If you prefer earbuds to gaming headsets, our favorite pair of wireless gaming earbuds are on sale for a limited time. Both the white and black and all-black models of Sony’s Inzone Buds are discounted to $178 (was $200) at Amazon, marking the lowest price since they launched last holiday. Amazon hasn’t given an end date for the deal, but if the retailer sells out, you can snag a pair of Inzone Buds at Best Buy for $180.
Made by Sony Electronics – not PlayStation – the Inzone Buds are designed for PC gaming but are fully compatible with PS5, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, Android, and iPhone 15 via the 2.4GHz dongle. They offer more bang for your buck than PlayStation’s Pulse Explore earbuds ($200), as they’re equipped with the same drivers as the popular WF-1000XM5 earbuds, which have a list price of $300 (on sale at Amazon with $52 off). And Since they implement Sony’s excellent noise-cancelling technology, they’re a clear recommendation at full price. PlayStation’s Pulse Explore wireless earbuds score well in terms of sound, and while they isolate noise well, they don’t come with true ANC.
$178 (was $200)
Sony Inzone Buds are available in either a white/black combination or black, and both models qualify for the current Amazon deal. In addition to excellent active noise cancellation and up to 12 hours of battery life (24 with charging case), PC users can fully customize performance using the Inzone Hub software. These settings, including one of up to 256 sound profiles, can be synced to the earbuds and used on PS5 and other devices. The PS5’s audio features, such as Tempest 3D Audio and Dolby Atmos, are fully compatible with the Inzone Buds.
Like most wireless earbuds, the Inzone Buds feature well-functioning tap/touch controls. The controls allow you to turn ANC on or off, adjust volume, change the sound mix, and more. Tap controls can be programmed to perform various functions. If you’re worried about latency with wireless headsets, the 2.4GHz connection has only 30ms latency, which contributes to a seamless and reliable listening experience. An AI-powered microphone enhances your voice so your words sound crisp and clear to your teammates.
There aren’t nearly as many competitors in the gaming earbud market as there are in the established gaming headset market, but the Inzone Buds are the best we’ve used to date. Sony’s experience in making high-quality earbuds certainly helped when developing the Inzone Buds. They’re comfortable to wear even for hours of continuous use, and in the box you’ll find four sets of silicone ear tips in varying sizes.
The biggest downside to the earbuds is that many users use the included USB-C dongle on mobile devices, as the Bluetooth LE audio connection isn’t supported by many devices. Some newer Android phones have Bluetooth LE, but Apple’s iPhones aren’t part of that small ecosystem. iOS users with an iPhone 15 can simply plug in the USB-C dongle for playback, but if you have an iPhone with a Lightning port, you’ll need a Lightning to USB-C adapter that supports audio (including iPhone). This $15 adapter works perfectly in our experience, but of course it adds a dangling cable to your iPhone and runs the risk of degraded sound quality and increased latency—we never noticed this, but different adapters and phones may produce different results.
If you want to know more about Sony’s gaming earbuds, check out our review of the Sony Inzone Buds.
$228 (was $300)
Amazon is also offering discounts on Inzone’s over-ear gaming headsets, including the premium Inzone H9 wireless headset, which takes its cues from Sony’s flagship WH-1000XM5 headphones and costs $228 (was $300). Speaking of the WH-1000XM5 headphones, they’re available at Amazon with $100 off.
The H9 uses the same leatherette and memory foam cushions as the WH-1000XM5. It has ANC, full support with Inzone Hub for customization, and is compatible with all of the PS5’s audio features. It has 2.4GHz and Bluetooth for wireless connectivity, but it’s worth noting that the dongle is USB-A, not USB-C. On the plus side, it has wider Bluetooth compatibility as it doesn’t use Bluetooth LE – so it will sync to your iPhone, Android phone, Switch, Steam Deck, etc. via Bluetooth.
The Inzone H5 mid-range wireless headset without noise cancellation technology is on sale for $128 (was $150).
Here is a list of all the Sony Inzone audio deals now available on Amazon:
The Inzone Buds are the best earbuds we’ve tried in the still-small gaming category, but they’re not your only solid option. Asus offers two different models of its ROG Cetra: the high-end 2.4GHz SpeedNova with Bluetooth 5.3 for $190 (was $200) and the Bluetooth-only ROG Cetra for $80 (was $100). Both support Bluetooth connections on a wider range of devices, including iPhone, Android, Nintendo Switch, and Steam Deck.
