Peripheral Vision

Yesterday, I stopped by my local gaming outlet to purchase the “Socom Confrontation w/ PS3 Headset” bundle. I mainly decided to buy because I wanted the official Sony PS3 Bluetooth headset, and since I could get Socom for only 10 dollars more than the headset alone, I went with the bundle. I must admit that Socom has proven to be a little disappointing, but that's another topic.

Keeping in mind that the headset alone will run you a cool 50 big ones, it's tough to say if it's worth it. It's got plenty of good things going for it, but it also has some downsides as well. Take a look:

Good Things:

● It's pretty. The headset has a nice black matte finish, and the overall design complements the PS3 very well.
● The ear-piece feels great and fits perfectly in my ear. Keep in mind that the comfort of any ear-piece will vary from person to person.
● Adjustable ear-clip.
● Easy pairing with the PS3 system. Simply plug the headset into the PS3 system with the supplied USB cable and BAM!, it's paired.

Bad Things:

● The volume buttons are not only very small, but are also not nearly as clicky as I would have liked.
● Power button nonsense. Because the power button is also used for wireless pairing and all kinds of stuff, powering down is more complicated than it should be. An example of this is having to hold down for 3 seconds to turn on, and five seconds to turn off. This is my biggest complaint. I've only had the headset for a couple days and I have fought with this countless times.

So, that's about it. The good definitely outweighs the bad. If you're a fan of Socom, then I would definitely recommend this bundle. However, if you're just interested in a Bluetooth headset, it might be a good idea to seek a 3rd party.

-matthew taylor