The PS3 Bluetooth Headset is the official headphone of the Sony PlayStation 3. It levels up the gaming experience
by bringing in an advanced voice technology into the system. It also comes with an innovative design and quality craftsmanship for effective noise cancellation and long-lasting use. Compared to the PS3 Wireless Stereo Headset, the earpiece has all the right features to ensure optimum user experience. However, it misses in comfort and visual status.
Sony retired the original design and replaced it with a smaller version with expanded mobile phone support at the same price. The PS3 Bluetooth Headset 2.0 sounds like a win because its predecessor is also a champion.
Design & Size
Just by looking at the style, the PS3 Bluetooth Headset shows versatility. It looks and feels like most standard devices on the market today. It also features a compact, ergonomic design that fits comfortably on the ears for extended hours of use. At 1.92 ounces, the earpiece is pretty lightweight, so it doesn’t affect the game. Moreover, it works as a desktop microphone with charging.
Sony made sure that the headphone has a stylish design optimized for gaming use. The PS3 Headset sports a large mic muting button and mic muting indicator to make it user-friendly for gamers. Right above is the power button and power indicator. The volume controls are on either side. You can lower the volume on the right and set it higher on the left. Additionally, the PS3 Bluetooth Headphone comes with an ear clip for added security and a charging cradle.
The headset performs best when its 190 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery is fully-charged. It uses a charging cradle or USB cable and takes about 3 hours to charge fully. The minimum charge before first use, on the other hand, is 1 hour. The battery level is available above the mic muting button and accessible when in automatic mode. For the initial charge, the mic muting button lights up solid red for two seconds and blinks every three seconds until the battery is full.
Materials & Comfort
The Bluetooth headset for the PS3 has a sturdy plastic construction that ensures long-lasting use. It also comes 
with a rubberized ear clip for a better grip. Additionally, it boasts a dock with compact features and a rubberized base to prevent slipping. In general, the device looks pretty good and is extremely comfortable to wear.
The headphone is 30% larger than the PS3 Bluetooth headset, and it is as functional as the latter. It also has a seamless PlayStation integration and branding with the logo on the front and some glossy bits here and there. More impressively, it is effortless to use. It features a rubber ring that connects the ear clip to the earpiece for a smooth right and left switching between ears.
Sound Performance
The PS3 Bluetooth earpiece sounds and performs great. It is the epitome of a noise-canceling headset as it delivers improved performance and impressive sound quality. It also facilitates an accurate speech recognition that is necessary for supporting voice command options and voice animation features. Moreover, the headset features a High Quality (HQ) mode that helps provide an improved voice chat quality with excellent clarity.
The headphone ensures an enhanced user experience on the Sony PlayStation 3. The HQ mode has heightened features that improve voice quality effectively and deliver clear reception in a wideband voice input. More impressively, it has excellent noise cancellation that enables online chats in-game and accurate voice commands. Overall, the audio quality Bluetooth headset is at its best with crisp output and quality transmission.
Durability
When it comes to durability, the Bluetooth headset from Sony is superbly made. It uses the best-quality plastic material with a rubberized ear clip to ensure resilience and provide a better grip surface. It also comes with a well-built charging stand with a rubberized base for stability. In total, the PS3 headphone is reliable and hard-wearing. With the added features, it is a practical choice.
Sony provides a one-year warranty to its product accessories, including the PS3 Bluetooth headset. They also allow a 90-day Extra Warranty Service for PSN members in select countries. Moreover, the headphone is entitled to an Extended Warranty Service that starts at the end of the original one-year warranty.
Connectivity & Compatibility
The benefits and features of the PS3 Bluetooth headphone are not limited to gaming. The earpiece serves as an excellent smartphone headset, as well. It permits easy pairing with the PS3 gaming device through Bluetooth® 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) and USB cable. Moreover, it provides a seamless pairing on devices with added practical functions for smartphone devices. When enabled, it allows you to manage your calls by tapping the side panel and provides you with up to 8 hours of talk time.
The product pairs in two ways: Automatic mode and Bluetooth® discovery mode. The automatic mode connects with the most recently-paired PS3™ system and lists only that pairing device for auto-connection. Advanced features, such as the HQ mode is only available when the headset is on auto mode. On the other hand, the Bluetooth® discovery mode allows the pairing of the device with other Bluetooth-enabled devices and saves eight of the most recently paired to the list.
The official headset allows for a high-quality voice chat on the PlayStation 3. It can also act as a microphone when docked in the charging cradle, automatically transferring the voice output from the PS3 to the TV. Additionally, it is compatible with the PSP Go and Bluetooth capable PCs and has an operating range of 30 feet.
Additional Features
The Bluetooth headphone comes with PS3-specific features that allow for a better user experience. Sony stepped it up a bit by emphasizing voice technology and audio quality. With additional features and robust design, the earpiece is way ahead of its competitors. Here are some of the features worth considering:
HIGH-Q
UALITY MODE
High-Quality Mode or HQ Mode improves voice quality by significantly enhancing voice features capable of delivering clear reception in a wideband voice output. It also ensures accurate speech recognition to facilitate voice chats in-game and via smartphone or other compatible devices. Moreover, the feature makes sure that games with Voice Command and Voice Animation work perfectly.
NOISE-CANCELING
The PS3 Bluetooth headset implements noise-canceling techniques to provide crystal-clear talk quality. It allows quality transmission on voice commands or voice chat to enhance the voice chat experience. Innovations on the feature also facilitate online chat and accurate voice commands while at the game. Furthermore, it ensures the best audio quality by providing crisp output to initiate voice commands.
USER ACTION INDICATORS
Anytime the headset pairs with another device or any of its buttons are pressed, a User Action Indicator (UAI) appears on the TV monitor for two seconds. It contains both texts and icons.
ON-SCREEN INDICATORS
The official headset provides the battery level and charging status of the device in its on-screen display. It also has a connection status indicator to show Bluetooth connectivity. Furthermore, it presents the volume level to enable consistent monitoring. The speaker volume has 0 to 3 waves, where an X over the speaker icon indicates a minimal volume, while three waves mean the maximum.
SMARTPHONE COMPATIBLE
The headset is compatible with smartphones and other mobile devices. When used with a mobile phone, it functions similarly to a standard Bluetooth®-enabled headset. It allows receiving and rejecting phone calls, call-waiting, and redialing in just one tap of a button. It also facilitates crystal-clear conversations during calls.
DESKTOP MIC MODE
The PS3 headphone works not only as an earpiece for gaming. In addition to its compatibility with mobile phones, it functions as a desktop microphone when plugged in the charging cable. The mic mode allows automatic transfer of voice output from the PS3 to the TV.
LOW BATTERY WARNING
The battery life of the headphone is average at about 8 hours when in use and 300 hours on standby mode. The battery level indication is available only in automatic mode, but the red mic muting indicator will flash every 10 seconds when the battery is low in Bluetooth® Discovery mode. The rightmost icon indicates the remaining charge as follows:
| Blinking: | Charging |
| 3 cells | 70%-100% |
| 2 cells | 30%-69% |
| 1 cell | 10%-29% |
| No cell | 10%-29% |
HEADSET STATUS NOTIFICATIONS ON PS3™ SYSTEM TV MONITOR
Notifications about your headset disconnection, low battery level, and connection errors display as text messages in the top right corner of the PS3™ System TV monitor. These are information only and do not require action. They also disappear after five seconds.
Product Highlights:
- Seamless pairing with PlayStation 3, smartphones, and PCs
- Effective noise-cancellation for crystal-clear voice commands
- HQ Mode to improve voice and audio quality
- Decent battery life with 8 hours of talk time and 300 hours on standby mode
- On-screen indicators for volume, battery, charge, and connection
- Comes with a one-year warranty
Who are these headphones for?
For people searching for a reliable and quality headset for their PS3™, the PS3 Bluetooth Headphone is an excellent choice. It boasts innovative features that enhance voice quality and voice command to elevate the gaming experience. It also has improved speech recognition to perform commands through keyboardless or mouse operations. Made specifically for gaming, the Sony PS3 Headset is a good buy for PSN users.
The official headset is also suitable for people who are looking for a gaming headphone with added features that can function on smartphones. The PS3 Bluetooth earpiece is compatible with mobile devices, helping in call management. It allows users to tap the side panel for receiving or rejecting calls, redialing, and call waiting. Additionally, the superb voice quality ensures crystal-clear conversations.
Finally, PS3 headphone is perfect for people with Bluetooth-capable PCs. It works as a desktop microphone when pulled in a charging cable, allowing for the transfer of voice output. It is also great for gaming and VOIP calls with the desktop PC. Moreover, the device delivers outstanding audio quality for private listening of music and films.
Verdict
Overall, the PS3 Bluetooth headset is the best option if you own a PS3, PC, and smartphone. It’s like hitting not two but three birds with one stone. It looks and feels great on your ears and delivers superb audio and voice quality. It is also hard-wearing and has a one-year warranty that you can extend for another 90 days after the end of the original warranty. Moreover, the headphone provides seamless pairing with Bluetooth connectivity that reaches up to 30 feet.
The construction of the earpiece is excellent. It is stylish but comfortable for extended hours of gaming. The compact, ergonomic design ensures long wear, while the lightweight design provides a pleasant gaming experience. The sturdy plastic materials also guarantee durability. Furthermore, the Bluetooth headset features a rubberized ear clip and charging cradle base for relaxed, long-lasting use and stability.
The official headset delivers high-performance. It features a High-Quality (HQ) Mode, which enables wideband wireless voice communication with the PS3™ system. It makes use of the dual-microphone design to warrant noise-canceling and provide better radio-frequency interference. The PS3 Bluetooth earpiece also boasts a desktop mic mode that allows automatic transfer of voice output from the PS3 to the TV when it is on the charging cradle.
About the company
Sony Corporation is a Japanese multinational conglomerate that offers diversified products and services, such as electronic products and solutions, game and network services, imaging and sensing solutions, and financial services. Founded on May 7, 1946, the company’s headquarter currently stands in Kōnan, Minato, Tokyo.
Sony launched the world’s first transistor-based videotape recorder in 1961 and developed and launched the Trinitron color television seven years later. Then, they made Japan’s first tape recorder in 1950 and released the first Walkman® personal stereo cassette tape player in 1979. They also created the first-generation Handycam® video camcorder in 1985 and continues to offer innovative imaging products, like the Cyber-shot®. Additionally, they tapped into the smartphone industry with the Xperia™ series.
However, the list of consumer products does not end there. The best-known business platform of Sony Corp is the game and network services. They developed the PlayStation and extended the enjoyment to other areas, including accessories and premium subscription services. Thus far, the company still inspires and fulfills the world’s curiosity by providing groundbreaking technology, content, and services.
