Hey everyone, I’m Anand Agarwal, Product Manager for PlayStation Peripherals. Two weeks ago, we informed you about the Wireless Keypad for PS3, and today we want to tell you more about the official Bluetooth Headset for PS3 that we unveiled during SOCOM Media day.
This headset will be offered in one retail version of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation this October, as well as a standalone peripheral this fall. It features a prominent Mute button and a Charging Cradle. It will work with not only your PS3 but with Bluetooth enabled cell phones. But this is information that you already know about. Today we want to talk about some really cool features of this Headset that we have been working on behind the scenes. These features will be unlocked by the PS3 through a firmware update that is scheduled for this fall.
- The headset will feature “High-Quality (HQ) mode” with PS3. In this mode, the headset will take advantage of advanced voice technologies and noise cancellation techniques to provide clear and wideband voice input to the PS3. The HQ mode will ensure a much better voice chat quality on the PS3.
- HQ mode will also enable accurate speech recognition required to support or enhance ‘Voice Command’ and ‘Voice Animation’ features. Voice Command was originally used in SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs for PS2 to administer the AI-controlled teammates using the WHO, WHAT, and WHERE format (example: Bravo, Attack, Nav Point Zulu). Voice Animation refers to the in-game character mimicking you during voice chat. With HQ mode, these features can be enabled on a much larger vocabulary in select PS3 games.
- PS3 will display an in-game status indicator exclusively for this headset that will show the headset’s connection status, battery charge level, speaker volume level and microphone mute status.
- Tired of wearing the headset during a long multiplayer gaming session or is your headset battery running out of charge? Just dock the headset in the supplied charging cradle, and the headset will work as a desktop microphone while charging.
- Last but not least, the headset will automatically pair with the PS3 by connecting with a USB cable.
SCEA was one of the first companies to popularize VoIP technology within a console videogame through SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs for PS2. As you can see, we have made a great effort to expand on this legacy and develop the most compelling headset for the PS3 community. We are really excited to bring it to market this fall with the SOCOM: Confrontation bundle ($59.99 MSRP) and as a standalone peripheral ($49.99 MSRP).
awesome.. how much standalone?
just kidding… im retarded… lookkin forward to it!
Sweet, the headset looks really good.
Hopefully comfortable too.
I’m definetly gonna pick up the Socom/Headset bundle.
10 more dollars and you get a game too :O
cool
This thing is awesome. Getting it with Confrontation for sure.
It’s certainly an attractive gadget.
I won’t be needing it though since I actually have two headsets already. Thanks for the update.
This headset look cool and the features even better. Count me in
AWESOME! At first, I was thinking that I didn’t need this… but now that I’ve heard about all of its cool features that it’s bringing to the table, this new headset will be awesome! (I can see it now, working with EyePet and Eyedentity…)
*droolz*
When is the headset sold separately from socom?
The MAIN reason I’m getting Socom :)
This headset looks cool! I’ll definitely be picking up Socom so that I can get it!
Looks cool and I like the added PS3 functionality.
Any plans to start bundling this thing with all PS3’s so voice chat can become standard. Communication is important in games and when not everyone has a mic, it takes the fun out.
This is sexy.
So, any word on when Sony is going to fix their FW so that BT mics work in Warhawk again? Incognito says there is nothing they can do and it has to be fixed by sony. Not much point in getting a new and improved mic if I can’t use it in game.
Wow 50$ standalone? I guess SOCOM’s gonna sell a lot of copies thanks to this baby.
i was hoping on getting it alone but seeing it at that price dam. But im looking foward to socom any way. Sweet this is a must buy, i like the feature it has, so its like when you push the ps button on the ps3 and displays the battery level. The smart thing was that you can use it when its charging that is a very neat feature.
anything on pain tomorro?
This is beast, I’m getting the mic with SOCOM: Confrontation, period. End of story :)
i should buy this THE OFFICIAL PS MIC!! PS3 just gets better and better!
Whoa, $50 alone? I would rather get the game.
About time!
It’s nice that Sony is continuing to put out peripherals for the PS3, however I’m still wondering why a headset has not yet been bundled into the PS3 package?
If a headset isn’t bundled with the system then a large majority of people won’t bother buying a standalone because of the probability no-one else will have one. It’s really disappointing to see that teamwork games like Warhawk are ruined by the lack of people with a headset when really they should be standard.
Please try and get this bundled into systems in the future, or at least a cheaper version which will do the basics.
;et me get this right. the headset alone is only 10 bucks cheaper than getting it with the game? So is Socom the game stand alone only 10 bucks? Thats kinda crazy.
When in HIGHQUALITY mode, does it diminish the battery faster than normal mode?
Meaning in highquality it will have a short than 8 hour talk time?
So wait does that mean a new FW update soon??? im a bit confuse then, because if the PS3 displays the feature for this head set then was that a hidden feature already added a while ago or what???
sorry im stupid for not reading the bottom sorry
Hmmm. Sounds like SOCOM is $10 then, the cost of many expansion packs. Clever pricing laudes.
Although I already have a mic I am def getting it with Socom.
That desktop mic thing is niiiiice. I think I’m sold……but I really am not into SOCOM. I’ll wait for the standalone to come down in price.
@15: You didn’t hear? The Pain update is delayed for a week, maybe two (but probably just one).
Cool. Will give SOCOM a try mainly for this reason (not a big SOCOM fan).
Got a couple questions though:
1. Does HQ mode consume more power?
2. Will it be bundled with other games in the future (like Killzone 2 & Resistance 2)?
Good questions!
The headset consumes comparable power when the HQ mode is on or off. In both cases talk time will be over 8 hours. Also, we have the Cradle using which you can continue using the headset as desktop microphone while charging.