Review: Playstation wireless headphones - expensive, and worth it

These new wireless headphones have a lot going for them. They offer a retractable microphone for in-game voice communication. They offer virtual 7.1 surround-sound. On-screen indicators for functions. Seven hours battery life on a single charge. A volume slider and a mixer slider to control the levels of the game sounds and the voice communications, and more.

Confusingly, the wireless headphones do not connect to the Playstation via Bluetooth but rather a USB adapter that plugs into the front of the PS3. This seems a glaring oversight, considering the capabilities of Bluetooth technology.

Sound-wise, I was pleasantly surprised with these headphones. I could hear subtle audio cues, and the ability to enable and disable the surround-sound function is a nice touch. Sometimes I think the simulation of surround sound leaves things sounding “hollow.” The headphones can get deafeningly loud; enough so that I was able to clearly hear music, effects and voice communications from across the room. The easy-to-reach volume slider and audio mixer slider make adjusting the levels easy and intuitive.

The battery life was stated in the promotional materials to be seven hours on a single charge. I was able to get just over seven hours of use from a charge before the headphones beeped that the battery was low (and the accompanying on-screen indicator flashed) the first time I tried them. I was able to get eight hours out of the next couple of charge cycles. Color me impressed.

As an added bonus, the manual states that the headphones can also be used with your personal computer but that certain functions (on-screen display, surround-sound simulation) won’t work. The headphones did indeed work well when connected to my computer, and the sound was excellent. However, attempting to use the microphone for voice commmunications on my computer, even though the computer recognized that the microphone was active, did not produce any sound. I eventually went back to my wired headset for voice communication, though I will likely use the Playstation wireless headphones due to their superior sound quality.

The design is sleek, and the headphones fit pretty snugly. They block out surrounding environmental noises well, with their big, over-sized, cushioned ear cups that completely enclosed the ear. This design works very well to limit outside noises and really helped to bring the in-game sounds to the forefront. Unfortunately the tight fit did begin to make my ears ache slightly after an hour or so since I wear glasses and the cushions kept pressing the frame into my skull.

At $99.00, these headphones are pretty pricey for the average gamer, but I think that they’re worth the price. I do think that they’re a great investment if you game a lot in a house where you don’t want to disturb others while enjoying the full range of sounds the game offers. The long battery life and the high-quality of the sound reproduction (albeit with the occasional “hollow” sound from the surround-sound effect) are great benefits. The ability to adjust the ratio of voice communication to in-game sounds is a very welcome touch, as well.

Wow, what do you know …  Sony got one right this time!