Customers appreciate the impressive sound quality, comfortable fit, and decent battery life of the PULSE Explore Wireless Gaming Earbuds. Many also highlight the immersive 3D audio and seamless compatibility with the PlayStation ecosystem. However, some users experienced connection issues and found the price to be a bit high. A few also noted that the bass could be improved.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 808 reviews
Pros mentioned:
Fit, Sound quality
Cons mentioned:
Range, Volume
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Great Gaming Earbuds
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Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The PlayStation Pulse Explore earbuds are great for what they are designed to do. However, they do have a few shortcomings for anything outside of gaming use. Let's start with the good, they sound excellent when paired to the PlayStation Portal, PS5, and PC. The pairing process is simple and straight forward whether using the included dongle for PC or PS5, direct Bluetooth connection to your phone, or PS Link with the Portal and they have the ability to be paired to 2 devices at the same time which is excellent. You can pair them to your phone and PlayStation Portal as one example and while your playing, you can take a phone call and still hear your game audio at the same time. I wish more headphones/earbuds had this feature. The fit is nice, they don't hurt while gaming for extended periods of time, but it should be noted, to get the best audio experience, you will need to find the right earbud tips get the best fit, if you don't, these will sound terrible. The overall sound quality is great. Will you notice the "lossless audio" vs traditional Bluetooth? Probably not. But it's there and Sony plasters it for their promotional materials. For the not so good, the range on these earbuds is not that great when compared to traditional headphones/earbuds. For me, I can't get more than 10-15 feet away from the Portal or PS5 Link dongle before the connection becomes distorted requiring me to take the earbuds out if I need to grab a quick drink from the fridge or something. With traditional earbuds from Sony, Apple, Samsung etc... the range is significantly better where it feels like you can walk all over your house and leave your device behind and still hear everything. If you use these buds for more than just gaming, like listening to music on your phone, the sounds quality is decent. They aren't terrible by any means and most people may be happy with it, but the volume buttons on the buds themselves do absolutely nothing unless you are connected to a PlayStation device which is a let down. Also, at least for me, no matter what device I have connected to them, the max volume doesn't get very loud for my taste. If your sitting in a quiet room with no other sounds, you will get lost in whatever you are doing. If you have a room full of people or there is a lot of noise around, it may take away from the audio experience. for the $200 price of these earbuds, I wish they would have included some kind of noise cancelation. As for the battery life, it's the traditional PlayStation mediocre battery life of 4-5 hours with each earbud with an added 15 hours with the included charging case. Compared to other earbuds in the same price range with substantial more features have better battery life which is kind of let down for the Pulse Explore Earbuds. Overall, if you use these for gaming exclusively, they do not disappoint and are a must have for any PlayStation Portal owner. For mixed use, like listening to music or watching movies, I would recommend using something else, but if this is only option available, they are decent enough where most will be happy. Happy gaming!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Sound quality
Cons mentioned:
Bass, Connection
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
Truth be told.. DO NOT BUY
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Posted . Owned for 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I'll keep this very brief and straight to the point.. DO NOT BUY! The good: clear sound, great for short gaming sessions on the go(if you have a portal or mobile games) and thats all i could say. The bad: bass lacks, ear tips are uncomfortable (tip: use eartips from airpods or other tips you have around, long game sessions impossible to have, connectivity goes in and out ps5 ( I don't know about portal), mic quality could be better, button function are limited to volume and ps link connection, no EQ, and I believe you could buy better headset or earbuds for $200. I'm going back to my Corsair HS80 for PS5. Only reason I decided to keep them is because I was finally able to get a ps portal, it has ps link integration, and I only plan on using it for short gaming sessions for like an hour or so right before bed in my bed. If you're just gaming on a PS5 do not buy, and if you're gaming on the portal I suggest going a another option as well. Im very disappointed and also i would return them but i already threw away the packaging.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Comfort, Sound quality
Cons mentioned:
Connection
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
Severely Overpriced
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Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Connectivity - 2/5
Audio Quality - 4/5
Mic Quality - 3/5
Comfort - 5/5
Durability - 4/5
Packaging - 0/5
Value for money - 1/5
Overall - 3/5
(Reviewing this after a little under 2 months of usage)
Everything was good except the connectivity. The earbuds would randomly disconnect. But it can be easily fixed by pressing the PS link button or by putting the buds back in the case and unplugging and plugging the PS Link adapter back in the USB slot of your PS5.
If you are fine with getting a headset for your PS5, get the Pulse Elite Headset.
If you for some reason only use earbuds, get the Sony Inzone buds. They are the same price as these and are much better for the same price and work really well on both PC and PS5.
Buy this if you for some reason want all your PlayStation accessories to be "PlayStation branded" or something.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Comfort, Fit, Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Amazing Sound! Worth the Purchase!
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
First off. This will be my first pair of gaming headphones and/or earbuds ever! The first time I put them on I was amazed! The sound,the clarity made me truly feel like I was in the game! The comfortabilty of these earbuds are top notch. They feel snug, not loose and feel like they won’t fall out of my ears. I think this purchase is well worth the $200 from Best Buy. The online customer service helped guide me through how to find and purchase this item since it was a very hot accessory to grab! I will using online customer service going forward for any hard to get item. I highly recommend these earbuds for anybody that’s hardcore into gaming because the experience will be 10x better!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Sound quality
Cons mentioned:
Connection
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Great Playstation 5 earbuds
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I had my earbuds for 2 weeks and I can the sounds are rich with top of the line Audiophile drive called Planar Magnetic Drivers. Has a amazing isolation for inearbuds microphone so on the receive end will always say it clear no matter the sound in the background. I also like that it connects instantly to my phone and PS5. Hear it at the sametime if Im listening to a podcast and gaming. The only problem when I use bluetooth on my phone it will disconnect Milisecond but thats because the range is not that large so i have PS Pulse Earbuds facing downward so the connection stronger. I haven't had no lost connection after doing that
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Sound quality
Cons mentioned:
Price
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Finally a viable earbud set for ps5 w/ microphone
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Easy to setup and use. Good sound quality. No discernible lag/delay compared to the over-ear Sony pulse headphones. Also easy to connect to multiple devices and combine sound between ps5 and second device.
Not the most comfortable earbuds I've ever worn, but work well enough and nice to finally have earbuds w/ microphone that can be used with the ps5.
Feels a bit overpriced when you consider that they're more expensive than airpod pros.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Decent pick up
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Posted . Owned for 11 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Okay so overall dope concept not a fan of the shape they chose and sometimes after a couple hours they tend to make my ears sore especially since I like to wear a beanie which presses them more into my ears but besides that the sound is good and you can customize the sound to your liking plus you can connect to your phone or another device at the same time as your ps5 which is awesome especially if youre like me and like to listen to Spotify while playing a casual game and yes I know you can do this on ps5 too but it’s awesome when your phone rings in your ears while playing too so you never miss an important phone call or text as you otherwise would if you were wearing headphones
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battery life, Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Fantastic yet basic
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Overall 4 out of 5. Good: Connectivity, multiple devices, basic battery life, easy to use. The box explains how to connect them to your device and even how to wear them easily. Quite comfortable, I recommend these for gamers who enjoy immersive sound without sound canceling (unfortunately). 5-6hrs of constant usage, to be honest I think this is great especially since you can just swap ears out or immerse yourself, take a 30 minute rest and get back to it Bad: Overlapping audios with multiple devices(double edged sword) as someone can call you and the game will be playing audio at the same time. Caution around pets as earpiece can be easily gnawed off
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Sound quality
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
“Sony PlayStation Pulse Explore Earbuds: Premium S
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
The Sony PlayStation Pulse Explore Wireless Earbuds are a premium audio accessory designed specifically for PlayStation 5, PlayStation Portal, and PC users. They feature planar magnetic drivers, a technology typically found in high-end audio equipment, aiming to deliver exceptional sound quality for gaming and media consumption.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Sound quality
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Very Rich Sounding Earbuds
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
These earbuds sound amazing while gaming. Sound is very sharp and rich. They work really well with the portal and PS5.
When it comes to the phones the phone functions are super basic and it’s okay enough if you just plan to take a call from here or there or if you listen to podcasts. Music for some reason on the phone isnt as rich sounding lacking bass while vocals are really good.
Microphone is passable tested on the PS5 and recorded a message there.
Ear Tips are kind of flimsy would recommend getting different tips if possible.
Overall I think there is something with the Planar Earbuds and I think overall definitely some of the best sounding ear buds for gaming.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Sound quality
Cons mentioned:
Connection
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
amazing for the pulse pad, not so much for the ps5
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Even though these are meant for the pulse I’ve used them for my ps5 they will disconnect every 30ish minutes but don’t sound bad at all there really nice just would use them for the ps5 personally, definitely if you own a pulse though, be very careful when dropping these they though it fact break pretty easily
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battery life, Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great product
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Posted . Owned for 11 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Amazing!! Works with the PS5 and the PS Portal!! A+ quality, battery lasts for hours. Sound is crystal clear
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Sound quality
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Overall good earbuds
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
With only 5 hours of battery life including 10 more with the charging case, the Pulse Explorers deliver with crips sounds and decent bass further amplified with 3D Stage sound immersing you in the games you play. The price for them is a bit much for what they can do especially the battery life. $150 for the earbuds would be a reasonable price tag.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Fit, Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Earbuds for your PS5/PSVR2/Portal
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Fantastic ear buds, with lots of great features. They sound amazing and fit comfortably in your ears. They have a great charging case that mimics the PS5 look. Easily swap back and forth between PlayStation and any Bluetooth device. Great addition to the PS5 and PlayStation Portal.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Good for gaming.
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Sound quality is amazing, it can also connect to your phone via Bluetooth. It’s perfect for the PlayStation portable, they fits in my carrying case but you can also connect them to the PlayStation 5 and use them just as any other headset. I also love these earphones because you can have them connected to the PlayStation portable and your phone at the same time in case someone calls you.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Comfort
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Ps portable earbuds
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Posted .
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I love it , works well to my requirements, especially for my gaming. I think it’s classy and futuristic and appearance. I have a Beats fit pro and it’s Equally as comfortable. I feel just a little more smaller or thinner pocket fitted size case would be really cool but in all regards I love it to the point I will always use it and trust to pass it down to my kids if I have kids haha. Very satisfied with this portable earbuds.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great pair of earbuds!
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I’ve been wanting a pair of wireless earbuds for gaming for a while. I got tired of wearing headphones. The audio quality on this is great. Friends tell me the audio they hear from my end is crisp. It also does an amazing job at not picking up background audio. I had my phone playing music near my head to test it and my friend said he couldn’t hear it. It is a bit awkward at first to find a good placement in your ear. But after you got it it stays in.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Comfort, Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Microfono de alta calidad
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
They are super comfortable and peatic, it would improve the sound quality but they will come improved And your microphone is too good
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Battery life, Sound quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Convenient
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Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Very convenient and easy to take anywhere. Battery is decent. Sounds great with no noticeable delay.
I would recommend this to a friend
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Sony pulse explore
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Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Use these daily love these things and how easily they connext to each of my devices after the latest patch. Now i can game and chat easily and without the headphone line across my head. Even better for while gaming in bed.