Sony Delays PlayStation Pulse Elevate Speakers, Digi Mart USA News: Sony has run a strong streak with gaming peripherals, including the Inzone H9 II gaming headset and the Inzone H6 Air. The company had been preparing to add a pair of premium tabletop gaming speakers to that lineup, but the launch has hit a snag.
Sony says its Pulse Elevate wireless speakers, which work with PC, Mac, PlayStation 5 and the PlayStation Portal, have encountered a “production issue” that is delaying the release. In a statement, the company said: “As part of our ongoing quality testing of Pulse Elevate speakers, we have identified a production issue with the product and have made the decision to delay the launch.
The additional time will allow us to ensure the product will deliver the experience we intended for our players.”
Sony did not explain what went wrong, but the problem was serious enough to push back the release date. The speakers were originally scheduled to launch on November 12, and Sony has not provided a new timeline.
Sony says the Pulse Elevate includes “studio-inspired planar magnetic drivers” designed to deliver “lifelike sound across the entire audible spectrum.” The speakers also feature built-in woofers for additional low-end output. Built-in microphones with “AI-enhanced noise rejection” are meant to cancel environmental noise during voice chat, which could appeal to players who want to use the speakers in place of or alongside a headset.
The speakers support PlayStation Link, which provides low-latency audio on PS5, PC, Mac and PlayStation Portal. Users will need the included dongle for Link, which Sony says transmits audio faster and at higher fidelity than standard Bluetooth.
The rechargeable speakers can also be taken elsewhere for use with a Portal and returned to a provided dock for charging. Standard Bluetooth connections to phones or other devices are also supported.
Sony prices the Pulse Elevate at $220, and preorders began September 1. That is a considerable amount for desktop speakers, but the company’s pitch is that they may be worth the cost if their sound quality matches that of the H9 II headset.
