Sony's new PlayStation Pulse Wireless Headset costs $99.99, pre-orders opened on October 29, 2026, and it launches on November 19, 2026 in White and Midnight Black across 24 regions. It is Sony's cheapest planar magnetic headset for PS5, with PlayStation Link lossless audio and simultaneous Bluetooth, and it undercuts the $149.99 Pulse Elite by $50. This is a buying guide, not a review: the headset has not launched yet, so there are no player reviews to quote, and none are invented here.
At a glance
Price: $99.99 in the US (89.99 pounds in the UK, 99.99 euros, 15,980 yen) — Sony's recommended retail price.
Pre-orders: open since October 29, 2026 — US from 7:00 a.m. PT via PlayStation Direct; 10:00 a.m. local time elsewhere.
Launch: November 19, 2026, in 24 regions including the US, Canada, the UK, Japan, Australia, and much of Europe; other countries follow at an unannounced date.
Colors: White and Midnight Black.
Drivers: custom planar magnetic drivers, 4 magnets per driver, with larger drivers than Pulse Elite for fuller bass.
Connection: PlayStation Link (USB-C adapter included) for lossless, ultra-low-latency audio, plus simultaneous Bluetooth; works with PS5, PlayStation Portal, PC, and Mac.
Mic and controls: integrated mic with AI noise rejection, built-in volume control; no active noise cancellation, no boom mic, no carrying case — those are Pulse Edge features.
Reviews: none yet. The headset has not launched, so there are no player reviews or hands-on verdicts.
What you get for $99.99
The Pulse is the standard model of Sony's refreshed PS5 audio lineup, announced September 15, 2026 and developed with Audeze, the audio company Sony acquired in
2023. The headline is the driver: custom studio-inspired planar magnetic drivers, now larger than the ones in the 2024 Pulse Elite, aimed at fuller, deeper bass while keeping the clean sound and spatial accuracy that lets players pinpoint footsteps or reloads in competitive shooters. The form factor is updated too, with rotating earcups that lay flat for carrying, and a design Sony describes as built for lasting comfort and durability.
For connection, the headset uses PlayStation Link for lossless, ultra-low-latency audio and can switch between PlayStation Link devices — PS5 consoles, PlayStation Portal remote player, PC, and Mac — while staying connected to a Bluetooth device at the same time. The integrated mic uses AI-enhanced noise rejection to filter background noise for in-game chat, and volume control is built in. What it does not have is the premium tier's extras: no active noise cancellation, no detachable boom mic, no game and chat balance control for PS5, no audio and microphone jack, and no carrying case.
Pulse vs Pulse Edge: what the extra money would buy
Swipe horizontally to view all columns.
| Feature | PlayStation Pulse | Pulse Edge |
|---|---|---|
Drivers | Custom planar magnetic, 4 magnets per driver | Custom planar magnetic, 8 magnets per driver |
Microphone | Integrated mic with AI noise rejection | Hidden or detachable boom mic with AI noise rejection |
Active noise cancellation | No | Yes |
Game and chat balance for PS5 | No | Yes |
Carrying case | No | Yes |
Audio and microphone jack | No | Yes |
US price | $99.99 | Not announced |
Launch | November 19, 2026 | Early 2027, exact date not announced |
The Edge row deserves a warning of its own: Sony has announced no price and no exact date for Pulse Edge, only that it launches next year, with more details to come. Any Edge price you see quoted before Sony announces one is speculation, not Sony's announcement, and this guide does not repeat those guesses.
Where to pre-order
Pre-orders have been open since October 29,
2026. In the US, ordering runs through direct.playstation.com from 7:00 a.m. PT. In the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, direct ordering runs through playstation.com/store/hardware from 10:00 a.m. local time. Sony also sells through participating retailers but has not published a retailer list; retail coverage names Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart among the participating stores. The November 19 launch covers 24 regions: the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the UK. Sony says the release date for additional countries will be announced at a later date.
Who should buy it, and who should wait
Buy it if you play on PS5, PlayStation Portal, PC, or Mac and want Sony's cheapest planar magnetic headset with low-latency wireless audio.
Buy it if you want PlayStation Link and Bluetooth at the same time, for example game audio on console plus phone audio on the side.
Wait if you want active noise cancellation or a boom mic: that is the Pulse Edge, due in early 2027 with no announced price.
Wait if you want player reviews first: none exist yet, and the first real-world impressions can only arrive after the November 19 launch.
Wait if you live outside the 24 launch regions: Sony has not announced a date for additional countries.
One more note on the launch date: November 19 is also the day GTA 6 is scheduled to launch, which is part of why this headset is getting extra attention. Sony's announcement itself does not mention GTA 6, and there is no announced headset and game bundle — the shared date is the only link.
Bottom line: at $99.99, the PlayStation Pulse Wireless Headset is Sony's entry ticket to planar magnetic PS5 audio, with PlayStation Link, simultaneous Bluetooth, and a November 19 launch in White and Midnight Black. Pre-orders are already open. If you need noise cancellation or a boom mic, the honest move is to wait for Pulse Edge — and for Sony to put a price on it.