PS5 earbuds reportedly on the way — here’s what we know

Sony’s PS5 division might have a few new audio products in the works, if a new report is to be believed. One of them would be a new pair of true wireless earbuds, codenamed Project Nomad, while the other is rumored to be a new pair of wireless headphones in the style of the recently released Inzone H7 headset.

While information on both the earbuds and headphones is slim, Insider Gaming (opens in new tab) has some exclusive details about these potential new products. 

According to an undisclosed source, the earbuds will have “an approximate battery life of around 5 hours”. The new wireless headset, codenamed Project Voyager, will have “similar functionality to the Inzone H7 headset” apparently.

Whether these products will look similar to the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Sony Inzone H9 Gaming Headset remains to be seen — keep in mind that Sony Interactive Entertainment and Sony Electronics are two different divisions of the same parent company — but a crossover between the two subsidiaries does seem plausible.

Adding to that plausibility: Sony hasn’t released any official audio products for the PS5 since the PlayStation 5 Pulse 3D Headset which was released with the launch of the console back in 2020, so the time could be ripe for another new product. 

The advantages of earbuds over headsets 

In its nearly three decades in the video game world, Sony Interactive Entertainment has only released exactly one earbud — the PS4 Mono Chat Earbud with Mic that came with the first batch of PS4 consoles. That said, if SIE is planning on releasing a pair of earbuds, calling the move unorthodox is a bit of an understatement.

Still, it is plausible. If Gaming Insider’s source is right, Sony could be trying to create a more affordable alternative to the PS5 Pulse Headset that sells for $100. A reasonable pair of true wireless earbuds can easily be sold for around half that price while the new over-ear model could target a higher sticker price of $149 or $199. 

There’s no guarantee that Sony would follow that pricing structure, of course, but the advantages of the earbuds are clear: they’re cheap and effective. Not only that, unlike with the headset, you could actually use the earbuds outside of your home for listening on the go without getting strange looks.

Having tested the Sony WF-1000XM4 and their predecessors, the Sony WF-1000XM3, I’d love to see PS5-branded versions of the award-winning buds. When, or even if, the products will come to fruition remains to be seen, but it’s an interesting and exciting report all the same.