Pulse Explore wireless earbuds and new Pulse Elite wireless headset revealed; features lossless, low latency audio using new PlayStation Link technology.
Update: Pulse Explore wireless earbuds, Pulse Elite wireless headset, and additional PlayStation Link USB adapters will be available to pre-order starting Thursday, November 9 at 10am local time. Pre-orders will be available in U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Portugal through direct.playstation.com and select retailers. Pre-orders will also be available through select retailers in other global markets starting on the same day.
The Pulse Explore wireless earbuds will launch in select markets starting December 6, 2023, including the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Canada*, Australia, and New Zealand. Pulse Explore wireless earbuds will continue to roll out globally in the following months.
*Canada now launching December 20, 2023.
The Pulse Elite wireless headset will launch in most global markets starting February 21, 2024, and throughout the following months.
A PlayStation Link USB adapter is included with Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore and will also be available as a standalone purchase for the recommended retail price of 24.99 USD | 24.99 EURO | 19.99 GBP | 3,480 YEN. Standalone adapters will launch starting December 6, 2023, in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. PlayStation Link USB adapter will continue to roll out globally in the following months.
Update: PlayStation Portal remote player will launch in select markets on November 15, 2023 and is now available for pre-order at direct.playstation.com in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Starting on September 29, 2023, PlayStation Portal remote player can also be pre-ordered from other select retailers in these countries, as well as Canada and Japan. Additional regional availability will be announced at a later date.
Since launching PS5, we’ve been amazed to see how players around the world have embraced the generational leaps we made in the gaming experience, such as the heightened feeling of immersion delivered by the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers in the DualSense wireless controller. Our PlayStation community continues to give us a reason to challenge ourselves to bring new innovations to the market for all players to enjoy. That’s why today, we are especially pleased to share new updates about our upcoming hardware products.
In May, we gave a quick peek at our dedicated PS5 remote play device – now called PlayStation Portal remote player, and our first wireless earbuds, called Pulse Explore. Today we’re pleased to share more details about these products and reveal a new PlayStation over-the-ear wireless headset, Pulse Elite. Both Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore deliver low latency lossless audio from PS5 and PlayStation Portal using our new PlayStation Link wireless technology.
Here are the details.
PlayStation Portal remote player
PlayStation Portal remote player brings the PS5 experience to the palm of your hand. It includes the key features of the DualSense wireless controller, including adaptive triggers and haptic feedback*. The vibrant 8-inch LCD screen is capable of 1080p resolution at 60fps, providing a high definition visual experience that’s expected from the high quality games created by world-class developers.
PlayStation Portal is the perfect device for gamers in households where they might need to share their living room TV or simply want to play PS5 games in another room of the house. PlayStation Portal will connect remotely to your PS5 over Wi-Fi**, so you’ll be able to swiftly jump from playing on your PS5 to your PlayStation Portal. PlayStation Portal can play supported games that are installed on your PS5 console and use the Dualsense controller. It also includes a 3.5mm audio jack for wired audio. PS VR2 games, which require the headset, and games that are streamed through PlayStation Plus Premium’s cloud streaming, are not supported.***
PlayStation Portal remote player will launch later this year for 199.99 USD | 219.99 EURO | 199.99 GBP | 29,980 YEN. We’ll have more details soon on when pre-orders begin for PlayStation Portal.
Pulse Elite wireless headset & Pulse Explore wireless earbuds
Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore are the latest PlayStation wireless headset and earbuds, bringing next level audio performance to the gaming experience.
- Pulse Elite is our new wireless headset that offers lossless audio and includes a retractable boom mic with AI-enhanced noise rejection capable of filtering background sounds. A charging hanger is also included with the product for a convenient charging and storage option.
- Pulse Explore is our first set of wireless earbuds, providing a premium portable audio experience that includes dual microphones with AI-enhanced noise rejection capable of filtering background sounds. It also offers lossless audio and comes with a charging case.
Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore will be the first PlayStation audio devices to use custom-designed planar magnetic drivers for an audiophile-level listening experience normally found in premium headphones for professional sound engineers. With Pulse Explore, we’re pleased to be one of the first companies to provide wireless earbuds to the mass consumer market using planar magnetic driver technology.
Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore are part of our ongoing efforts to amplify the audio experience in gaming and make the gameplay experience more immersive through enhanced sound. Pulse Elite will be available for 149.99 USD | 149.99 EURO | 129.99 GBP | 18,980 YEN and Pulse Explore will be available for 199.99 USD | 219.99 EURO | 199.99 GBP | 29,980 YEN. We’ll have more details to share soon, including when pre-orders begin and launch dates.
PlayStation Link, PlayStation’s new wireless audio technology
Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore connect directly with PlayStation Portal by leveraging this new wireless audio technology, PlayStation Link. This innovation delivers low latency, lossless audio and easy switching between multiple PlayStation Link hosts such as PS5 with the USB adapter and PlayStation Portal.
When using Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore with PS5, the USB adapter that’s included with each headset and earbuds is required for PlayStation Link. The PlayStation Link USB adapter will also be sold separately as a standalone item, and can be used on PC and Mac, so players can connect Pulse Elite or Pulse Explore to experience the same lossless and low latency audio.
Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore can simultaneously connect to a PlayStation Link supported device (PS5, PC, Mac, or PlayStation Portal) and a Bluetooth supported device. For example, Pulse Explore can be connected to PS5 (via the USB adapter) using PlayStation Link and also to a mobile phone through Bluetooth at the same time. While playing on PS5, gamers can instantly answer a call and hear it through the same Pulse Explore earbuds.
We can’t wait to launch our new line of products for PS5, so players can play longer and experience its heightened immersiveness. We want to thank all our fans for being part of the PlayStation family and for embracing PS5, and we look forward to continuing to come up with new ways to enhance the player experience.
*Haptic feedback and adaptive trigger features are only available when those features are supported by the game being played.
**Requires broadband internet Wi-Fi with at least 5Mbps for use. For a better play experience, a high-speed connection of at least 15Mbps is recommended.
***Games that require a VR headset (PlayStation VR or PlayStation VR2) or additional peripherals (other than a DUALSHOCK 4, DualSense, or DualSense Edge wireless controller) are not compatible. Games that must be streamed on PS5 using a PS Plus Premium membership are not compatible.
Any special bonus for ordering from Playstation Direct?
No blue tooth headphones? Seems like a anti-consumer cash grab. That’s a “no” for me….. and the new prices for PS Plus is trying to price inner city kids out of online play. Sony doesn’t care about underprivileged youths.
Regarding the lack of Bluetooth headphone support. I wonder if it’s because, when home, the Portal streams video via Wi-Fi but controller input via Bluetooth to the PS5 (the Dual Sense Controller does connect via Bluetooth after all) 🤔. This could explain why early impressions noticed almost no latency when playing on it.
Ps. I did post this separately earlier but wanted to reply to your comment because I felt it applied 👍🏾