Accessory Review: PlayStation 3 USB Chat Headset

Consider the bank unbroken.


I once owned one of Sony's Pulse Headsets that I would use for gaming on my PlayStation 3. At the time, it cost somewhere in the neighborhood of two hundred dollars and it was completely awesome. My sister also thought that it was quite awesome. She is also four years old and broke my headset. Enter the PlayStation 3 USB Chat Headset, a headset for gamers with baby sisters that you love too much to be angry with.

Checks All the Right Boxes

In-line volume control wheel and mute button that are easy to use by feel?

Check!

Eleven foot long cable ending with a USB 3.0 connector negating the need of batteries?

Check!

Furthermore, this headset includes an adorably tiny windscreen, a nice addition considering most headsets in its price range do not include one. For that very reason, though, I question its actual benefit but at least its pretty neat to look at.

If I had a box of fuzzy sponge things laying
around I'd probably attach them to various objects too I guess.

Actually, in my usage, I have noticed that many times I have to speak louder than usual in order for stranger children on Call of Duty to hear me shout expletives at them, and that just may be culprit of the aforementioned wind screen.

Budget Cost, Budget Design

While not everything low in cost is low in quality, you do expect some cost cutting and the PlayStation 3 USB Chat Headset falls under this rule unfortunately. At a price of $30 plus some change, the overall materials quality doesn't feel up to snuff for the abuse angry gamers will probably put it through and, if you've noticed through the photographs I have taken of this headset for this review, the relief for the cable ranges from piss poor to non-existent. In fact, after two months of ownership, the sound quality of my microphone plummeted, characteristic of damage to the internal wire connecting the microphone to the PS3. Lame.

Also, while the headset is just fine ergonomically and can be worn comfortably for hours of gameplay as long as you avoid resting any part of it near the top of your ears, the microphone boom does not swivel 360 degrees, limiting your options for comfortable headset wearing.

The headset can still be worn on either ear, though.

Worth Buying?

I have yet to find a PS3 headset at this price point that offers the PlayStation 3 USB Chat Headset's combination of audio quality and ease of use. However, when you notice the lack of relief along the cable's length and the questionable materials quality, you will begin to question if the "officially licensed" sticker on it's packaging is something you can actually take to the bank.

Then again, the selling price is not very high in the first place, so when it does inadvertently crap out on you it's not too much of loss. But with some extra care on your part, this headset has the potential to provide hours of trouble free chatting with your friends on your PS3 or PC. Combine that with the friendly price tag, dearest reader, and you will find that this budget headset writes checks it can cash indeed.

Ha, and that's all the bank jokes I have. You couldn't even interest me in writing more bank jokes.