Sony used a PS5 State of Play to reveal desktop gaming speakers — here's what they bring to the table

(Image credit: Sony)

Are you a desktop gamer? Is your PS5 hooked up to your monitor alongside a PC or a Mac, firmly planted on your desk? Well, Sony might have just made the perfect speakers for you, with a whole host of PlayStation-specific features packed in to make them worth your time and money.

They're not pegged for release until next year, but we've learned a lot about the speakers after PlayStation's State of Play announcements. They're wireless, portable, and can even connect to a PlayStation Portal.

Wireless gaming speakers for all

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So it looks like the number 1 priority off the bat is the portability of the speakers. They've got built-in batteries, so that you can take them on the go. They charge with what looks like a little puck on the bottom, which you could leave permanently on your desk. Powered speakers while you game there, and then speakers for your Portal when you go on holiday. Slick.

I can't tell if there's an alternative way to charge, so there's nothing about a USB-C port on the back if you find yourself with dead batteries and no charging puck thing. There's not news on battery life either, only that they are portable and have batteries. I'd expect more news to come closer to release next year.

Interesting sound tech

Planer Magnetic drivers are the audio tech of the moment — providing excellent clarity and quicker response to shifting frequencies in music and video games. Sony has used them in the recent Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore headsets for a more immersive feeling while playing your favorite games.

They're far less common in speakers, however, which tend to use cone drivers and woofers for their sound. Sony has taken a leap of faith with larger (how much larger we're not told) Planar Magnetic drivers in the Pulse Elevate. Sony says it gives them "lifelike sound across the entire audible spectrum."

I'd say it's going to make them more immersive, given that it'll be easier to make pin-point sounds. To counteract the tech's lower bass output, it seems they've been coupled with a pair of woofers for low stuff.

Tempest 3D AudioTech is here for the spatial audio surround fix that gamers are looking for, something that's only going to work with PlayStation.

Built for gamers

As you might expect from something with the PlayStation logo on it, the Pulse Elevate are designed for gamers. There's low-latency audio thanks to a little dongle, but you can also listen (or play) over Bluetooth.

Want to chat to your friends? There's a built-in mic and special noise-canceling tech so that you can play games with chums without them being able to hear their voices or your game in some kind of bizarre chat-ception.

If you connect to a PlayStation, you get ultra-low latency and lossless audio playback thanks to PlayStation Link, which is always a big gaming bonus.

So when can I get some?

Well, um... not yet. There's no official release date that Sony has provided, only that the "Pulse Elevate wireless speakers will launch in 2026" and you'll be able to buy them in "Midnight Black and White." Now, 2026 isn't that long away, but we could still be waiting a while to get them on our speaker-hungry desks.

There's no price news either, I'm afraid. Hopefully they won't be too expensive, but given they're packed with so much tech I'm certain they're not going to be cheap. So let's patiently wait and see when they come out.

And if you're desperate for speakers, might I suggest our list of the best desk speakers?

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Tammy and her generous collection of headphones have found a new home — Tom's Guide! After a two-and-a-half-year stint as iMore's resident audiophile, Tammy's reviews and buying guide expertise have more focus than ever on Tom's Guide, helping buyers find the audio gear that works best for them. Tammy has worked with some of the most desirable audio brands on the planet in her time writing about headphones, speakers, and more, bringing a consumer focussed approach to critique and buying advice. Away from her desk, you'll probably find her in the countryside writing (extremely bad) poetry, or putting her screenwriting Masters to good use creating screenplays that'll never see the light of day.

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