Sony Electronics just announced the $199.99 InZoneBuds, the company's first pair of gaming-focused wireless earbuds. The company says the earbuds are designed to optimize battery life (up to 12 hours of continuous use) and deliver audio with the lowest possible latency.
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InZoneBuds support multiple devices, including PS5, PC and mobile devices. Connection can be made using the included USB-C adapter in most cases, which can reduce latency to under 30 milliseconds. However, the InZoneBuds also support Bluetooth LE audio, which might be a feature that makes sense if you have one of the latest high-end Android phones.
Sony is touting the 360 spatial audio capabilities of these new earbuds, but there are a few steps (and software) required to get the most immersive experience:
Sound field optimization technology creates a personalized hearing profile by taking a picture of the user's ears using a 360 Spatial Sound Personalization smartphone app. The InZone earbuds take it a step further with tone personalization, which allows for ear canal personalization by playing a test sound from the driver unit and using a feedback microphone to measure how the sound fills the ear canal. Based on the acoustic analysis, the sound is uploaded to the InZoneHub computer software where it can be further personalised, creating a truly personalized spatial listening experience with unparalleled spatial sound accuracy.
The InZone headphones are designed to be comfortable during long gaming sessions, so Sony designed them to put minimal pressure on your ears when worn. They come with four sets of silicone ear tips (including the ultra-small size), and Sony says they use the same "DynamicDriverX" audio architecture as the WF-1000X earbuds.
Although optimized for gaming, it is not part of PlayStation's lineup, which is about to launch its PulseExplore earbuds, which will feature lossless audio and the new PlayStationLink protocol, allowing them to pair with PS5 and PlayStation Portal with ultra-low latency. The price is also $199.99. However, InZoneBuds will have some native integration with PS5UX, and you can see their connection status, volume, battery level, and whether the microphone is muted.
It's clear Sony wants to better leverage its ecosystem and make it all more cohesive, but why not have products like the WF-1000XM5 and PS5 work better together when there are so many different earbuds out there?