Update: PS3 firmware 4.20 will add several new features designed to address the sidetone issues in the Wireless Stereo Headset. It will be available on 6/26/12 in North America, read more here.
Since PS3 system software update (v.4.10) released in February, we’ve heard from some of you about a feature change that was introduced to the official Wireless Stereo Headset. I wanted to take the time to let you know that we have listened to your feedback and will be modifying the performance as part of a future firmware update.
Let me provide the backstory. With the 4.10 update, we added a feature that enabled you to hear your own voice through the headset when playing multiplayer modes. This type of audio feedback, technically known as “sidetone,” was among the features requested by some of you (and some of the press) for multiplayer gameplay. Unfortunately the feature has had unintended effects in certain games, and, based on some of the feedback we’ve heard from the community, a solution to improve the performance is under development.
We don’t have a confirmed timing yet for when the update will be released, but we will report back here. For any Wireless Stereo Headset owners who have been affected by this feature change, thanks for your continued patience while we work on the improvements.
Thanks for the update. Any news for Vita implementation for PS3 (friends list)?
OMG thank you! Now people can shut up with spamming the same copy/paste complaints all over other posts!
Thank you very much Sony. I truly appreciate your response to the fans.
Thanks, much appreciated!
ahh, didn’t know it was an intentional feature.
Thanks for the update
Good news, I’m sure. Any chance of these headphones supporting surround sound in movies too? I’m looking for a pair, but movie support is just as important to me as game support.
Awesomeawesomeawesome.
Very glad to hear it; just letting us know that user gripes have been heard and something is being done does an awful lot to garner good will of us gaming folk. Thanks!
Thanks for the update.
Also if possible fix the mic volume as well as level 3 is th default and 4 and 5 is greyed out
Thank you very very much for the update on this.
I have not purchased this headset since I bought a Logitech one prior to the sony headset being announced.
I did want to comment on this post though, I think its great that there is a feedback response. I would love to see a section of the blog dedicated to feedback responses, allowing us to subscribe to said post so that we can stay up to date with the latest info.
Thank you.
Good to know that you are listening.
Thanks for the acknowledgement and for looking into it.
Could you not make the ‘sidetone’ effect just be an option in the software (under the headset settings)?
Thank you thank you thank you! We have waited for awhile with no response, and we have a stockpile of used headsets now at the video game retail store where I work…three out of four people who bought one in the past few months returned it, because of this god awful “feature”. The headset was fine before. If it ain’t broke, why fix it? Especially when the supposed fix in fact breaks it!? Hahaha. I have a hard time believing that anyone in their right mind would want this, but if it was intended it is good to know it is being worked around for people who cant stand it. The main thing here is that you are telling us what is going on. Thank you, this is truly a step in the right direction. I know a bunch of the people posting here on the blog are whiny brats who don’t deserve an answer when they demand the things they do, but in the end I think everyone can agree that we just want to be kept in the know. Thank you Anand, best of luck working out the issue!
How about a update on PS+ Minis on the Vita. It was fixed for EU territories but not NA.
Sidetone is nice, but in the 4.10/4.11 implementation it also came with a lot of white noise when there isn’t any ambient noise in the room. Hope the performance improvement takes care of this.
Please don’t take the “sidetone” feature away but make an option to enable it off or on and maybe have it adjustable also. Thank you.
“Sidetone”, huh. I thought something was different. Thanks for adding that feature. It has made a big difference, eliminating the plugged-up feeling that over-the-ear headphones cause. As for this update, thanks. I really appreciate the transparency.
zOMG !! Finally !! Yes, we’ve been waiting for some kind of official word on this ever since the 4.10 update. I think it would be best if you enable this “sidetone” function as an OPTION.
I personally think the “sidetone” function ruined a great headset. Also, if this function was an “added feature” to the 4.10 update it should have been noted within the changelog. Others as well as myself thought our headsets were broken. It wasn’t until the flood of complaints started shared among the community that we realized there was an issue that the 4.10 update caused. We are avid users of your products. Please keep us informed of any included changes from now on.
We need more posts like this. Ones that keep us up to date with what is going on and what to expect in the future. These are especially needed with the downtimes etc… Thanks for the update, it really is much appreciated. :)
Glad you guys are going to fix that. Thanks.
Wow… why can’t you guys update us like this all the time?
You need to upgrade the firmware in the headset, not the PS3. It’s the latency that sucks, I keep interrupting myself when I talk on it.
Please work on the various issues and missing features of the PS Vita as well.
Great to hear that you are improving this one. My major complaint is you cannot multi-out audio while this is in use. It is very important feature for game-footage recording people. Please consider this feature. I know some youtube recorders who did not buy this one because of this.
I for one can’t wait for the fix. The headset works fine with some games. But i should have the option to turn off that too. When I play single player games (it should just now) I wear the headset to not disturb my family. That goes both ways, why would I want to hear them? Or SP Mass Effect 3 and I can’t even have a fan on next to me.
Other games the audio is even weakened. I have to turn the headset to the max setting just to barely hear it.
Please Hurry, like you said Feb and now it is Apr. So just pull out the code from the older firmware and paste it into the new one, compile and upload. problem solved
Thanks for a 100 dollar paperweight. LOL, i still use it with my PC some times and it works good then.
you said it was for MP modes, but it is also SP games and low volume. Like I said before, if I have the set on, I don’t want to hear my wife and kids(not to be rude, I love them).
I think we should get some type of payback for 2 months of lost use. there has to be a way for the user to prove they have them.
it would have been nice if you would have admitted this add in the 4.10 changelog. this is the first time admitting that it was added. the only fix i believe needed is an option to turn off/on this feature.
although there are issues with it, as others stated, it sounds if there is white noise in the background and other external sounds are amplified.
also, whenever the headset is dying. you can hear the red light flashing letting you know your headset is low on battery.
p.s. – can anyone else confirm, that when their headset is off, they can still hear odd interference in the headset itself? turn the headset off and leave it on your head. do you hear anything? i thought i heard odd sounds… which is weird since the device is “off” i shouldn’t hear anything
thank you Sony even tho i do not own a pair lol
Does this occur in ALL wireless headets? Or just the SONY brand?
While you are now fixing the headset issue I hope the rest of the issues with the PS3 also gets worked on.
1. Adding a search button on the download list. I shouldn’t have to look through 500 downloads to find one thing.
2. Fixing the in game xmb it is way too slow and needs to be sped up.
3. Trophy comparison with friends is way too slow it needs to be instant like the 360.
4. Every time you click on trophy collection it says performing the sync operation please wait. I haven’t earned any new trophy’s since the last time so Its clueless to me why this message keeps popping up when I click on trophy collection.
5. Update the trophy list on the PlayStation website it shows the correct amount of trophy’s but all the games that you have earned trophy’s in are not shown.
6. increasing the cloud space for plus users it should be increased to at least 512 mb to match the 360.
7. When clicking on your profile to see your trophy count it takes too long you see spinning circles for a good amount of time it should be sped up.
nice, way to play it off sony. so now it’s, ‘i meant to do that.’ whatever, we see how you are. took you long enough to respond to your customers as well. it’s about time you said something. still, gonna be a while until this sour taste leaves my mouth.
– your once loyal customer/fanboy
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change them back they way they were, they were perfect until you ruined them with “sidetone”
Two more things need to be fixed with the PS3
1. Why does it take a whole week for me to get an xmb link to DLC to the store? This has happened every time for the fortune hunters club and it should be fixed so that right after the PS Store updates I would get a link to my inbox with takes me to the DLC.
2. I don’t think the rating works correctly in the store i rate something i purchased than when i go back it shows 3 stars. Which in fact i gave it a 4 star rating. Why wouldn’t it remember what rating i gave that download.
I read the article abut the update . nothing was said about the headset ! So now you want us to be-leave that you were trying to give us an update that did not work out right? OK!!! I know what happen !! I should have hit R3 and turn off STUPID !!!!! YOU GUYS ARE A BIG JOKE!!! If your going to lie to us make up a good one!! Be creative!!!!!!
yes i know that i might have made some mistakes Righting this!But hey i’m stupid !!Just ask Sony!! Yes i was one of the stupid ones that got the vita !! At&t took out money for another mouth for 3g when they weren’t suppose to!!So i call them and AT&T doesn’t even know what a vita is !!!! THE VITA IS A JOKE !!!! OH WHERE THE HELL IS MY FREE GAME?
THANK YOU!
and thank you for giving the users some communication on this topic. it seems at times that even when we know you are listening things go silent far too long leading to aggravated costumers
I can answer at least one of Saas01’s questions:
The system synchs as often as it does so it hows the most recent games played.
Its a feature of sorts, but its how they sort the trophies that requires it.
As for the “sidetone” issue, I’d like to see it as an option(on/off) rather then have it tweaked away.
Don’t see why some would sell it though, its a somewhat good headset for the cost.
@saab01 I agree with your comment with the Fortune Hunter Club for our DLC
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@PlayStation I would like to see this as a option to turn off and on for the “sidetone”
I also like to see the PS3 and the PS Vita have the ability to voice chat it doesn’t make since why we can’t have the ability to voice chat on the PS Vita throw Party and on PS3 though Voice/Video Chat.
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Finally.
You guys have publicly acknowledged the issue and given us an update. That’s all that hundreds of us have been asking for the last several weeks. Kudos.
looking forward to the update so I can use this headset again.
Hey guys hank you very much for the feedback, was wondering if this issue would ever be resolved. Keep us posted 8)
…….thank*
I am constantly having an issue while using my PS wireless headset and my 13 in. MacBook Pro. the sound levels fluctuate between the volume on the computer and the volume on the headset. Manufacturer claims the headset has a 40 ft. radius from the USB dongle, however i can’t walk 5 ft without having my audio crackle, as if i’ve gone past 40 ft.
and one more thing, thanks for the great product ! but i was wondering if it would be possible to run 2 headsets simultaneously, i.e.. while watching a blu-ray movie with my girl.
This is a major problem with the mic that’s been driving me crazy since I started recording HD footage on my PS3… The only way for me to record chat and game sound is to change the audio output to “default” but the problem is when the headset is on it doesn’t allow me to change the output. The multi-audio out option doesn’t remedy this, I already tried that. The only way it will let me change the output is if I toggle the setting to separate chat and game audio so only the chat audio gets sent to the headset, but game audio doesn’t. The problem with doing that is it will record game audio but not chat audio.
I tried using the Sony Bluetooth as an alternative but in order to talk to people while capturing footage I have to use the Bluetooth for the voice input and listen to game and chat audio through my TV… But the problem with that is I have to change all the game sound options to adjust the game to chat volume ratio and still have to turn my TV way up and then have to keep it on mute and listen to that incessant beeping or else everyone will get the echo effect from having to turn my TV up to hear them.
Sorry my previous post was too long so I’m finishing it here…
As you can see, my options are limited and the ones I’m left with are very uncomfortable and inconvenient. All I really want is to be able to record game and chat audio while still hearing it all in my headset. Also if you could make it be able to record my voice as well that would be an extra bonus. My friend’s TurtleBeach headset is able to capture chat and game audio by combining them on the same channel I think. If this isn’t fixed soon I’ll have to sell this headset and reluctantly buy a TurtleBeach headset. If you are looking into this please let me know so I can hold off.
Finally… I use an extra fan to keep my PS3 cool and it makes a lot of noise… It was pretty annoying to hear it through my mic even when I wasn’t playing online. At least, it will be fixed…
Anand,
Thank you, so very much, for the update. As others have stated, I have absolutely no use for the ‘Sidetone’ feature, but I can acknowledge (if not understand) that the possibility of people wanting the feature exists. As such, I would like to add my support to the idea of making it an option that can be turned off from the XMB (I don’t even care if it can be accessed in-game). I believe KeefRichards and I were among the first people that received a response from Morgan Haro in which he stated his newfound awareness of the issue and vowed to look into it. Accordingly, I have been scouring the blog each day hoping for an update. Given that I don’t have any direct contact information, please pass along my personal gratitude to him as well, for staying true to his promise. Once more, thank you for addressing this issue. I look forward to said firmware update.
recently bought these beautiful things AND I LOVE EM looking forward to the update SOOOOOO GLAD I GOT THEM<3