Sony's Days of Play sale is live through June 11, and the Pulse Explore Wireless earbuds are sitting at $149 , a $50 cut from their usual price. That's a decent deal on paper. Here's the thing, though: the SteelSeries Arctis Game Buds are currently $114.99 for a refurbished pair at Amazon, down from their full $199.99 MSRP, and they make a stronger case for your PS5 audio setup than Sony's own offering.
Arctis Game Buds PS5 setup
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What the Days of Play sale is actually offering
The Sony Pulse Explore Wireless earbuds lean hard on PlayStation Link connectivity, which is a genuine selling point if you want a plug-and-play experience with zero configuration friction. At $149, they're at their lowest recorded price and are officially licensed for PS5. For players who live entirely in the PlayStation ecosystem and want that first-party integration, the appeal is real.
The Days of Play event covers a wider range of PS5 accessories beyond just earbuds, but the Pulse Explore is the audio headliner Sony is pushing this year. The sale runs until June 11, so there's a short window to act on any of the discounts.
Why the Arctis Game Buds punch above their sale price
The Arctis Game Buds aren't officially licensed for PS5, but that barely matters in practice. The included slimline USB-C 2.4GHz dongle slots into the PS5's front-facing port and pairs instantly. The same dongle works across the Nintendo Switch 2, Steam Deck, and any device with a USB-C port, which makes these earbuds a genuinely multi-platform tool rather than a single-console accessory.
Battery life is where the gap between these two products gets hard to ignore. The Pulse Explore manages around 5 hours per charge. The Arctis Game Buds deliver 10 hours of continuous playback, with up to 40 hours total when you factor in the included Qi Charging Case. That's a meaningful difference across long gaming sessions or a weekend away from a charger.
Qi charging case included
The 6mm neodymium audio drivers produce solid sound for their size, and the active noise cancellation is effective enough to block out a partner's gaming PC running at full tilt in the same room. Tap controls handle playback and volume without needing to pull out your phone. Comfort holds up across extended sessions, even for people who historically found in-ear designs difficult to wear for long periods.
The honest trade-offs
The Arctis Game Buds aren't perfect for every use case. The microphone is functional but won't satisfy anyone who needs clear Discord voice chat during competitive play. That's a known limitation of the form factor. The Pulse Explore, being an officially licensed product, also carries the psychological reassurance of first-party support and direct PlayStation integration that some players genuinely value.
For a direct look at how these and other PS5 audio options compare, our game reviews section covers peripheral hardware alongside software.
What this means for PS5 players shopping the sale
The key here is that Sony's Days of Play framing naturally draws attention to first-party products, and the Pulse Explore discount is real. But the Arctis Game Buds represent better value at their current price point, particularly for players who use more than one platform or want a longer battery buffer for extended sessions.
Pro tip: if neither price point feels right, Amazon Prime Day is expected in July and has historically brought the Arctis Game Buds down further. That's worth factoring in if you're not in a rush.
For more buying decisions and hardware breakdowns heading into summer sale season, the gaming guides hub is worth bookmarking as Prime Day approaches.
