Xbox Announces New Headphones That Cost as Much as the Xbox Series X

Microsoft and Bang & Olufsen have revealed the Beoplay Portal Wireless Headphones for Xbox that cost $499 USD, which just so happens to be the same price as the Xbox Series X. These new high-end headphones are the first product for the Designed for Xbox Limited Series program, which Microsoft says "communicates how closely we have worked with our partners on each product to test quality, performance, safety, and security with all Xbox hardware experiences." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=designed-for-xbox-limited-series-bang-olufsen-beoplay-portal-headphones&captions=true"] Bang & Olufsen's headphones come in Black Anthracite, Grey Mist, and Navy Brass and are available for pre-order today. In the US and Canada, the Black headset is available for purchase today, March 30, while the Grey and Navy variants will ship in May. The Beoplay Portal headphones will be released globally from April 29, 2021. While they offer a "sophisticated aesthetic and can be used in any situation," they also offer easy access to gaming features like customized game/chat balance, mute, and volume on the headset itself or from the Bang & Olufsen audio app. They are made to easily connect to your Xbox Series X/S or Xbox One with lossless 2.4HGz Xbox Wireless connectivity, but they also are compatible with gaming PCs and mobile devices with Bluetooth 5.1 and aptX Adaptive. Charging only takes 3 hours, and the Beoplay Portal offers "12 hours of battery life when using Xbox Wireless, Bluetooth and active noise-cancellation, and 24 hours when only using Bluetooth and active-noise cancellation." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/15/xbox-wireless-headset-review"] Its virtual boom arm provides "reliable microphone performance without the intrusive design of a physical boom arm" that can amplify your voice while cancelling out background noise. The previously mentioned Bang & Olufsen app is available on iOS and Android phones and allows for user to "quickly swap between pre-set game modes, like RPG or FPS, adjust adaptive active noise-cancellation, mic monitoring, mic tone and game/chat balance." As far as design goes, the Beoplay Portal "combines Scandinavian design values with the world of gaming." Designed by Jakob Wagner in partnership with Bang & Olufsen's design team, these over-ear headphones feature lambskin ear cushions for great sound isolation and fully immersive audio. They also have calfskin leather on the exterior headband with bamboo fiber textile on the inside band, and the cushions on the top of the headband help prevent fatigue and head pain from long-use. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/13/essential-xbox-series-x-s-accessories"] These more expensive headphones give Xbox fans a new option to go alongside the more affordable Xbox Wireless Headset that was revealed earlier this month. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.