Sony has delayed its Pulse Elevate wireless speakers. The $219.99 pair was set to launch on November 12th. Sony posted the news in a November 6th update, less than a week before release.
The company blamed a production issue. “As part of our ongoing quality testing of Pulse Elevate speakers, we have identified a production issue with the product,” Sony wrote on the PlayStation Blog. Sony said the extra time would help it “ensure the product will deliver the experience we intended for our players.”
Sony did not give a new release date. It also did not explain how existing preorders will be handled. Preorders opened on September 1st. Buyers who ordered through PlayStation Direct are still waiting for guidance.
The Pulse Elevate is Sony’s first set of wireless desktop speakers built for gaming. Each unit uses “studio-inspired planar magnetic drivers.” Sony says they deliver “lifelike sound across the entire audible spectrum.” The speakers work with the PS5, PlayStation Portal, PC, and Mac.
They also include a built-in mic for voice chat. Sony’s PlayStation Link tech handles the low-latency connection. Charging docks top up the batteries between sessions, and the speakers ship in black and white.
Availability differs by color and region. Black units were meant to reach PlayStation Direct and participating retailers worldwide. White units were limited to PlayStation Direct in the US, UK, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.
The timing is awkward. A November 12th launch would have landed in the middle of the holiday shopping season. Missing that window costs Sony shelf space and attention. Desktop audio is a crowded market, and rivals rarely hold a finished product this close to release.
Sony has not said whether the delay affects only the first production batch. The company also has not confirmed whether the speakers will arrive before the end of the year. Anyone who preordered is stuck with an open calendar entry.
Sony has also been stretching out support for older hardware across its lineup. Rival platforms are doing the same, as gaming hardware makers keep devices alive far past their launch windows.
Source: PlayStation’s wireless gaming speakers launch in November (The Verge), plus Sony’s November 6th delay notice on the PlayStation Blog.
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