I used these gaming earbuds for a weekend — why it’s the PS5 accessory you need

I used these gaming earbuds for a weekend — why information technology's the PS5 accompaniment you need

(Paradigm credit: EPOS)

I've never been the biggest fan of gaming headsets. Even if I overlook that a swell deal of them look downright garish and are oft constructed from flimsy plastic, I just don't detect actually wearing a pair of over-ear headphones very comfy.

It's why I've ever opted for a pair of earbuds during gym sessions, and even during piece of work calls I can typically be seen rocking a pair of wired headphones over a bulky headset.

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Still, last year I got swept upwardly in the hype of the PS5 launch and pre-ordered Sony's official Pulse 3D Wireless Headset to use alongside my new next-gen system. While I definitely meet the quality of the official PS5 headset, and greatly appreciate its relatively tasteful pattern, my erstwhile gripes have still reared their caput.

After even a small amount of play I find the meridian band uncomfortable, and I just by and large dislike the feeling of having my ears encased in leather. I also find the act of charging the headset a pain. Sure, it'due south just a uncomplicated USB-C charger, but I long for the simplicity of merely throwing earbuds in a charging case and knowing they'll be fully juiced when I next demand them.

Fortunately for me, gaming earbuds take steadily go more than and more than mutual, and final weekend I was given the adventure to examination out a new pair: the EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Gaming Earbuds. It's been a revelation in almost every manner, only like most things that seem too practiced to be true, at that place is a pretty substantial catch.

Making a solid first impression

Right out of the box I was taken with the GTW 270. Not only is the unboxing experience equally luxurious every bit you'd expect from a $200 set of earbuds, but the buds themselves are wonderfully understated from a design perspective.

They sit inside an aluminum charging case, into which the buds snap with a satisfying magnetic click. Before I had fifty-fifty put the buds into my ears I was already set to declare them my gaming sound accessory of choice.

Charging-wise you lot can wait to get nearly 5 hours from a total accuse, with a further 15-16 hours provided by the charging instance — which was enough to encompass my whole weekend of lockdown gaming.

Breaking abroad from the band

The GTW 270 is effortlessly uncomplicated to prepare up. Similarly to true wireless earbuds like the Apple AirPods, it uses Bluetooth for a practically seamless connection process. Getting the pair set up on my work laptop and phone took literally seconds, and after some teething problems selecting which tips were the best fit for my clearly abnormally shaped ears, I was happily bopping forth to my Spotify playlists.

Of course, the GTW 270 is marketed as a gaming accompaniment, and that's primarily the function I was interested in, and then I moved on to see how it would perform paired up with a PS5.

Every bit the PS5 doesn't support Bluetooth, I had to make use of the supplied wireless dongle. The dongle itself sports a USB-C connector which is perfect for the corresponding port on the front of the PS5, but it does mean that Xbox Series Ten gamers will need to use the included USB-A converter cablevision, which seems like an inelegant solution.

Nintendo Switch users tin can, similar on the PS5, but plug the dongle straight into the console'south USB-C port — though the lack of space in the charging case for the dongle is a massive oversight.

In one case plugged into my PS5, the LED light on the dongle lit up, and the GTW 270 earbuds connected instantly. I jumped straight into charming underwater simulator ABZÛ (which is currently gratis along with a agglomeration of other PS5 games) and was instantly impressed.

The tips had formed a tight seal, and I was able to fully appreciate the game's emotive score, quickly becoming fully immersed in exploring the bounding main and interacting with all style of aquatic creatures.

ABZU screen grab — (Image credit: 505 Games)

The sound mix was maybe non as full as I typically wait when using the Pulse 3D Wireless Headset only this is an expected merchandise-off with earbuds, and non having an irritating band making my head itch afterwards was pure bliss.

After beingness lulled into a peaceful state of tranquility, I decided to play something a niggling more intense and opted for a match of Phone call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Loading in with a friend, I quickly discovered the big catch with the GTW 270 earbuds.

Non designed for online gaming

The GTW 270 does come packing a congenital-in microphone, just it cannot be used when y'all're continued via the dongle — merely over a Bluetooth connection. This means information technology borders on useless for competitive gamers, or anyone who merely wants to conversation with their friends every bit they play.

That's a pretty big catch. If you're someone who detests playing online and just wants some earbuds that can be used to play through unmarried-player games, then the GTW 270 will fit the bill marvelously, and I'd thoroughly recommend them.

Yet, if you want a headset with some versatility that can also be used for chatting to your friends while playing games online, then these buds unfortunately just won't practice the job.

It's a puzzling decision for a set up of buds that presents itself as "gaming wireless earbuds" on the front of the package to make such an obvious omission. And while information technology might exist the GTW 270's atypical drawback, for some, it'll be significant enough to be a deal-breaker.

Personally, I've become quite taken with this set of buds. I volition most surely keep using information technology every bit my gaming audio accessory of choice when I'm playing solo, but as someone who occasionally wants to play with friends, it's a shame I tin can't attain for information technology every single time.

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Rory is a staff author at Tom'southward Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics including tech news, deals, gaming, streaming and more. When he's not writing hot takes on the latest gaming hardware and streaming shows, he tin be constitute watching a borderline unhealthy amount of movies and existence thoroughly disappointed by his terrible football team.