Sony Interactive Entertainment to Acquire Audeze and Launch New Lossless Wireless Audio Products

Sony Interactive Entertainment - the Sony division responsible for the PlayStation products - announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Audeze, the renowned planar magnetic headphone manufacturer, which has been increasingly also recognized in the high-end gaming headphones space. Sony also announced its latest PlayStation Portal device which connects to new wireless earbuds, and also the new Pulse Elite headset, which uses planar magnetic drivers from Audeze - all launching later in 2023 using a new proprietary wireless lossless audio technology developed by Sony.

Audeze announced Maxwell, a new ultra-low-latency wireless headset with class-leading 80+ hours of battery life, which comes with a Dolby Atmos license for select compatible platforms. With the new model, Audeze introduced a new upgraded, retro-looking earcup design for its planar magnetic drivers. The new design is also its ugliest product ever, but at least it already supports Bluetooth LE Audio, adds support for the LC3plus codec, and offers high-resolution audio over USB-C.

The latest JBL Quantum gaming headset was launched at Gamescom 2022. The new JBL Quantum 910 Wireless frees users from wires and restrictions by combining the latest Bluetooth technology with active noise cancellation for the ultimate immersive gaming experience. The company is promoting Dual Spatial Audio abilities, with its JBL QuantumSPHERE 360 and JBL QuantumSPATIAL 360 audio engines with integrated head tracking on a PC and PlayStation via the USB-C wireless connection.

Sony Electronics has announced a new brand for gaming products, just in case gamers don't find Sony to be cool enough. INZONE is the name for a new range of gaming monitors and headsets, with a clean-looking design, and an advanced set of technology features. The three headsets in the INZONE range support dedicated 2.4GHz plus Bluetooth wireless connectivity, 360 Spatial Sound, and are designed to work with gaming PCs and Sony PlayStation 5 consoles. The top of the range INZONE H9 headset even offers ANC allowing gamers not to hear the cooling fans in their PCs.

Bang & Olufsen launched a new edition of its successful wireless gaming headphones, Beoplay Portal. This updated edition of Beoplay Portal is now fully compatible with PC and PlayStation consoles, alongside mobile device gaming, adding a critical expansion in connectivity across platforms - as required for gaming headphones. Not that there was anything wrong with the original Beoplay Portal introduced in 2021, which remains one of the best, and best looking headphones in the market currently.

Audeze, the headphone manufacturer from Los Angeles, California, announced the launch of a new gaming headphone using its own planar magnetic drivers. The new Penrose wireless headset is aimed at console and PC gamers and extends the brand's success in the market segment that already includes the high-end LCD-GX and the Mobius 3D Surround Sound PC gaming headset. The Penrose is designed with Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Sony’s PlayStation 5 in mind.

While the gaming graphics card and displays market continues to grow and push consumer expectations forward with beautifully immersive visuals, SteelSeries believes that audio reproduction in speaker and headset solutions has fallen behind the curve. Now, the fast-growing gaming headset brand, introduced the Arctis Pro Line to raise the stakes in premium headset performance for gaming and entertainment on PlayStation 4 consoles and PC.