OPINION: Unless you’re hankering for a wearable gaming speaker with underwhelming audio and a nonsensical design, the SoundSlayer is one to avoid this Christmas.
I’m a pretty big fan of headsets. In general, you won’t see me without earbuds in or a headset on, since I prefer to spend my days listening to music or catching up with my favourite podcasts. And since I’m usually always plugged in, it’s not unusual for me to find some form of audio device underneath the tree on Christmas morning, which is usually a dream come true.
This year, I’ve been lucky enough to get a sneak peek at a couple of new headsets and speakers, but I was definitely unlucky when I got to try out the Panasonic SoundSlayer wearable gaming speaker.
Unlike the headsets and earbuds that we all know and love, the SoundSlayer is a wearable audio device that goes around your neck, in a very similar fashion to those aeroplane neck pillows. The result is that you’re essentially wearing the speaker like a necklace, so everyone can hear whatever you’re listening to, whether they want to or not.
And if you can look past the bizarre design – which I can’t – you’re left with some of the most underwhelming audio, that comes out flat and without life, meaning that it doesn’t add to any game you play or make the experience more enjoyable.
But maybe the hardest pill to swallow here is the steep price; the Panasonic SoundSlayer will cost you about £159.99 over here in the UK, which would make it one of your big Christmas presents, if not the main present altogether. For that price, you could invest in a massive number of premium headsets, many of which come with features that the SoundSlayer could only dream of, like Active Noise Cancellation or Surround Sound.
So, on the off chance that you’ve been looking at the Pansonic SoundSlayer wearable gaming headset and wondering if it would make a quirky gift for any hipster gamer in you’re life, take my advice and steer well clear. This headset should never have seen the light of day, and once it’s back in its box in the back of my wardrobe, I don’t think it will again.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.