If you’re sick of needing a different wireless headset for each of your game consoles, Logitech G might just have the answer: the Astro A50 X.
It’s the brand’s latest flagship wireless gaming headset, equipped with similar graphene drivers used by the Logitech G Pro X 2. What really steals the show is the new proprietary Playsync technology that lets you swap between different platforms at the press of a button.
Included with the Astro A50 X is a base station that, other than charging your headset, functions as a fancy HDMI switcher of sorts. Via HDMI 2.1 and USB ports, you can plug in your PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and gaming PC simultaneously. An HDMI cable between the station and a display passes the visuals through, which also solves the dilemma of TVs with limited ports.
Instead of the headset connecting to each platform separately, the consoles feed the audio into the base station. Here, the headset uses Logitech’s 24-bit Lightspeed wireless technology to receive the audio output seamlessly. Pressing the Playsync button on the headset swaps both the audio and visual source, letting you jump between consoles seamlessly.
It’s a clever solution to a problem plaguing anyone with multiple consoles. Xbox uses a proprietary wireless protocol separate from what PlayStation uses, meaning that other wireless headsets are console-specific. With the Astro A50 X, it doesn’t matter because the headset talks with the base station, not the console directly.
Nintendo Switch owners need not worry, as you can also connect the hybrid console’s dock to the station. You just won’t be getting 120Hz refresh rates any time soon due to the Switch’s hardware limitations.
An alternative is Bluetooth connectivity. The Astro A50 X supports simultaneous Bluetooth connectivity with mobile devices in addition to consoles connected to the base station. Or you can play a Nintendo Switch in handheld mode and connect via Bluetooth too.
Perhaps the only, extremely minor downside of Logitech G’s newest headset is that the microphone isn’t detachable. Otherwise, its 16-bit 48kHz quality makes broadcast-level promises. If true, it’ll put plenty of other gaming headsets to shame, as compressed-sounding mics tend to be the norm.
Astro A50 X release date and price
Don’t expect this multi-platform headset to come cheap. Available to pre-order now for $749.95, the Astro A50 X starts arriving at retailers in early 2024. To be fair, the wireless version of the fantastic SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro costs roughly the same – without the same multi-platform capabilities.
It’ll make a decent dent in your bank account, although the idea of only needing one headset for all devices is alluring. There’s a lot more to unpack about the Astro A50 X, which we’re looking forward to doing soon.
