There are some gamers who are a bit more gamers than others and are more fortunate than others. As a result, these are gamers who are lucky enough to have multiple computers on which to play. For example, the advantage of using this trio from Playstation to PC to Xbox is that you are no longer limited to exclusives. Yes, we also know that there are so many non-Playstation exclusives these days that you can count them on one hand. But you never know, Microsoft will one day wake up with a bunch of exclusive products.
The most complex task in the meantime is managing three consoles. At least 3 HDMI ports are available (or at least 2 HDMI ports with a DisplayPort port for your PC). This isn’t always the case. So, we all got into the habit of unplugging the HDMI cable from one of our computers and connecting it to another computer. In the long run, this can be tiring. Especially if you have a fresh install and decide not to touch it anymore. But the hardest part is especially the audio. In reality, this isn’t always the case for audio if you want to avoid screen increases. And recently we discovered that gamers love games. So if you currently have two or three consoles and a PC, you probably have one or several headsets that can do it all. Therefore, using multiple headsets is not recommended. For example, at home everyone uses one headset and it goes through the reconnection box just like the HDMI cable. This is where Logitech comes into play.
In fact, late last year, Logitech announced a solution for gamers who own a Sony PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC but don’t have a good idea to invest in a TV or monitor. At least two HDMI ports (for both consoles) and one DisplayPort port (for PC). Additionally, these gamers are using TVs with one or two HDMI ports and need to connect/disconnect the audio portion as well as the HDMI cable. This is because Xbox uses proprietary technology, which can be tiring if you only have one or two headsets. A system for sound.
PlaySync, to sync everything
So, Logitech has a solution with its new Astro A50X, a successor to the Astro A50 launched in 2019 that will live forever in the world of technology. Looking for a relatively similar design to the new Astro A50X, the real novelty comes from the new PlaySync technology, which allows you to connect the Astro A50X to three gaming systems at the same time (PS5, Xbox, PC) and: You can switch between these three systems with a simple button (audio and video). This new feature is modeled through a new base that is not only used to charge the wireless headset Astro A50X, but is also used to connect to three gaming systems.
So on this basis we have already found an HDMI pass-through port that allows us to connect between three gaming systems and a popular TV or monitor (let’s say from 2010) with only one HDMI port. And each gaming system has a USB-C port and an HDMI 2.1 port for the audio portion. However, PCs with only USB-C input are excluded. That’s because Logitech bases both consoles on the principle of connecting to USB-C. The TV inevitably needs to be above the monitor, which in itself is a bit silly since gamers like us only play on the monitor, even if we use consoles.
In short, I didn’t find any particular installation issues, other than the back of the Astro A50X’s base becoming a mess quickly. In particular, the power supply to the base must also be considered. Since the old one was cleaner, I ended up asking myself if the new install was worth it. In any case, surprises are never alone, so I had a chance to have an LG monitor and apparently HDMI Pass-Through does not work correctly on certain LG devices due to factory settings. So far I haven’t been able to get it to work on my LG UltraGear monitor, but it works fine on other brands of monitors, such as the Acer Predator monitor.
every day
In terms of sound, there are no particular concerns. The Astro A50X inherits everything that made the Astro A50 successful: great sound. We can perfectly hear the game’s various sounds and environments. There’s enough bass, but not too much, and daily use of the Astro A50X while gaming is a constant pleasure. There is a bit of a lack of detail in the treble region, but not too seriously, especially when playing. In fact, the beauty of Astro is that it’s balanced in every way. It’s not the best, but it’s pretty good everywhere! After that, you can always access the equalizer (via a smartphone app or PC) to correct the situation. You can also equalize the microphone, showing the level of customization that Logitech offers. And speaking of the latter, he was very nice and I had no particular problems with my interlocutor.
The Astro A50X also features Bluetooth functionality, allowing you to connect the headset directly to your smartphone or Nintendo Switch. So, another surprising thing about the audio quality related to music is that the Astro A50X will not compete with the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the Apple Airpods Max, but we would be very satisfied with it on a daily basis. In terms of autonomy, the Astro A50X offers just over 20 hours of autonomy when using games, which is not bad at all. Plus, the headset recharges every time you put it down, so there’s no real worry about battery life. So the headset itself takes the same design as the Astro A50 and features a great plastic finish. Comfortable throughout gaming sessions, you can even blame the earpieces for getting too hot over long periods of time! We probably preferred a closer-to-leather finish, which would have been cooler in some ways.
Logitech Astro A50X has been released The price is $379.
