Around the same time Sony announced Project Q, which is now officially known as PlayStation Portal, the company also unveiled a pair of TWS buds. This was not given a codename back then, but it was to feature new wireless tech that involves lossless and low latency audio. The buds now have a name, and they now go by Pulse Explore.
The company claims “to be among the first companies to provide wireless earbuds to the mass consumer market using planar magnetic driver technology”. Which makes the PlayStation Pulse Explore pretty impressive, as indeed planar magnetic drivers are more a thing for headphones. Naturally it comes with a feature set that’s similar to what you’d expect from TWS buds, like “AI-enhanced noise rejection” as well as dual microphones.
Making a surprise appearance though is the PlayStation Pulse Elite wireless headset, likely a sequel to the previous Pulse 3D. It features a slightly more aggressive design for the flowing frame, which allows a retractable boom mic to be hidden when not in use. Sony says that the headset will also come with a charging hanger, for convenient storage when you’re not gaming. There’s also the same AI-enhanced noise rejection, as well as the planar magnetic drivers.
What these two audio products share in common though is the audio tech known as PlayStation Link. This is the lossless and low latency audio tech mentioned back in May, and both the Pulse Explore and Pulse Elite support “easy switching” between multiple devices that feature the tech.
That being said, the only device that supports this tech natively is the Portal handheld. For others like the PS5 console, your PC, or even Mac, you’ll have to use the included USB adapter. If you want more devices to make use of this, the company says you can buy additional adapters. As mentioned in the previous report, the Pulse Explore buds can connect to PlayStation Link devices and a mobile device via Bluetooth simultaneously.
Which all sounds pretty exciting for now, save for one problem – like the Portal, neither the PlayStation Pulse Explore nor the Pulse Elite have launch dates attached to them yet. The same for their local prices, but for what it’s worth, they do come with US$199.99 (~RM929) and US$149.99 (~RM696) price tags. As with the streaming handheld, the company will share more details “soon”.
(Source: PlayStation)
