Looking for a shiny new stocking stuffer for that PS3 fan in your life? If so, Sony has got exactly what you need. Behold, the brand new PS3 Bluetooth Headset.  It’s okay to stare. Gamers who wish to upgrade to the fancy new ear-plug are going to need to shell out $49.99. This is actually the same price as the original Sony branded headset, so it’s nice to see an increase in features without the increase in price.

The new features in question are a completely overhauled aesthetic with a high gloss finish. This is actually a strange thing to switch since the glossy look is reminiscent of older PS3 models rather than the newer slim models. Also, on the overall look of the hardware, the unit is 30% smaller than the old one. Noise-cancellation has also finally been built-in.

For all the cyborg wannabes out there that refuse to take out their headset wherever they go, the new PS3 headset is right up your alley. This bad boy is compatible with your mobile phone and supports features like call-waiting and three-way calls. Its approximately six hours of talk time ensures that you’ll pretty much only need to take it out when you’re ready for some of those electric sheep dreams.

Additional features include automatic USB pairing, an on-ear mute button, in-game status indicator and a charging cradle that also acts as a desktop microphone. Sony is also touting the headset as, “the only device to offer High-Quality mode.” This mode is supposed to give players extremely high levels of clarity while chatting on the PS3.

The new headset works with Bluetooth 1.1 devices or higher. It should be noted that for all of the features to work on the PS3, you must have your firmware updated to 3.50 or later. Any of you firmware holdouts out there will be out of luck. While there is no firm release date just yet, gadget lovers will be able to snatch one up sometime this month.

Does the new PS3 Bluetooth Headset look like a must-have peripheral to add to your gaming set-up? Is the price tag a little steep compared to the huge variety of comparable headsets out there that work with the PS3, or is having the Sony logo stamped on it worth the asking price? Anyone with existing headsets feel like this is worth the upgrade?

Source: PS Blog