Audio brand Bang & Olufsen has announced a second iteration of its excellent Beoplay Portal wireless gaming headphones – and unlike the originals they're compatible with PS5 as well as Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles, so even more gamers will be able to experience the brand's high-quality audio.
Launching on February 17, the new Beoplay Portal gaming headset looks to retain the fantastic audio quality the brand is known for, while offering some key improvements over the original headset beyond the new PS5 compatibility.
No pricing has been announced yet, but we expect the new Beoplay Portal gaming headphones to retail at around the same price as the first pair, which certainly weren't cheap at $499 / £449.
One of the biggest improvements looks to be to the battery life, with the new model offering 19 hours of wireless performance and up to an impressive 42 hours via Bluetooth with just active noise cancellation enabled.
That's a huge improvement over the first model's battery life, and comparable to the exquisite Sony WH-1000XM4s, which currently hold top spot in our best headphones buying guide.
The new Beoplay Portal headphones also pack several of the high-end features you'd want in a pricey pair of gaming headphones. Support for aptX, AAC and SBC audio codecs is present, as well as 2.4GHz low-latency connectivity, which will hopefully solve some of the connection issues we had with the originals.
You can also make use of Dolby Atmos to add even more depth and immersion to your audio quality, which makes the headset a solid choice for both gaming and listening to music. And, much like the original pair, we imagine the new Beoplay Portal gaming headphones should come with a Dolby Atmos license included, which otherwise costs $15 / £15.
Several of the original model's features remain, too. The Virtual Boom Arm feature returns, lending the user's voice some extra clarity while isolating other background noises.
The new Beoplay Portal gaming headphones retain the same high build quality that made the originals such a comfy fit, while being slightly lighter at 279 grams, as opposed to 282 grams.
We're looking forward to trying out the new Beoplay Portal gaming headphones, especially given the above improvements. We'll have a full review ready in the coming days – and the new pair might just have a shot at becoming one of the best gaming headsets you can buy.
