So recently I purchased a few gaming headphones (Sony 3d Pulse + Arctis Nova Pro Wireless) as well as some regular headphones for streaming music off my phone (Bose QC Ultra + Sony XM5s). Like everyone I just googled PS5 headphones and bought what appeared to me to be the best options available.
However, I recently upgraded to a Smart TV which allows me to connect my XM5s + Boses directly to my TV and stream audio via bluetooth - and it works for games. This is awesome and is making me consider if I even need gaming headphones and should just use my music headphones / upgrade to some higher end headphones.
Here’s the thing, I dont play online at all. I just play single player. I dont need a mic, and I do prefer low latency but I probably dont need ball-busting state of the art latency connections or w/e. What I do want is 1) the best audio quality possible, 2) 3d audio - which I’m still unclear as to whether this is supported by non gaming headphones connected directly to my TV.
I like the idea of having multiple devices paired at once (so I can speak on a call while having gaming sounds playing, or streaming YT as I play), but in reality I probably will never use it.
Can someone clarify? Debating whether to simply sell my existing ‘gamer’ headphones at this point. Will I lose out on 3d audio? Does 3d audio still work even when paired to the TV and not the console itself? Also, will the quality suffer if I stream audio from my TV and not the console itself?
Gaming headphones are just a gimmick, there’s nothing special about game audio that would require a special type of headphones. I would also recommend open backs for the best experience though.
I upgraded from an HyperX Cloud II to a Philips Fidelio X2HR and I’ve been blown away - it’s better in every aspect, I wouldn’t go back to the HyperX for any reason. Good open-back headphones are the way to go.
I played cod on Utopias before and it actually scared the shit out of me hearing bullets whizz past me
I was using HD58X for sometimes before changing to SPH9600 with mic boom for comfort.
I don’t see any disadvantages using regular headphones compared to gaming ones, I played FPS by the way, BF2042 mostly.
You buy a gaming headset because you need a microphone and that’s it, zero other reasons to ever buy one. If you don’t need a microphone, just buy headphones.
If you want the emulated 3D surround there’s apps that can do that for you independent of what headset or headphones you use, but not sure if that’s a thing for PS5.
Latency matters, if sticking with wireless. Not nice to play games over bluetooth with 200ms of delay.
Not sure if less nowdays but that’s what all my bluetooth speakers used to have.
The virtual surround sound is actually BS and actually makes it harder to tell where things are coming from while also distorting the sound. You only have 2 drivers, one for each ear so you should just set it as stereo. Our ears can pick up the smallest differences to tell direction and depth. Put on any headphones in stereo mode and go to YouTube and listen to the virtual barbershop. If you’re not getting the 3D sound depth or positioning you want, buy headphones that are designed to naturally offer that. You’re right that most gaming headsets are trash, they throw more money into RGB and gamer looks than they do quality of the driver, parts, and overall comfort/fit. Whenever possible it’s usually better to use headphones and a USB or mod mic, however for console gamers they don’t have that many options.
Gaming headsets are, for the most part, trash drivers with a microphone and lots of software for simulated surround.
Microphones aren’t unique to headsets. You can get microphones like desk standing or other.
Software is also possible to implement. Keep in mind it also warps the sound a lot for the tricks to work. Many games have good directional audio so if your headphones are good (at least for soundstage and separation) you shouldn’t have an issue picking out sounds.
Given you’re primarily playing single player you should just get a good pair of headphones that makes the experience sound fine to your ears
Anything that a gaming headset can do (for example, spatial audio), a good music headset can do better. There’s nothing special about gaming headsets (aside from the mic of course), ultimately they are just tiny speakers that you steal to your head.
I like to game at night with my Sennheisers running through my hone theater receiver, so I don’t wake my family up, and I absolutely love it. The spatial audio on Fortnite allows me to accurately hear where sounds are coming from, and the ambient sounds in GTA V are very immersive… I just about crapped my self the first time a thunderstorm happened while playing with headphones.
Which Sennheisers? I think I could get a good deal on the 660s - and also the B 1990s. Trying to decide btwn the 2
My sundara, a stereo wired headphone, sounds already more inmmersive(what you call 3d) on the ps5 controller audio jack than my xm4 by a lot. I doubt the pulse headset to be any better than the xm4 if not worse.
I game with Beyer DT990’s (the brightness compensates for some hearing loss) and a Blue Snowball USB mic.
Latency does matter, even for single player. If there is a lot of delay over bluetooth, you will notice and it will be annoying. That’s why I would recommend the gaming hedsets if you need wireless.
Otherwise as others hae said, doesn’t matter. The PS5 3D audio from my understanding is purely software, and I have had it working with a USB dac plugged into the ps5. I think it will work through the TV too.
Only issue I could see is if there is any audio delay?
Might be better to connect strait to the PS5
Short answer, Yes