When we weren’t watching, Sony went and revamped their official PS3 Bluetooth headset. They took a communication device that was okay and made it great.
Sure, you could pick from just about any Bluetooth headset out there to use with your PS3, but the one Sony made specifically for use with their console seems like the best bet. They’ve put some smart functionality into this little, sleek headset, and just in time for the holidays. Oh, and just in time for Gran Turismo 5.
Read on for our impressions of the new PS3 Bluetooth headset.
Design:
Wow, this thing looks great. I didn’t know it from the plain jane blister pack it shipped in, but taking the Bluetooth headset out of the packaging I saw that Sony did a very nice job with the design. The set itself is just a tiny bit bigger than your ear. In other words, it’s really small. It has a speaker nub that rests just outside your ear hole with the ear clip attached. This clip is removable and reversible, letting you easily change ears. The mic is built into the base of the unit, and has no issue picking up speech. On the top there’s a power button, and the main button on the face is a mute toggle. There’s a tiny little rocker on the side for volume.
Set comes with a slick, small base dock. It has a mini USB connector that the headset docks into, and a port on the back where a USB cable can be connected to the PS3. It looks nice sitting in front of my PS3.
Features:
This headset does many more things than its few buttons would lead you to believe. One of the best features is that it pairs with your PS3 by simply plugging it in. It dosen’t get any easier. It shows up in your Bluetooth accessories menu in your PS3 automatically, right alongside whatever else you may have paired.
Once turned on (by holding down the power toggle for a few seconds), any status changes you make on your headset appear in a little box in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Hit mute and a little pop-up box will show up on the screen, where you’ll see a small ‘x’ over the mic icon. In the same box you’ll see volume and power indicators. With this, there’s no guesswork on what you’re doing when you’re fumbling with the buttons mid-game.
While not game related, this headset also pairs nicely with any Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. There’s even a special call function button on the side of the unit.
In use:
I gave the new headset a spin in a few online games. I also tried it out with my iPhone 4. It worked beautifully in both cases. While I was listening to my race opponents sound like sewer ghouls choking on slime in some Gran Turismo 5 friendly races, they all said I sounded “amazing.” I give credit to a good internet connection and the noise canceling tech Sony put into this headset. I also give credit to the “HQ” mode that this headset features. While everyone else sounds like AM radio, you’ll sound crystal clear.
I was able to hear commentary loud and clear in my online sessions on the PS3. I was also able to hear moms yelling and babies crying in the background. It was clear that this headset puts out plenty of good volume.
Summary:
The new PS3 Bluetooth headset is very nice. It’s so easy to set up and use with its instant pairing and the on-screen status display, and it looks and sounds great. I’m so impressed by the noise canceling that I selfishly find myself wishing that everyone else gets one. If you have the previous version of Sony’s PS3 Bluetooth headset, you may not find this upgrade as tempting. I’d urge everyone else using a garbled-sounding, featureless third-party headset to get this one instead, though. This one is way better.
The new PS3 Bluetooth Headset is available in stores now for $49.99.
