Sony PlayStation 4 Platinum Wireless Headset

Product Information

Speaker drivers are little parts within the headphones that actually produce the sounds you are hearing. 50mm is referring to the size of their diameter. While it's nice fluff for marketing, you'll find that most people don't notice a huge difference in terms of sound quality between different sizes. Design and brand is more important than anything in this case, and Sony boasts that the 50mm drivers utilized in the Platinum Wireless Headset "provide amazing clarity and range of sound to your virtual world, from soaring highs and mids to a rich bass." The bottom line You may be drawn to the PlayStation Platinum Wireless headset for its promise of Virtual Surround Sound and 3D Audio, but the former is pretty poor in action and the latter is available on only a handful of games. Currently only available in Uncharted 4, although slated to appear in more games soon, 3D audio works by placing you within spherical sound spaces, plotting sound effects and audio in the space around you, a bit like Dolby Atmos but for headphones. There’s a lovely balance of directness and spaciousness to the sound, so central effects and dialogue are delivered with plenty of intensity but exist in a three-dimensional soundscape that lends plenty of atmosphere to the action.

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The earcups are ringed by buttons and switches for power, volume, adjusting the audio/chat mix and switching on or off the headset’s surround sound features. They are virtually indistinguishable from one another to the touch, so even after months of regular use you’ll find yourself having to remove the headset find the button you’re after. With any audio device, sound quality and performance are always the first port of call. Making sure that both input and output are as clear and consistent as possible. However, outside of analyzing a product's auditory performance, things like battery life, comfort, and how easy products are to use are also factored into the testing process. Sony doesn’t quote a target number for the headset’s battery life, but if we had to do an estimate based on the time we’ve used it, it’s probably around the 12- to 14-hour mark. We were able to play on and off for an eight-hour period, and we barely dove past the two-thirds mark according to the PS4. Playing through Drake’s latest adventure with the Platinum headphones on gave the cinematic video experience a matching aural one similar what you’d find at a movie theater. Obviously it wasn’t as immersive as using a traditional 7.1 speaker setup, but the Platinum Headset did help us realize the level of detail the development team at Naughty Dog put into the game.

Sony Platinum Wireless Headset specs

However, it is worth activating 3D Audio when playing a game that supports it. While there are still some occasions when the sound seems a little unnatural, voices in particular, the surround sound effect is much more convincing than VSS, with strong spatial placement of effects that seem to extend above and below you. Some will still prefer the unprocessed stereo delivery, but if you’re playing one of the few games that does support 3D Audio, it's well worth giving it a go. You want more flexibility in your movement around your setup. Since the HyperX Cloud Alpha is a wired headset, you are slightly more restricted in how you can maneuver around your setup, which is worth considering. You want to use it outside of gaming too. Although it boasts impressive sound quality while gaming, this headset doesn't sound its best when used for things like music or streaming videos and television. The current selection of EQ presets betrays the Platinum Wireless Headset's decidedly un-musical focus. The three music presets are Bass Boost, Hip Hop, and Techno, while the two movie presets are Action and Horror. The non-game-specific gaming presets are limited to only Fighting and Shooter, though in fairness those are the two most common console gaming genres that require a headset. Virtual Surround

PlayStation Platinum Wireless Headset review | TechRadar

Our best headsets guides are updated as regularly as possible since new products are always coming onto the market, and we endeavor to deliver an honest recommendation on which are worth considering which is why we believe it's important to keep up to date with what products are relevant. That point changes slightly when you’re playing a game that uses 3D surround sound instead of simulated 7.1 –again, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is the only one that offers it at the moment – and sound effects do have a better presence thanks to 3D Audio’s ability to create “100 virtual speakers”. The testing process we follow when considering the best PS4 headsets is incredibly thorough to make sure they are worth featuring in our list of the best of the best. There's a lot that goes into seeing whether or not certain headsets meet the criteria, and with the number of products currently available on the market, it's important to know what to look for to be able to make the best recommendations. No, we believe that PS5 games should take advantage of the new capabilities and features we’re bringing to the platform, including the features of DualSense wireless controller.The free Headset Companion App on the PS4 lets you load a variety of preset and custom EQ modes to the headset wirelessly. The app offers a choice between a handful of different game, movie, and music genres with their own tweaked EQ settings, plus a few modes designed for specific games like The Last Guardian and Uncharted 4 . You can also create three different custom EQ settings with a three-stage (Bass, Mid-range, Treble), six-step equalizer. The headset can only hold two EQ presets at a time, assigned to the 1 and 2 positions on the power switch. Fortunately, it only takes seconds to load new presets onto it. Of course, that being said, there are headsets out there that offer more pronounced surround sound –one area that we felt the Platinum’s could’ve improved upon. Footsteps and gunfire imparted a general sense of directionality, but they didn’t have the same precision on Sony’s PlayStation Platinum as we’ve heard on other headsets. You want something built to last. Although it's a more affordable headset, this is reflected through its build. The construction feels cheap, so it's a case of getting what you pay for.

Sony PlayStation Platinum Wireless Headset Review | PCMag

Let's start with what's in the box. With the headset you get a wireless USB adapter, a micro-USB charging cable, a 3.5mm audio cable, and a carrying pouch. Setup from there is simple; you plug that USB adapter into your PS4, switch the headset on from the left cup, and the two pair automatically. This adapter is key to using the headset wirelessly, and even works on PC with no hassle - once you plug the adapter in, all drivers install immediately. As another bonus, you can wire the headset to mobile phones using the audio cable. This switches the headphones off completely, avoiding any of use the inbuilt rechargeable battery, and disabling the buttons. It basically turns into a regular, passive pair of headphones, but audio quality still holds up very nicely. It’s good news, then, that the core audio quality is so good – miles ahead of the competition, in fact. If you’re a PS4 gamer in need of a headset, this is the one to get, and even PC, Xbox and Switch players should seriously consider it. We’ve not heard a better alternative.Compared to the Platinum Wireless Headset, we found the volume to be a little lower overall, although there’s still more than enough oomph to the speakers – you’ll just need to turn the volume up a notch higher than maybe you’d expect. Unfortunately, the built-in microphones, while serviceable, are of a pretty low quality, and while they’ll get the job done for traditional in-game chat, you’re not going to want to use them for anything other than that. Despite all the features, Sony’s Platinum headset isn’t strictly intended for the pro-level player. Instead, it’s for gamers who want the best audio experience for casual or semi-serious play. In our June Future of Gaming digital event, we announced an array of PlayStation 5 peripherals and accessories that will be launching this holiday season. But we know that many of you were also wondering if and how existing PlayStation 4 peripherals are compatible with the next-gen system. Today, we’re happy to share a brief FAQ that will answer some of your questions.

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The one odd aspect of 3D audio is that anything in the centre of the mix, like Nathan Drake's dialogue, sounds excessively loud at first. It's almost as if the noise is coming from inside your head, rather than in front of you, where it logically should be. We also suspect headphones with a wider soundstage - ones that aren't closed-cup as is the case here - could convey that sense of space a little more effectively. In general though, 3D audio's benefits over a 7.1 mix is as clear as day on the Platinum headset, especially moving from the virtual surround of Sony's last effort. Should you need to mute the headset at any time, or raise or lower the volume, you can find a row of skinny buttons along the outside rim of the left cup. Battery life and connectivity Astro's reputation for gaming headsets has been the envy of other manufacturers for the better part of a decade now. Like all previous versions of the A50, this refreshed model is about as expensive as the market gets, but it's also right at the high-tide line for quality. Of course, you may be tempted to enhance the atmosphere by switching on the VSS (Virtual Surround Sound), but that would be a mistake. While it opens up the soundstage and gives a sense of surround sound you otherwise don’t get, it also sounds over processed and unnatural, with voices and effects such as footsteps going distractingly awry.If you've got the cash for it, we think that the SteelSeries Arctis 9 and the Astro A50s are pretty unrivalled when it comes to the best wireless headsets available on PS4. While some others may undercut in terms of price, the sound quality of these are paramount. How we test the best PS4 headsets