Elevate Your Gaming Experience: Unpacking the Sony Inzone H5 Wireless Headsets Impressive Features for PS5 and PC

Following the debut of the PlayStation 5, Sony has introduced a plethora of accessories designed for the console, including headsets, earbuds, charging docks, cameras, media remotes, and numerous others. Among these are the Inzone gaming headsets, which provide a bit more flexibility. The Inzone H3, H7, and H9 are designed to be compatible with both PC and PS5, offering an enhanced range of features across different price ranges. Sony’s latest offering, the Inzone H5 wireless gaming headset, occupies a position in the mid-range of this lineup. The Inzone H5 is equipped with spatial audio technology for a more immersive gaming experience, has an impressive battery life, and a lightweight design for extended gaming comfort. It supports both wireless and wired connections through a 2.4 GHz wireless link via a USB Type-A transceiver or a 3.5mm audio jack.

But does the H5 truly distinguish itself amongst the multitude of gaming headphone options available for the PS5? The concise answer is yes. The Inzone H5 is a notable improvement over the dedicated Pulse 3D wireless headset for the PS5. It features a design that, while less visually striking, offers enhanced comfort, more user-friendly controls, and significantly improved battery longevity. Although it comes at a higher price than the Pulse 3D headset, the H5 provides enough additional value to warrant the extra cost. In recent weeks, I had the opportunity to evaluate Sony’s newest gaming headset under various conditions. The H5 impressed me with its exceptional comfort and outstanding battery performance. While its key features excelled, it was the finer points that truly caught my attention.

What’s in the box?

The packaging for the Sony Inzone H5 includes the over-ear gaming headphones, a 3.5mm audio cable, a USB Type-C charging cable, and a USB Type-A transceiver that works with both PS5 and PC. The design of the headphones resembles that of the more affordable H3 model within the Inzone series, featuring a matte finish in either black or white plastic.

The Inzone H5 bundle comes with a USB charging cable and a 3.5mm audio wire.

The adjustable oval ear cups can lay flat for convenient storage, and the headband extends from within its casing to secure a perfect fit for various head sizes and shapes. On the right ear cup, you’ll find a power button, an LED indicator, and a button to control the game and chat audio balance for online play. The left ear cup features an adjustable boom microphone that can be flipped down to activate and up to mute instantly. It also includes a scrollable volume control, a USB Type-C charging port, and a 3.5mm audio jack for wired connections.

Sony Inzone H5 Wireless Gaming Headset Review: Design and features

Out of the box, the H5 presents a simple design that may come off as somewhat inexpensive due to its all-plastic build. However, this choice contributes to the headphones being extremely lightweight, tipping the scales at just 260g, which is less than half the weight of Sony’s Pulse 3D wireless headset, which weighs a hefty 522g. If you’ve experienced discomfort from the Pulse 3D headset after a couple of hours of gaming on your PS5, the Inzone H5 promises a much lighter feel.

I have used the H5 for lengthy gaming sessions, watched an entire movie, and worked extensively on my PC, without ever feeling its weight. The oval ear cups, cushioned with soft nylon pads, provide a comfortable fit that allows the ear to settle nicely inside. The design places most of the pressure on the underside of the wearer’s ear, thus preventing discomfort on the upper side. Additionally, the headband is equipped with a soft cushioning strip for added comfort.

The H5’s ear cups come with volume and game/chat balance controls.

The Inzone H5 encompasses 3D spatial audio for a more engaging gaming experience with directional sound that conveys a sense of three-dimensional space within the game. The headphones utilize 40mm drivers to produce precise audio across both high and low frequencies, and the ear cup housing features a series of ducts aimed at enhancing low-frequency performance and bass, according to Sony.

The boom microphone, when flipped down and activated, is positioned close to the user’s mouth, effectively isolating voice chat by filtering out surrounding noise. Sony asserts that the microphone on the H5 employs AI-driven algorithms to capture crystal-clear voice audio. One of my favorite features of the Inzone H5 is that you can mute yourself instantly by flipping up the microphone.

Sony Inzone H5 Wireless Gaming Headset Review: PS5, PC compatibility and specifications

The Inzone H5 offers a frequency response range of 5Hz – 20,000Hz and a sensitivity rating of 89dB. As previously mentioned, these headphones come equipped with 40mm drivers and offer both wireless connectivity via a 2.4GHz USB dongle and a wired connection using the included 1.5m-long 3.5mm cable.

Pairing the H5 with a PS5 is a swift process; simply plug and play. The USB Type-A dongle includes a toggle to switch between PS5 and PC modes. Just switch to PS5 pairing mode, connect it to the USB Type-A port on the PS5, and power on the headphones by holding the power button on the right ear cup. You’ll receive an immediate pairing notification, and the audio will begin streaming through the H5. You can easily adjust the volume and balance the game and chat audio directly from the headphone controls. Alternatively, you can use the wired option by plugging the provided audio cable into the 3.5mm socket on the PlayStation DualSense controller.

You can also navigate to the PS5 settings menu, select Sound, and customize the 3D audio profiles for the headphones to your preference, with separate adjustments available for each ear cup.

The Inzone H5 is easy to pair with the PS5.

On PC, the connection procedure is largely identical. Switch the USB dongle to PC pairing mode, plug it into a USB Type-A port on your computer, and you’re ready to start. Furthermore, here you have the option to download the Inzone Hub PC software for additional sound customization. You can create or modify sound profiles and adjust equalizer settings to Flat, Bass Boost, or Music/Video modes. You also have the flexibility to manually tweak the equalizer settings to your taste. The Inzone Hub allows you to modify the dynamic range, enable spatial audio, and adjust microphone, volume, and game/chat audio levels. While the array of customization options available isn’t extensive, the app covers the essentials.

Sony Inzone H5 Wireless Gaming Headset Review: Performance and battery life

I tested the H5 while gaming across various titles on the PS5, including Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. I also evaluated the headphones while playing Rocket League online to determine whether the microphone’s voice isolation worked effectively. The H5’s spatial audio feature functioned as anticipated, paralleling the performance of the Pulse 3D headset, but the H5 clearly stands out in terms of sound clarity compared to the Pulse 3D’s somewhat muddied bass-heavy output. While the H5 manages bass effectively, it opts for a more balanced sound that, although less punchy, creates a more natural listening experience.

Utilizing the PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech, the H5 truly excelled in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. Set within the lush environments of the game, the sounds of various creatures, insects, and rustling plants came to life through the H5, significantly enriching my game experience. Similarly, in the Norse backdrop of God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla, the H5 delivered robust audio for both the soundtrack and action sequences. In Prince of Persia, it adeptly balanced the intensity of combat with the more delicate notes of Persian musical elements. The boom microphone performed reliably as well, consistently transmitting my voice clearly, even amidst background construction noise.

Apart from its capable sound performance, the H5 astounds with its battery longevity. Sony asserts it offers up to 28 hours of continuous playtime on a full charge and claims three hours of use can be obtained from just 10 minutes of charging. Based on my own experience, Sony’s assertions seem quite accurate. The Inzone H5 lasted several days of sporadic gaming on a single full charge. On numerous occasions, I picked up the headphones after a week without charging, expecting them to be dead, only to discover they still had ample battery life. One of my favorite features of the H5 was the voice battery indicator, which directly communicated the current battery percentage with just a quick tap of the power button. Every time I did this, I was pleasantly surprised by the figure it revealed. Additionally, although the H5 lacks active noise cancelation, its snug fit does an excellent job of naturally blocking outside sounds.

The most significant drawback of the H5 is certainly the absence of Bluetooth connectivity. While the USB transceiver is an effective means for toggling between gaming on the PS5 and PC, and the 3.5mm wired option provides additional versatility, effortlessly connecting to a mobile phone is not straightforward. You can engage in some adapter gymnastics to link via the USB dongle, and the 3.5mm cord will create a wired connection with your smartphone (using a USB Type-C/lightning to headphone jack adapter, given that most contemporary smartphones lack a direct 3.5mm audio jack). Nevertheless, the convenience of Bluetooth is hard to overlook. It’s a standard feature one expects from most wireless headphones, and its absence relegates the Inzone H5 to a somewhat limited use case. Another point to consider is that individuals with larger or prominent ears might encounter some difficulty with the compact ear cups of the H5, as the thin nylon foam cushioning leaves little space between the ear and the sound drivers inside.

The H5 benefits from the PS5’s Tempest 3D audio technology.

Sony Inzone H5 Wireless Gaming Headset Review: Verdict

Sony’s latest gaming headset enters a highly competitive mid-range market, competing against popular offerings such as the Logitech G733 and various options from SteelSeries, Corsair, Razer, Turtle Beach, and even budget-friendly alternatives from HyperX. Its most formidable competitor may, in fact, be its own sibling. As it is marketed as an optimal companion for the PS5, the H5 faces off against the well-established Pulse 3D wireless headset, priced at Rs. 8,590. You can snag a pair at a reduced rate of Rs. 6,390 through Sony’s ShopAtSC portal. At a price of Rs. 15,990, the Inzone H5 does not offer outstanding value — at least not for every buyer.

Nonetheless, for those willing to spend a bit extra, the H5 is a significant enhancement over the Pulse 3D headphones in numerous respects. It weighs half as much and lasts two times longer. Its design offers better comfort for extended gaming sessions and its sound quality surpasses its rivals. Additionally, it presents a more versatile headphone option, functioning equally well with both PC and PS5. The lack of Bluetooth connectivity might deter some buyers, particularly those looking to utilize their headphones wirelessly with mobile devices like the Nintendo Switch. However, if you seek a dual-use headset for both PC and PS5, the Inzone H5 delivers across the board without much hassle.