Best Earbuds for PS5
Get the PULSE Explore if you also own a PS Portal, the INZONE Buds for the longest battery and ANC, or the Arctis GameBuds if you switch between the console and a phone.
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Quick answer
Get the PULSE Explore if you also own a PS Portal, the INZONE Buds for the longest battery and ANC, or the Arctis GameBuds if you switch between the console and a phone. Best overall: Sony INZONE Buds, $158. Best for PS5 and PS Portal: PlayStation PULSE Explore, $149. Best for phone and console: SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds, $199.99.
Last updated Prices checked Nov 2026
Key facts at a glance
| Pick | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Sony INZONE Buds | long sessions with noise cancelling | $158 at Amazon (sold by Amazon.com); $159.99 at Sony, on sale from $239.99. |
| Best for PS5 and PS Portal | PlayStation PULSE Explore | PS5 and PlayStation Portal owners | $149 at PlayStation Direct (list $199.99, Nov 12, 2026). Amazon only shows its price in the cart. |
| Best for phone and console | SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds | switching between console and phone | $199.99 at Amazon (sold by Amazon.com) and SteelSeries, Nov 12, 2026. |
For most PS5 owners the Sony INZONE Buds are the safest buy: a USB-C dongle with about 30ms latency, ANC and a tested 12 hours per charge, for about $158 (checked Nov 2026). Pick the PULSE Explore if you play on a PlayStation Portal, which only talks to PlayStation Link. Pick the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds if you also want them for an iPhone, since they run 2.4GHz and standard Bluetooth at once. AirPods and most phone earbuds can't carry PS5 game audio at all.
Which should you buy? Our quick picks
How do they compare?
| Earbuds | Price (Nov 12, 2026) | PS5 connection | Battery (buds / total with case) | ANC | Phone connection | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony INZONE Buds | $158 at Amazon; $159.99 at Sony ($239.99 list) | 2.4GHz USB-C dongle (Sony claims 30ms) | 12 hr / 24 hr (ANC off, Sony); 12h 13m with ANC (GSMArena) | Yes | Bluetooth LE Audio (LC3) only | Long sessions |
| PlayStation PULSE Explore | $149 at PlayStation Direct ($199.99 list) | PlayStation Link USB adapter | 5 hr / 15 hr | No | Bluetooth, at the same time as PlayStation Link | PS5 plus PS Portal |
| SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds (PlayStation) | $199.99 at Amazon and SteelSeries | 2.4GHz USB-C dongle | 10 hr / 40 hr (noise control off) | Yes, 4-mic hybrid | Bluetooth 5.3, switchable | Console and phone |
The picks in detail
1. Sony INZONE Buds
Best for: long sessions with noise cancellingThe INZONE Buds connect to a PS5 or PC through the included 2.4GHz USB-C dongle, which has a PC / PS5-mobile switch. Sony claims up to 12 hours per charge with ANC off and 24 hours with the case, plus an hour from a 5-minute charge; each bud weighs about 6.5 g. GSMArena[4] measured 12 hours 13 minutes with ANC on over the dongle and heard no delay at Sony's claimed 30ms; SoundGuys[5] got 11 hours 44 minutes. The catch is the phone side: Bluetooth is LE Audio with LC3 only, so many phones, including iPhones, can't pair, and GSMArena found Bluetooth latency poor.
Price (Nov 2026): $158 at Amazon (sold by Amazon.com); $159.99 at Sony, on sale from $239.99. Source
Pros
- Measured 12+ hours per charge on the dongle
- ANC and an ambient mode
- Light at about 6.5 g per bud
Cons
- No standard Bluetooth: LE Audio (LC3) only, so iPhones can't pair
- Case adds only 12 more hours, 24 total vs 40 for the GameBuds
- No fast charge to full: Sony says about 2 hours (SoundGuys)
2. PlayStation PULSE Explore
Best for: PS5 and PlayStation Portal ownersSony's own earbuds use planar magnetic drivers and connect through PlayStation Link, which also works with PS Portal, PC and Mac via the included USB adapter. They can stay on PlayStation Link and Bluetooth at the same time, so you hear game audio and a phone call together. PlayStation lists up to 5 hours in the buds plus 10 more from the case, and two hidden mics with AI noise rejection. There is no active noise cancelling.
Price (Nov 2026): $149 at PlayStation Direct (list $199.99, Nov 12, 2026). Amazon only shows its price in the cart. Source
Pros
- PlayStation Link works with PS Portal
- Simultaneous Bluetooth
- Planar magnetic drivers
Cons
- About 5 hours per charge, under half the INZONE Buds
- No active noise cancelling
- 15 hours total with the case is the lowest here
3. SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds
Best for: switching between console and phoneSteelSeries' GameBuds use a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle and Bluetooth 5.3, with quick-switching between them, so they work with phones the INZONE Buds can't pair with. SteelSeries lists 4-mic hybrid ANC, an IP55 rating, a Qi wireless charging case, up to 10 hours per charge and 40 hours with the case (noise control off), and a 15-minute fast charge for 3 hours. Buy the PlayStation version for PS5; there is a separate Xbox model.
Price (Nov 2026): $199.99 at Amazon (sold by Amazon.com) and SteelSeries, Nov 12, 2026. Source
Pros
- 2.4GHz and standard Bluetooth 5.3
- ANC and IP55
- 40 hours total with a Qi wireless charging case
Cons
- Most expensive today at $199.99, about $42 more than the INZONE Buds
- Separate PlayStation and Xbox versions; the wrong one won't work as a PS5 dongle
- 10-hour rating is with noise control off
Also considered
If you'd rather wear a headset, the PULSE Elite and other options are in our best wireless gaming headsets for PS5. For budget wired and wireless headsets, see best gaming headsets under $100.
Why regular Bluetooth earbuds don't work
The PS5 doesn't support Bluetooth audio for game sound, so AirPods and most earbuds won't connect directly. You need earbuds with a USB dongle or PlayStation Link, or you can plug wired earbuds into the DualSense controller. For phone-first earbuds, see best noise-cancelling earbuds.
How to choose
If you also play on a PlayStation Portal, the PULSE Explore is the simplest choice because the Portal uses PlayStation Link. If you want ANC and long sessions, the INZONE Buds last longest per charge. If you switch between the console and an iPhone, the GameBuds' standard Bluetooth is more flexible.
Who should skip this
- Skip the INZONE Buds if you want one pair for PS5 and an iPhone: LE Audio-only Bluetooth means no pairing without the dongle.
- Skip the PULSE Explore if you play for more than 5 hours at a stretch or game in noisy rooms; there is no ANC.
- Skip the GameBuds if you only play on PS5 at home; the INZONE Buds cost about $42 less and last longer per charge.
- Skip earbuds altogether if you share the console: a headset like those in our PS5 headset guide fits more heads and has a boom mic.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use AirPods with a PS5?
Do PULSE Explore earbuds work with PS Portal?
Do INZONE Buds work with iPhone?
Which PS5 earbuds last longest?
Which PS5 earbuds have noise cancelling?
Sources
Pricing and plan details were checked on the official pages below as of Nov 2026. Vendors change prices, credits and plan names often, and some show regional pricing at checkout, so confirm on the vendor’s site before you buy.
- PlayStation Direct: PULSE Explore (price and battery, Nov 2026) (direct.playstation.com)
- Sony: INZONE Buds WF-G700N (specs and price, Nov 2026) (electronics.sony.com)
- SteelSeries: Arctis GameBuds (specs) (steelseries.com)
- GSMArena: Sony INZONE Buds review (battery and latency) (gsmarena.com)
- SoundGuys: Sony INZONE Buds review (battery test) (soundguys.com)
- Amazon: Sony INZONE Buds listing (price, Nov 2026) (amazon.com)
- Amazon: SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds, PlayStation version (price, Nov 2026) (amazon.com)
- 9to5Toys: PULSE Explore price drop (Oct 26, 2026) (9to5toys.com)
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