons and onboard controls are also a success. The retractable mic is housed in one of the wireless gaming headset’s ‘arms’ (the narrow white plastic parts which the cups are attached too) - the slightly longer one on the left-hand side - and features slick textures in the form of the PlayStation face button shapes to give it grip. It’s also got a visible-but-not-distracting LED and a mute button. On the right-hand headset arm, there’s a dual-purpose power and PlayStation Link connection button, volume controls, and the USB-C and 3.5mm audio jack ports. The underside of the top headband also has a charging port that can connect to the included wall-mountable charging dock which is a welcome feature to have thrown in.

While it’s made for PS5 and PlayStation Portal (via PlayStation Link) it can be taken to PC too with the use of another Link dongle (or the same, if you don’t mind unplugging it and replugging the dongle in all the time) which makes it very convenient when moving between the two platforms. Note that an extra dongle would require another purchase of $20 / £20 from PS Direct or a go-to online retailer. The headset’s Bluetooth connectivity is a good bonus too for pairing with mobile devices, and there’s also an audio jack connection to make it truly multiplatform if you don’t mind being tethered.

PlayStation Pulse Elite: Performance

• Stupendous audio from brilliant planar magnetic drivers
• Neat and tidy, and crystal clear retractable mic
• Solid battery life and reliable quick charge function

Cutting to it, the Pulse Elite is a brilliant-sounding PS5 headset and produces some of the best audio I’ve experienced on the console. There was much hype and chatter about the inclusion of planar magnetic drivers in an official PS5 gaming headset, and the move is something that has paid off in spades. 

The smallest environmental details in Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl - a game rightly praised for its audio work - were beautifully and hauntingly conveyed to me. Meanwhile, the comic book-like sounds in Assassin’s Creed Chronicles were crisp and punchy; and the bombastic soundscapes of sci-fi adventure Star Wars Outlaws and power fantasy bullet-fest Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 were out of this world. 

Of course, neodymium drivers from brands like SteelSeries, Razer, and Turtle Beach sound spectacular too, especially with tuning via each set’s dedicated apps, but there’s something extra rich and detailed about the planar magnetic ones in the Pulse Elite which always had me coming back for more.

In terms of multiplayer, and the microphone, I was treated to similar joys in Ghost Recon Breakpoint and Saints Row with weapon noises, voices, and vehicle roars sounding beautiful while my voice easily carried over them to my teammates. On that note, the mic is very solid but unspectacular - it won’t blow your teammates away or have you recording podcasts with it, but it’s easily clear enough for flawless communications, even in the busiest of Diablo 4 encounters.

In terms of comfort and use, the Pulse Elite shines brightly too. On the latter, being an official set has its advantages, and using it with the PS5 and Portal is easy, seamless, and so intuitive. Everything from changing EQ settings on the PS5 to connecting to the Portal via PlayStation Link is super easy. Even using the mic is easy given those aforementioned grips ensuring you hold it a particular way, away from the mute button.

Comfort-wise, I did notice my ears getting a bit warm in the Elite’s cups in the hotter weather recently, but otherwise, I never had to take off the headset due to ear or headache and could keep it on all day happily.

The battery life of the Pulse Elite won’t win any prizes, but its quoted 30 hours is a decent and very welcome improvement on the Pulse 3D that’ll easily have you covered. From a full charge on day one of my testing, I easily reached the 30-hour mark and had juice to spare. The quick charging feature is a welcome addition too and can get you back up and running in minutes - I experienced more than two hours of juice when charging the headset for just 10 minutes to test Sony’s quoted numbers.

All in all, the Pulse Elite is a very capable and attractive headset for PS5 users (or prospective PS5 Pro owners) - and especially those who also use the PlayStation Portal. If you’re after the latest in gaming headset driver tech and something to cover those two devices the Elite is a great fit. It’s simply a superbly easy, convenient, and excellent PS5 headset to use on both the console itself and the handheld Portal, and combining that with some of the best audio available on the market is a truly winning combination.

PlayStation Pulse Elite headset hands on👀 #playstation #gaming - YouTube

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How I tested the PlayStation Pulse Explore earbuds

• Tested for around two months
• Compared it directly to other headsets and earbuds
• Tested across game types and compatible devices

I’ve used the Pulse Elite headset for a couple of months now, and have learned to live with it as my daily driver for gaming and work purposes. 

For gaming, I have embraced it as a single-player companion and have put it through many game types including the first Stalker game, a full playthrough of Assassin's Creed Chronicles, my full review playthrough of Star Wars Outlaws, and some parts of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. It was in these games that I also tested the headset directly with the PlayStation Portal. I also used it online with friends playing Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Diablo 4 and the Saints Row reboot.

Elsewhere I used the headset for work regularly, both in meetings and calls, and music listening throughout the day. I also tested the Bluetooth functionality with my phone and listening to music and have been able to compare it to other headsets in my setup such as the Pulse Explore earbuds, SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5X, and the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed July to September 2024.