How to upgrade your Pulse 3D headset software? And more... on PS5

The recent firmware upgrade of the PS5 has brought many valuable upgrades to the Pulse 3D headset because, in the past, users of this dedicated headset did not have much to deserve the $ 99 price tag.

How to update features for Pulse 3D headset PS5

The feature update for Pulse 3D comes from the PS5 Firmware, which contains all the features of Pulse 3D. The only thing you need to do is go to the notification panel on your PS5 to check out the upgrades that Sony has to offer.

Unlike the Dualsense controller, Pulse 3D is not updated directly by connecting to PS5 via USB. So you don’t have to worry about connecting to your console.

As mentioned before, Pulse 3D has some issues with sound loudness when connected to the PS5. This seems to be a bug at the Firmware level and it seems that upgrading the functionality for Pulse 3D. Sony has also fixed this problem, now it makes the experience on this headset a little better.

My initial first impressions of the Pulse 3D Wireless Headset were exactly the same as before: it was painfully quiet, even when listening at max volume. Which meant that games like Resident Evil Village and Returnal sounded far more muted than I would have liked.

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Pulse 3D headset “back” after new PlayStation 5 firmware update

How to know if Pulse 3D has been upgraded on PS5?

Again, you do not need to connect Pulse 3D to PS5 via USB for the upgrade to take place. Just upgrade the PS5’s firmware to the latest version, that should solve the Pulse 3D problem somewhat. Go to [Setting] – [System Software] – [Console Information], make sure your Firmware version is: 21.02-04.00.00.

As said before, the Pulse 3D upgrade will bring sound quality improvements, volume errors, and more enhancements and EQ for gaming. So you just need to connect Pulse 3D via Bluetooth and go to the Sound section, you will find profiles specific to Pulse 3D. However, you should note, despite being upgraded, the volume of Pulse 3D is still limited and not really what I expected.

Listen Up

After finding the new equalizer presets. This can be found by going to ‘Sound’ in the PS5’s Control Center, the EQ presets available include ‘Standard’, ‘Bass Boost’, ‘Shooter’, and three customizable slots called ‘Audio Mode’. After flicking between Bass Boost and Shooter, one thing immediately stood out: the headset was noticeably louder. However, it wasn’t as dramatic as I’d like, which led me to create my own Audio Mode preset.

Crank it

While I’d never usually commit the cardinal sin of sliding every EQ band up to max. The PS5’s equalizer doesn’t really impact the headset’s sound signature as clearly as the Xbox Wireless Headset’s EQ does. But what it does do is significantly increase the volume of the headset whenever you raise each slider. And that’s proven to be a game-changer.

After settling on a V-shaped style EQ, which essentially helps to boost the low and high-end frequencies. I’ve found that it’s helped bring some of my favorite PS5 games to life in the audio department, particularly those with native 3D Audio support. More importantly, there’s the flexibility to lower and raise the volume depending on the game I’m playing without maxing out.

The combination of being able to tailor the frequencies of the 3D Pulse Headset as well as it resulting in a much-needed boost to overall volume has suddenly made Sony’s official headset my go-to can for gaming on PS5. Resident Evil Village can now make the hairs on my neck stand on end with its chilling audio. And I can pick out threats in Returnal far easier simply using sound alone. Switching back to the ‘Standard’ EQ only serves to outline just how damn quiet Sony’s cans were before.

Bass facts

One caveat that’s worth mentioning, though, is that bass is still pretty limited on the 3D Pulse Headset, particularly compared to the eardrum thumping lows that the Xbox Wireless Headset can provide. The new EQ won’t fundamentally change that. However, I’ve found that spatial audio benefits most when the higher-end frequencies aren’t drowned out by too much low-end. So ultimately, that isn’t a deal-breaker for me.

Sony’s system update brings more pleasing changes to PS5 owners. But if you care about 3D audio and have lamented the Pulse 3D Wireless Headset’s subpar volume level. Things are about to get a lot louder in the near future.

You can now enjoy 3D audio through your TV speakers.

To enable 3D audio for your TV speakers, go to [Settings] > [Sound] > [Audio Output], and then turn on [Enable 3D Audio for TV Speakers]. You can also measure the acoustics of your room using the microphone on your DualSense wireless controller to apply the 3D audio setting that’s optimized for your room.