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Review: Astro A50 Battlefield 4 edition wireless headset

With Battlefield 4 comes a ton of related peripherals, from controllers to headsets. Over the weekend, I had a chance to try out Astro’s contribution to that peripheral pool, the wireless Astro A50 Battlefield 4 edition headset.

The headphones are essentially the same set as reviewed by Shane back in August, but come complete with Battlefield 4 graphics and a custom audio profile that promises to make the most of Battlefield 4‘s sound. Playing the Xbox 360 version with the headset’s custom profile, I’ll have to admit I was impressed. It sounds GOOD, y’all.

At a recommended Australian retail price of $379.95 AUD, the headset isn’t cheap, but it does offer wireless Dolby 7.1 sound. You’re paying for quality.

a50wireless2

The only thing potential purchasers need to be aware of is that the headset will work fine for audio and chat on current-gen devices (and even has Wii U support, as detailed by Shane), but will not support chat until a future update in 2014 by both Microsoft and Sony on their respective Xbox Ones and PS4s. If you’re wanting a great pair of headphones on a current-gen system, then look no further — especially if you’re into in-game bonuses in Battlefield 4, cause you’ll get a shiny set of dogtags coming your way — but otherwise, the deal is a little less sweet.

It’s a bit ironic; since Battlefield 4 is such a squad-heavy multiplayer game, you’ll definitely need chat to communicate with your teammates in order to win. If you plan on playing the game on a next-gen console, that means the Astro A50s are pretty much useless to you until that all too important update. To make the most out of chat, you’ll need to use the bundled Xbox One or PS4 headsets that come with each console, that is, until 2014. It’s for that reason that the Astro A50 Battlefield 4 edition headset earns a lower score than its original counterpart earlier in the year.

With huge outlays for new consoles, extra controllers and the like, you really to shop smart, gamers. Be aware.

UPDATE: Astro has just confirmed that the A50 will support chat on PS4 at launch, thanks to the PS4 1.50 firmware update. Unfortunately, an adapter is still required on Xbox One to use chat functionality.


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About the author

Steve Wright

Steve's the owner of this very site and an active games journalist nearing twenty (TWENTY!?!) years. He's a Canadian-Australian gay gaming geek, ice hockey player and fan. Husband to Matt and cat dad to Wally and Quinn.